300+ Words Essay on Choice of Books
Nowadays there is a confusing abundance of books. Like the population explosion, there is a book explosion in modern times as thousands of books are being published daily all over the world. It is not possible for a man to read all the books even on a single subject within the limited span of his life. Moreover, all the books are not worth reading. Many of them are bad or useless books. They do more evil than good to the readers. Pornography or other printed nonsense should be avoided by the readers. Hence, we have to be choosy in respect of reading books.
But the question is how to choose the right books. A specialist collects a book related to his special subject. Students are interested in textbooks. Common readers usually like novels and travelogues. Children have also their special likings. Yet the general readers should read some classics to cultivate their taste. Besides the epics of the East and the West, there are classics of different countries in different languages. Shakespeare, Shaw, Wilde, Dickens, Dumas, Kalidas, Tolstoy, Kama, Kafka, Bankim Chandra, Rabindranath, Sarat Chandra, Bibhutibhushan, Mulk Raj Anand, etc. are for all times and all ages. Once their taste is tested, they may choose what is good and what is bad from lots of contemporary books. Whenever a student feels puzzled in the matter of choice, he should consult his teachers or some well-read friends or the librarian of the school or college library or the nearest public library. But the last thing in the choice of books is that a reader should be allowed to develop his own taste without being overtaught by his guides.
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However, the choice of books also depends upon the variety of tastes, interests, and needs of the readers. As in other matters, so also in the field of books what is good for one man may not be so for another man. A person’s reading is determined as much by his education, profession, and culture as by the circumstances of his life. Philosophers, scientists, sociologists, economists, lawyers, engineers, artists, litterateurs, etc., seek such books as convey the latest information in their respective subjects. But in all cases, the rule is ‘Always read the best,’ which is determined by not only what is told but how it is told in a book. In short, both the content and the style of a book make it worth reading. It is said that knowledge is power. And books are the chief source of knowledge. Yet we should choose the right books for the right purpose, as we know good books widen our views, while bad books will lead us astray.