There is a quiet, powerful practice that binds the world’s greatest minds, innovators, leaders, and creatives together, so subtle that many miss its potency. The practice is reading.
In an age fixated on instant hacks and short cuts to achievement, the best minds of all still resort to the age-old practice of getting lost inside books. When I visit the residences of high achievers — CEOs, surgeons, scientists, writers — I see something they all have in common: not over-sized TVs, but bigger libraries. Book-lined walls. Page-stacked tables. Richer livings through reading.
Why the Elite Read
Why do the best and brightest find reading so appealing?
Warren Buffett, who is one of the most successful investors of all time, credits much of his success to his love of reading. Buffett told younger investors once that he would “read 500 pages a day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest.” Buffett is said to spend as much as 80% of his day reading.
Thomas Edison would say, “I start by reading through what I want to discover.”
Nikola Tesla, the great inventor, admitted candidly, “Of all things, I like books best.”
Even current leaders such as President Barack Obama made reading a priority: “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.”
Indian intellectuals have long hailed the benefits of reading, as well. Former Indian President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, affectionately referred to as the country’s “Missile Man”, frequently stressed, “Education bestows creativity, creativity produces thinking, thinking grants knowledge, and knowledge makes you great.” He advocated that each student read for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, deeming it a cornerstone of individual development.
Rabindranath Tagore, the literary icon and Nobel laureate, once wrote, “A book is a journey, a dialogue between writer and reader, a mirror where our inner self is revealed.”
And Mahatma Gandhi, who changed the world through simplicity and conviction, said “Reading all good books is like conversation with the best minds of past centuries.”
Books as Time Machines and Mentors
A book is much, much more than pen on page. It is a time machine, a mentor, an entrance into the mind of another who has distilled years—often decades—of experience, insight, struggle, and setback into something you can literally hold in your hand.
Stephen King described books as “uniquely portable magic.” Why, “magic”? Because they have the ability to alter your way of thinking, shift your mindset, or inspire a thought that reorients your course of action, all within one paragraph.
Emily Dickinson famously wrote: “There is no ship like a book that can carry us places.”
Right from Swami Vivekananda’s inspiring works on self-control through C.V. Raman’s scientific gems accrued through lectures and articles, Indian libraries have books full of knowledge that not only enlightens, but transcends.
The Power of Reading: Behind the Science
Modern neuroscience confirms what such great minds intuitively knew.
Reading has been shown to raise the connectivity of the brain, predominantly within the somatosensory cortex — the section of the cortex that responds to physical sensations of movement and emotion (Berns et al., 2013, Brain Connectivity). Your brain is mimicking the experiences you are reading — as though you are experiencing them.
Reading helps us develop empathy, a quality that research established as being most characteristic of successful leaders. The New York researchers from The New School discovered that reading works of fiction enhances our capacity for inferring others’ thoughts and emotions (Kidd & Castano, 2013, Science).
In addition, reading decreases stress levels, enhances concentration, improves memory, and clarifies critical thinking skills – all building blocks of a top-performing lifestyle.
Make Time to Read
Most would say that they do not have time to read. Time, however, is not discovered, it is created.
Since Buffett, Obama, Kalam, and Gandhi made time for reading despite their heavy workload, so can you. Begin small. Only 15–20 minutes per day. Have a book within arm’s reach by your bedside. Take one with you while traveling. Use some of your scroll-time reading time for some real reading instead. It makes a difference.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one such reader-leader. In an interview, he said: “Reading opens up your mind and makes you realize the other person’s view. Reading is the best way of expanding one’s horizon.”
He frequently cites Indian classics such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Thirukkural, a reflection of his extensive reading.
Read Widely, Read Deeply
Don’t restrict yourself. Read science for comprehending the laws of nature. Read history for identifying the trends of civilizations. Read philosophy for challenging assumptions. Read fiction for experiencing other people’s shoes. Read biographies for borrowing brilliance.
Books are the cheapest mentors you’ll ever have, the safest adventures you’ll ever embark on, and the greatest investments you’ll ever make.
Final Thoughts
Reading is not merely a pastime. It is not an indulgence. For anyone who seeks to lead, innovate, or inspire — it is essential. The best of humankind—of Indians as well as from all over the world—have known this all along.
So the next time you find yourself asking yourself, What one thing could make my life, career, or mindset better? know that it is ready on your bookshelf.
Open a book. And the magic starts.
Dr. Prahlada N.B
MBBS (JJMMC), MS (PGIMER, Chandigarh).
MBA in Healthcare & Hospital Management (BITS, Pilani),
Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Leadership and Innovation (MIT, USA)
Executive Programme in Strategic Management (IIM, Lucknow)
Senior Management Programme in Healthcare Management (IIM, Kozhikode)
Advanced Certificate in AI for Digital Health and Imaging Program (IISc, Bengaluru).
Senior Professor and former Head,
Department of ENT-Head & Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Cochlear Implant Surgery.
Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India.
My Vision: I don’t want to be a genius. I want to be a person with a bundle of experience.
My Mission: Help others achieve their life’s objectives in my presence or absence!
My Values: Creating value for others.
References:
- Berns GS, Blaine K, Prietula MJ, Pye BE. Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain. Brain Connect. 2013;3(6):590-600.
2. Kidd DC, Castano E. Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science. 2013;342(6156):377-380.
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