On the Value of Reading and Reading More: A Personal Reflection and Educational Resource

Abstract

Professional accountants—at all levels (student, educator, practitioner)—may be looking for strategies to support professional development and/or continuing education, including the development of communication skills. This paper provides an example of critical self-reflection, which resulted in a retirement-induced reading spree for the author and an appreciation by the author of the value of reading as a strategy for enhancing one’s reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. To illustrate these benefits with greater concreteness, the paper includes a short discussion of each of 18 subjectively determined “power words” (and related definitions) gathered by the author from recent issues of the Wall Street Journal. These examples illustrate how appropriate word choices allow authors of cited material to communicate (in context) with conciseness and precision—power for short. I complement this set of words with additional “power words” I self-selected from a variety of business and nonbusiness sources. The paper contains a listing of additional resources (both printed and web-based) that individuals interested in improving their vocabulary can consult. As a learning resource, the paper can be used in accounting courses with a communications component, for personal and/or professional development purposes, and in CPE courses focused on communication skills development. An appendix provides sample word-choice quizzes based on the 18 words discussed in the paper.