The countless benefits of reading books

The number of book readers has been declining in the past years almost everywhere in theworld. The economic crisis on one side and the rising of new technologies on the other hadan impact on the print books market. Fewer and fewer consumers are buying and readingbooks. Reading, however, is a very important activity for both the mind and the psyche.Reading a few pages of a book or article in a newspaper or magazine every day brings manybenefits, the following are only a few.

1. Fitness for the brainLike the muscles in your body, brain must be stimulated and kept in training. Reading is thebest way to do so as it keeps the mind active and prevents or slows down the progress ofdiseases like Alzheimer or Dementia.

2. Stress ReliefImmerse yourself in a good book allows you to switch off and get away from your daily life.A well-written novel can transport you to ancient times and distant places, helping you todistract and to lighten the tension.

3. Culture and KnowledgeEverything you read remains imprinted in your minds, letting you gain information andknowledge that will be useful sooner or later.

4. VocabularyOn average, a person uses about 20% of the vocabulary of his/her language. Thispercentage increases for strong readers that enrich their linguistic register with new words.Knowing how to speak properly and articulated is a great advantage in any profession andimproves self-confidence and self-esteem.Reading books is also a great support in learning a foreign language, as it helps tounderstand the meaning of the words used in context and to improve writing skills.

5. MemoryWhen you read a book, you have to remember a number of characters and plot elements.Exercising the memory means to create new synapses and strengthen existing ones, whichare essential to short-term memory.

6. Capacity of analysis and reasoningReading a book by Agatha Christie and solving the mystery before the end of the novelmeans to exercise and improve analytical skills, reasoning and attention to detail. Howimportant are these skills in everyday life and work?

7. Ability to focus and concentrationInternet has accustomed us to read rather superficially, while we are distracted doing atons of other things. Reading a book, on the contrary, entirely absorbs our attention andrequires us to focus solely on what we are reading.

8. Writing SkillsIn order to write well, you have to read. Reading texts of good quality, with a rich andvaried vocabulary, improves writing skills significantly.

9. TranquilityReading gives a sense of peace and tranquility and helps dominating anxiety or bad mood.Some books can help overcome difficult moments or transmit meaningful messages thatencourage self-improvement.

10. Low cost entertainmentCompared to many other forms of entertainment, reading is rather low-cost and can bedone at any place or time. You can buy used books, trade them with friends or borrowthem from the library.

Reading, in short, is a blessing for the mind and psyche. Despite the crisis of printpublishing and the widespread of e-books, the book does not seem destined to go down.Books are significant objects with which we establish an emotional connection and withwhich we identify. The volumes that we keep in the house, on the bedside table, and onthe bookshelves tell a lot about us, our passions, our tastes and our culture. The houses fullof books are warm, welcoming and full of personality, especially if the libraries that containthem are beautiful and with an original design.

A bookcase that breaks the rules and is out of the ordinary is Random Bookcase created byNeuland Industriedesign for italian manifacturer MDF Italia. As described on Dmagazine,Random is a original, versatile and dynamic bookcase that doesn’t go unnoticed and thatindeed has a strong visual impact given by the different width and height of the shelves.

As seen on Stylepark, Random Bookcase by MDF Italia, with its light and thin design, hasbeen defined a sculpure-bookcase conceived as a work of industrial art, in which thefunctionality and convenience of a storage unit coexist with fine aesthetics.

As for the specifications, the Random Bookcase by MDF Italia is composed by fiberboardpanels, medium density wood painted in white or black microembossed, and by back inmelamine. The shelves can be inserted into the backs through concealed slots at differentpre-defined heights, creating different compartments. The feet are adjustable, and thelibrary is designed for wall mounting. A white-lacquered shim element in depth for thecomplanar flanking of Random with Random Cabinet and Random Box is available.

With these new modules, Random is a multifunctional wall system that allows greatfreedom of composition and provides the possibility of creating a tailor-made bookcasethat reflects one’s personal aesthetic preferences and space needs.