Read a Book
![Read a book. Read a book.](https://images.oprah.com/images/spirit/201002/20100222-book-190x225.jpg)
Reading is like exercising—mental and physical benefits flourish with regular practice. Reading improves language skills, vocabulary and spelling skills; it introduces new ideas, perspectives and information; it staves off the effects of aging by keeping your mind active; it provides a vehicle for mental escape and creativity; and it relaxes, entertains, and inspires your soul. Take time out to read today.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Read a book you've never read before. If you don't have one on your shelf, go to the library, local bookstore, or order one online.
- Join a book club or start one with your friends or co-workers.
- Give books to people as gifts...especially this one!
- 1 in 4 Americans don't read a single book per year, while the average person reads 7.
- More than half of today's adults are literary readers, meaning they read novels, mysteries, contemporary and classic fiction, short stories, plays, or poetry.
- Leisure reading has increased 10% over the last 6 years for all ethnicities.
- 58% of women read for leisure compared to 50% of men.
- 43% of all literary readers perform volunteer and charity work compared to 17% of non-literary readers. The more books people read the more active and involved they are in their communities through volunteerism, philanthropy, and politics.
- Book buying constitutes less than 6% of total recreational spending while spending on music, videos, computers, and software constitutes roughly 25%.
Excerpted from: Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza. Copyright © 2008 Every Monday Matters LLC. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.