Is reading important? Yes.

That’s a rhetorical question. Of course, it’s important.

You wouldn’t be reading this book if you didn’t think reading was important, so I won’t take the time to convince you that it is. I’m going to assume you already agree with me that it is.

Even if you agree, you may not understand why reading is important. Most of us take reading for granted. We’ve always done it, and we always will. But there are plenty of reasons why we should better appreciate this skill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-xhyB_7lm0

Imagine you’re dropped in the middle of a foreign country where you don’t speak a word of the language. Let’s just say it’s Vietnam (unless you speak Vietnamese, in which case you should imagine Romania). Thankfully, enough people speak your native language so that you can get by with verbal communication. But you don’t recognize any of the written language. It’s just meaningless symbols. It’s all Greek to you. (Or Romanian.)

That’s what a world without reading looks like—confusing and limited. Sure, you can find ways to get by. You can use spoken words and context clues to get by. But here are just a few ways that you’re handicapped without the skill to read.

• Reading is required in most jobs. Illiterate people have a harder time finding work.
• Most of our education system is based on reading. It’s tough to earn a degree without it.
• Text-based communication like letters, emails and texts are limited only to readers.
• It’s hard to drive if you don’t know how to read traffic signs. What’s the speed limit again?
• Filling out paperwork by yourself is impossible without reading.
• Cooking is more difficult if you can’t read recipe cards, menus, or warning labels.
• The internet is basically a closed door to anyone who cannot read. Sure there are lots of images online, but navigation can be more difficult.
• Without reading, an entire range of entertainment options is off the table—no reading books, magazines, or watching foreign films with subtitles.

We’ll examine the impact of illiteracy and other reading challenges later in this book. But it’s crucial to take a quick look at those who can’t read to be reminded of the importance of reading. All of those things we take for granted become more valuable when you realize that they can be taken away.