DrCris Reads

The science of fiction

August 14, 2008 Why reading?, links 1 Comment

Novel Ideas picked out an interesting article inNew Scientist magazine (28th June). The issue reports on the mental benefits of reading fiction. Keith Oatley, a professor emeritus of cognitive psychology, has conducted research which shows that people who read more fiction may find it easier to discern the thoughts and feelings expressed by people’s eyes. He likens fiction to a simulation that runs on the software of our minds, and may help us when negotiating the complexities of social life.”

(Via Novel ideas : Manly Library.)

Oatley’s has also published investigation into emotions of literary response and some interesting work on deduction and inference in literature.

Introducing Scalpel’s Edge

August 14, 2008 links No Comments

I would like to introduce you to a new blog, Scalpel’s Edge. Since becoming more active on Twitter, I have been itching to have a place to share my PhD and surgery experiences. I prefer to have more blogs and keep them on topic, rather than one big melting-pot blog. For example, I am trying to restrict posts here to literature and books.

I invite you to go an check out some of my posts at Scalpel’s Edge, like the story of why I chose to become a surgeon.

Weekly roundup

June 27, 2008 links No Comments

Here are some interesting posts and articles that I have been reading this week:

• There is a great post over at Wired.com that talks about how to turn an iPhone into a moleskine eReader

• Seth Godin wrote a great post about the marketing of the Kindle and the likely future of the product

  Seth’s Blog: Random thoughts about the Kindle

• The Millions Blog posted a great article about how book reviewers only have a few stock phrases and use them for all books.
• Also on the Millions Blog is a roundup of book review aggregators, in the style of Rotten Tomatoes: Ask a Book Question: The 62nd in a Series (Book Review Aggregators)