When was the last time you read a book?

With the ease of access to information on search engines, social media and other digital channels we read so many snippets of stuff that we’re reading all the time. But it does make me wonder if reading full-length books are becoming a thing of the past?

It’s all so quick and easy and miraculous! We can now read a summary of a book or various articles describing the key points. We can watch a movie and listen to the audio. We can even watch short videos on YouTube that give us the essence. We gain so much with the quick and easy…

And we also lose…

For me, there is nothing that matches the experience of holding a book (yes that physical stack of printed paper, bound together and held in the hand) and turning the pages as I read it. I own many books and have shelves full! Admittedly I haven’t read every one… and they do bring me joy.

Beyond the experience of holding paper, I love reading e-books and listening to audiobooks too.

Here, however, I’m thinking about the staying power of reading a book from beginning to end.

Reading a book, allows us to fully focus on one topic for many hours. It allows us to delve deeply. It allows us to dive into a world that is different from the one in our heads or our reality. And it gets us learning, thinking, expanding our minds and widening our perspective.

I fear that with the quick, short articles, posts on social media, google search and YouTube videos, we are losing focus, shortening our attention span and staying in the shallows. We’re then depriving ourselves of the experience and joy of the slow journey of focus that reading a book requires.

One thing I do I know is that reading books will enable you to stand out and be extraordinary because fewer and fewer people are doing just that.

So this is my encouragement to choose a book and begin reading, just 10 minutes a day and if you’re not sure what to choose, I’m always happy to recommend.

I’d love to hear what you think?