Looking for something to read this weekend? We scour the web (and our bookshelves) for thought-provoking articles, books and the occasional poem. Enjoy!
Ann is compelled by some new research on the benefits of reading fiction:
“Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal’s Ann Lukits reported a study showing that fiction readers have stronger social skills than non-fiction readers or non-readers. Using MRI scans, the study’s findings suggest that stories about people (as contrasted to stories about landscapes or things) engage and exercise the portion of the brain that drives empathy and imagination. Supporting previous psychological studies, this research – based in neuroscience – offers further evidence for the very results we see in our Books@Work programs: vivid, social literature promotes healthy discussion, sharing of ideas and an ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others, whether characters or colleagues.”
Felix has been reading about Harvard professor Amy Cuddy’s research on first impressions:
“She shows that at first impression people assess two dimensions: (1) respect for the person, which is associated with competency, and (2) trust, which is assessed by degree of ‘warmth.’ For me, that warmth is a necessary condition was a stunning finding. And the study goes on to show that high achievers, especially the highly educated, are so focused on competence that they often totally flunk the warmth test. We see that warmth matters, too, with Books@Work: the narratives discussed in our seminars make people reflect deeply and reveal things about themselves that make them human, warm and thus suddenly trustworthy.”
Capria enjoyed author Lev Grossman’s reflection on C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: “He confronts reality by reading fantasy, arguing that
‘fantasy is a powerful tool for coming to an understanding of oneself. The magic trick here, the sleight of hand, is that when you pass through the portal, you re-encounter in the fantasy world the problems you thought you left behind in the real world. [. . .] Fantasy takes all those things from deep inside and puts them where you can see them, and then deal with them.’”
Jessica recently enjoyed reading Aimee Bender’s short story, “Tiger Mending,” from her collection The Color Master. The fanciful story, which involves seamstresses sewing stripes on tigers’ backs, “raises questions about what it means to support others professionally, how people move from one career/profession/job to the next, and how to face the deep ethics of a job.”
And our new Social Media and Marketing Intern, Lindsey McCentee, is fascinated by actress Emma Watson’s new goodreads book club – and especially by the discussion boards. Lindsey reflects that the boards “span a variety of topics, and share perspectives from a diverse group of people from all over the world. Their broad range and readership speaks to literature’s ability to incite personal reflection and the exchange of productive ideas.”
Elsewhere on the Internet:
Flavorwire celebrates spring with 10 poems.
Megha Majumdar reviews Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, reflecting on the relationships between science and art, life and death. Read it – and then go read the book.
Why are we curious? And why are our interests so varied? Zach St. George celebrates and probes this human trait.
This Pittsburgh neighborhood is turning words into art.
Image: Vincent van Gogh, Still Life with French Novels, 1887, The Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Perth [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Further Reading
Need Productivity at Work? Take a Break Together
Conversation Starters: 3 Books@Work Books You’ll Want to Read and Discuss
Comparing Points of View: A Reading Journey
Learn More About Books@Work or Sign Up For Our Newsletter
