




Stories have also been shown to aid greatly in determining our abilities to understand, deduce, and analyze a situation. For instance, anticipating a narrative--such as attempting to guess who the perpetrator of a crime in a murder story--is an excellent way of applying problem-solving and reading-comprehension skills that are often assessed as a measure of one's overall intelligence in standardized tests.

Getting a head start on reading, then, appears to be an easy way to boost one's intelligence at the onset, rather than needing to develop it later on. Reading at a more advanced age, however, is also a great form of mental stimulation, as evidenced by the plethora of "reading aloud" programs at elderly homes. In fact, some research has indicated that reading can actually delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease or slow the process of memory loss.

So, if you're looking for a way to become smarter, start surrounding yourself with books. The more you read, the more you know!