MIDNIGHT SPOTLIGHT-HIDDEN POWER OF LETTERS

There’s an old saying that goes, “If you want to hide money from people, put it in books.” It sounds funny, but when you think about it deeply, it’s painfully true. Many people don’t read. They fear books like they fear hospital bills. But inside books lies power—real power.

Books don’t shout. They don’t entertain like TikTok or beep like a phone message. But books transform minds quietly. They carry secrets of success, mistakes of the past, and ideas that could change someone’s life forever. Yet most people treat books like decorations—something to display on a shelf, not to touch.

Have you ever noticed that some of the richest and wisest people in the world are readers? They don’t just read because it’s fun—they read because it’s fuel. It feeds their minds. Warren Buffet, one of the wealthiest men alive, once said he spends up to 80% of his day reading. And we, on the other hand, scroll and swipe our days away.

Here in Kenya, and in many African countries, we love shortcuts. We want instant results. We praise people who make it without looking at the sweat behind their success. What we don’t see is that behind every great achievement is usually a deep reader—a thinker. Someone who took time to read, learn, and grow.

Books open your eyes. They give you confidence in conversations. They give you language to express your thoughts. They sharpen your reasoning. They expose you to places you’ve never been, and to people you’ll never meet. You can sit in your small house but travel through history, space, and culture with just a book in your hands.

It’s not about reading big grammar or complicated theories. Even simple storybooks can plant seeds in your mind. Read about your career. Read about money. Read about relationships. Read for fun. Just read. Because every page you turn gives you something others don’t have—perspective.

Now back to that line—“If you want to hide money, put it in books.” It means this: the knowledge that can help you grow, the wisdom that can save your marriage, the skills that can get you out of poverty—they’re all written down. But many people will never access them because they don’t read. And those who do read, rise silently.

Reading doesn’t make you perfect. It makes you better. It gives you an edge. It makes you a little wiser than yesterday. And slowly, that wisdom builds into something powerful—something profitable.

So let’s change the story. Let’s make it hard to hide money in books, because people are reading. Let’s raise children who see books as treasures, not punishment. Let’s read not just for school, but for life.

Because the truth is simple: books hide gold—but only for those too lazy to look. And for those who dare to open them, a whole world opens up.

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By Tr. Lerte Maxwell

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