For smarter reading options to add to your reading list, check out Science Focuss’ list of the best science books. The list includes nonfiction on history, the humanities, culture, and ideas, as well as compelling memoirs and short stories on important topics such as race and gender.
While I think any reading has its benefits, if you’re looking for books that will make you smarter, these easy-to-read nonfiction books are a great place to start. If you’re looking to become more literate, we encourage you to check out the eight new books below. Whether you’re looking for a gift for a science lover, a longhorn to be proud of in your life, or just looking for your next easy read, this review of the latest books or with a member of the Texas Science community will come in handy. Whether it’s learning about yourself, learning about history, or learning about the wider world and universe we live in, reading the books on this list is the best way to get smarter and have fun with it.
Time and time again, research shows that reading rewires our brains and makes us smarter and healthier. The idea that reading makes you smarter has been demonstrated by numerous studies, including those that have found improvements in crystallized, fluid, and emotional intelligence in those who read regularly. Regular reading not only makes you smarter, but also increases the power of your brain. Reading makes you smarter because it increases the connections in your brain, creating new pathways to make your brain even stronger.
The process of reading activates several areas of the brain and, over time, can increase the number of connections in the brain. A 2013 study published in Brain Connectivity found that reading can increase brain connectivity at rest, especially in the sensorimotor area. Similarly, brain connectivity improves people’s ability to make sense of the world, and reading has been shown to increase connections between brain regions associated with speech and areas that control movement and sensation.
A 2013 study published in the journal Science found that reading fiction improves one person’s theory of mind, or the ability to understand another person’s mental state. There are studies showing that reading fiction can increase your theory of thought and therefore your empathy. According to research published in the Public Library for Science, the Journal of Personality Research and the European Journal of Communication Research, people who read fiction show higher levels of empathy and emotional intelligence. Fiction, in particular, can help its readers understand what others are thinking by reading other people’s emotions, according to a study published in the journal Science.
People who read books tend to have more imagination, more knowledge, and more vocabulary. Reading fact-rich non-fiction books can boost your intelligence by expanding your vocabulary and expanding your mental arsenal of interesting facts and knowledge. In addition, reading printed books can also help you learn written grammar rules and improve your spelling.
Or, if you think you can rock it with your child, try reading aloud any book you are currently reading. Invite your older child to help you choose a family book to read aloud so you can all take turns reading aloud at dinner each night. For example, after reading aloud before bed, you can put the book on your child’s bedside table as a reminder to read it the next night.
For example, when I read the same book twice a day, my kids know the book is finished today. If there’s a book you think is really good, but you just don’t want to read it 72 times a day, try to find a rule for your home. It’s better to spend 15 minutes reading something you love than zero minutes reading a book because you hate it. When you have a steady stream of new books to choose from, your child will stop focusing on rereading the same books over and over.
Book Picking Tips Maybe you want to spend more time reading, but you can’t afford books and there’s no library nearby. Reading can be a great way to unwind (and stay awake after a nap), but books provide more than pleasant entertainment. To reap the rewards of good reading, choose a genre with physical pages (and probably one of the best).
You see, the modern “science of reading” is not enough to explain everything that happens when a person puts his head in a book (or uses a pen or word processor to write). While the “science of reading” appears to have pinpointed the specific areas of the brain responsible for this complex activity, the truth is that reading (and writing) is an entire brain activity. Interestingly, it also helps to train those areas of our brain that are responsible for emotions, empathy, long-term memory and decision making – because when we read, we gain knowledge and learn new things. The ability to read gives the reader not only the skills necessary for life and hours of literary enjoyment, but also great intellectual abilities and brain-building skills.
My new book was one of those that my high school teacher suggested I read to understand how beautiful and powerful mathematical thinking can be. My new book was the beginning of my path to learning the Art of Quick Access, my middle school teacher. An excellent guide to a fascinating topic, his book is one of the best books to make you smarter and a must read for every science lover.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves, one of the funniest books that makes you smarter when you read, makes you laugh at English grammar quirks and teaches you how to use them correctly. Elon Musk says reading novels like Lord of the Flies and the sci-fi book Foundation helped shape his worldview.