Are you a fan of the big 10?
Below is a list of 10 letter words to boost your vocabulary. Read them Learn them and find out the meanings and synonyms to use on your writing, speaking and listening.
Below is a list of 10 letter words to boost your vocabulary. Read them Learn them and find out the meanings and synonyms to use on your writing, speaking and listening.
Do you have a reading target each year or do you just pick a book randomly? I had a target of one book per week once upon a time. It went well for a few months I must say. I know..no excuses right? i must get back into hardcore eading habits. Warren Buffet himself spends hours per day reading: what is my excuse..or yours..lets stick with yours for now…
The average number of books read per year varies by country, with the United States at the top with an average of 17 books annually, followed closely by India (16 books) and the United Kingdom (15 books). Other countries with high averages include France (14 books) and Italy (13 books), while many other nations fall below seven books per year, with Afghanistan at the lowest with about 2.56 books
Countries also rank differently when measured by hours spent reading per week, with India, Thailand, and China leading in that metric, which may reflect differences in reading speed or book length
Based on recent data from 2024/2025, the United States and India lead in the average number of books read per year per person, with 17 and 16 books, respectively
These statistics are generally derived from surveys and vary depending on the methodology, sample size, and type of books (print, e-book, audiobook) included. The United States , for example, has also shown a median number of 5 books read per year, indicating that a significant portion of the population reads far fewer books than the average suggests
The list of the most-read books of all time includes the Holy Bible as number one and the Holy Quran at number two. The Harry Potter Series, collections of quotes from The Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse Tung (former Communist China Party leader), and Lord of the Rings are several of the other most read books.
High book reading rates in India and the United States stem from a mix of robust cultural emphasis on education, high accessibility to reading materials (both physical and digital), and significant socioeconomic factors
High book reading rates in the UK (averaging 15 books per year per person) are driven by a combination of a strong foundational culture of literacy, high book accessibility, and government and charity-led initiatives
Data on book reading habits is primarily collected through surveys and data analytics from digital platforms, usually initiated by government organizations, industry associations, or market research companies. The methodologies vary by country, leading to challenges in international comparability
Measuring Reading – a European approach to comparability.
A Global Book Reading Dataset by Nazanin Sabri and Ingmar Weber
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5729/6/8/83
The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey – Jessica K Bone , Feifei Bu , Jill K Sonke , Daisy Fancourt
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12496190
Ranked: Countries That Reads The Most Books, 2024 – CEO World Magazine
Which Country Reads The Most? Average Books Read Per Year By Country – Content Blvd
Average number of books read per year by country – Lectupedia
The Brain — is wider than the Sky —
For — put them side by side —
The one the other will contain
With ease — and You — beside —
The Brain is deeper than the sea —
For — hold them — Blue to Blue —
The one the other will absorb —
As Sponges — Buckets — do —
The Brain is just the weight of God —
For — Heft them — Pound for Pound —
And they will differ — if they do —
As Syllable from Sound —
Have you ever wondered how we recognise words when we read? Are you not fascinated as to how your brain scans, interprets and relates information to you through your eyes? The awesome brain is like your virtual assistant or secretary. In this article I am to discuss about reading and the brain. Various sources have been referred to and are quoted for further reading. Lets Dive In.
Reading reshapes the brain through neural plasticity, creating and strengthening connections, particularly in language and visual areas. This process involves the brain repurposing areas for visual processing and language to recognize letters, sound out words, and understand meaning. Regular reading improves brain connectivity and function, while also offering benefits like stress reduction, improved focus, and memory enhancement
The brain is a complex organ that acts as the control center of the body, located inside the skull and protected by the cranium. It is part of the central nervous system, along with the spinal cord, and its main functions include processing sensory information, controlling thoughts, emotions, movement, and regulating vital processes like breathing and heart rate. The brain is composed of billions of nerve cells (neurons) and consists of three main parts: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem
Repurposing brain areas: The brain is not pre-wired for reading; instead, it adapts areas for visual processing, language comprehension, and speech production.
Structural changes: Frequent reading can increase the size of areas like the temporal cortex, which is involved in language comprehension, and strengthen white matter tracts that connect language and visual processing centers.
Neural pathways: As a person learns to read, the brain creates specialized neural pathways, such as the “letterbox” (visual word form area), to process written words quickly and automatically.
Neuroplasticity: Reading actively exercises the brain, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and a more adaptable neural network
Occipital Lobe: Initially processes visual information. As you read, it’s involved in recognizing letters and symbols, and the visual cortex here is active even in skilled readers.
Parietal-Temporal Regions: Crucial for decoding words. The parietal lobe helps segment words into their component sounds (phonological processing), while the temporal lobe connects sounds to the meaning of words, often linked with Wernicke’s area.
Frontal Lobe: The inferior frontal gyrus contains Broca’s area, which is important for the production of speech and can be used to “sound out” words.
Orthographic Processor (“Letterbox”): A region in the occipital-temporal area that becomes specialized for recognizing printed words. It stores information about a word’s spelling, pronunciation, and meaning
Havard Medical School
https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/reading-brain
Reading Rockets
https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/how-children-learn-read/reading-brain
National Institutes of Health
Reading improves your intellect by enhancing cognitive abilities like memory, focus, and critical thinking through the creation of new neural pathways. It also expands your vocabulary, boosts knowledge, and develops comprehension, allowing for better communication and a more nuanced understanding of the world.
Boosts memory: As you follow plots and recall details, you create and strengthen memories, which improves both short-term and long-term memory functions.
Increases focus and concentration: Following a story requires sustained attention, which trains your brain to focus and improves your concentration over time.
Enhances critical thinking: Reading exposes you to new ideas and different perspectives, which stimulates your ability to analyze information and think critically
Expands vocabulary: Exposure to a wide range of words in context naturally increases your vocabulary, leading to better verbal and written communication skills.
Increases knowledge: Each book you read adds to your general knowledge base, providing information on a vast number of subjects.
Improves comprehension: The act of processing information from text helps you better understand complex ideas and the main points of a text.
Builds empathy: Reading stories can activate the same parts of the brain used when understanding another person’s emotions, helping you to develop empathy.
The power of intellect is the ability to think, reason, and understand, which allows for problem-solving, innovation, and navigating complex situations. It involves using knowledge and logic to make considered decisions, acting as a crucial regulator that guides actions based on evaluation rather than mere impulse. This capacity for higher-order thinking and generalization enables abstract thought, the creation of complex ideas, and the ability to simplify complex problems
Intellect is the human ability to think, reason, understand, and acquire knowledge, especially at a high level. It encompasses reasoning, abstraction, conceptualization, judgment, and critical thinking, allowing a person to discern truth and falsehood and solve complex problems. In a broader sense, a person with great intellectual power can be called an intellect.
The mind generates thoughts—images, ideas, goals, and concepts. But the intellect discerns which of those thoughts are worth acting upon. If the mind is like a screen displaying possibilities, then the intellect is the “eye” that watches, assesses, and decides.
Unlike animals, human beings can reflect, evaluate, and refine ideas. This isn’t about academic intelligence. It’s about discernment, creativity, and the ability to simplify complex problems. Our greatest intellectual gift may be the ability to return complexity to its essence.
COTRUGLI BUSINESS SCHOOL
It is the mind’s power to know and understand, distinct from the power to feel or will
It is the ability to think and acquire knowledge, often associated with intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
An intellect is a person possessing a high degree of this mental capacity.
A person’s intellectual understanding of reality derives from a conceptual model of reality based upon the perception and the cognition of the material world of reality. The conceptual model of mind is composed of the mental and emotional processes by which a person seeks, finds, and applies logical solutions to the problems of life.
Real-world experience: Real-world experience is crucial for intellectual development, as it provides understanding of reality and helps in learning to resolve life’s problems without being overwhelmed by emotion.
Acquiring knowledge: A factually accurate understanding of the world is a key component of a mature intellect.
Collaboration: The historical and modern norm for intellectual work is often collaboration, as seen in scientific and artistic endeavors, where people work together to create something.
Reading is strongly linked to intellect, as it enhances both fluid and crystallized intelligence by building knowledge and improving brain function through neural pathway development. It strengthens vocabulary and comprehension, increases problem-solving skills, and fosters emotional intelligence. While reading can improve intelligence, the ability to read itself is a separate skill from general intelligence, as some individuals with superior intellect may struggle with specific reading challenges like dyslexia
Increases knowledge and vocabulary: Reading exposes you to new terms, ideas, and facts, increasing your crystallized intelligence.
Enhances problem-solving: It helps you detect patterns and make connections, boosting your fluid intelligence.
Develops the brain: Reading creates new neural pathways and strengthens existing ones, leading to clearer and more creative thinking.
Boosts emotional intelligence: Engaging with stories and characters helps you understand and manage emotions, leading to better social interactions.
Improves reading skills: It strengthens skills like phonological awareness, which is the ability to reason about the sounds in language, and improves reading speed and fluency
According to an article on the BigThink website, Research shows that reading not only helps with fluid intelligence, but with reading comprehension and emotional intelligence as well.
– The paradoxical relationship between intelligence and reading disability
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4094867/
– Cotrugli Business School
Professor Mike George
Friday is a day of the week
That gives employment a break
TGIF is an acronym for relief
Releasing you from a mind ache
Friday is a day that concludes
Never again to be renewed
ABC appropriately describes…
It’s like gum that’s already been chewed
Friday is a pause that offers
A space that is temporally free
It improves the current flow
Whether you are AC and DC
LOL and enjoy the weekend
Breathe deep and smile
Monday is two days away…
So unwind your mind for awhile
Monday, such a blah day, we’re all in a mood.
Tuesday, things are better, but really, not that good.
Wednesday, so called hump day, we are getting there.
Thursday, “little Friday”, there’s a party in the air!
Thank God it’s Friday! What took so long?
Time to get crazy! A little wine and song.
It’s time to party! The weekend is here.
Fire up the charcoal, ice down the beer!
Dancing until the dawn’s early light.
Thank God it’s Friday! Bring on the night!
Saturday, sleeping in, doing all the chores.
Mow the lawn, rake the leaves, head out to the stores.
Sunday’s here, time to rest. It never seems to last.
Weekend’s gone, where did it go? Time goes so fast!
Thank God it’s Friday! What took so long?
Time to get crazy! A little wine and song.
It’s time to party! The weekend is here.
Fire up the charcoal, ice down the beer!
Dancing until the dawn’s early light.
Thank God it’s Friday! Bring on the night!
Day by day we go through life, never to pretend.
We are living everyday to get to the weekend!
Thank God it’s Friday! What took so long?
Time to get crazy! A little wine and song.
It’s time to party! The weekend is here.
Fire up the charcoal, ice down the beer!
Dancing until the dawn’s early light.
Thank God it’s Friday! Bring on the night!