The healing power of reading

For many of us, there's nothing better than burying our head in a good book. Whether it's a gripping crime story or a biography of someone's amazing life, it's good to read a book to switch off from the distractions of everyday life and help us relax. Maybe that's why some of them are actually being prescribed as a remedy to sickness.

It may seem obvious that reading is good for us. It can be educational, and, as some say, it can 'broaden the mind'. A good novel can make us happy or sad, or make us cry as we empathise with characters.

The power of books was recognised a few years ago by the British charity Reading Agency, who published a list of books that doctors could offer to patients, tackling topics from depression to dementia to chronic pain. It called this 'bibliotherapy' and it's become so successful that it's about to be extended to children as well.

Professor Philip Davis studies the effects of literature at Liverpool University and is author of a book called Reading for Life. He studies people in reading groups and found that it's reading literature – written work thought to have artistic merit, that has the best effect. He told the BBC that when reading something for pleasure, "…the brain begins to work from different parts, from a different hemisphere and it gets excited, it gets pre-emotional – and you can see the brain coming to life."

Of course, it's easy in our smartphone generation to ditch a good book and fiddle with our phones instead. But opening up a paperback could be a simple way to help boost or maintain our mental health. It's thought they can help you set targets and find focus. And they may allow you to see that awkward situation you've been anxious about for weeks from someone else's perspective.

If you're not an avid reader it can be hard to know where to begin. If the Reading Agency book list doesn't appeal, you could read book reviews, visit a library or bookshop or ask a friend. Once you've found the right text, you'll be hooked! And if you still love your technology, you could always use an e-reader.

词汇表
bury one's head in 埋头于，专注于（尤指阅读）
gripping [ˈɡrɪpɪŋ] （故事等）扣人心弦的，引人入胜的
crime story [kraɪm] 犯罪故事
biography [baɪˈɒɡrəfi] 传记，传记作品
switch off from 从…中抽离出来，摆脱，解脱
prescribe [prɪˈskraɪb] 开处方，嘱咐，推荐
remedy [ˈremədi] 疗法，药物；解决办法
broaden the mind 拓宽视野，开阔思路
empathise with [ˈempəθaɪz] 与…产生共鸣，对…感同身受
Reading Agency [ˈeɪdʒənsi] 阅读协会（英国慈善机构）
dementia [dɪˈmenʃə] 痴呆症
chronic pain [ˈkrɒnɪk] 慢性疼痛
bibliotherapy [ˌbɪbliəʊˈθerəpi] 阅读疗法（通过阅读特定书籍来帮助人们解决心理或情绪问题的疗法）
artistic merit [ɑːˈtɪstɪk ˈmerɪt] 艺术价值
hemisphere [ˈhemɪsfɪə(r)] 半球，
pre-emotional [priː ɪˈməʊʃənl] 预情绪的（指情绪产生前的状态）
ditch [dɪtʃ] 抛弃，丢弃，摆脱
fiddle with [ˈfɪdl] 摆弄，玩弄
paperback [ˈpeɪpəbæk] 平装书，简装书
awkward situation [ˈɔːkwəd] 尴尬的局面，棘手的情况
avid reader [ˈævɪd] 狂热读者，热心读者，书迷
hooked [hʊkt] 着迷的，入迷的，上瘾的
e-reader [ˈiː riːdə(r)] 电子阅读器

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