I taught myself to read. I remember vividly the decision I made as a child of four, that I absolutely needed to read, in order to understand in what kind of awkward reality I ended in.
Everything around was alien to me. There was a strong resonance with my father, but my mother "ordered" him to stop this "friendship" with me: as 'a child is not your friend!' she stated. So, we were both left alone in a world of aliens.
He was a strong reader, so, somehow secretly, he passed me the solution to my bewilderment: reading, because, as he had said to me: 'reading opens you the doors of understanding'.
With five I was reading and eager to understand. Finally I wasn't alone in the strange place I was landed. Books were my friends, and luckily at home there were always books! I could easily begin my adventure to understand the world, the different thoughts, choices, feelings that move people in life.
My future homes became packed with books. It was even redundant: so many, somehow even too many spread in the entire house.
When in Italy I began to write as a journalist the publishing houses literally submerged me with books they wished me to write a review, and, it was implied, a good review.
It was then that I made a shocking discovery: there are far too many bland and totally worthless books. And also dangerous books, insinuating or even bluntly declaring twisted things. Yes, reality may appear totally different depending on your point of view. Nevertheless, there are declarations that are totally wrong: if you state that the Earth is obviously flat, because if you look around you see it flat... Well this is false.
That means that ignorant people, because they ignore many things, state and write wrong things.
Manipulative intent, because they pursue some hidden agenda, they state and write wrong things.
Therefore the idea that books open your mind is today a real myth, unfortunately.
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