Why do we read?
For a variety of reasons; to relax, for knowledge, to keep up with current happenings, help develop the ability to process information, the ability to understand complex ideas, to understand the human mind and society.
How will reading help?
When we study events in the external world, society, and personal life, there are levels at which one can think and discuss them. Without knowledge, we can only opine at best. However, we must not delude ourselves that this is knowledge.
What we read without a deeper understanding is just information which is usually bandied about. With deeper processing, reflection, information transforms into knowledge. This knowledge acts as a template to understand any current event or issue from all perspectives; more importantly, without judgement. Further, this knowledge would help us to resolve problems based on wisdom. Of what use is knowledge, if we cannot use it to suggest solutions to complex and troubling issues.
Finally, this knowledge would become the basis of prediction of the trajectory of events. In policymaking, this is critical, so one can change policy direction in the right direction. At a personal level, books increase our sensitivity and build our personalities and make us more sensitive to others and oneself.
So what must one read?
We need to have a good mixture of classics, fiction by taste and age, non-fiction ranging across all subjects, monographs on subjects for a broad understanding of all subjects – humanities, physical and biological sciences.