Leigh Ann Newman
The image of a professional sitting somewhere with a book, intent on improving some skill or simply increasing his or her knowledge base, has now become part of the collective imagination, so much so that not much attention is paid to it anymore. Any person who has a more or less demanding job, or at any rate one that involves regular professional updating sessions, knows very well that the working reality, regardless of the sector they belong to, is constantly changing, and that therefore to keep up with the times it is necessary to continue to study diligently, with extreme commitment, devoting time to reading books or manuals specific to one’s sector, written almost always by prominent personalities or enlightened professionals with long experience behind them.
With the advent of social media and online communication, a plethora of pages dedicated to reading advice for professionals have begun to spread on the Internet, with detailed guides focusing on the best books to read if you belong to a specific job sector. Any worker, regardless of the nature of his work, can be sure to find at least one or more manuals that try to explain to him how to increase his productivity, his work performance, often ramblingly quoting opinions of other professionals, even those not directly related to the profession of the person concerned, creating only a great deal of confusion and a feeling akin to bewilderment.
Learning on social media
One format of content that has been particularly successful over the past few years are those sorts of summaries spread through the most popular social media, which in a handful of characters claim to summarize the most useful concepts contained in a given book, often listing them in stark lists composed of a very short sentence, a single concept or even a single word that should effectively summarize a much longer textual content.
Usually, these short and stringy posts are very successful on social media pages, because users are led to believe that within a few moments, in an extraordinarily simple and intuitive manner, they will be able to benefit from all the practical lessons and advice contained in a book, which some network hero has thoughtfully summarized and published online for the erudition of his audience.
The success of this content is not only related to its format, the brevity of the text and its apparent immediacy: among professionals, the awareness that they have to keep themselves constantly updated by reading books focused on their work is so strong that they are always looking for new ways to absorb new information, as quickly as possible, including through useful summaries disseminated via social media.
Books are undoubtedly one of the best methods for increasing one’s skills, sharpening one’s intellect and enriching one’s expressive abilities, but those who intend to read them only for work-related purposes should also, in a sense, have the ability to transcend their own field of endeavor, thus not limiting themselves to reading only the books or manuals dedicated to their work, and trying to draw some real lessons from the masterpieces of world literature, the novels and short stories that have marked millions of readers and deeply influenced their lives. Sometimes, the subtle lessons contained in these books are able to completely transform the people who read them, even affecting their work performance in an extremely positive way.
The role of e-books
Those who are not accustomed to having a paper book in their hands can always take advantage of the resources of the web, where they can always find convenient e-books to buy at a really low price and to take with them at all times, no matter where they are. Online one can also find specialized sites, or thematic blogs, where some experts in the field have posted their professional content, almost always in text form and usually very in-depth, thus ensuring excellent support for anyone who is looking for help.
Similar content can certainly be found on online portals dedicated to gambling, where useful guides and reviews have been published on the different online games, bonuses, best online casinos and their use, but also on all the incredible entertainment opportunities encapsulated in the platform, such as the possibility of placing one’s bets and trying out a wide variety of casino games, in a quiet and extremely safe manner, thus giving everyone the chance to find the gaming experience that best suits his or her personal tastes.
There are good alternatives to paper books, that’s for sure: all you will have to do is discover them, surfing the web and being enchanted by what you will find.
