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Week 8: Benefits of reading books

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I would like you to read/watch and comment on/discuss the presentation  Benefits of reading books –  You will find it at  http://konwersatorium3.blogspot.com/2014/05/benefits-of-reading-books.html

Comment on  it here.


Comments

Kasia Kmieć said…
When I hear that people in Poland don't read, I always recall the passengers of Warsaw underground. Literally, almost every third person there reads! But I guess when you go over this subject with a fine-tooth comb and investigate the whole country, it turns out that the percentage of reading people is truly low. And this is disturbing - I really like a good book, it can be a perfect escape from the stress of everyday tasks. I do believe that the next generations will still devour books. Maybe e-books will be the perfect solution? We'll see. I also think that one of the problems in Poland, regarding reading, may be the comparatively high price of books. Many people can't buy their own copy and not every library has the newest books available.
For me the advantages of reading are clear - you can not only develop your language, thinking or imagination but also understand the world and yourself better or what is also really important - entertain and relax! I hope kids of today will understand it.
9 May 2014 at 13:30
Patryk Długaszek said…
I think that, the Poles have this kind of „problems” with reading cause of laziness. The most of people are accustomed to watching the movies, where everything are displayed like on a tray and they simply don’t have willingness to crating the world from book. People forgetting that the reading expanded our imagination, pronunciation and abilities in writing longer and more filled in vocabulary sentences.
From my observation, I suppose that the “non - reading” period slowly walks away. Compared to previous years we could see an increasing number of characters which are reading a book in the park or underground station. I don’t exactly how is the matter of children’s, but they probably have a choice between a book or a cartoon they rather choose the second one. I remember that when I was younger, that was the big boom on Harry Potter series and even before screen adaptation of the first volume the children’s has admired in the magic world from the book. I’m not sure but probably the children’s hasn’t reading a books because they have no specific and curious titles which could enchant them.
Now, a books we can very easily purchase and it’s not necessary to go to a bookshop, there is only to do is turn on the computer and find out something for yourself in the internet.
10 May 2014 at 15:40
Kamil Fijałkowski said…
In my opinion, the problem with reading is in the education program. 90% of the school book doesn’t encourage to reading. Multipage and multivolume book with never end description of nature, war and patriotism disgust desire to read. This was in my case. Only after graduate high school, I took the book to hand without coercion. It was fantastic and read it in two days. Since then I try to read least one book a month, good book. Definitely the best is development of imagination and relax.
11 May 2014 at 13:40
Unknown said…
Some say that people in Poland do not like to read books. Is that really true? I would disagree with this opinion. In my house my mother read about three books in a month. She love historical books. Me myself i like technical books. IT programming books. I do not like to read science-fiction books. If comes to science-fiction i prefer to watch movie instead.

Companies sealing books performing really well in Poland. Empik and other book stores sell a lot of books too. In conclusion we could agree that we do read a lot of books here in Poland. Would you agree with me?
11 May 2014 at 19:31
Sylwia said…
I think that we read less and less books, because we have many others way to entertain. In the past there was less movies, no Internet etc. and at the same time people have more free time (at least it is said so). Now we have limited time and we have a wider choice of activities. We often choose others and then we have no time for reading book. For many people books are not a first choice. As Kamil wrote, it may be caused by educational system. Personally I felt force to read most of obligatory books at school and I rarely enjoyed them.
11 May 2014 at 19:32
Sylwia said…
I think it refer only to people from big cities... Generally the trend isn't so good.
11 May 2014 at 19:34
Dalvia said…
1) I'm affraid it's not only in Poland. But, come on, during communism all thinking was banned, and that thinking is left in our mind. Still....

2) It's a past, present, and it is a future. Period!

3) Oh gosh, there are so many of them. But recently I restarted Pride & Prejudice, which is just a fantastic book, so amazingly written. I saw also the movie, and TV-series, but it's nothing when compared to the book. And I think there's again a problem: people are thinking "why read a book? They'll do it into a movie soon enough...."

4) All of them. But I read at least one book per week. I love doing it, it relaxes me, it makes me run away from my problems for a moment, it helps me to solve some problems in my own stories...
11 May 2014 at 19:52
Darkia said…
I don't know why in Poland is so small. I read a lot of books, and most of my friends also, so i don't see the problem. I know i had problem with books ealier, before PC tablets and ebook readers, because books are expensive, and take a lot of place.
I think for these who want, readign will always have future. No one can stop anyone if that somebody wanna read.
Hm... taht will be a problem. i don't have that one favourite book, or series of book. I love fantasy, everything with abnormal creatures :D
Most of disliking reading books can be from school, I remember how i must prepere to each lecture... When i read booki got 2... but, when i focus on details i got 5. that was strange and made me didn't like that every one book...
11 May 2014 at 21:04
alt_pl said…
1) In your opinion, why a level of readership is so small in Poland?
I don't agree with that. As someone above mentioned lots of people read in public transport or in parks.

2) Do you think that reading has a future?
Reading is always a future option. Medium will change from classical paper one to e-reader like Amazon Kindle. But reading won't change :)

3) What is your favorite book?
"Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri.

4) Which of the advantages of reading pointed out above convince you the most? Why?
I do not read for my own pleasure. I study technical books and things that I will need in my work or in nearest future.
11 May 2014 at 21:24
Tomek said…
I think that printed books will disappear fast and I have nothing against that but reading is important overall. I often find it difficult to start reading again after a period of stagnation. Most of the books and articles I read now are technical and all in English. I have a bad habit of skimming through several lines of text when it doesn't contain a lot of information. Most books are like this. The plot develops slowly, there are many in-depth descriptions and I lose interest quickly. I enjoy reading but traditional books have a very minor effect on my life now. I can clearly see why children aren't interested in them. With television or computer games they get immediate feedback. Books require a great deal of concentration and yet the conclusion is a few chapters away which might take days to reach. That's also why gamification of other areas works. All the points in favour of reading books listed are sound. However, you could say those things about other media as well.
11 May 2014 at 22:02
Anonymous said…
1) In your opinion, why a level of readership is so small in Poland?
The art of reading books slowly dying. I think the guilty are parents who do not read books to children. More and more electronics also distracts people's attention from the literature.

2) Do you think that reading has a future?
Yes, but the electronic version. They are cheaper, portable and does not take up space. Convenience is everything.

3) What is your favorite book?
Most of the books written by Stephen King. For example, The Dark Tower series.
11 May 2014 at 22:20
Natalia said…
1) In your opinion, why a level of readership is so small in Poland?
In my opinion it is because books are expensive. If they would cost 5~10zł more people would consider buying them. Now books are considered in Poland as "higher" entertainment, because of their price. If they would be cheap, people would buy them like now they are buying "fakt" or "super express".

2) Do you think that reading has a future?
Reading in overall yes, not reading paper books.

3) What is your favorite book?
I have many and I can't choose only one :)

4) Which of the advantages of reading pointed out above convince you the most? Why?
"Books help us develop our language and our vocabulary" Because it is true :) You can learn many new words from good written book and It help you to speak in more compact way.
11 May 2014 at 23:31
Unknown said…
I think you don't have to read BOOKS to read and be smart. This is one of the main misconceptions. Most of the smartest people I know don't have time to read books per se to entertain themselves. They spend a lot of time reading stuff that interests them on the Internet. Browsing specialized message boards, reading wikipedia articles and scientific publication or researches. I believe it's as good, if not better.
11 May 2014 at 23:59
Sergio Cosentino said…
Reading is one of the best ways to spend your free time. A good book can expand your vocabulary, knowledge, culture and give you a knew fresh look on life. It is a great way to live a life as another person, as it was mentioned in the presentation, to experience new things, even discover a completely different world or just see “what if” something was slightly different. And for the writer it's a great way to give life to your imagination: you can preserve your ideas, create your perfect story, write down a world created according to your vision. Writing a story makes you feel like a god that creates a world and it's inhabitants and once other people the story, it starts living on its own, it becomes something more than just the writers world: it becomes the world of every person who reads it. Books are truly wonderful thing and I pity the people who don't read them at all.
12 May 2014 at 07:39
Unknown said…
I read a lot. Printed books, digital copies and I know a lot of people who are reading too. So it is strange to me that average level is small. Maybe it is caused by new ways of entertainment which consumes time of young people who are so absorbed by games, movies – things that are available now for everyone. For sure reading has a future and will coexist with other ways of getting information.
12 May 2014 at 07:54
Unknown said…
In my opinion a readership level is so small in Poland because people are too busy. For example they spend a much of time at work.
The problem with reading is in the education program. From a young age children are forced and not encouraged to read books. I think that reading books like the author mentioned to help us develop our language and our vocabulary and develop our thinking. They give us to think with concepts and new ideas. They widen our consciousness and our world. I agree with those statements.
My favorite books are the stories of Andrew's Pilipiuk and Jacek Piekara.
21 September 2014 at 00:17
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