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Health & Fitness

Immersion and An Introduction

After reading some books, I seem to think I know everything. Truth is--I don't.

I don't know about you, but once I have finished reading a book, it is not the same as having finished a movie or listened to an audio cassette version or anything else. It is more like I have been immersed in the life of the characters, and it's almost disappointing when I have finished a chapter, much less an entire novel. This is especially true with good books.
 
When I read, I take on the life of the character. The story is no longer a second or third person narrative, it becomes my story. I begin to change while I am reading. I take on new appearances, new thoughts, new lifestyles. I find myself talking about the stories I am reading to my grandmother, my fiancee', my friends, as though the same thing were going on in my life.a

Is anyone else this ridiculous about reading?

On the other hand, when I am reading nonfiction books, I immerse myself in fact, and come out thinking that I know everything there is to know about the subject.

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I got somewhat of a smack in the face recently. I was reading a short book by Janusz Korczak (pronounced Yanoosh Kor-choc) entitled Loving Every Child for a children's literature course, and within the first paragraph my nonfiction reading world was turned upside-down.

"Books with their ready-made formulas have dulled our vision and slackened the mind. Living by other people's experiences, research, and opinions, we have lost our self-confidence and we fail to observe things for ourselves."

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- Janusz Korczak

Wow.

First impression of this sentence? I hated the quote, and I almost felt accused.

After focusing on it for a few moments, however, I concluded that I do not, in fact, hate the quote, but that I actually relate to it. After reading a nonfiction book, I will lecture people on topics from hand washing to child rearing, but who am I to call myself an expert?

Is it not true that almost all new parents these days pick up their copy of "What to Expect..." and adhere to its every suggestion, and take its words to heart? I can't tell you how many times I was told to read an entire book about pregnancy and parenting before I had my baby; however, I can tell you that no matter how much you read, nothing will ever prepare you for the birth and life of your child. I have come to the conclusion (with only a few months of motherhood under my belt) that no book can tell you what your child wants quite as effectively as your child himself.

All of that being said, I'm new around here. I love to read, and I will be blogging regularly with book reviews. Sometimes the titles will be bestsellers, and sometimes they will be old classics. Occasionally, I might throw in some personal things, like house hunting, parenting and wedding planning.

Are there any books you would like for me to review? Post them in the comments section, and I will make sure to check them out!

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