When you are younger -the types of books to read according to teachers are those that foster creativity. Those fun to read adventure books with wordings that paint a clear image in your mind. However, as you go through high school and university – emphasis is often place on textbooks to help you master your technical abilities. In this stage of life – you are often encouraged by mentors to invest time in books to master aspects of your career.
This unbalanced viewpoint is however extremely risky especially in the stressful and often conformist lifestyle we live in. If you spend too much time reading for leisure then you fall behind in your career. However, if you spend too much time on just mastering technical skills through books – you become another cog in society; void of creativity and imagination.
A great way to balance the types of books to read everyday is to read three different categories at any given time:
The leisure Books
These are the types of books to read when you are on vacation or just having some relaxation time over the weekend. These books are excellent for improving your creativity and imagination. The wordings in these books are so descriptive that you will soon find your mind painting a picture of what you read. The mind is truly the best film maker – and the great thing is that every individual has a different perspective of what they read. This is the very reason why people are often disappointed by movie adaptations from books; what they read is often much than what the movie producer pictured when making the movie. These books have relatively shorter reading times compared to the other categories and can sometimes be completed in days if you really get into them.
The technical book
These are the types of books to read to improve your technical abilities. They are often slower reads and will work the left side of the brain. It is okay to invest longer times with these books as the process of knowledge assimilation will be more difficult. A great way to make the most out of these books is to make notes of important points and then find ways of applying them pragmatically in you career or personal endeavors. Remember that if you new to a field – start with the foundation level books so that they don’t burn you out as soon as you start.
The self-development books
It may seem like these books are a waste of time. When you are young – the only thing that seems to matter is progressing in your career. However, you will soon come to realize the importance of self-awareness and self-improvement. Reading these books will help you develop character, improve your emotional intelligence and help you gain clarity in life. In a time where money and greed seems to corrupt the perception of true happiness, it is worth while to get your own stance on what happiness means to you. It is also becoming more vital to improve your softer skills to move up the career ladder – therefore finding the right books to improve your leadership skills can be a great tool to your success.
Read self-development books to find your purpose, gain clarity and remove clutter from your life. The types of books to read in the self-development genre vary greatly – so it is important to focus on those that will help you in whatever difficulties you face at different times in your life.
Do you love learning about multiple subject areas? Then you may be a polymath. Read: Your Ultimate Guide To Being A Polymath; to understand how to harness your mind’s full potential.
