PETALING JAYA: "Don't judge a book by it's cover" may be a common saying but many people are drawn to books with eye-catching covers.
This view is shared by authors Joey Yap, Azizi Ali, Mike Francis and Dr Peter Shephard, all of whom will be speaking at the week-long Lifelong Learning Book Fair, which starts on Tuesday.
The four - who will be giving talks on topics ranging from financial management to self-development - say readers are often attracted to books with interesting titles and cover designs.
"Long gone are the days when only the contents of a book matter. Today, people will only pick up books that look interesting on the outside," said Azizi.
Dr Shephard said people now preferred interactive reading materials.
"Many readers are computer literate and they prefer reading materials that come with graphic details, pictures, charts or even DVDs."
Yap said writers should give interesting titles to their books and also provide attachments such as CDs or DVDs.
Francis said people should read all the time but it was also the writer's responsibility to make book attractive.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting will launch the fair, which is organised by the MCA's Lifelong Learning National Committee and will be held at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara. The fair, opening from 10am to 10pm, will end on May 2. Those arriving between 10am and 1pm on the first day will enjoy discounts of 35% and more. Books will be sold at discounts of 20% and above after 1pm on the first day and during the rest of the fair.
