[sandworm101]

Reading a book doesnt necessarily exercise the mind. The vast majority of books are total junk. And, unlike weights, it is possible to become dumber by reading the wrong books. Spend four hours a day reading vanity press tripe and you would be better off spending those hours with netflix.

I have had students ask me how to improve thier english, how to sound smart. I tell them to stop watching american TV. Watch blackadder or upstart crow. Listen to people who are masters of the spoken word. Want to improve your writing? Stick to the classics. Dont touch JK Rowling until you are done with plato and shakespeare.

(Ive been watching a zew zealand series lately, learning all sorts of slang i didnt know.)

[fasterik]

I'm all for reading the classics, but if you take all of the fun out of reading, nobody is going to do it. If someone had forced me to read Plato instead of Harry Potter as a kid, I wouldn't have done nearly as much reading as I did, which prepared me for tackling more difficult texts as I matured.

Re: American TV, Deadwood is widely considered some of the best Shakespearean writing of the modern age.

[PunchyHamster]

> I'm all for reading the classics, but if you take all of the fun out of reading, nobody is going to do it. If someone had forced me to read Plato instead of Harry Potter as a kid, I wouldn't have done nearly as much reading as I did, which prepared me for tackling more difficult texts as I matured.

You don't have to jump between extremes, plenty of interesting and still brain engaging books

[sandworm101]

Shakspearian in plot. They still talk like uneducated cowboys operating from a limited vocabulary.

[watwut]

Talking like a classic wont make you sound smart. It will make you sound outdated or even unable to express yourself clearly.

For the record, I liked reading (some) classics. But, recommending Shakespeare dramas or Plato when the student want to learn English composition and style is over absurd.

[derektank]

Setting aside the unnecessary digs at American TV, you’re kind of missing the point. While the informational content of many books is bad, reading any book is almost inherently an exercise in literacy. A flimsy, conspiracy-laden pop history book will have new vocabulary. A badly written book will challenge the reader to understand a poorly articulated argument or explanation and figure out what they meant to say. Reading Shakespeare is probably inherently a better exercise in literacy (assuming you can actually get through it; a good analogy might be trying to lift heavy with improper form, or pushing yourself too hard and too fast at the gym that you get injured) but it’s not completely necessary.

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1414/