I am 64 years old, finally retired and trying to make up for my misspent youth. Now I want to make every day count—it is not primarily about having fun, unless you count studying (languages) and (athletic) training fun. I was concerned that after many years of finding nothing good to read, books could no longer hold my interest. To my relief, I have found that this is not completely true. However, the authors that can still keep me engaged write crime fiction. Besides simple diversion, how can I justify this use of my time? I can pretty much spot the plot devices and tropes.
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My mom is 65 and she read a lot, I think even more than I do. I buy her a book every Christmas or birthday (she just absorbed whole Follet’s Kingsbridge series, I don’t know how she reads so fast). From what I observe, she doesn’t lock herself in one genre or author. She red romances, dramas, crime books, but also spy thrillers, like Bourne series. She has very sharp mind and great memory. Might be, that reading so much and making crosswords play some role here.
Yes. There’s evidence that it helps delay dementia:
From the link:
A study published in Neurology in 2021 found that high levels of cognitive activity, such as reading, playing games like checkers and puzzles, and writing letters, can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by 5 years among those aged 80 years and over.
Another study, published in 2022 in PNAS, found that more time spent in cognitively passive activities, such as watching TV, is linked to increased dementia risk, whereas more time spent in cognitively active tasks, such as using a computer, is linked to a reduced risk of dementia.
And a study from JAMA OpenTrusted Source, published in July 2023, found that frequently engaging in brain-challenging activities, including journaling, playing chess, and solving crossword puzzles was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia among older adults.I’ve seen some pretty serious critiques of those studies though. Basically it comes down to the fact that the people reading/puzzling ARE NOT THE SAME PEOPLE as the ones watching TV. So therefore comparing them and saying one activity PREVENTS dementia is a flawed analysis. It maybe more likely that people with mild dementia already don’t like doing brain-engaging activities precisely because it hurts their dementia riddled brain, whereas folks without mild dementia have brains that can tolerate intellectually stimulating challenges.
It’s often repeated, but people still ignore it all the time - correlation does not imply causation.
No it does not. But could have a placebo effect at least.
Honestly a lot of the comments talk of dementia, dementia is believed to be caused from an extra chromosome although there is nothing that supports that. But you’ve hear “if you don’t use it you lose it” this saying is talking about your neurons. So that is why patients once the reach there 40’s are told to do sudoku, word search and crossword puzzles because it engages the mind keeping your neurons working. So yes reading does help with your mind.
Reading a sexy vampire book every day is better than reading Proust once a year. Have some fun. Life is too short to drown in dense prose when you’d rather be laughing at the antics of a bumbling cop or puzzling out why the socialite changed her will the day before she was murdered.
Have you tried audiobooks? I listen while walking so I feel superior to everyone else who doesn’t exercise every day and also keep their mind active,
I’m only being a little snarky as I type that.
I truly believe it helps as it engages your mind. My grandfather loved to read books his whole life and at the very end of his life his mind was still just as Sharpe as it was 20 years before.
I had a grandpa who was 89 who read each day and translated texts until 2 weeks of his death. He was physically frail but mentally there.
My other grandpa was 98, we never read but had Alzheimers the last 10 year of his life.
I’d pick the first option.
I know this isn’t a health question, but it kinda is. There is no cure for alzheimer’s, but it can be prevented. If you have any interest at all in the latest science, and the possibility of changing your lifestyle to optimize your brain health, you may find this information useful. If you click the logo at the top, the home page has more info, and the bottom of this page has tons of relevant videos with all the studies cited.
As long as is quality, yes
If not. No.
I have reams of suggestions. One that would help…get a book of essays…in your chosen language. Find ONE you like…short is also very good. Read it ALOUD. Doesn’t matter how long or short…read that same piece every day…
at least regularly. I predict your head will make more sense to you after a week or so, and you will like how your personal thinking improves…You don’t need an audience…better if you don’t have one.
Just speak, your mind, memory, and all of the nerves in your spine will ‘get’
the message…your head will appreciate having better patterns of words to think with. You’ll KNOW I’m telling you true…
Yes of course
Reading for pleasure is just the best- read whatever interests you and don’t be afraid to quit a book that’s not holding your attention because life is too short. Good books is a great way to get recommendations.
Mostly high literature is a slog when you are not reading it for study but Jane Austen is incredibly readable because it’s largely dialogue and she’s just so funny. I also think 1984 is a book everyone recommends ; they are all right- it’s awesome.
If you enjoy reading thrillers but see the twist too early, why not attempt to analyse the " how did I see this coming" or what could the author do differently not to make it obvious? There are some crime authors with great style of writing. Have you tried to read their books? I’m 62, BTW, and also difficult to please a reader.
Well I don’t know about older folks but it help me a lot in terms of growing as a person. Books, in all different genres give you an outlook to another’s person mind and view of the world so you can, even if you disagree, see things in a different light. I’m young and reading made me more mature and help me reduce stress. About the seeing the typical tropes, that’s to be expected, especially if you read a lot of the same genre. Try breaching out. I’m the kinda guy to always guess the end of a book or movie, but I don’t mind that too much. Remember, it’s not always about the end goal, it’s the road leading into it!