Brilliant write up man.

Well, nice of you to recreate another thread for this. Seeing how the last one was damaged irreparably by needless squabbles. That said, erm, can't we go with simpler, everyday grammar? Sometimes its the best. As it enables a wider reach.

Nice piece!

DICKtator:


I actually meant ichliebedich!!!!!

And you know what I mean!!!!

Of course I know what you mean

matrix199:
The long epistle is enough to give people "bibliophobia".

. Exactly why u need to be reading more often.

[quote author=darkenedrebel post=48447534]
As we all know, reading and writing are mutually exclusive: the less you do of the former, the more the latter suffers. Little wonder why poor writing skills stems from people failing to avail themselves of the serendipities that books are known to furnish one with.

Please kindly demystify me on this paragraph because I can't really decode how reading and writing become mutually exclusive.

[quote author=darkenedrebel posunproductive

Unfortunately, a downward trajectory in academics is the phenomenon de jour. Youthful hands that are meant to fan the embers of scholarship have been diverted and put to use in areas that border on the mundane, inconsequential and unproductive: ranging from petty Twitter squabbles to mindless Facebooking and celebrity gossips, to mention but a few.

If you tell a teenage boy that "the pen is mightier than the sword'', his rejoinder would most likely be: "Yes, I agree, but the blitz of Instagram is mightier than the pen".

[/quote]


I love this part

DICKtator:
It is a beautiful piece. Noteworthy of reading.

I'm only surprised that the issue of dyslexia wasn't addressed as a reason why some people don't read

Or ADHD or other mental disabilities!!!

Perhaps researches should have been done or quoted to butress the points/issues raised

this would also be tackled if people take their time to READ on how to fix it

Emeka71:
Sometimes I wonder why some people hate reading.

I think it is because they can't hold their focus on a book or lines of text for long.

If you check such people love nollywood, Telemundo et al as little to no mental exertion is required.

Typical example are those calling for a summary of the OP.

In my own experience, the habit of reading is better formed early in a child's life. Back then when I was a child, my Father got all of us library cards, and we roamed the aisles of the children section of the library searching out storybooks that came alive when we turned the pages. It was the first time I fell in love (with books). I traveled to distant lands, ate exotic cuisine, watched diverse cultures, experienced magic ...

As a parent, I am trying to re-create the same experience for my kids. I limit exposure to TV and mobile devices and instead re-direct them to find entertainment and mental stimulation in the pages of books. Its a lot of work, and I appreciate my parents more.

Twaci:
Not everyone is always in that mood, y'know.

Imagine waking up to this

since that's the case, you shouldn't have bothered reading it since you weren't in the mood for big grammars and opening your dictionary...

Twaci:
Nice read.

Just that I feel this article would have been better understood if written in simpler terms.

#justsaying.

Some people just like writing in and or speaking big grammars. That's why I love some Professors, even though they are Profs, they still teach, talk and write in very simple terms. It's actually glorious getting people to follow and assimilate properly the points you're trying to pass across...by simplifying your use of English. The trick is not in the speaking/writing, it's in the understanding.

IMO it's not good enough if your reader has to pause several times to look up some words in your write-up while reading. It disrupts the flow no matter how interesting your article. Try plain writing and you will go places.

Reading (and writing) is an art. And you don't force it. You don't even learn it at an old age. My people say 'anaghi amu aka ekpe na nka. Whatever you do not learn as a child (at a younger age), it's almost impossible to learn it when you're all grown. Reading is an art which our parents and teachers should help instill in us. It's a culture which should be cultivated at a very young age. The lion share of the blame for not having this culture of reading (and writing) should go to our teachers and our parents - and in extension, to the government, viz a viz the education ministry - for not doing their jobs.

Some parents and teachers, though, tried very well in ensuring this. And when you see those people who have that culture, reading? To read go dey hungry you. But pick up your book to read...ayama! It's not easy. You don't force it. But, nonetheless, we'll keep trying.

Nice reminder, Op, but your grammars are a bit big.

only book that would be left is the Word of Yah, all other books is just waste of time, its useless knowledge

Majority of Nigerians are suffering from this.
I lived with a Nigerian buddy for years and I never saw him read a book.
But spends hours drinking and gossiping at restaurant.

Ichliebedich:
Beautiful

liebst du much?

Ichliebedich:
Beautiful

liebst du mich?

@op. Thumbs up. This is a well-written, inspirational article.

Take action. Shop for books online. Check my signature.

The Definition.

Gkemz:
Nice article but i still maintain that though no knowledge is a waste but not every knowledge is necessary. The brain selects the ones needed and discard the ones not needed so as[b] to avoid chronic information overload which could lead to mental problem[/b]. You can't be jack of all trade

I am guessing you mean those who run mad from 'cramming' too much! That is very different from reading to understand!
Can you prove the above bolded please?

bellville:
@op. Thumbs up. This is a well-written, inspirational article.

Take action. Shop for books online. Check my signature.

Interested in facebook advert? Pls read my siggy tanx

IntroVAT:
Most black men suffer from bibliophobia sadly
See people already asking for summary...

That is why there is a saying that goes thus: ' If you want to hide something from a black man put it in a book'. Thank God I don't fall into such category

darkenedrebel:

Some people also take to selective reading. And their reason is usually predicated on the grounds that certain books have no utility in praxis. While I can slightly identify with their viewpoint and think a signal-to-noise ratio would help in preventing information overload, or what we call 'infobesity', I am still of the belief that no knowledge is wasted.

“And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” - Eccl 12:12

Nice that you recreated this thread.

There simply is no substitute to reading n studying, be it soft or hard copy materials.People of these days are mentally lazy.The advent of ICT while being positively harnessed by some ppl has nagative impact on others especially teeming youths.

Blah blah blah

I love reading when it is from a mature mind but since l joined nairaland my english has been wack. I know that myself. My brain is one that registers what it sees and read but unfortunately most nairalanders type rotten english. I had to run to the webmaster section to fill my brain and mind with meaningful information instead of reading about snakes, linda ikeji and Igbos.
Knowledge, is power.

darkenedrebel:
And now, with the advent of the internet and its glittering concomitants, which has made information easily accessible to all and at laser-quick speed, one would expect an 'oil boom' in the reading department, or a generation of readers if you will.

Unfortunately, a downward trajectory in academics is the phenomenon de jour. Youthful hands that are meant to fan the embers of scholarship have been diverted and put to use in areas that border on the mundane, inconsequential and unproductive: ranging from petty Twitter squabbles to mindless Facebooking and celebrity gossips, to mention but a few.

If you tell a teenage boy that "the pen is mightier than the sword'', his rejoinder would most likely be: "Yes, I agree, but the blitz of Instagram is mightier than the pen".

The activities of our lovely ladies must also be brought to the front burner—the ones among them that regard books as an anathema, but idolize the 'selfie stick' the same way Mozart reverred the Harpsichord. Word on the street is that a certain Naija babe is prohibitive favourite to clinch the Nobel Peace Prize for 'most selfies taken in a month'. Okay, that was a joke.

Before you begin with the verbal missiles, I should make it clear that 'selfie-taking and co' are not bad per se, and that goes without saying that I too have had a fair share of social media razzmatazz. They only become a cause for worry when they are slide-stepping for the front row with the things that actually matter, or worse, take precedence over them.

As we all know, reading and writing are mutually exclusive: the less you do of the former, the more the latter suffers. Little wonder why poor writing skills stems from people failing to avail themselves of the serendipities that books are known to furnish one with.

A major bête noire for me has always been the grammatical and spelling errors that are rife on social media platforms—a huge chunk of the culprits being youths and young adults—. In a bid to 'feel among' and follow fad, in a bid to short-circuit conversations, people resort to using slangs or writing in short-hand when passing their message across—all of which inflicts a heavy toll on their writing skills in the long run.

I used to joke with my buddies that a time would come when formal and application letters would look like this: "Hey yo, I reli nid dis job, sir. Pls, I wuld appreciate if u gave favourable consideration 2 my letter. Tnx, urs faithfully". Funny, right?

The reading-solely-to-pass-exams syndrome is also another corollary of Bibliophobia. To worsen matters, most of what is 'crammed' is ultimately forgotten on completion of exams since information is never transferred from short-term to long-term memory. The rationale behind this practice is not far-fetched: many people consider reading to be a Donkey work (students being the most culpable)

A seismic psychological shift away from this wrongheaded mindset would not only help in engendering a habit of reading, but also aid in removing the blinkers off people's eyes until they begin to view books as therapeutic and fail-proof mediums in sating intellectual curiosity.

Some people also take to selective reading. And their reason is usually predicated on the grounds that certain books have no utility in praxis. While I can slightly identify with their viewpoint and think a signal-to-noise ratio would help in preventing information overload, or what we call 'infobesity', I am still of the belief that no knowledge is wasted.

Another old chestnut you hear ad nauseam is that too much reading overworks the brain. A joke of the century I must say, considering the fact that the human brain is made up of over 14 billion cells and connections, which when optimally utilized is capable of storing all of the information in the world.

I would part on this note: while money like oxygen is necessary for survival, it is not the purpose of living; for the renown that wealth confers on an individual is fleeting and frail; mental excellence on the other hand is a lasting possession; seek it, acquire it, and even the sky would not be your limit, but rather a springboard to greater and more giddier heights.

thank you

Guy,your write up is great.

darkenedrebel:
And now, with the advent of the internet and its glittering concomitants, which has made information easily accessible to all and at laser-quick speed, one would expect an 'oil boom' in the reading department, or a generation of readers if you will.

Unfortunately, a downward trajectory in academics is the phenomenon de jour. Youthful hands that are meant to fan the embers of scholarship have been diverted and put to use in areas that border on the mundane, inconsequential and unproductive: ranging from petty Twitter squabbles to mindless Facebooking and celebrity gossips, to mention but a few.

If you tell a teenage boy that "the pen is mightier than the sword'', his rejoinder would most likely be: "Yes, I agree, but the blitz of Instagram is mightier than the pen".

The activities of our lovely ladies must also be brought to the front burner—the ones among them that regard books as an anathema, but idolize the 'selfie stick' the same way Mozart reverred the Harpsichord. Word on the street is that a certain Naija babe is prohibitive favourite to clinch the Nobel Peace Prize for 'most selfies taken in a month'. Okay, that was a joke.

Before you begin with the verbal missiles, I should make it clear that 'selfie-taking and co' are not bad per se, and that goes without saying that I too have had a fair share of social media razzmatazz. They only become a cause for worry when they are slide-stepping for the front row with the things that actually matter, or worse, take precedence over them.

As we all know, reading and writing are mutually exclusive: the less you do of the former, the more the latter suffers. Little wonder why poor writing skills stems from people failing to avail themselves of the serendipities that books are known to furnish one with.

A major bête noire for me has always been the grammatical and spelling errors that are rife on social media platforms—a huge chunk of the culprits being youths and young adults—. In a bid to 'feel among' and follow fad, in a bid to short-circuit conversations, people resort to using slangs or writing in short-hand when passing their message across—all of which inflicts a heavy toll on their writing skills in the long run.

I used to joke with my buddies that a time would come when formal and application letters would look like this: "Hey yo, I reli nid dis job, sir. Pls, I wuld appreciate if u gave favourable consideration 2 my letter. Tnx, urs faithfully". Funny, right?

The reading-solely-to-pass-exams syndrome is also another corollary of Bibliophobia. To worsen matters, most of what is 'crammed' is ultimately forgotten on completion of exams since information is never transferred from short-term to long-term memory. The rationale behind this practice is not far-fetched: many people consider reading to be a Donkey work (students being the most culpable)

A seismic psychological shift away from this wrongheaded mindset would not only help in engendering a habit of reading, but also aid in removing the blinkers off people's eyes until they begin to view books as therapeutic and fail-proof mediums in sating intellectual curiosity.

Some people also take to selective reading. And their reason is usually predicated on the grounds that certain books have no utility in praxis. While I can slightly identify with their viewpoint and think a signal-to-noise ratio would help in preventing information overload, or what we call 'infobesity', I am still of the belief that no knowledge is wasted.

Another old chestnut you hear ad nauseam is that too much reading overworks the brain. A joke of the century I must say, considering the fact that the human brain is made up of over 14 billion cells and connections, which when optimally utilized is capable of storing all of the information in the world.

I would part on this note: while money like oxygen is necessary for survival, it is not the purpose of living; for the renown that wealth confers on an individual is fleeting and frail; mental excellence on the other hand is a lasting possession; seek it, acquire it, and even the sky would not be your limit, but rather a springboard to greater and more giddier heights.

bunkum
Ppl read
It's the authors that have provided very poor material, zero motivation for the ''readers ''

thanks man, you've enlightened a brother... your articles brought my brain cells back to life