Books
Reading is good for you! People who read books live for around two years longer than those who don’t, irrespective of gender, wealth, education or health, according to a Yale University study. While a similar association was found among readers of newspapers, it was weaker. “Book reading contributed to a survival advantage that was significantly greater than that observed for reading newspapers or magazines,” the authors of the study wrote. “Compared to non-book readers, book readers had a 23-month survival advantage,” they noted. Deep reading promotes empathy and emotional intelligence – cognitive processes that can lead to greater chance of survival, the report explained. Some studies suggest students take in more information from paper than from screens, underlining the case for picking up an actual book rather than an e-reader. One study in Norway showed students who read texts in print scored better on reading comprehension tests than students who read digitally. Evidence suggests that being immersed in a book-oriented environment is beneficial to educational achievement. One study shows how growing up with a library at home boosts adult literacy, numeracy and technological problem solving. Reading also teaches us new words and it can be considered as exercising your mind is likely to reduce your risk of dementia. Do you need more reasons to pick up a book? Reading is great fun and can prepare you for your next trip!