The benefits of reading are discussed on a regular basis in nearly every classroom around the world. Educators boast of benefits like vocabulary expansion and improve comprehension skills regularly. What they fail to mention is that what you read actually matters. Researchers have posited that students and individuals should read nonfiction or informational based texts just as often if not more than fictional stories. Here’s why.
Improved Concentration
You have to focus when you read. That’s true of any genre if you’re aiming for comprehension, but it’s particularly true for non-fiction. Real life events rarely unfold in a predictable manner. They are often complicated by multiple contributing factors that you must keep track of if you’re going to truly understand all the implications. Reading some form of non-fiction on a daily basis could improve your ability to focus.
Expanded General Knowledge Base
Readers that devour non-fiction books can develop a rather impressive general knowledge base. Non-fiction is full of facts, which means that non-fiction readers are acquiring bits and pieces of information about real-world people and events on a regular basis. While retaining 100% of what you read is highly unlikely, odds are that you’ll hang on to the information that you find most valuable or interesting thereby improving your knowledge bank a little at a time.
Obstacle Analysis
Fiction is fantastic if you want to escape reality. If you want to learn how to overcome reality, however, then your best bet is non-fiction. When you read factual information you are being exposed to obstacles that actually exist in the real world. You see how they develop and, in many cases, are made to understand why they pose challenges. You absorb information about the tactics others have used to overcome these obstacles, and whether or not those tactics worked. It’s essentially a way for you to analyze potential scenarios before encountering them yourself.
Real Life Inspiration
The opposite of reading about real-world obstacles is reading about real-world successes. Undoubtedly, readers will come across stories where the main character accomplishes his or her goals with some remarkable feat against all odds. If you are reading fiction, this scenario may be interpreted as fantasy. If you are reading non-fiction, however, it can be interpreted as a inspiration, motivation, or even a goal!
Reading non-fiction books can do wonders for your psyche, especially if you are an aspiring entrepreneur or salesperson. The next time you are shopping for a book to read on the beach or on a plane, do your brain a favor…choose non-fiction.
