TOUCHSTONES 1
Why Read?
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C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands, by William Nicholson
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
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We read to know we are not alone.
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There are a multitude of reasons why reading is a fantastic use of your time. Reading improves your language skills, develops your mind, helps you learn to listen and can transport you to another time and place.
Dr Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut
Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind
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Ursula K. Le Guin
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We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
Which of these quotes do you like best? Which quotes do you agree with? Are there any you disagree with?
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COMMUNICATING: GROUP DISCUSSION
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Lots of research has been done on why people read and what the benefits are. Read these six studies that suggest reading is good for you, then discuss the questions below.
Reading helps you live longer
In 2009, scientists at the University of Sussex in the UK looked at how different activities lowered stress by measuring heart rate and muscle tension. Reading a book or newspaper for just six minutes lowered people’s stress levels by 68 per cent. This was a higher percentage drop in stress than going for a walk at 42 per cent, drinking a cup of tea or coffee at 54 per cent, or listening to music at 61 per cent. According to the authors, the ability to be fully concentrating on what you are reading and therefore not distracted is what makes reading the perfect way to relieve stress.
A daily dose of reading may lengthen your lifespan. A team of scientists at Yale University followed more than 3,600 adults over the age of 50 for 12 years. They discovered that people who reported reading books for 30 minutes a day lived nearly 2 years more than those who read magazines or newspapers. Participants who read more than 3 and a half hours per week were 23 per cent less likely to die, and participants who read less than 3 and a half hours per week were 17 per cent less likely to die. ‘The benefits of reading books include a longer life in which to read them,’ the authors wrote.
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Reading reduces stress
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