“The Power of Reading” by Eisuke Wakamatsu

The author says there are 4 conditions that make books “good” books. 1. When you encounter that book, you are ready for it. 2. The book has a potential to be changed according to the reader. 3. You come across that book when you are meant to do so. 4. You feel like you need to reread that book, that is, it is the book that doesn’t finish. While reading these 4 requirements, I thought of some books that changed my life.

The author also emphasizes the importance of writing as well as reading. They are the one and the other side of the coin. Only when reading and writing are organically intertwined, does a whole new experience of language appear. The author advises one very simple method to do so, which is copying what you found impressive or intriguing. Just write them down in your notebook, and it will have a significant influence on you. According to this advice, I’ve scribbled down some sentences or phrases which moved and inspired me. Such a straightforward act did indeed bring about something new and fresh in me.