The Daily Quote podcast pageThe Great News Podcast pageThe Great News LetterVoicemail feedback line – 1-877-636-1474CONTACT MEWelcome to The Daily Quote - a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, with another daily quote for August 9th... Did you know that today is National Book Lovers Day? It's a day dedicated to celebrating the joy and enrichment that books bring to our lives. Whether you're a fan of fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, or romance, today is the perfect day to dive into a new story or revisit an old favorite. In honor of National Book Lovers Day, I've chosen a quote by none other than Walt Disney. He once said, "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life." Disney’s words remind us that books are a treasure trove of knowledge, adventure, and imagination. Unlike pirate loot, which can be spent and lost, the wealth found in books is inexhaustible and can be enjoyed repeatedly. Every time you open a book, you uncover new insights, experience different emotions, and embark on unique journeys. And the best part? This treasure is available to you every single day. Beyond the joy of reading, books also offer significant health benefits. According to a study at the University of Sussex, people only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down their heart rate and ease tension in their muscles. That's right, just six minutes of reading can help you relax and unwind, almost like a mini-meditation session. But that's not all. A study at UC Berkeley and the University of Toronto found that those who read a lot will enhance their verbal intelligence, essentially making them smarter. They emphasized the importance of getting children off to an early successful start in reading, underscoring how crucial reading is for cognitive development. And here's a fascinating finding from Yale University: a study followed 3,635 participants for 12 years and concluded that book readers had a 23-month survival advantage and experienced a 20% reduction in risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow-up compared to non-book readers. In other words, reading books can actually help you live longer! So, today, in honor of National Book Lovers Day, I encourage you to pick up a book you've been meaning to read or revisit an old favorite. Let yourself get lost in its pages and see where the journey takes you. Remember, every book you read is a new treasure to be discovered, enriching your mind and your life in countless ways. Thank you for joining me today on The Daily Quote. I hope this episode has inspired you to celebrate the joy and benefits of reading. Until next time, keep exploring, keep imagining, and keep reading. Have a wonderful day!