Reading is important for mental development. It stimulates eye muscles and can help increase IQ, as children who read often tend to have higher IQs. Before television and computers, reading was a primary leisure activity. Reading expands our knowledge and experiences beyond our own narrow lives. It provides the thoughts and experiences of countless others through history. Books have the power to control time and allow us to fly into the future or retreat into the past. Reading is recommended as the best way to relax the mind.