Books have always played an important role at 55BirchStreet. It is not for nothing that Martin's favorite question in a job interview is: “Which textbook did you read last? ”
Whether in our BookCircle — our own book club as a team —, the subsequent book reviews or even the reading lists provided, which we prepare for you at any time of the year. We believe in the added value of reading and would like to encourage this in addition to our main tasks in business consulting. It is not for nothing that we have the motto READ. THINK. CHANGE. cultured.
However, we have never really explained why this is a matter close to our hearts. Long overdue, we want to list the advantages of literature, why it remains so important in our digitized society and why we attach so much importance to the good old book. 📚
Finally, the question is whether books actually still find their place today in our over-digitized age, where in principle everything can take place on our smartphone, tablet or laptop. It is not for nothing that Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia, the Internet is the most extensive source of knowledge, and with Generative AI, access is even being expanded — and yet the problem of constantly sticking to the screen is all too well known. We say that's exactly why the 21st century needs books! Neil Gaiman once summed it up very nicely:
“Adams once pointed out to me, more than 20 years before the Kindle showed up, a physical book is like a shark. Sharks are old: There were sharks in the ocean before the dinosaurs. And the reason there are still sharks around is that sharks are better at being sharks than anything else is.”
Although we do not judge anyone who prefers to use the eBook. 😉
As part of the self-help book trend, numerous books have been created that are dedicated to stress management, particularly within our digitized work environment. It is therefore good to know that this actually helps! But also with any other book (without wanting to recognize the methods presented).
In fact, reading is the best possible option for reducing stress, with a noticeable reduction of 60%. Reading is therefore not only far superior to other methods of reducing this, it also works faster, As studies show.
Video games, for example, reduce stress by around 21%, which is 47% less than reading. As a bonus, fiction in particular is a fantastic escape when the hardships and abominations of everyday life become too much and you think that the Shire just sounds more charming than household chores, tomorrow's family celebration with Uncle Bernd or the third weekend in the greasy local pub next door.
Jokes aside, in addition to stress management, books offer various other benefits that benefit our mental and physical health. Some of them can even last a lifetime.
At least that is what various studies show. In some respects, this relationship is merely correlational: For example, if reading relieves stress and promotes sleep, and if freedom from stress and sufficient sleep are good for the immune system, mental and general health, and the like, books actually support health-promoting aspects.
Our brain isn't a muscle, but you can still train it — and you should, at a time when distractions are lurking around every corner. You may still know the feeling of: As a child, you could devour a book a day, today you answer your cell phone after a page. But more about that later. 😉 The point is that reading stimulates a complex network of neural circuits and signals and can therefore train. Reading therefore promotes concentration, attention and, in general, the performance of our gray cells — unsurprisingly! The results are durable Consistent from adolescence to old age and therefore for life. In addition, reading proves to be an effective method against depression and could even increase the lifespan by around two years, although this is also likely to be correlational, not causal. A study from the Yale University School of Public Health shows at least that people who read 3 ½ hours a week are 23% more likely to live longer than non-readers. However, we estimate that these two years are also spent reading. Well yes. There is also reason to believe that reading could Preventing dementia and Alzheimer's. Bonuses worth living and reading for. 😉
George R.R. Martin said so well that bookworms live a thousand times, as every book puts them in a new pair of shoes. It may sound a bit high-pitched, but the content is correct! Reading is directly related to a variety of social cognitive perceptions, as books provide intensive insight into a wide variety of inner lives outside of one's own. Social cognition? Describes perception and interpretation of as well as reaction upon various social information. So if we are normally only able to experience our own lived reality, books thus offer perspectives that would otherwise elude us — and that enriches our perception.
Active readers show more pronounced empathy, such as Social and human science studies confirm consistently. This effect is particularly noticeable when it comes to fiction. It is understandable, of course, that there is a better understanding of the opinions, beliefs and feelings of other people when books require direct engagement with them. Even prejudices and personal tendencies can be processed through literatureby gaining insights into different cultures, psychological profiles and diverse individuals in general, which broaden your horizons.
But it is not only our understanding of the diversity of the emotional world that benefits from literature. Our ability to articulate this is also being increased — books are directly related to a improved and more accurate communication due to increased vocabulary and increased engagement with emotional communication. In addition, soft skills are very popular on today's job market. 😉
Reading, no matter which category, doesn't need scientific justification at the end of the day. Time that you “waste” with pleasure is still well spent — we are not machines. 🤖 Reading should primarily be done out of the joy of books and we would like to inspire you to do so. The benefits of reading are side effects. If you read for the side effects, you won't enjoy books either. It's very simple. 😉
We are already looking forward to the next exchange with you! 📚
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