Search results
Open Library is a project that aims to create a web page for every book ever published. You can read, borrow, and explore millions of books in various genres, subjects, and languages through Controlled Digital Lending.
- Subjects
Subjects - Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
- Trending
Trending - Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
- Library Explorer
Library Explorer - Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
- Lists
Lists - Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
- Random Book
Open Library is an initiative of the Internet Archive, a...
- Advanced Search
Advanced Search - Welcome to Open Library | Open Library
- Subjects
Goodreads is the world's largest community of book lovers, where you can discover new books, genres, and quotes. Tell us what you've enjoyed in the past, and get personalized recommendations based on your preferences.
Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat by Hal Herzog- Next of Kin by Roger Fouts
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Browse and read over 500,000 free books online in various genres and formats. Find popular titles like The Stolen Heir, 1984, Harry Potter, It, and more on ReadAnyBook.
- Overview
- Reading strengthens your brain
- Increases your ability to empathize
- Builds your vocabulary
- Helps prevent age-related cognitive decline
- Reduces stress
- Prepares you for a good night’s rest
- Helps alleviate depression symptoms
- May even help you live longer
- What should you be reading?
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Reading books may have several physical and mental benefits. These include strengthening your brain, increasing your ability to empathize, reducing stress, and building your vocabulary, among others.
In the 11th century, a Japanese woman known as Murasaki Shikibu wrote “The Tale of Genji,” a 54-chapter story of courtly seduction believed to be the world’s first novel.
Over 1,000 years later, people the world over are still engrossed by novels — even in an era where stories appear on handheld screens and disappear 24 hours later.
What exactly do human beings get from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there benefits beyond enjoyment? The scientific answer is a resounding “yes.”
A growing body of research indicates that reading literally changes your mind.
Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.
In one study conducted in 2013, researchers used functional MRI scans to measure the effect of reading a novel on the brain. Study participants read the novel “Pompeii” over a period of 9 days. As tension built in the story, more and more areas of the brain lit up with activity.
Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.
And speaking of sensing pain, research has shown that people who read literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.
Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” a set of skills essential for building, navigating, and maintaining social relationships.
Reading researchers as far back as the 1960s have discussed what’s known as “the Matthew effect,” a term that refers to biblical verse Matthew 13:12: “Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Matthew effect sums up the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — a concept that applies as much to vocabulary as it does to money.
Researchers have found that students who read books regularly, beginning at a young age, gradually develop large vocabularies. And vocabulary size can influence many areas of your life, from scores on standardized tests to college admissions and job opportunities.
A 2019 poll conducted by Cengage showed that 69 percent of employers are looking to hire people with “soft” skills, like the ability to communicate effectively. Reading books is the best way to increase your exposure to new words, learned in context.
The National Institute on Aging recommends reading books and magazines as a way of keeping your mind engaged as you grow older.
Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s, studies show that seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.
In 2009, a group of researchers measured the effects of yoga, humor, and reading on the stress levels of students in demanding health science programs in the United States.
The study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest reading as part of a regular sleep routine.
For best results, you may want to choose a print book rather than reading on a screen, since the light emitted by your device could keep you awake and lead to other unwanted health outcomes.
British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton once wrote, “Consolation from imaginary things is not an imaginary consolation.” People with depression often feel isolated and estranged from everyone else. And that’s a feeling books can sometimes lessen.
Reading fiction can allow you to temporarily escape your own world and become swept up in the imagined experiences of the characters. And nonfiction self-help books can teach you strategies that may help you manage symptoms.
A long-term health and retirement study followed a cohort of 3,635 adult participants for a period of 12 years, finding that those who read books survived around 2 years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other forms of media.
The study also concluded that people who read more than 3 1/2 hours every week were 23 percent likely to live longer than those who didn’t read at all.
So, what should you be reading? The short answer is: Whatever you can get your hands on.
There was a time when remote regions had to rely on librarians traversing the mountains with books stuffed in saddlebags. But that’s hardly the case today. Just about everyone can access vast libraries contained in cellphones and tablets.
Learn how reading books can strengthen your brain, increase your empathy, reduce stress, and more. Find out what to read and why reading is good for your health and well-being.
Google Books lets you explore the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. You can browse, preview, and buy books from various genres, languages, and publishers, or access your personal library.
Great selection of modern and classic books waiting to be discovered. All free and available in most ereader formats.
Choose from millions of best-selling ebooks, audiobooks, comics, manga, and textbooks. Save books in your library and then read or listen on any device, including your web browser. Shop Now.
