He who reads opens himself to the Universe; he who does not is blind to it. (Author Unknown)

We are all made up of many substances—not just the chemistry of our bodies, but the stuff that is inside that thing we call the brain. We are a mixture of things taught to us by our parents, teachers, clergy, friends, relatives, neighbors, and all those with whom we have come in contact. We also have had impressed into our brains the sum total of what we have read all of our lives. We think we are original thinkers, but the people and words that we have encountered throughout our lives have affected the way we think and the way we behave.

In the arts, Cubism is an illustration of the components we are made of, the bits and pieces of information or philosophy that has sunk into our brains never to be removed. Your first teacher, your first boss may have said things to you that you didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to know, and didn’t want to remember. Yet those opinions are part of you, hidden far within, perhaps, but coming to the surface unexpectedly.

Reading is a way of learning. The more we read, the more we know, the more we are receptive to the great wealth of knowledge that exists in the world. We should not be learning simply from the environment that surrounds us. While we can’t escape our environment, we need to be flexible enough to expand it.. We are born knowing nothing; we learn as we go. Each one of us is a do-it-yourself project.

The world of books is fascinating, because like it or not, even the most pristine or objective writer puts parts of his/her own personal thoughts, ideas, philosophies, and experiences into his/her books. Thus if we read, we live many lives, have many adventures, and many experiences. Some books are so beloved that we go back to them again and again, as if the people in them are old friends. That’s why favorite books end up on shelves, never to leave until the owner must move or die. 

Blessed is he or she who reads. A reader will never be alone; a reader will never be lonely; a reader will never want to see the end of life, because to him or her, life is a constant adventure. 

Some of us—and I am one of them—who are bookaholics must have a book to read every day. It is not just enjoyment, it is enlightenment. When we walk into a book, we walk into a doorway that is someone's life. And that person becomes a friend.

It was once my job as a bookseller to skim about 500 books a year; but it was not just a job, it was also my education. Those who don’t particularly like to read do not understand this. But we readers do not care. Our friends are legion.