A – Z Book Reviews

“If you don’t love to read, you haven’t found the right book,” J.K. Rowling

Books are a fundamental pillar of society in all cultures. Books keep history alive, they paint a picture of the future, they tell the stories of heroes and legends. Without books and the written word, our world looks drastically different in countless ways.

Less philosophically and more scientifically, books impact our day to day lives in ways we might not realize. Here are 5 science backed reasons to begin reading for pleasure today:

1. Reading builds your vocabulary and increases your brain power. Reading requires a complex connection of neurons and circuit patterns within the brain. These connections are stimulated with each word we read. As our reading power increases, so does our brain power.
2. Reading builds empathy. Through reading, we learn the power of empathy for characters we love and begin to understand what they might be thinking or feeling in situations of high stress or joy. This ability translates to real-life relationships, as well.
3. Reading decreases the risk of cognitive decline. Studies show that those who read are less likely to develop dementia, age related cognitive decline, and other conditions that may cause decline in cognitive ability over time. This is directly related to the first point of increasing brain power, but I thought it important to highlight.
4. Reading relieves stress and increases sleep quality. Those who read books and have less screen time have shown to have less stress and better sleep patterns than those who do not read for pleasure and tend to have higher screen time in the evenings. Nighttime reading helps to break away from the stresses of the day, separate yourself from the headaches of daily responsibilities, and have a moment’s reprieve prior to bed.
5. Reading reduces risk of depression. Reading has shown to decrease the risk of depression in those who read more than 5 hours a week. It gives you a sense of purpose, something to look forward to, and helps you step away from current stressors that might be contributing to depression.