books 7 unconventional reasons why you absolutely should be reading books

[LilBambi 3,283]

7 Unconventional Reasons Why You Absolutely Should Be Reading Books - HuffPost

 

In a world of omnipresent screens, it can be easy to forget the simple pleasure of curling up with a good book. In fact, a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll of 1,000 U.S. adults found that 28 percent hadn't read one at all in the past year.

 

But the truth is that reading books can be more than entertainment (or a high school English assignment). A study released earlier this month suggests that enjoying literature might help strengthen your "mind-reading" abilities. The research,published in the journal Science, showed that reading literary works (though, interestingly, not popular fiction) cultivates a skill known as "theory of mind," whichNPR describes as the "ability to 'read' the thoughts and feelings of others."

 

And that's hardly the only way being a bookworm can boost your mind and well-being. Below, six more science-backed reasons to swap the remote for a novel.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

Between each day's new NSA revelations and issues keeping my computers running, I'm about ready to just give it all up and go back to the simpler pre-Internet days of computer-free living. That'll give me a lot more time to read.

[LilBambi 3,283]

I don't think I would want to go that far.

 

I want to be able to have access to it all! I would not want to go totally back to pre-Internet times, just as I wouldn't want to go back to pre-indoor plumbing.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

I've thought about it at times. I believe I could manage just fine without a computer or the Internet. I'll stick around for a while longer, though.

[sunrat 2,148]

Reading a book is good to reduce stress/anxiety level.

I highly recommend "Lost Horizon", by James Hilton or "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

 

From http://www.harpercol...n=9780061122415

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book.

It certainly touched me.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

+1 for Lost Horizon.

 

http://tuppence-times.tumblr.com/post/37508075113/lost-horizon-by-james-hilton

[LilBambi 3,283]

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Lost Horizon by James Hilton are on my reading list.

[abarbarian 3,157]

I'm halfway through this at the moment.

 

And the Mountains Echoed is the third novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini.

 

It is a very engrossing read.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

Hmm... may have to have a looksee at that Alchemist fellow.

 

OK... just put it on a hold at my local library. I'm 3rd on the list with 3 available copies in the system; shouldn't have to wait too long.

[sunrat 2,148]

I'm halfway through this at the moment.

And the Mountains Echoed is the third novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini.

It is a very engrossing read.

Might have to read that one. His first novel, The Kite Runner was excellent; the movie was OK too.

[Webb 423]

Just take a year off and read some novels written by the greatest English novelist ever.

 

Pickwick Papers

Oliver Twist

Nicholas Nickleby

David Copperfield

Bleak House

Hard Times

A Tale of Two Cities — my personal favorite as the greatest novel ever written

Great Expectations

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

Just take a year off and read some novels written by the greatest English novelist ever.

 

Pickwick Papers

Oliver Twist

Nicholas Nickleby

David Copperfield

Bleak House

Hard Times

A Tale of Two Cities — my personal favorite as the greatest novel ever written

Great Expectations

 

I've read them all... and occasionally read them again from time to time.

 

Greatest English novelist? Myeh... matter of opinion. Great, yes. Greatest, I dunno' about that.

[sunrat 2,148]

Speaking of books, anyone want to buy a $23,698,655.93 book about flies?

http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=358

Also Money for nothing

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

I can get it used for $35.

[Temmu 1,931]

the difference between books (not public school texts) and the internet is:

books have editors and sources cited. the vast majority of what is on the internet is worse than useless. anyone can write anything (wikipedia, for example) and people gobble it up believing it to be factual, truth.

encyclopedias are no longer published, er, printed.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

I saw it on the Internet. It's gotta' be true!

 

Americans are so gullible.

[sunrat 2,148]

I saw it on the Internet. It's gotta' be true!

"You can never be sure if quotes on the internet are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

To hack or not to hack that is the dns query.

[amenditman 903]

Just take a year off and read some novels written by the greatest English novelist ever.

 

Pickwick Papers

Oliver Twist

Nicholas Nickleby

David Copperfield

Bleak House

Hard Times

A Tale of Two Cities — my personal favorite as the greatest novel ever written

Great Expectations

I liked all of those, but I would need a lot more than a year off to read them all in succession. Don't think that I could stomach that much Dickens in one marathon read.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

No. Reading any author one after another is actually a negative reading experience for me. The author's habits and idiosyncrasies that are entertaining in one book become boring, expected drudgery when you read many consecutive books by an author in a short time period. I can do two max. After that, I have to take a break and read something from someone else.

[Webb 423]

You could alternate reading a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel, then a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel ...

[amenditman 903]

You could alternate reading a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel, then a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel ...

Kill me now!

[Webb 423]

OK, throw in a Clancy novel every now and then.

[amenditman 903]

OK, throw in a Clancy novel every now and then.

From bad to worse!

Give me some Asimov, just not the entire Foundation series all at once.

Give me some classic A. C. Clarke, HAL, for the love of God.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,400]

I have alternated Dickens and his friend Wilkie Collins before. That was interesting.

[Temmu 1,931]

amenditman, i resemble that! i read the entire foundation series...

[rolanaj 115]

I wouldn't want to read a lot of Dickens stuff together but actually did read the Foundation series all together. I sometimes binge on authors. Might have started when I would borrow books from my grandmother, she always put them in sets of 6-8 covered in plastic so I would borrow them like that.

[abarbarian 3,157]

You could alternate reading a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel, then a Dickens novel, then a Vonnegut novel ...

 

Now your cooking with gas.

[LilBambi 3,283]

I love all the books that abarbarian disliked! As well as those he liked....I just have a passion for books and reading!

[LilBambi 3,283]

I wouldn't want to read a lot of Dickens stuff together but actually did read the Foundation series all together. I sometimes binge on authors. Might have started when I would borrow books from my grandmother, she always put them in sets of 6-8 covered in plastic so I would borrow them like that.

 

Me too! I have read the Robot Novels so many times! They are like old friends! And the rest of the Foundation Series a few times over the years. I love them!

 

But I really do binge at times on authors and I have so many authors I love!