we need to read more textbooks

With the renewed interest in reading, many have begun advocating for a transition away from nonfiction and toward fiction, largely because of the diverse values, perspectives, and insights these works offer. Books are designated as classics for a reason, often because of the profound insight into the human experience that they provide.

There is, however, another category of books that perhaps offers an even greater understanding of humanity, society, and the structures that govern our world. These books are textbooks.

Many dread the notion of reading textbooks, even for courses in which they are required, let alone entertain the idea of reading them for pleasure. Yet textbooks are arguably among the greatest forms of educational material available. Their content is carefully curated, organized, and presented with the explicit purpose of teaching and informing the reader. By engaging with these books, individuals can acquire substantial knowledge and develop a much greater understanding of their respective subjects.

Consider, for instance, an introductory microeconomics textbook. Such a book serves as the standard learning material for an undergraduate economics course, and by studying it independently, one can acquire much of the same knowledge that would otherwise be obtained through formal enrollment in the course. Of course, the two experiences are not entirely equivalent. Independent reading lacks the examinations, lectures, discussions, and supplementary materials that accompany a university education. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to suggest that a substantial portion of the course’s educational content is contained within the textbook itself.

In many introductory courses, the textbook is essentially the foundation of the class, with lectures and other instructional materials serving primarily to elaborate upon and reinforce its contents. The implication is significant: much of the foundational knowledge taught in a university-level course can be acquired simply by studying its textbook.

Thus, textbooks ought to become a category of reading material that we engage with more frequently. Admittedly, these books can be tedious, demanding, and, at times, rather boring. Their purpose, however, is not necessarily to entertain, but to educate. And in this respect, they offer an extraordinary degree of intellectual value.

This is not to suggest that textbooks should replace fiction, general nonfiction, or other forms of literature. Each offers its own distinct form of intellectual enrichment. Fiction provides insight into the human experience, exposing readers to different perspectives, values, and ways of understanding the world. General nonfiction allows readers to explore particular ideas, events, and phenomena in an accessible and often engaging manner. Textbooks, meanwhile, provide a more systematic and structured means of acquiring knowledge within a particular discipline.

It is therefore reasonable to suggest that we should engage with more than one category of reading material. Perhaps an alternating routine, moving between textbooks, novels, and general nonfiction, would offer a more balanced approach to intellectual development. Such a routine would allow readers to benefit from the distinct qualities of each form without relying too heavily on any one of them.

Ultimately, reading should not be confined to the pursuit of entertainment, nor should intellectual enrichment be understood as something that can only be obtained through traditionally celebrated works of literature. There exists an immense body of carefully organized knowledge within textbooks, much of which remains accessible to anyone willing to engage with it.

Perhaps it is time that textbooks cease to be regarded merely as academic obligations and begin to be appreciated as worthwhile reading material in their own right.