Sorry for the long wait from the last post; I plan to post at least once a week for the rest of the year. I will be reviewing books that I read to fill in when I don't have anything to say or when I have not yet articulated what I want to say. Most of the time I read fiction books (of varying types). I wish now to show a few reasons why it can be beneficial to read fiction.
Fiction stimulates the imagination while reading a narrative one uses the imagination automatically to “see” what happens in the story. Imagination is “the act or power of forming mental images of what is not actually present.”1 Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” 2 Necessity may be the mother of invention but imagination is the father, for without imagination the inventor cannot think of a new way to solve the problem.
Reading fiction can stimulate your intellect; anyone reading critically can exercise their mind. One can study ethical problems though fiction. (as in “What would the right thing to do be in this character's position?”) Philosophy and Theology are also easily studied (as in “Do I agree with the thoughts of this character or the ideas of the author?) Other general facts that are found in fiction books can be researched to find out if they are true.
Educators and philosophers (thinkers) use fiction to illustrate their ideas. Jesus Christ in particular used some well known stories called parables to illustrate with: The Parable of the Good Samaritan to show an Israelite that everyone is your neighbor, and the parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the Love of God toward sinners are two examples of parables well know because their titles are now common English phrases.
Many works of fiction have significantly altered peoples views of practices, problems, of injustices. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book that changed many opinions and helped the end slavery in the US. A book that I read recently that caused some serious thoughts when I read it was The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. I will admit that I ought to be reading more thought provoking books, especially of the nonfiction variety, than I am.
Fiction stimulates the imagination while reading a narrative one uses the imagination automatically to “see” what happens in the story. Imagination is “the act or power of forming mental images of what is not actually present.”1 Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” 2 Necessity may be the mother of invention but imagination is the father, for without imagination the inventor cannot think of a new way to solve the problem.
Reading fiction can stimulate your intellect; anyone reading critically can exercise their mind. One can study ethical problems though fiction. (as in “What would the right thing to do be in this character's position?”) Philosophy and Theology are also easily studied (as in “Do I agree with the thoughts of this character or the ideas of the author?) Other general facts that are found in fiction books can be researched to find out if they are true.
Educators and philosophers (thinkers) use fiction to illustrate their ideas. Jesus Christ in particular used some well known stories called parables to illustrate with: The Parable of the Good Samaritan to show an Israelite that everyone is your neighbor, and the parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the Love of God toward sinners are two examples of parables well know because their titles are now common English phrases.
Many works of fiction have significantly altered peoples views of practices, problems, of injustices. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book that changed many opinions and helped the end slavery in the US. A book that I read recently that caused some serious thoughts when I read it was The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. I will admit that I ought to be reading more thought provoking books, especially of the nonfiction variety, than I am.
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