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Ask HN: Are books worth it?

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Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#401

Post by yters »

AdrianB1 wrote: post #259
yters wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've heard the best predictor of performance on IQ tests is number of books read. In my experience, reading a book forces me to conceptualize the content in a way watching TV and listening to audio does not. It is also faster than watching and listening. I think this has improved my conceptual thinking ability, as well as being able to articulate my thoughts, and expanded the number of concepts I can use in my thinki…

I think reading books correlates with IQ, but it does not increase it; it provides information and stimulate imagination and analytical thinking, but there is no known method to increase IQ.

Why do you claim there is no known method to increase IQ? I can definitely tell a difference in my cognitive performance based on certain practices. For instance, the better I can hold a concept entirely in my head, the better and more rapidly I can reason about it. During a period I was memorizing and solving Soduku entirely in my head, and that produced a noticeable improvement in my memory capability.

On the other hand, the less sleep I get, if I am out of shape, feeling depressed, etc. all have a negative impact on my cognitive performance.

So, while there may be individualized hard limits on cognitive performance, it also seems clearly the case that an individual's cognitive performance can be greatly improved through various habits. Think of it akin to athletic training. Some people are born with an athletic predisposition, but everyone still benefits from working out, training and diet. Hard to see why the same cannot be true for cognitive performance.

Now, taking the topic of reading vs more sensory media such as TV, the former require more internal cognitive processing to understand, whereas the latter minimize the amount of focus needed to consume the media. Based on my previous analysis, it would make sense that a reading habit would produce a higher cognitive performing individual than just consuming sensory media.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#402

Post by jolmg »

jsncbt wrote: post #215
jolmg wrote: post #210

I was just shown a cookbook that absolutely blew my mind. It explains the effects that each ingredient has on the food and how they interact with each other chemically. It seems like one would get a supremely good understanding of what's going on as you cook and otherwise prepare the food. I don't think I'd be able to find anything as good as it online.

The Food Lab?

I can't remember exactly, but I believe it was one of the "Cook's Illustrated" series of books:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cook%27s+illustrated

A really thick, textbook-sized one.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#403

Post by AgADoodleDo »

One thing I have found to be a big help is graphic novels. I used to love reading quite a bit, and fell out of it for a couple years as I gained more freedom with screens. Graphic novels are not given enough credit considering the myriad of excellent stories they have housed. Books like Watchmen, V for Vandetta, and The Dark Knight Rises are all very well written, with excellent writing, fleshed out characters, and thought - provoking themes. Graphic Novels are also great for people bored by long periods of imagery, because the pictures in each panel provide than in a quick glance. If you don't really like traditional novels, I urge you to try reading comics. They can be a great way to reintroduce you to books as well.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#404

Post by raindropm »

For me, it's all about focus. The internet brings you anything but focus. Our generation have every learning capabilities except focused mind and focus is the important key to learn anything substantially. Yet our attention are fragmented, shattered, and being manipulated everyday by the internet and social media.

The nature of internet is always distracting. Even while you are reading something, you unconsciously thinking about other thing you might do, in a most frictionless way possible -- just a click away. The book, reading in quiet environment, cut that distraction off completely (I mean, technically you can think about hundreds of thing too, but it's not just a click, tap or swipe away)

I used to read tons of article I save in my Pocket app all day, which itself miles better than junk content on social media of course, but even then, at the end of the day I cannot tell myself what I really learn at all — everything feels, rushed, shallow, distracted. I don't know, I found myself never have real 'focus' when I read online, even what I read is good.

Back to your question, IMO, one good books worth more than hundreds of (sometimes marketing-induced) online articles out there. Also, those 'cutting edge' trend is just that, a 'trend'. Thing that just got popular for whatever reason at certain point of time. It comes and goes quickly than you will ever remember. Most trend dies away after a short while and you don't missing anything at all my friend. If that trend is actually good or important, then you'll see it in one way or another anyway, when all the dust settle — the same with all the "news" out there. You don't have to know them at all and still perfectly fine.

On the contrary, good book with good content always stand the test of time. New doesn't always mean good and old doesn't always mean outdated, especially things about how human think about something. You can still learn a lot from wisdom in the past, that doesn't existed in today's fragmented, always-on environment.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#405

Post by AdrianB1 »

yters wrote: post #401
AdrianB1 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think reading books correlates with IQ, but it does not increase it; it provides information and stimulate imagination and analytical thinking, but there is no known method to increase IQ.

Why do you claim there is no known method to increase IQ? I can definitely tell a difference in my cognitive performance based on certain practices. For instance, the better I can hold a concept entirely in my head, the better and more rapidly I can reason about it. During a period I was memorizing and solving Soduku entirely in my head, and that produced a noticeable improvement in my memory capability. On the other…

I don't claim that, I read some psychology stuff (my sister-in-law is also a psychologist, but I am not considering her as an argument). I think I also saw a few clips with Jordan Peterson telling the same; even if you don't agree with him on other matters, he is a respected professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and he knows his stuff.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#406

Post by yters »

AdrianB1 wrote: post #405
yters wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you claim there is no known method to increase IQ? I can definitely tell a difference in my cognitive performance based on certain practices. For instance, the better I can hold a concept entirely in my head, the better and more rapidly I can reason about it. During a period I was memorizing and solving Soduku entirely in my head, and that produced a noticeable improvement in my memory capability. On the other…

I don't claim that, I read some psychology stuff (my sister-in-law is also a psychologist, but I am not considering her as an argument). I think I also saw a few clips with Jordan Peterson telling the same; even if you don't agree with him on other matters, he is a respected professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and he knows his stuff.

Huh I have heard the same before, and I don't know why there is such certainty. Similar to the claim bad eyesight cannot be fixed through exercises, which is not totally correct.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#407

Post by tfont »

Written book content is so dramatically different than online content.

The single fact that books have to be reviewed, edited, and published takes on a whole new world of quality and information.

Personally, I don't even bother with ebooks due to the lack of creditability in the quality of information and writing.

So, yes they are.

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