What have you been reading lately? Have you read anything good or anything at all? Have you noticed how the so-called ?major players? or more famous of people are always reading such and such and therefore they have been thinking about such and such? Why is it that these people quickly become the center of attention at any event or social gathering? When was the last time you read a book/e-book? Are you a ?wide reader?? Do you even know what a ?wide reader? is?



It is true that in any gathering, you can tell who the ?wide readers? are. They can't help but to stand out and to be noticed. ?Wide readers? usually think and speak very well. They win the admiration, respect, and good opinion of others, quickly. It is also true that ?wide readers? are like magnets at social events in that the entire room seems to start and end around these ?wide readers?. What makes their topic of conversation any better than yours or anyone else's for that matter? It all comes down to, reading, not what but how.

These general observations can be attributed to the fact that the act of reading truly opens and expands the mind. In fact, many people consider it as one of the more satisfying of pleasures for humans, for it involves the physical as well as mental activities. Whereas reading involves both the physical as well as mental; however, reading remains primarily a mental activity. We read with our mind and use our imagination to paint the setting of the detective thriller we are reading. We use our mind to imagine the pain that the main character experiences as the story unfolds. We bring into play the different arguments and ideas brought up by the author in that self-help book you are holding.

To read effectively, reading requires that one develop a wider vocabulary. The greater the need for a wider vocabulary, the greater the need for extensive reading. They can't help but to go hand-in-hand. It is also true that a skillful reader will have a wider recognition vocabulary. She may not know exactly what every word means, however, she will have a good, general idea, of the over all meaning of the sentence or paragraph. Reading makes one alert and curious about new words and leads to an over all better, or wider vocabulary. Other readers develop the ?dictionary habit?. Every time they come across a strange word, they try to figure out what it could possibly mean by the context. If they cannot do this, they refer to the dictionary. Many a good e-books have or will have a connection to a dictionary, thesaurus, and even proper pronunciation all at the click of the button. This is why e-books are becoming so much more favored over print books, especially with students. However, the point remains, a ?lookup? of any shape or form becomes necessary at times and good readers take the time to ?look up?. Because they do, they tend to have greater or wider vocabularies and because they do, people are more apt to listen.

Likewise, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing one to a variety of materials. You learn to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. As in other forms of activity, you learn by actually doing. Reading trains you to have an active and open mind. Merely grasping the writer's idea is not enough. You must make a positive response to what you just read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Keep your mind open; understand and weigh the ideas that you read. A practical part of active reading is the drawing of conclusions as well as understanding another's point of view, even if you totally disagreed with him or her.

Allow me to share four basic rules for effective reading and an over all better comprehension:

1)Try to read more and more. The more time you make for reading the more you will find extra or bonus time. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. Practicing in the correct way makes perfect as well as to help it to become easier and more enjoyable with time. Do not think of reading as drudgery; but rather think of it as a pleasurable moment for self-discovery.

2)Develop the habit of reading for main ideas. Look for the subject and predicate. Do not waste time on small details or little words. Practice, active speed reading techniques.

3)Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Do not let your attention wander somewhere else. Good readers read with understanding. Good reader will have an idea where the author may be leading them. Mental challenges blossom and bloom and become a game of ?out-smart-the characters? and reader.

4)Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on specific material that you read. Play a simple game of, ?I've got to read to page number X in the next X amount of time?. With practice you will find that you are reading larger and larger blocks of material in less over all time. Therefore the time allowed for reading, may at times become rare due to work and family needs; one will find that the amount of material read, remains about the same or grows slightly due to increased reading speed and reading habits.

Reading is a stimulating mental activity. It truly expands your reality and capability. You have so much more to gain in discovering the joys of reading. Therefore, if you wish to expand your mind, develop a wider vocabulary as well as an increased intellectual curiosity, while being able to read more in less time and even be able to quickly understand any ?situation at hand? through a better budgeting of the time at hand. Or you wish to be like a magnet in that others consider you interesting and a ?major player?, all you need to do is pick up that new book or e-book and begin to read. If on the other hand you wish for nothing more than a cozy, safe place to snuggle up to in the middle of a fearsome sand storm, or are in great need of that overdue vacation, you too need to simply pick up that book or e-book and read. Therefore, go ahead; grab a book/e-book right now and begin creating the tomorrow of your dreams, today.