Reading

I like to read. I enjoy many different kinds of books. My "library" includes a lot of biographies, history -- particularly U.S. history -- fiction, science fiction, classics, Christian apologetics and inspirational, business, and numerous unclassifiable books.

At times I will pick one book and stay with it until I have read it entirely. At other times, I may have as many as 6 or 7 books going concurrently. Usually if I have multiple books going at a time, they are of a wide variety. If I am working through one of the heavier tomes, such as William James' Introduction to Psychology, I will have something lighter going as well -- perhaps a Clive Cussler novel.

I was taught at a very early age that if you can read, you can do just about anything. Reading is the key that unlocks knowledge in every field of endeavor. Whether you are learning to cook, operate a computer, repair an engine, or raise livestock, reading can help you to get there.

Some years ago I read a book by Louis L'Amour which was somewhat autobiographical in which he stated that he kept a journal of the books that he read. I began keeping a list (to call it a journal would be to exaggerate) of books that I compete. My list is now several hundred entries long with very few repeats. It is interesting to look back and see the wide variety of books on the list. It is also easy to pick out my favorite authors because their names are frequently repeated. Some of the favorites would be Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Robert Utley, Tony Hillerman, and Jean LeCarre. All but Robert Utley in that list are fiction writers. However, when you look at the number of books in various categories on my list, fiction accounts for less than one-half of the entries.

I'm happy that my children are readers as well. I believe it is one of the reasons that they have excelled in school. I also believe it is a critical foundation upon which they can build for the future.