Reading, puzzles, and physical activity strengthen the mind in many ways.
This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a series of stories that will pique your curiosity and satisfy your joy. Sign up here to receive it every Saturday morning.
Some people treat reading like homework, creating a list of books they plan to finish in a particular month or year. But perhaps a better approach is to think of reading as a mental workout. Ilana Massad recently wrote: “There are many ways to improve your skills and abilities as a reader. Some of us are naturally drawn to detailed nonfiction, while others have to learn to like nonfiction. Some may prefer twisty, multi-generational epics, but their friends will have to train themselves to maintain the required attention span.
Instead of deciding how many books you want to read this year, you might want to consider which “muscles” in your brain you want to exercise. Today’s newsletter covers reading, puzzles, and other ways to exercise your brain, including physical ones.
About mental training
The most controversial game on the internet
Written by Elaine Godfrey
Huina Liu, editor new york times The game Connections describes her process and the particular anger that puzzles provoke.
Please read the article.
5 books that provide intellectual training to readers
Written by Ilana Massad
Each of these titles exercises a different kind of reading skill, so you can choose the one that interests you the most.
Please read the article.
6 puzzle-like books
Written by Ilana Massad
These titles represent an eclectic mix of different styles and moods, but they’re all perfect if you’re looking for a brain teaser.
Please read the article.
Still interested?
- Why one neuroscientist started blowing up his own core: New anatomical understanding of how movement controls the body’s stress response system (from 2016)
- walk for a better brain: When a 70-year-old man walked across America in 1909, he sparked conversation and ultimately changed medical thinking about the value of exercise in old age. (2014~)
Other distractions
P.S.
Recently, I asked readers to share a photo of something that inspires awe of the world. “When I installed a macro lens on my phone, I saw a world I had never seen before,” writes Robin H., 73, of Orinda, California. “I took this photo at the University of California Botanical Garden admiring the beautiful symmetry of this cactus. When I got home and looked at the photo, there were tiny aphids on the plant that I couldn’t see with the naked eye. Our It reminds us of the beauty and fragility of the world.”
We’ll continue to share your responses over the coming weeks.
