Air miles be damned. I say the best way to find out about the joy and complexity of our world is through novels

Essays like this remind me why I picked my English major.

There are other ways to get facts. Newspapers are full of them, as are podcasts and documentaries. Travel shows proliferate, take your pick. But even then, there is nothing like the view of the world via a novel. Novels can go beyond merely being set on location. They can describe and landscape, but they can also capture a nation’s spirit and reveal something of its soul, offering a gateway to understanding the world in all its complexity, richness and absurdity. Seeking out authors from different cultural backgrounds, races and genders means reading books that challenge assumptions and broaden horizons as we venture into new worlds and learn about people who live different lives. It’s a cure for cultural myopia. –Pushpinder Khaneka, Guardian