6 Books That Will Make You Smarter

We’ve spoken quite a lot about teachers in the previous week and even dedicated a whole day to celebrate their presence and roles in moulding our careers and lives. Teachers need not always take the human form; in fact, they can even enrich our lives by being great books that are generous enough to stimulate our grey cells. Ever wondered how some people can talk about everything under the sun with utter spontaneity, meticulous accuracy and without being ill at ease? Probably because they have been avid readers all their lives and are able to absorb knowledge pretty effortlessly!

Let’s take a look at some of the thought-provoking books that will make you smarter. Okay, let’s not make it sound salesy. These will at least make you believe you are smarter today than you were yesterday.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Imagine history tying the knot with science! How’d you think their offspring would be? Dull? Some would agree! Boring? Probably, yes. But in this case, not quite! For all those who have dozed off reading your physics textbooks in school, put your hands together for “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson. This is that encyclopedia kind of a book that presents you facts right from how the universe functions to genetic diversity and evolution in an interesting manner. To elucidate that further, the tone of this book at a point makes you wonder if you are reading something factual or a celebrity gossip magazine. There’s humour, drama, entertainment…you name it, you get it! In this book, Bryson attempts to cover some of the most difficult concepts and insights ever by clubbing it with some amusing historical vignettes.

Buy it here.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Why, oh why?

Why, oh why?

Why is it that you noticed the second “why oh why” even before the first? Because it was in bold? This is exactly what Daniel Kahneman answers in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. He also goes on to address more complex behavioral science related questions such as “Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent?” and presents his lifetime research on such assumptions, rationalities and irrationalities alike. We guarantee you that some of these answers and insights are going to shake you to the core. Kahneman, who is a Nobel Prize winner for his work in rationality, tells you how to train your brain not to indulge in fast thinking, jumping to conclusions and biased decision making. So, the next time someone tells you “think quickly and give me an answer”, you know which book to recommend to them.

Buy it here.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Morin

Amy Morin tells you how mental strength and acting as a tough nut to crack is not actually the same thing. If you had a déjà vu reading the title of this book, that’s not really a coincidence. Originally, this title was first used by Amy Morin in one of her articles that she published for a leading magazine a few years ago. This blog post later went viral, reached more than 10 million people and started a global conversation on mental strength. Through this book, Amy addresses how you can build mental strength and change your life by facing fears and focussing on thirteen habits you should nip at the bud before they start growing on you. The first golden rule in training your brain for happiness is to stop drowning yourself in self-pity. If you want to know more about this, the twelve other rules and practical advice that can boost your emotional quotient, then be sure to give this one a read!

Buy it here.

Cosmos by Carl Segan

Wondering how that sci-fi geek can natter away for hours on topics like space, aliens and extraterrestrial life, exuding the expertise of a renowned cosmologist? Time to expose yourself to Cosmos by Carl Segan! This book is your one-stop shop for scientific knowledge. When you open this book and start flipping through, you will literally see the zephyr of intelligence blowing over you. Also, this is unlike some books which return you to your moronic self when you put it away. Segan has done a brilliant job in making the complex occurrences extremely simple and putting it out to us in an easy and lucid language. We are absolutely certain that these nuggets of wisdom would surely stay with you for a very long time after you’ve shelved the book.

Buy it here.

Schott’s Original Miscellany by Ben Schott

If you’re a sucker for trivia then Ben Schott is your man. Schott’s Original Miscellany is an interesting snapper-up of lesser-known but daily trivia from the most diverse of topics like food, countries, military slang etc. This is a book which you can start reading from any page, go back, forth, skip, jump and do whatever you want to do with it. Because, it’s a book that presents you the most random facts in the most randomised fashion such that you’re sure to find interesting and varied topics in every nook and corner of it. Did you know that trivia can give you a rush of dopamine similar to that you get while gambling? Also, who knew that trivia improves one’s cognitive skills and adds on to your ability to focus?

Buy it here.

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

This book might just about change the way you perceive the world. Cuz that’s needed if you want to change the way you think and make a decision. Levitt and Dubner guide us through their thought processes and tell us what it means to think creatively and more productively. They also give you a wide range of examples from business to philanthropy on people from various walks of life. This would serve as a means for you to choose the approach that you find suitable in order to kick start thinking differently when the world gets unkind and hurls problems at you. Levitt and Dubner tell you how to solve these problems like a freak through nine captivating chapters in this book.

Buy it here.