[kmtrowbr]

The brain is wired with language. Our inner monologues are most commonly speaking to ourselves using words. Reading is similar to meditation in that it's about YOU controlling your thoughts, putting focus into what you're reading. Additionally, the content is the result of a process: some form of author qualification, editing, formatting, publication took place. It's also intimate: just the author and you (although, this is not necessarily true). But on the whole I suspect there's more integrity on the printed page, less "big money" certainly. In summary, there are lots of reasons why reading deserves a privileged place.

However, if you want to learn something, you gotta go at it from every direction: maybe first of all just try head on, try & fail. Then read books if available, of course, but search online, look for YouTube videos, seek out mentors, and so on. Just like everything else you can only read effectively for so many hours per day.

In the end I can only really speak for myself: reading books feels TO ME like one of the best possible uses of time. You would have to pry the books out of my cold dead hands, etc. So just out of fellow feeling I try to encourage others to read more. But whatever works for you!