Upgrade Your Reading!

February 23, 2018

Upgrade Your Reading!

While the year is still new, step up your reading plan to make a habit of reading regularly beyond what is required. As you’ve heard, reading regularly helps:

  • Expand your vocabulary;
  • Improve standardized test scores; and
  • Strengthen your writing skills and proficiency.

If you haven’t been a reader, start small; reserve 20-30 minutes daily to read, and go for it! Here are some ideas for what to read, just to get you started:

  1. Try a book that helps you explore ideas or interests in various fields, like one of these:
    • Delve into The Economics Bible: The Definitive Guide to the Science of Wealth, Money and World Finance, by Tejvan Pettinger for a detailed introduction to a wide array of economic concepts. If you’re new to learning about economics or even if you’ve finished taking AP Economics, this book is filled with concise explanations of concepts and theories to answer your questions.
    • As scientists learn more about changes in the climate, engineers are developing solutions to address issues. Learn about the developments in this field in Geoengineering Earth’s Climate: Resetting the Thermostat, by Jennifer Swanson.
    • If you’re curious about the role of STEM fields in developing solutions to the world’s obstacles, check out Adapt: How Humans are Tapping into Nature’s Secrets to Design and Build a Better Future, by Amina Khan.
    • Learn about the technological progress behind artificial intelligence and what might be next in Thinking Machines: The Quest for Artificial Intelligence–and Where It’s Taking Us Next, by Luke Dormehl. The book explores the history of artificial intelligence, from World’s Fair predictions about the future to our present-day smartphone technology.
    • If you’re considering a psychology major, check out The Skeleton Cupboard: The Making of a Clinical Psychologist, by Tanya Byron, for a look at how a clinical psychologist approaches mental ailments.
    • In Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath, dive into what makes ideas incredibly interesting to people and how to develop concepts that “stick” with audiences. These concepts apply naturally in business, marketing, communications, and any other field involving people.
  2. Remember to read some fiction, too, to encourage thinking about things in complex ways, considering human factors and philosophical ideas as well as straight-line logic. These books are all highly recommended by the American Library Association:
    • The Lie Tree, by Frances Hardinge
    • On the Edge of Gone, by Eric Lindstrom
    • The Serpent King, by Jeff Zentner
    • The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon
    • Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green
    • American Street, by Ibi Zoboi

CPSi recommends titles specifically chosen for each student to help them achieve their reading and personal growth goals in the college preparation process. This is just a glimpse, and there are many more where these came from!

Photo credit: ZapTheDingbat (CC BY 2.0)

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