ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
27.07.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


5 Things We Should All Read

Author: Jimmy Cox Author Ranking Gold Featured Author | Posted: 10-04-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 4 | Rating:  (70) Article Popularity - Blue (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

There are certain types of books which we should all read, and ways in which we should all read, which will benefit us greatly.

Biography - Biography is one of the most practical fields of study for the public speaker. Nothing is of keener interest to audiences than the stories of how great men met the difficulties of living. We are always more interested in people than in things. Biography throws a warmer and more penetrating light upon history. Its gossip makes the past real and near.

Vocational Reading - The broad-minded man must be sharpened to the point required for scratching a living. Whether he is a teacher, lawyer, doctor, or business man he must be abreast of the theory and practice of his occupation. He must have not only skill in living, but in getting his living. He will have a library of his business, he will be familiar with the trade journals, house organs, and other papers of his craft or profession.

This paragraph might be taken for granted were it not for the fact that probably the majority of professional men do little reading about the theory, philosophy, or practice of their vocations after they have graduated from the schools. Their own experience and contact with others in the same work become their only guides. These are most important, to be sure, but they are so close to everyone that it is sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees. Books and magazines can be read with great benefit by the professional man.

How to Read - This brings us to the question, How to read? Francis Bacon in his essay "Of Studies" says: "Read not to contradict, nor believe, but to weigh and consider." Most readers, if they understand at all, give themselves up completely to the author. One should, of course, give him a sympathetic reading, try to understand his point of view, but not believe him until the thought has been examined in the light of one's own experience. Almost everybody is in awe of print. The use of the word "propaganda" during the War and since has done much to mitigate this tyranny of books and papers. What one reads is not necessarily so.

Challenging "Facts" - This is especially true of chains of reasoning. In such instances the reader owes it to his self-respect to challenge, refute or approve the logic - to be reasonably sure the writer has established his case. Even facts, for which we have to depend upon observers and students from all over the world, can be reported to prove contradictory ideas. "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure." Many "facts" are not facts at all.

Many arguments, many speeches, are based upon such facts - upon unsound premises, upon things taken for granted that need close examination. The reader or listener is seldom attentive enough to introductory paragraphs or remarks. If these are accepted without thought, the whole of a false plea or doctrine or argument will often be accepted. G. K. Chesterton in his lecture, "The Ignorance of the Educated," quotes Artemus Ward, who said, "The trouble with people is they know too many things that ain't so." We talk of "half-baked ideas." They are usually the other fellow's.

Newspaper Editorials - The easiest exercise on discovering fallacies may be had with newspaper editorials. These are often written to be consistent with a known attitude or policy in regard to public questions. Some newspapers have a consistent prejudice against England or Japan, against the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, against the League of Nations, or they may be consistently conservative, liberal or radical. Special pleaders seek to justify themselves, not necessarily to discover the truth.

Read the papers and the editorials opposed to your views and try to find the fallacies in their reasoning.

Read widely and often and you will grow in your profession and as a person.

Rate this Article: Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/free-articles/5-things-we-should-all-read-383087.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
About the Author:

Miraculous Old Manuscript Shows People How To Read At Lightning Speed And Still Comprehend Over 95% With Simple Reading Worksheets Click Here For Free Online Ebook http://www.readingworksheets.net/

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha


Related Articles

How to Improve Your Word Habits
By: Jimmy Cox | 25/11/2007 | Education
To attain peak efficiency in reading, you ought to work through all the words and phrases regularly employed in your own field. Chemists, lawyers, engineers and physicians do this as a part of their training. Why should you not be as thorough in your word habits as they are in theirs?

Collecting Only The Important Material
By: Jimmy Cox | 03/01/2008 | Self Improvement
Test your speed and accuracy from time to time by measuring yourself as you read or skim articles in periodicals.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest Free Articles

Want To Learn Spanish On The Internet?
By: Kristi Ambrose | 26/07/2008
People often learn a language all on their own by reading books or reading e-books online but there are other ways as well such as taking e-courses online or going to a language school. Usually, e-courses online are free

American Madrassas
By: John Kozy | 24/07/2008
Ideological domination of cultures can be associated with declines in learning. The problem with such domination is that true believers in any ideology, religious or not, lose their curiosity and their inclination to question, both of which are essential to the development of knowledge. If someone already knows the truth, there is no reason to foray into the unknown, so learning wanes and a new dark age emerges.

Ferguson Doubts Chelsea Challenge..
By: John Ford | 23/07/2008
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Chelsea's ageing side may not be able to challenge for the Premier League title this season.

Do They Really Care?
By: tarot | 23/07/2008
Thoughts on the opium trade and the level of corruption involved. The article also looks at a few government attrocities.

Karam Singh Historian
By: manjot | 19/07/2008
This is about the biography of a Sikh historian Sardar Karam Singh Historian.

Free Ebay Tool and More
By: Bob Perry | 18/07/2008
There is a website that will help you sell your items on Ebay. It gives you inside information on where and when and how to sell whatever it is you want to sell. Also, it is a GREAT research tool if you are shopping for anything on the net.

Since When Did Peter Crouch Become an £11 Million Man?
By: John Ford | 18/07/2008
Peter Crouch has signed for Portsmouth in a deal which could rise to £11 million but does his record really merit such a high price-tag?

Make Your Donations for Philanthropic Works
By: Sanjeev Jha | 16/07/2008
To help the children coming from backward families one need to establish schools and to provide other facilities for free. And for that purpose, donations are needed to work towards that goal.

More from Jimmy Cox

An Easy Way to Remember the US Presidents
By: Jimmy Cox | 06/05/2008 | Self Improvement
Every American should know the names of the Presidents. First we list the Presidents and find substitute words for their names. Beside each president write words of similar sound. The degree of similarity in sound is an individual matter. For the person who relies greatly on the aid of sound, the substituted word must be very like that of the word to be memorized.

Two Ways to Make Money from Your Greenhouse
By: Jimmy Cox | 25/04/2008 | Gardening
Perhaps you are not particularly interested in making money from selling potted plants, bulbs, or seeds. Still, you want a self-supporting or profit-making greenhouse. Although a number of hybridizers use their greenhouses to hasten the growth of many plants, including iris and roses, there are many things you can do with your greenhouse.

Basketball Basics: Faking and Moving Without the Ball
By: Jimmy Cox | 25/04/2008 | Basketball
Two important skills in basketball are faking and moving without the ball. Both should be practiced well.

How to Keep Your Car Battery Like New
By: Jimmy Cox | 24/04/2008 | Cars
You'll not get caught with your charge down if you give your car battery reasonable care.

Diets for Your Inner Self
By: Jimmy Cox | 24/04/2008 | Nutrition
Diets can achieve amazing results if followed faithfully, and here are three excellent ones: a cleansing diet, a health diet and a reducing diet.

Defend Yourself Using Aikido
By: Jimmy Cox | 10/04/2008 | Martial Arts
The origin of Aikido can be traced back to the Jiu Jitsu School of Daito. According to the records concerning the secrets of marshal arts, the Aiki Jiu Jitsu, as it was called during the Kamakura period in about the 12th century, was founded by Yoshimitsu Minamoto.

Coaching and Strategy in Baseball
By: Jimmy Cox | 10/04/2008 | Baseball
School teams have one coach who directs all play, offensively and defensively. He usually sits on the bench and gives signals to the first-base and third-base coaches, who in turn pass them on to the batter or base-runner.

How to Research a Term Paper
By: Jimmy Cox | 10/04/2008 | Writing
In some courses, especially in your senior year, you may be asked to submit long pieces of writing that may be loosely classified as term papers or research reports. Typical among these are studies of an author's characteristics or surveys of literary movements in honor English classes or analyses in depth of various topics in your science or social studies courses.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below