Book Reader’s Cognitive Advantage
Your literary habit offers more than a fleeting experience
There is a reason why writing is called creative art. Lined up side by side with musical notes and paint brushes. The words, like composer's notes, morph into a feeling, a story, a world that pulls in its audience.
I recently read a comment by a young woman on LinkedIn saying that we live in the age of technology, and as such, we don’t need to read books anymore…
The poor girl doesn’t know what she’s missing.
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.”
William Styron, “Conversations with William Styron”.
My relationship with books started around the age of seven. I dove headfirst into the magical world of fiction. The words of Hans Christian Andersen, Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, and many others, still flow through my veins.
I read hundreds of novels until a friend introduced me to non-fiction. I don’t quite remember that first book; I think it might have been “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason or the “Purple Cow” by Seth Godin. Nevertheless, I was in love.
I guess you could say that the novels of my childhood shaped my values and moral perspective, while the non-fiction books I’ve been reading since my early twenties are (still) shaping my character and understanding of the world.
“Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of all the things you don’t get in real life.”
Anne Lamott, “Bird by Bird”.
But there are so many more (scientifically proven) benefits to reading books — beyond the immensely satisfying smell of ink. For example, research has shown that reading improves brain connectivity with positive short and long-term effects associated with language processing, general comprehension, and widening of perspective.
University of Stavanger professor Anne Mangen says that reading a diverse genre of books assists us in finding “complex solutions to complex problems.” By reading ‘wide’, we’re able to access a new and expanded kind of knowledge.
In addition, reading has been long proven to be an excellent exercise for the brain and is strongly connected with a reduction in brain plaque build-up associated with Alzheimer's. Not to mention the benefit of continually expanding vocabulary, allowing you to express yourself in a more meaningful manner.
I have come to appreciate the adventure, the wit, the power of knowledge and the pleasure of wisdom that only books can offer. I guess that’s what drove me to give writing a try. I started small; a random note, a dream, or a plan for the future; somehow, thoughts became clearer when I wrote them down. What started as a daily journal in my early teens has transformed and evolved.
Since then, I have written countless articles and published a book — an investigative piece in the name of my fellow night owls, aiming to once for all dispense with the stigma surrounding late risers.
It’s been a long winding road, but it has led me to a place where I love what I do every day — I get to share through words, spoken and written. As much as I like and as often as I like. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Thank you for reading this story. If you’d like to hear more from Sylvia, join her newsletter and keep the important conversations going. Thank you!
