Photograph Stocksy
If you want to boost your brain power and improve your quality of life, you should choose a classic novel as your next read over a self-help book, according to new research. Reading complex works of classic literature ‘frees emotions and imagination and lets people feel alive,’ says Professor Philip Davis of the University of Liverpool. Self-help books don’t have the same result, as reading them is too basic to excite the brain – our brain is scanning rather than working. Turn to page 135 to read about our favourite uplifting books, which show us the power of kindness and empathy