Read Books: Live Longer

[AB Editor]

Afternoon!

Maybe I should have posted this in health & medicine...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/read-books-live-longer/

"Compared with those who did not read books, those who read for up to three and a half hours a week were 17 percent less likely to die over 12 years of follow-up, and those who read more than that were 23 percent less likely to die. Book readers lived an average of almost two years longer than those who did not read at all."

What books are you going to read in your extra two years?

[jno]

do websites count, or does it actually have to be things made from dead trees?

[AB Editor]

I'm not sure jno!

Maybe it's just any longform reading - the hours committed to it seems to be an important part of the study.

[Psybbo]

Having just finished (and survived) a Stuart Macbride The Cold Hard Ground, I'm not so sure if it's the right genre!

[Old_Geezer]

Sooo the ones that lived longer tended to be female. Hmmm.
I reckon those that read more were probably those young enough to still have good eyesight.
What books would I read ? Probably the huge pile of books I have yet not got around to reading yet.

[shaneystar2]

According to my library account I've read 280 books over the last 30 months which makes it about 9.3 recurring books a month.So I should live to a ripe old age unless they close the library and I die of shock.

[Smowball]

That's a lot of books!! I read loads too- both actual books and on iPad Kindle app

[jno]

I think anyone who lives longer tends to be female, OG. Presumably failing eyesight is more common as you age but doesn't necessarily mark you out from your cohort. It's what stops me reading more books, all the same.

Then again I definitely put in the long hours on AB, since I can increase the type size, and I'd like to think that would add an extra weekend at least to my lifespan.

[Old_Geezer]

I was hinting that I was unconvinced causation was involved re reading and longer life.