Renaissance Learning:
* The top 20 books most widely read in grades 1-12, overall and
by gender
* The top 20 books most widely read by low- and high-achieving students
* The top 10 nonfiction books and books for use across the curriculum
Downloadable report (pdf)
Abstract
Readers of fiction tend to have better abilities of empathy and theory of
mind (Mar et al., 2006). We present a study designed to replicate this
finding, rule out one possible explanation, and extend the assessment of
social outcomes. In order to rule out the role of personality, we first identified Openness as the most consistent correlate. This trait was then statistically controlled for, along with two other important individual differences: the tendency to be drawn into stories and gender. Even after accounting for these variables, fiction exposure still predicted performance on an empathy task. Extending these results, we also found that exposure to fiction was positively correlated with social support. Exposure to nonfiction, in contrast, was associated with loneliness, and negatively related to social support.
...we assume that men, particularly men of a certain class, have merit until it's proved otherwise. We assume that women don't have merit until it's proved otherwise. And we're actually quite happy to let them go home, look after the kids, it sort of solves a problem and men get a clearer run at the top jobs. Follow the benefit and you'll always see why the actions are happening.