Tags
Books, Communicating, Connecting, Entertained, History, Language, Learning, Lisa Bu, Reading, Time period
I have always been an avid reader. I tend to read many books at once because I like to learn new things but also like a good story. Reading can do a lot of things for you. It can improve your vocabulary. It can open your mind to new ideas. It can also help you connect with an author from a time period long gone. When I read a book from an author who has passed away I try to envision what it was like to be alive when they wrote the book. I look at the differences in language. I look at what was going on in the world when they wrote the book.
If you have never performed this exercise, try it out. It can be very informative and provides a greater backdrop to why an author wrote the book, what the language was like, and so many other aspects. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a book I’m reading now. It was written at a time when slavery was commonplace in the United States.
This book was written around 1851. The civil war would not begin for another 10 years. Many believe that her work, along with the many works provided by other abolitionists helped provide the moral framework and impetus to end slavery in the United States.
The next time you read a book, look at the publication date. Go to your library or do an online search of things that happened in that year. You’ll be amazed at what you find and this exercise will make reading your book so much more meaningful.
I hope you enjoy this short Ted Talk on reading books. It is inspiring, funny, and provides numerous reasons for sitting down and reading a good book.
Until next time…
Dave
