Reading is one of my favorite hobby, well I started to read book actually after I left school, in those days there were not many book shops, but in Kuantan at that time there is one, a sort of a book shop, with other things sold as well. Public Library is non existence at that time, so to get to read books, one had either buy or borrow. In those day it is not the latest book, but whatever book available at the shop, since most of us could not buy book regularly, most of the time I would borrow from friends who could afford to by and as for me when I do have the money, I would spend it on books. The first book that I read is a borrowed book. I could still remember the title, it is a book written by Earl Stanley Gardner, those that start with the title, The case of.... and the hero is Perry Mason, I got hook to this type of books and yearned to read more of such book, so I kept saving money and from that time onward I would grab any new Perry Mason's books. I guessed that I have read all those books written by the author and eventually I graduated to other authors. Since I love books, I kept all those books that I have bought and read and it is still there in my own private library. I would never part with any of my books, I would lent it to friends, but always want it back on my shelf. So to me book is a treasure that I want to keep and when our children were growing up, they also took to reading and start reading those books that I have in my library. From the first book and I am never without books, always reading and I have graduated from reading novels to more serious books, like philosophy, sociology, political sciences, sufism, religions. Since I was a trainer while working for the government, I also read books on motivation, leadership, program's planning and those related with youth training program. On religions I have read about all the great religions of the world. In between reading serious books, I still keep reading the latest novels that came on the market at the local book shops. Books are getting expensive now, but because it me pleasure as well as knowledge, I continue to frequent book shops to look for new titles. From time to time my children also give me book since they knew pretty well their dad love to read and some time we exchanges books. Now our grandchildren has start to read as well, I guess it run in the family and I felt great that the new generations in our family are following my foot step and has make reading their hobby as well. Every time I visit book shops at the shopping Mall, I notice that more and more people frequent the store and buy books, .... I felt that this is good for the society, for a society that is well informed and knowledgeable is a great society, and it look like Malaysian is on the way to be like those western countries where reading has became a culture of the people. Since most of the good books are in the English language, I hope Malaysian should continue to master this language so that they are able to read all those books that are available in our book store.....the future of Malaysia depend very much on a 'smart' populations of the country, there are no other better way of creating a smart Malaysian society, other than reading more and more books of substance.....Other then that reading would also help to alert our mental faculty, thus would help us to stay healthy.