What reading does to your mind

[Ali]

Some of you know that apart from an obsessive reader [that's why i love being in 4-MA, RARA-AVIS, Crimespace etc - as I feel I am among friends] - but do you get strange looks at dinner-parties when you talk about about books? I do, so it was with great comfort to read in New Scientist this week about what reading a lot of fiction does to the readers mind, compared to the non-reader or the reader of non-fiction.

I wrote about it at January Magazine - and did the test and yes, when my wife tried, she realised that I had been right all the time, I am a much better judge of character, read signals faster and more accuratly than her [as she reads very little] anyway -

http://januarymagazine.com/2008/06/eye-on-fiction.html

Try the test for yourself and try it with a non-fiction reader

Ali

I have scanned the two page article from New Scientist about the study and the two pages are attached

[Ayo]

Reading makes my mind even more curious. I love the fact that when I read I can pick up all sorts of different information, sometimes rather unconsciously.

[Karen Dionne]

Fascinating, Ali! I'll have to get my husband, the occasional-nonfiction-but-mostly-nonreader to try this.

I write fiction, and I scored 34.

[John Boundy]

Ali...Thank you for giving facts to support the common sense I've tried to persuade my friends with for longer than I'll admit. I only scored 26, but several of them were jealous and vow to read more fiction! Sweet :o)