on reading

Mother likes to say that I was an easy child. They could keep me quiet by placing a reading material in my crib and I could keep myself occupied for hours. Shredding the material into bits. If I really liked it, I would eat it.

I have become more sophisticated as the years have passed. I have made certain improvements on my eating habits and I can now actually read. In fact I have developed a serious relationship with reading that a considerable part of my income goes to bookstores, that I consider bookshelves as essential furniture, that it is constant struggle for me to maintain a reading-exercise balance, that a usual cause of my tardiness for appointments is that I am unable to put a book down, and that I procrastinate doing errands pending conclusion of whatever it is I am reading at a particular time. Which is why I try not to say anything against drinkers, smokers, weed enthusiasts, World Cup die-hards, or raw vegans. To each his own passion.

I consider a book particularly good when I start exhibiting book-mania signs. For example, when I was reading The Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella, I brought my car to the repair shop to have the tires checked. I stayed inside the car obliviously reading my book while the mechanic proceeded to look at the car. It was only when I got home that I remembered I have forgotten to check whether the mechanic returned the replaced tire (he did). I had it really bad with this book because I also remember leaving it in the car so I can read a few pages at every stop light.

Now I have noticed another peculiarity. A light bulb in my head starts to flash when there’s any mention of coffee, cafes, or caffeine in the book. Take for instance The-Know-It-All (One Man's Humble Questo to Become the Smartest Person in the World) by AJ Jacob which kept me entertained at Singapore’s transit hotel. On page 47, the narrator states that he needs to be drinking more coffee (there goes the bulb!) and adds a phrase on how coffee was discovered (more flashing!).

I realize that I need to be more discerning of what I am reading these days although I like giving new writers a fair chance. I calculated that I spend at least 12 hours in the office these days. If I spend 7 hours sleeping, that leaves me five hours every day to do as I please. Five hours. We have not even begun factoring in time spent in traffic.

I am somewhere midway between infancy and my dream-of-going-topless-in-the-Bahamas-when-I-retire-day but the strategy to keep me quiet remains the same. A good material to read.

Persistence Unlimited lists 26 advantages of reading, in addition to keeping the baby quiet:
1. Reading is an active mental process
2. It is a fundamental skill builder
3. Improves your vocabulary
4. Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places
5. Improves concentration and focus
6. Builds self-esteem
7. Improves memory
8. Improves your discipline
9. Learn anywhere
10. Improves creativity
11. Gives you something to talk about
12. Books are inexpensive entertainment
13. You can learn at your own pace
14. New mental associations
15. Improves your reasoning skills
16. Builds your expertise
17. Saves money
18. Decreases mistakes
19. You’ll discover surprises
20. Decreased boredom
21. Can change your life
22. Can help break a slump
23. Reduces stress
24. Gets you away from digital distractions
25. You’ll make more money
26. The book is always better than the movie

(Photo from CSL Cartoonstock)