How To Ensure You Keep Up To Date

Knowledge is the most powerful commodity in the world today. The most successful people are not only the most knowledgeable, but those who make the most use of their knowledge.nnreading, knowledge, self improvement, personal development, self growthnnreading, knowledge, self improvement, personal development, self growthnnWe all have to deal with so much information and so many different forms of media today that it’s easy to forget how much can be gained from reading books. nnGood books can do many things - give us insights into the lives of others; educate us and increase our knowledge; expand our minds; entertain and amuse us; inspire and move us; enrich our lives and much, much more. The very best books can change lives. nnReading is one of the best forms of relaxation and escapism. You can be transported to other countries, to other times in history, to completely different worlds. The very act of reading and focusing on the reading material can be calming, relaxing and reassuring. We've all heard the expression 'curling up with a good book' - reading reduces stress and takes you away from your everyday concerns and worries. nnReading fires up your imagination and creativity. You can find yourself involved in and thinking about situations you could never have imagined and it can help to open and free your mind. nnReading stimulates your emotions. Good books can make you laugh out loud or cry, they can terrify or embarrass you, they can also challenge your beliefs and make you appreciate viewpoints you may never have considered.nnIn the same way that physical exercise and activity is essential to maintain a fit and healthy body, we need to exercise our minds to keep them at the best. Reading is one of the very best forms of mental exercise.nnThe Most Powerful Commodity In The WorldnnApart from the great enjoyment and many other benefits that come from reading, reading is essential for our own economic security. We need to keep our knowledge and skills up to date to remain employable in today's highly competitive business environment. nnThe current rate of information growth is simply staggering. Ongoing technological developments mean that knowledge is increasing at a rate that would have been mind boggling only a few decades ago and is hard enough to comprehend even now. The total volume of knowledge and information known to mankind is now doubling every 2-3 years! nnKnowledge is the most powerful commodity in the world today. The most successful people are not only the most knowledgeable, but those who make the most use of their knowledge. nnFor any professional person reading is not optional. To keep up to date with the latest developments in any field, reading is essential. nnSome Scary StatisticsnnHere are some interesting statistics about reading from the United States: nn1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. nnOver 40% of college graduates never read another book after college nnAround 80% of families did not buy or read a book in the last year nnAlmost 3/4 of adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five yearsnnOnly 32% of the U.S. population has ever been in a bookstore.nnMore than half of new books are not read to completionnnLess than 10% of people who start a non fiction book get past the first chapternnLess than 4% of citizens own a library cardnnnResearch has shown that people's earnings are in direct proportion to the size of their vocabularies.nnThe CEO of a U.S fortune 500 company will usually earn well over 500 times more than the average employee. This means that the average employee has to work for more than a year and a half to earn what the CEO earns in one day!nnThe average U.S. CEO reads 4-5 books per month.nnThis doesn't prove that reading alone is the main difference between a CEO and an employee, but the figures are dramatic enough to indicate that there must be a significant correlation between success and reading. Keeping up to date and well informed will be one of the most decisive factors in getting and keeping a job, for career progression, and ultimately between success and failure.