Pick the right books for taking the right lessons in life

Mark Twain rightly said, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” But this gives rise to a crucial question: What to read? Also, one must know what not to read.

There is a plethora of books from a variety of genres which cover the entire gamut of human interests and traits. It becomes even more important to know how to select the right books which may transform and bring about positive changes in our lives and of those around us.

Ernest Hemingway once said that there is no friend as loyal as a book. He meant to say that a good book must play the role of a trusted friend and the most reliable mentor. It must protect a reader from the perplexities, predicaments and the agonies of life. Apart from imparting knowledge, books help readers build inner strength.

Reading can enhance concentration, imagination, sympathy, empathy and self-emancipation, but developing these merits depends on the quality of books we read. The books dealing with spirituality, ethics, life, culture and self-help deal with parameters that can enlighten us intellectually.

How rightly Hemingway has warned the readers of the consequences if they choose to read without any wisdom: “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” The issue is not about the dire consequences, but about the misjudgment, misinterpretation, miscalculation and misunderstanding on the part of the writer and reader which can endanger a reader’s life.