Reading is life investment
People read for different reasons as different people live for different reasons.
I know intellectuals who read a lot but also those who live just as fine without indulging in books. Some people take extensive notes. Some people read for the experience the book gives them there and then. Some want to be able to remember only one thing from a book. For whatever reason it may be, studies are encouraging us to read more.
READING INCREASES INTELLIGENCE
According to founder of Tagtaa Publishing B.Bayasgalan, “Our brains are constantly stressed for useless reasons and it causes frustration. However books, especially fiction books, can bring a temporary relief to it. By reading books, we can meet people of all social groups and open our inner worlds.”
Diving into a good book opens up a whole world of knowledge starting from a very young age. Children’s books expose kids to 50 percent more words than prime time TV, or even a conversation between college graduates, according to a paper from the University of California, Berkeley. Exposure to that new vocabulary not only leads to higher score on reading tests, but also higher scores on general tests of intelligence.
Plus, stronger early reading skills may mean higher intelligence later in life.
READING BOOSTS BRAIN
POWER
Not only does regular reading help make you smarter, but it can actually increase your brain power. Just like going for a jog exercises your cardiovascular system, reading regularly improves memory function by giving your brain a good workout. As we get older, our memory and brain function decline, but regular reading may help slow the process, keeping minds sharper longer, according to research published in Neurology.
Frequent brain exercise was able to lower mental decline by 32 percent, reports The Huffington Post.
READING MAY HELP FIGHT
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Reading puts your brain to work, and that’s a very good thing. Those who engage their brains through activities such as reading, chess, or puzzles could be 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spend their down time on less stimulating activities, according to a study by American neurologist Dr. Robert Friedland.
The study suggests that exercising the brain may help because inactivity increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s inactivity is actually an early indicator of the disease, or a little of each.
READING BEFORE BED CAN
HELP YOU SLEEP
Creating a bedtime ritual, like reading before bed, signals to your body that it’s time to go to sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic. Reading a real book helps you relax more than zoning out in front of a screen before bed. Screens like e-readers and tablets can actually keep you awake longer and even hurt your sleep. That applies to kids too.
Fifty-four percent of children sleep near a small screen, and clock 20 fewer minutes of shut-eye on average because of it, as proven by a research published in Pediatrics. So reach for the literal page-turners before switching off the light.
These are a few proven benefits of reading, with hundreds more in stock.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet reads approximately 500 pages each day, which he states is one of the pillars of his success. I haven’t got the faintest idea how many hours that is, but my guess is it’s not little. In one of his lectures, he claimed reading was a key to success, saying that anybody could do it but knew hardly anyone would. So taking up his advice might help you make millions of dollars a year like him.
DO MONGOLIANS READ?
Today, reading has become one of the most important basic skills that a person can learn. In fact, reading is crucial to being able to relate to and take part in society. It is required for reading traffic signs, medical instructions, and news stories. Moreover, accessing information online or in books and magazines helps keep people educated and informed about the world around them.
The NOP World Culture Score Index identified India as the country that reads the most, with over 10 hours per week spent reading on average, followed by Thailand and China. However, this global index didn’t have any data on Mongolia, which suggests that there wasn’t sufficient information on readers in Mongolia.
One of Mongolia's popular writers B.Baabar said a few years back, “It’s been a long time since readers ceased to exist in Mongolia. Being able to sell 300 copies of your books is considered a success.”
State Honored Cultural Worker and writer G.Ayurzaya also stated, “The fact that books sell less than SUVs shows Mongolia is in a crisis.”
Mongolians may not be buying books as much but they’re definitely reading. Bookworms even demonstrated for more libraries four years ago. As a result, many new books stores and libraries opened and more book sales are being announced. It’s become a common scene to see people crowd book stores during sales and even wait in line for hours if it gets them the book they want.
Additionally, it’s hard to find a vacant seat in libraries, especially during lunch time. Most frequenters at libraries are said to be students and elderly people. Ch.Chimgee, who has been working as a librarian at Songinokhairkhan’s public library for over 10 years, said, “Most of our readers are university students. They usually read books related to their major. Students in middle and high schools tend to read more fiction books. Since we’re a public library, we try to fill our shelves with books dedicated to all age groups. We also try to stock up in professional books for university students but we lack funds for it.”
Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Mongolians read and are benefiting from the many advantages of reading. If you haven’t read a book in a long time, I’d like to tell you that it’s never too late to reinvest in reading, and there’s a good chance you’ll become a more interesting person as a result.
However, don’t read because you feel like it’s something you have to do. Don’t force yourself to read for an hour each day and when it’s done, put the book down and feel like you’re set for the day. Instead, find a book you enjoy or find interesting. It’s okay to start a book and end up not liking it halfway -- I’ve done that many times myself. The one thing you have to remember is that it is okay not to read for a week or more. I enjoy reading but there are times when I don’t even pick up a book for a few weeks, simply because I don’t have one that I enjoy. So my advice is, find a book that you do enjoy and I guarantee that you will not be able to put it down until it’s finished.
50 BOOKS TO READ IN 2018
To help you start reading, here’s a list of 50 books to read in 2018 compiled by Time Mongolia.
1. “Philosophy of Finance – The History of World Finance” by U.Ganzorig
2. “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kindera 3. “Erkh Chuluu Erkhem Ug” (Liberty – The Word) by S.Molor-Erdene
4. “Bodi Muriin Zereg” by Bogd Zonkhov
5. “Tejeever Terguut Shilmel Buteeliin Chuulgan” by D.Norov 6. “Beast in the Shadows” by Edogawa Rampo 7. “Augaa Erin: Khukh Ildnii Ochis” by B.Naminchimed 8. “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger
9. “The Red and the Black” by Stendhal
10. “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson 11. “A History of Western Philosophy” by Bertrand Russell 12. “Sakhiust Khangain Nuuts” by G.Ayurzaya 13. “Notes from Underground” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 14. “Tolgodiin Tsaana Ingebuilna” by J.Lkhagva
15. “Time Within Time: The Diaries” by Andrei Tarkovsky 16. “Reminisce” by Nicolas Poppe 17. “Tseverkhen Sarulkhan Gazar” by D.Dashmunkh 18. “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson 19. “Japanese stories and novels” by O.Jargalsaikhan 20. “A Universal History of Infamy” by Jorge Luis Borges 21. “Chevengur” by Andrei Platonov 22. “Contemporary Pieces of Theater” by D.Uriankhai 23. “Khalkhiin Zayat Khargui Mini” S.Erdene
24. “Aav Bid Khoyor” by B.Ganchimeg
25. “25” by J.Tegshjargal 26. “Khund Manan” by B.Lkhagvasuren 27. “Taslal” by Ya.Bayaraa 28. “Lonkhond Baisan Shulguud” by B.Batzaya
29. “Ersiin Zuun” by A.Urantogos 30. “Alkhakh Toolond Els Nurnam” by Kh.Nyamkhishig 31. “Turiin Shagnalt Zokhioluud III” by Bolor Sudar Publishing 32. “Who Am I?: And If So, How Many?” by Richard David Precht
33. “Dreams From My Father” by Barack Obama
34. “The Story of Art” by Ernst Gombrich 35. “Orshikhguigeer Orshikhui” by G.Lkhagvadulam 36. “Bonjour Tristesse” by Françoise Sagan 37. “Mongoliin Songomol Tuuj” by G.Ayurzaya 38. “Dotroosoo” by T.BumErdene 39. “Foundation and Empire” by Isaac Asimov
40. “The Secret of the Universe Flowers” by Soyombo Press Publishing
41. “Mongol Belgedel Zui” by S.Dulam
42. “The Novel 100” by Daniel S. Burt
43. “Niitleliin Antology or Gilromots” by D.Turmunkh 44. “Buuj Mordokh Khorvoo” by S.Dashdoorov
45. “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink
46. “Mongol Badachin Gaikhanshigt Yurtunts” J.Zolbayar 47. “Stephen Hawking” by Hubert Mania
48. “Quest for Prosperity” by Konosuke Matsushita 49. “Zaag” by D.Terbishdagva 50. “The Complete Essays” by Michel de Montaigne