The benefits of reading: Why is it good to read a book?

What are the benefits of reading?

Why it is import to read books.

Reading is a habit that will improve your life.

In honor of National Read a Book Day, celebrated on September 6 in the United States, it is important to learn the benefits of reading. Why is it good to read a book? We’ve got the answer for you!

In addition to education, being a conversation starter or becoming a bit more cultured, reading a book offers a large number of benefits that sometimes go unnoticed. Not enough people read just for fun these days.

The lost habit of reading

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According to Al Día, the average American man buys nine books a year and women buy 14. However, the average number of literary works actually read was significantly lower: four. This is revealed by a Pew Research Center survey with data from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Seventy-two percent of American adults said they’ve read at least one book in the last 12 months. These figures are an indication of how much less people are reading in the US and around the world. So here are some reasons to start!

Why is it good to read a book?

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According to Diario Gestión, reading is good for the brain. It strengthens your mind, relaxes you and helps you to improve overall. In fact, reading is one of the best possible exercises to keep the brain in shape and increase your mental abilities, no matter what kind of book it is.

According to research conducted at the University of Toronto, study participants who read fictional short stories experienced a much lower need for “cognitive closure” compared to their counterparts who read nonfiction essays. Essentially, they were more open and creative.

Does reading a book make you live longer?

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Researchers at Yale also found, in a study of more than 3,650 people over the age of 50, those who read books for 30 minutes a day lived an average of 23 months longer than magazine readers or non-readers.

One of the conclusions reached is that the practice of reading creates a cognitive commitment that improves, among other things, vocabulary, thinking ability and concentration. Also, it affects the empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence.

Benefits of reading for children

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According to neuroscientist Susan Greenfield in Gestión, reading helps children’s attention spans because «stories have a beginning, a middle and an end». That is, «a structure that pushes our brains to think sequentially and to link cause, effect and meaning».

Therefore, reading as children helps develop reading comprehension, expand vocabulary and is related to greater academic and practical knowledge in the following years of life.