1 . "You are the same today as you will be in five years except for the books you read. " A love of reading can make your brain more efficient, lower stress levels, and inspire life pursuits （追求）. Here's how your brain and body benefit when you crack open a book.

Reading can improve brainpower.

    1     Whether you're interested in a book or simply scanning an instruction for your coffee maker, your brain will drive other functions一such as vision, language, and associative （相关的）learning, according to a survey by Ken Pugh, PhD.     2     Another recent study found that older adults who regularly read books are two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

Reading can melt away stress.

Being lost in a good book lowers your levels of unhealthy stress hormones. In a British study, participants were involved in an anxiety-provoking （引发焦虑的）activity and then either read for a few minutes, listened to music, or played video games. The stress levels of those who read dropped 67 percent.     3    

    4    

Reading about someone who overcame hurdles may encourage you to achieve your own dream. If you'd like a raise, following a character into the boss's office may give you the courage to make the same request. The more you identify with a character and experience the events as if they were happening to you, the more likely you'll take action.

    5    Turn off your phone and computer, and set aside one or two hours to read books every day.