ONE OF MY GOALS FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS HAS BEEN TO READ MORE OFTEN, AND FROM THIS TED TALK, I LEARNED HOW MUCH THAT CAN MATTER TO MYSELF AND TO SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. FICTION IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FORMS OF READING, AND THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE THEORY OF MIND, WHICH IS THE ABILIITY TO ATTRIBUTE MENTAL STATES TO OURSELVES AND OTHERS. PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE THIS ABILITY ARE HANDICAPPED IN THEIR SOCIAL LIVES AND ARE LIMITED WITH SMALL IMAGINATIONS. THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT READING FICTION ESPECIALLY IS THAT YOU’RE NOT JUST LEARNING ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN A PERSON’S HEAD, BUT YOU’RE ALSO EXPERIENCING IT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT YOURSELF. ADDITIONALLY, READING FORCES YOU TO USE PARTS OF YOUR BRAIN THAT AREN’T NATURALLY EXERCISED, AND READING FICTION IS THE BEST WORKOUT YOUR BRAIN CAN GET. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT READERS BECOME AT LEAST TEMPORARILY MORE SENSITIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S FEELINGS, AND THE MORE YOU FORCE YOURSELF TO SYMPATHIZE AND EMPATHIZE THROUGH BOOKS, THE MORE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF A PERSON YOU ARE.

IN THIS VIDEO, THE SPEAKER, ALI ABDUUL, DISCUSSES THE BEST PRACTICES OF REMEMBERING WHAT YOU READ. OUR MEMORY FOR EVERYTHING DECAYS UNLESS WE FIND A WAY TO ENGAGE WITH IT, SO SEEING HOW ABDUUL RECORDS HIS BOOK JOURNEY SEEMS VERY FULFILLING AND INTELLECTUALLY REWARDING. HE BEGINS BY EXPLAINING THE 7 LEVELS OF READING (WITH LEVEL 7 BEING THE MOST PASSIVE FORM), AND I REALIZED THAT THIS IS THE LEVEL I'VE BEEN PRACTICING MY ENTIRE LIFE. I WAS INSPIRED TO PUSH MYSELF TO LEVEL 3: 'DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY', WHICH ESSENTIALLY INCLUDES PULLING ALL OF YOUR HIGHLIGHTS INTO ONE CENTRAL DATABASE AND TAKING LIGHT NOTES ON THE MATERIAL YOU'RE READING. THOUGH THIS MOSTLY APPLIES TO NONFICTION -- A GENRE I DON'T VISIT OFTEN -- I THINK THAT RECORDING HOW BOOKS HAVE MADE ME FEEL TOWARDS THE STORY AND THE STYLE IS A WELL-ENGAGING EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE OF THIS VIDEO, I WAS INSPIRED TO CREATE MY OWN DIGITAL LIBRARY WHERE I COULD REVISIT MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOKS I'VE READ!

THIS IS A PLAYFUL EXAMPLE OF A WEBSITE THAT INTERTWINES WEB DESIGN AND READING! THE PENGUIN HOUSE PUBLISHING COMPANY CREATED THIS BOOK RECOMMENDATION PAGE THAT ALLOWS USERS TO FIND NEW BOOKS TO GIFT OR READ BASED ON A ONE-QUESTION SURVEY. I LOVE THE LITTLE DETAILS THE MICROSITE OFFERS AND HOW IT EMBRACES A QUIRKY COPY TO ENGAGE BOTH READERS AND NON-READERS ALIKE.

THIS IS ANOTHER LOVELY EXAMPLE OF AN ONLINE BOOK COLLECTION THAT FEATURES THE WORK OF EMERGING AUTHORS. MAILCHIMP CURATED THIS COLLECTION OF BOOKS AND ESSAYS TO ENCOURAGE USERS, READERS, AND EMPLOYEES TO LISTEN TO WHAT THESE WRITERS HAVE TO SAY. I ESPECIALLY ADMIRE HOW INNOVATIVE AND DIVERSE THE WEBSITE IS IN ENGAGING WITH THE CONTENT. I TOOK INSPIRATION FROM HOW IT INCORPORATES THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF A BOOK INTO A DIGITAL MEDIUM.

THOUGH NOT RELATED TO BOOKS, I LOVE THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE IT FEATURES THE WORK OF ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN NAMES IN GRAPHIC DESIGN, KAREL MARTENS, WHO HAS A LOT OF PRINT WORK THAT INSPIRES ME IN MY DESIGN. I HOPE TO ONE DAY ADVANCE BOTH MY DEVELOPING AND DESIGN SKILLS TO MATCH HIS CREATIVITY IN BOTH LAYOUT AND COMPOSITION. HIS WORK IS ACTUALLY FEATURED IN THE BACKGROUND OF MY ABOUT PAGE AND IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRINT SPREADS. KAREL'S WORK INSPIRES ME TO THINK OF UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO DELIVER INFORMATION AND ALSO ADVANCES MY APPRECIATION FOR PRINT. JUST AS HIS PAST WORK POSESSES THE LIMITATIONS OF NOT HAVING THE ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE, MY TOOLS OF LIMITED CODING KNOWLEDGE FORCE ME TO BE RESOURCEFUL WITH THE TOOLS I HAVE WHEN I CREATE.