Como tornar a leitura um hábito diário | Pedro Pacífico | TEDxCampinas

Summary

In this inspiring talk, Maurício Kakuei Tanaka shares his journey from an ordinary reader with little literary background to the creator of Book.ster, a thriving online literary profile. He explores the reading habits of Brazilians, highlighting the low engagement with books and the common literary biases many hold. Through social media, he discovered a community of book enthusiasts that motivated him to diversify his reading and share his experiences. Tanaka emphasizes that reading should be a daily habit, encourages spreading the joy of books, and shows how literature can foster empathy, personal growth, and meaningful connections.

Takeaways

• 😀 44% of Brazilians haven't read a book in the last three months, highlighting a significant lack of reading habits in the country.
• 😀 The average number of books read by Brazilians is only 2.4 per year, indicating a low engagement with literature.
• 😀 Reading isn't a part of daily routines, conversations, or popular media in Brazil, unlike TV shows or movies.
• 😀 The speaker, a lawyer without any formal literature training, became passionate about books through social media literary profiles.
• 😀 Social media, particularly 'booktubers' and 'bookgrammers,' introduced the speaker to a wider variety of books, pushing them out of their comfort zone.
• 😀 The speaker's reading journey began with contemporary authors, moved to Russian classics like Dostoevsky, and later explored Brazilian authors like Lygia Fagundes Telles.
• 😀 The speaker started a literary profile, Book.ster, in 2017, and it grew rapidly, reaching over 90,000 followers in a short period.
• 😀 Initially anonymous, the speaker was surprised by the success of Book.ster, with publishers sending books and the profile gaining more attention.
• 😀 Reading, according to the speaker, has many benefits, including improving writing, increasing knowledge, and fostering empathy by seeing things from different perspectives.
• 😀 To develop a reading habit, the key is to read every day, even if it's just a few pages. Consistency matters more than volume.
• 😀 The speaker encourages others to spread the joy of reading by talking about books, recommending them, and sharing or donating books to promote a reading culture.

Q & A

What is the significance of the 2016 IBOPE survey mentioned in the script?

The 2016 IBOPE survey highlighted that 44% of Brazilians hadn't read a book in the past three months, which underscores the low reading rates in Brazil. It also revealed that those who do read, on average, only read 2.4 books per year.

Why did the speaker mention their personal experience with reading?

The speaker shared their personal experience to emphasize how they, like many others, didn't talk about books or reading a few years ago. This shift in perspective helped them connect with others and reflect on how reading habits can change through exposure to new ideas and platforms.

What role did social media play in the speaker's reading journey?

Social media, particularly literary profiles on platforms like Instagram and YouTube (bookstagram and booktube), played a key role in broadening the speaker's reading interests. They followed literary profiles that exposed them to different genres and authors, helping them step out of their reading comfort zone.

How did the speaker overcome their initial bias towards certain types of books?

Initially, the speaker had a bias against certain books, such as classics, due to their perceived difficulty or irrelevance. However, through following literary profiles and exploring different books, they gradually overcame this bias, starting with books by contemporary authors and progressing to classics like Dostoevsky.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of Book.ster?

The speaker was inspired to create Book.ster as a way to share their newfound passion for reading. They wanted to provide a space where they could share their literary experiences, particularly for others who might be in a similar position of rediscovering the joy of reading.

Why did the speaker initially keep their Book.ster account anonymous?

The speaker was initially afraid of how their friends, family, and colleagues would react to their Book.ster account. To avoid judgment, they blocked everyone they knew, including their parents and friends, while keeping their account private.

What was the reaction of the speaker's friends and family when they found out about Book.ster?

When a friend discovered the Book.ster account, their positive reaction encouraged the speaker to unblock everyone and openly embrace their identity as a bookstagrammer. This acceptance led to the speaker sharing their passion for reading with a wider audience.

What are some of the benefits the speaker attributes to reading?

The speaker lists several benefits of reading, including improved writing, enhanced knowledge, and the ability to empathize with others. They also mention that reading allows them to understand diverse perspectives and experiences, whether through books about war, trauma, or other people's lives.

What advice does the speaker offer for developing a reading habit?

The speaker emphasizes that reading should be a daily habit, even if it's just for a few pages a day. By making reading a small, regular part of life, people can maintain their connection to books and gradually build a consistent reading practice.

What is the importance of sharing books and encouraging others to read, according to the speaker?

The speaker stresses the importance of sharing books with others and encouraging friends and family to read. They believe that spreading the love of reading can inspire others to pick up books again and create a broader culture of literacy, where books are a part of everyday conversation.