54 – THE VALUE OF
BOOKS
Deep in the heart of every good
book lies the distilled1 wisdom of centuries. To read it is
to become wiser
Books
are written for the benenfit and pleasure of all those who like to read them.
But they are of various types. There are
books for children, as well as for adults. Some books are written for the specialists2,
somer are written for students in the schools and universities, and many are
written just for the pleasures of the mind. Indeed, the variety of books is
infinite.
One
of the reasons for the existence of such a wide variety of books is that the
field of knowledge is very extensive. Even to grasp a small part of it, one has
to read severl books for many years. Another reason is that different people
have different likes and dislikes. The book that one likes to read, the other
many not like. To meet these broad and varying3 needs of
people for information, knowledge, recreation and aesthetic4
enjoyment, more and more books are being written every year.
Those
who aim to specialize in a certain branch of knowledge concentrate more on the
books that provide information on their particular field of study. In the
libraries and books shop they look mainly for such books. But those who have no
particular interest in any subject read and buy all types off books. Sometimes
they buy book intended for the specialist, sometimes they buy those written for
children, and sometimes if they are preparing for some examination, they buy
books which give some information on their examination subjects.
Almost
every book extends the knowledge of the reader and develops his intellect6
as well. Even if the reader does not learn any new facts from the book, he may at
least7 learn a few new words, expression or ideas. In fact,
certain books are written mainly to acquaint the reader with the beauty of
language and ideas. They do not deal with facts or actual human experiences.
Books of this type provide great pleasure to the mind, and almost everyone who
loves reading buys a few of such books.
Books
have also helped to promote8 better understanding among the
peoples of the world. By reading books, the people of one country have come to
know about the achievements9 of those in other countries.
Thus,
books could be regarded as one of the channels10 of
communication among men. Indeed, without books man would not have made so such
progress as he made today. By applying the knowledge that he has gained from
books to practical purposes, he has made the world a pleasant place to live in.
Civilization therefore owes a great debt to these inaminate11
things called books.
New Vocabularies:
