Just try and ask somebody that what is the meaning of book or reading to them, especially to the people who claims that reading is their hobby. Most of them who mentioned reading as hobby would fail to answer about any particular literature they love to read. When I asked some of my juniors about reading, they simply meant reading means reading newspapers or magazines, or reading means general knowledge ! The more you possess general knowledge that means you read a lot !When I was studying in high schools, many of my teachers helped me understand true meaning of reading. Before they explained me, to me reading means reading books that form a part of curriculum. With a lot of encouragement of our teachers I started reading books of Gujarati authors (Gujarati-our mothertoungue).
I felt myself more improving when I learned to read 'between the lines'. I started understanding meaning of characters and their roles, their life-styles, even I started to think and handle situations as they do in novels. Then I had many options for selecting the pieces that makes one's personality, i.e. social,personal,historical,technical, and routine aspects. I was trying to analyse myself constantly weather I am on right track or not.. in terms of personality development.
Despite all of these introspection, I understand true meaning of personality development when I joined one of the leading tuition classes for my MBA entrance test. There I met many students from different backgrounds. I was very impressed by the classes we were given for personality development and some books that we were suggested to read.
I started to read English literature then, which definitely helped me to improve my English language efficiency. I started with Wings of fire by Dr. A.P.J.Kalam which was followed by Sidney Sheldon, Robin Sharma, Alvin Toffler,Shiv Khera and many more....
Sidney Sheldon's books has helped me a lot in building my thoughts and personality. His female characters are very strong and determined, more or less every important character in his novel starts from zero and becomes a hero. That is something what encourages me a lot.
It is said that you are known by the friends you keep, but I would like to add that you are better known by the book you read...The more you will read, the more you will be connected with world outside the book and gain experience perhaps more than your age! Now a days computer can be at great help with the whole world at your fingertip!
At last I would like to say that.. read.. read...and read...
