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Posts Tagged ‘books’

What have you been reading lately? At a meeting, you can soon tell who the frequent readers are, since frequent readers are often quick thinkers and good public speakers too. They quickly win the adulation, respect, and fellowship of others. After all, reading expands the mind and many people think of it as one of the most satisfying pleasures known to mankind, being a combination, as it is, of mental agility and physical relaxation well above the level offered by television or the cinema.

The act of reading is primarily a mental activity. After all, you read with your mind and use your imagination to paint the setting of the action thriller you are reading. You use your mind to imagine the pleasure that the main characters are experiencing as the story unfolds; or you bring into play the different arguments and ideas brought up by the author of that self-help book you are holding.

Learning how to read properly helps you to develop an extensive knowledge of words by reading various styles of books. A skillful reader recognizes a wide range of vocabulary. The reader may not understand exactly what every word means, but he/she will have a good idea of what the sentence is trying to convey.

The act of reading makes you more alert and more interested in new words. Some readers even develop ‘the dictionary habit’, which means that every time they come across a new word, they attempt to figure out what it possibly means in the context. If they are stumped, they refer to a dictionary.

Similarly, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing the reader to a variety of subjects. He/she learns to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. Just as in other forms of education, he/she is learning by actually doing and while he/she is reading he/she is automatically learning about the subject matter of the book too – a free by-product!

Basically, reading teaches you to have an active and open mind. Only grasping the writers point of view is not really good enough, you must have a reply to what you have read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Try to develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the writer. Always keep your mind open; understand and weigh the ideas that you have read. A practical part of active reading is the development of one’s own opinions.

Now let me mention the phenomenon called speed reading. All of the above applies between three and ten times over, because speed readers can read that much faster than the average reader! Imagine that! – Being able to read, comprehend and remember all those books and articles. You would surely become well-read in your field much more rapidly than others. Just imagine how that could help you at work, in school or in university …

Let me share four primary rules for effective reading and better comprehension:

1) Try to read more and more every month. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. 2) Develop the habit of reading for main ideas, ie look for the subject and predicate – the main ideas 3) Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Good readers read with understanding. 4) Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on a specific piece that you are reading.

Reading is a fantastically stimulating mental activity. It expands your understanding and ability. You have so much to gain by discovering the joy of reading. So, go ahead and take down a book right this minute.

Are you interested in speed reading for yourself or a dear one? If so, please go along to our web site called Speed Reading.

On the popular television show “The Dog Whisperer” we see a man who has a remarkable ability to communicate with dogs, and train them as well. The book “The Man Who Listens to Horses” relays a similar story about a man who is able to do the same thing with horses. This book was written by Monty Roberts, and it takes the reader on a journey into the internal workings of a horse’s mind. In this article I offer up my opinion of the book, and will hit upon what I think are some of the highlights other readers will enjoy reading about.

Monty Roberts is a remarkable man, with a story to tell. He grew up with an abusive father who not only abused him, but his horses as well. This formed a strong impression on the young Monty, and as he grew into a man he started to formulate thoughts on “there must be a better way” to communicate with these magnificent creatures.

The “join-up” technique is the author’s technique to break and train horses. The book goes into great detail on the process, but here it is in a nutshell. You need a round pen and an unbroken horse to start. The handler will stand in the middle of the pen in a very authoritative and imposing way, while the horse is encouraged to run around the pen in attempts to get away. During the process the handler will be looking for signs that the horse wishes to communicate with him. These three signs are:

The horse will turn his closest ear to the handler towards him/her.

The horse will begin a process of chewing and licking.

The horse will lower his head near to the ground as he runs around the pen.

Once the handler has determined the horse wishes to communicate, he will turn his back on the horse and start to move away. At this point the horse will usually move closer to the handler, permitting the handler to touch him/her. The next step in the process is to saddle, bridle, mount, and ride…

The book takes us on a journey into Robert’s life (in addition to the “join-up” technique). We learn of the various stages of his life and the events that have helped to shape his view of horses, and the techniques he has developed along the way. Some of the highlights are:

-His successful childhood riding career

-The author’s relationship with his father

-The Thoroughbred racehorse facility that the author developed

-The time he met Queen Elizabeth II of England

-Wild deer and the use of the “join-up” technique

-The author’s experiences with mustang horses

-Three of his favorite horses: Dually, Brownie, and Johnny Tivio

If you love horses, and would love to learn of a very humane way to train and communicate with them, then this book is for you. Check it out, read it over, and let the information wrap around your mind.

Interested in vintage horse jewelry? Stop by Barb Jackson’s site where you can find out all about silver horse jewelry for that perfect “someone”.