Follow Dolly’s lead: Plant the seeds of a dream by reading for public health
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* Chris Chanyasulkit

![Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/6/3.1/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/6/3.1/F1)

Have you ever been so engrossed in a book that all you want to do is curl up and read until it’s done? Did you learn something about yourself from reading the book? Have you felt like you could see something from another point of view more clearly after reading?

I am hopeful that reading has transformed your life, and if not, that it will. There’s a wealth of evidence that shows reading reduces stress, can help lessen cognitive decline, encourages empathy and so much more.

As I travel the nation sharing my message to play, read and vote for health, I’m always struck by how many amazing public health folks I meet who are happy to share reading recommendations — be they books on public health, history, fiction or beyond. I love seeing folks light up as they tell me about a special book they read.

Don’t just take my word for it that reading is transformative and critical to the health and well-being of children, families and communities — take it from Dolly Parton. In 1995, Dolly was inspired by her father’s inability to read and write to start her Imagination Library for children in her home community of Sevier County, Tennessee. Her program now provides over 2 million free books each month in five countries.

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” she writes. “I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Let’s plant those seeds and help our nation get healthier through reading. Gift books to others. Start or join a book club. Donate and support your public libraries and local bookstores. Fight book bans. Model reading for younger folks. Volunteer at your library. Just read!

Speaking of which, be sure to check out my “President’s Pick” in *The Nation’s Health* Summer Reads story in this issue. I hope you’ll be as moved as I was by Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s “Love in the Library.” Though a children’s book, there is something there for everyone. Set in an internment camp for Japanese Americans, the book is beautiful, powerful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Here’s what I’m up to: 

*   Play: Soaking up the beauty of the summer in Boston with beautiful walks with my pups, Oswald and Dolly, who is named after Parton, of course.

*   Read: Going through the Summer Reads list on Page 9 and seeing how many I can get through before APHA’s Annual Meeting and Expo in November.

*   Vote: Congress is in recess this month! It’s a great time to meet with your legislators while they are at home. If you don’t know how to start, don’t worry. APHA has resources, tips and staff to help connect you with your congressperson and speak for health. See [www.apha.org/speak-for-health](https://www.apha.org/speak-for-health) for more.

With love and thanks,

Chris Chanyasulkit

PhD, MPH

president{at}apha.org

*Share what you’re up to by using #PlayForHealth, #ReadForHealth and #VoteForHealth on social media.*

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association