Got a Friend Who Doesn't Read Much? Here Are Some Things to Let Them Know

Believe it or not, but some people don’t read much. In fact, some people don’t even like the idea of reading, very much.

This is often a difficult realisation for book-fiends to come to terms with, but it shouldn’t really be too much of a surprise. Reading books requires you to get into a certain mindset. It demands a lot more attention than watching TV, or film, and it can seem boring until you get into your stride.

Combine that with the fact that more visceral forms of digital entertainment are now so prevalent, advanced, and easily accessible, and it’s easy to see many people never really give good literature a chance.

Of course, the issue with all of that is that good books can be absolutely life-changing, and can transport people to worlds of the imagination, and expose them to deep and rich concepts, in a way that few other things can.


So, if you’ve got a friend who doesn’t read much — here are a few things you can let them know in order to try and sway their interest.

Image via Pixabay

Books are now more accessible than ever before, in a variety of formats

Some people might avoid reading because they don’t have much patience for sitting down and doing nothing else but paging through a book for hours of their day — or maybe because they don’t think they have enough time in the day to dedicate to reading.

It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that books are now more accessible than ever before, and not just in the traditional format, either.

If you’re not a big fan of traditional print books, you could consider buying a Kindle or other eReader, and transport a collection of eBooks on one sleek device, which you could then read comfortably for a few minutes during lunch break, or while sitting on a bus, for example.

You could then also let your friends and family know where to buy Amazon gift cards, to keep the eBooks rolling in.

Of course, you could also listen to audiobooks while you do chores around the house or drive to work.

Reading books helps to focus, train, and deepen awareness — especially important in the frenetic digital age

Author Nicholas Carr points out in his book “The Shallows” that spending a lot of time online seems to promote and develop a frenetic, distracted, hyperactive kind of mindset.

By contrast, evidence suggests that reading books helps to train focus and deepen awareness — things that are perhaps especially important these days, as people’s attention spans hit all-time lows.

There are many benefits to being able to maintain sustained focus and attention. Not least of all being able to get more done at work.

Some of the most original and powerful tales you’ll ever find are contained in books.

TV shows and films can be really exciting, beautiful, and artistic. But they simply do not activate and engage your imagination in the ways that reading a book does — and they’re often much more formulaic than books, in no small part because they’re created for ratings.

Books are, of course, sold commercially too. But they’re generally written by people who put the art above the critical or commercial reception.

It’s unlikely that you’ll watch many movies that capture the same depth of emotion and narrative scope as a book like Crime and Punishment.

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