By Adrian Yancelson
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
On days when you have nothing to do, instead of catching up on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” on the DVR, grab another cup of coffee and pick up a good book instead.
It’s what a lot of people used to do.
Biology program Coordinator Dan Hansen said that the reason he reads almost three books a week is because of his outdated cell phone.
“Look at this thing (pointing to his phone),” he said. “If I had a Kindle, I would have so much fun with it.”
“The Kindle (e-reader) makes it so easy to get books; it cuts your driving time to the library.” See “Library without books a good read” online.
Hansen said some of the benefits of reading are improvement of vocabulary, exposure to new cultures and increased relaxation.
“I find myself reading a lot because of how relaxing it is,” he said. “The thing about reading that is so different from other activities is that, while reading, you are focused on just one thing.”
Reading reduces stress because you can read at your own speed and you don’t have any pressure of finishing at a certain time, according to hubpages.com, an online community for sharing ideas.
Some of Hansen’s favorite genres include science, science fiction and military history.
“The reason I like to read about military history is because I like to see how we are constantly repeating the same mistakes.”
Next time it rains or the next time you are looking to release some stress, pick up a book and get lost in another world.
You might pick up some new vocabulary and impress your friends.