Read Fiction, Not Self-Help!

Why Everyone Should Read Fiction Books

You might have seen hundreds of articles on Top 25 reading lists, categorized by themes like leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, etc. But no one ever talks about the benefits of reading fiction — thrillers, mysteries, romances, etc.

As an avid reader, and a successful corporate America executive, I firmly believe everyone should read fiction. Not just for entertainment, but for improving your life, too. So if you enjoy fiction books, here are some reasons to continue indulging in them. If you do not already read fiction, or look down upon them, then here are some solid reasons to start:

1] Combinatory Play:

They say success occurs when preparation meets opportunity!

You can prepare for serendipity using the concept of “combinatory play” when you combine best practices from one field to a problem in a different niche.

Reading fiction books from different genres helps you quickly (and subconsciously) absorb salient points of different domains without even trying and without boring you out of your brains. You get bombarded with novel ideas and perspectives without even trying!

For example, Robin Cook books talk a lot about surgeries, medical diagnostics/ procedures, and the inner workings of hospital administration in large medical facilities. Daniel Silva’s books present tons of information about world politics from multiple perspectives, not just the USA or the UK. To me, his books are an alternative to CNN and Fareed Zakaria’s Global Public Square, but far more interesting! A recent book I read called the “UnDomestic Goddess” by Sophie Kinsella taught me a lot about the cutthroat competition that happens in law firms.

And who can forget how Dan Brown lifted the curtain on the inner workings of the Chruch & Vatican in his Da Vinci series? Similarly, Agatha Christie books are an amazing window into human psychology and how people behave in relationships.

2] Focus & Discipline:

“Focus” is a huge advantage in this day and age of social media. I admit — even adults have less attention than a goldfish, although only kids get admonished when they get distracted or demand an iPad.