Daily Times

Sir: My elders always told me that books are the best friends anyone could ever have and they stay loyal throughout your life even if you are not loyal to them. Books are considered the primary source of knowledge but I grew up watching the source of knowledge being transformed into digital data.

We in the modern day consider mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc, as the necessities of life but we have deserted newspapers, books and other reading material. This is because we can watch the live coverage of the news and a movie adapted from a novel and this technological change goes on. Man created gadgets so that he could save some time for his family and other work but these technological tools have made him more occupied. As we see in the movies and documentaries, the reason for the growing obesity in the US along with different other fatal diseases is watching television or playing video games as well as eating seamlessly.

Reading books or anything else is actually considered as an exercise for your brain and your senses. You read, research and probe until you explore the whole scenario in your mind. Apart from knowledge and information, the habit of reading can be vital for your vocabulary along with your writing and speaking skills. I will request my literate countrymen to sustain this habit of reading and urge their family members and friends to do the same so that besides entertainment and enjoyment, we can have some intelligent people around us.

One must start off with reading the day’s newspaper and then try to start a novel. Challenge yourself and make a target for the amount of pages you will read and simply try to increase a page with time. Try writing summaries after reading and try different activities with your family or friends so that all the people can get engaged in this healthy activity.

SYED OMER NADEEM

Karachi