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Reading books still has positive effects

Some people, especially young people, seem to assume that reading books is something from the past, an activity you can easily replace by other, more entertaining ways of accessing information. But others are rediscovering the positive effects of reading books. Todd Hansen, of Provo, Utah, is one of those persons.

I recently spoke with Todd and he told me that, in spite of being the owner of a well-known convenience store franchise, and having completed his college education, he had never read a complete book until a year ago. Todd shared his confession, as we will see immediately, to emphasize a very positive message.

Todd said that in the past every time he had to complete a book report he did that report following information he could find online or, even better, following a movie based on that book.  In my opinion, Todd probably thought that in doing so he was saving time and mental energy that he could use in other endeavors.

A year ago, in the context of his growing entrepreneurial responsibilities, he attended a conference led by a rather famous motivational speaker, who said that “leaders are readers.” Todd felt the impact of that idea and he decided to start reading complete books. Books, in plural.

He told me that during the past year he has bought and read so many books that he is running out of place for all his books in his house. He has books, he said, in every room of his house. I told him I knew what he was talking about. In fact, that is one of the few problems I like to have.

Initially, he focused on books related to business and to personal improvement (self-help.)  Eventually, he began to read books about other topics. Then, almost unexpectedly, all those books and all that reading began to generate a positive effect. Todd told me that he is now a better business person, husband, and father because of his newly found reading habit. But that is not the end of the story.

Todd said that, without him pushing it, his children also began to read, either picking up spontaneously a book or asking him to read them a book. Soon, the reading habit had conquered the whole family and it had become a family activity.

Reading books had such a beneficial effect for Todd and his family that he wanted to share those benefits with others. Todd likes to help the community in as many ways and as often as he can. So, he thought about starting a program to promote reading among children and their families. He was thinking about that when the director of a major local nonprofit came into Todd’s store.

Todd shared his idea and soon after that his store began to offer free books for children. After reading a book, the children can return it and exchange it for a small gift or for another book. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of the children select another book.

 

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