Monday, April 2, 2012

B is for Books - A to Z Challenge


Today, I’m going to write about books. It goes without saying that I love them. I could (and have) read for days because it’s easy to lose myself in another world.


It turns out there are scientific reasons I love books too.

You know that great smell an old book has? It’s caused primarily by lignin, a compound in the wood used to make paper. Lignin is similar in composition to vanillin, so as the lignin breaks down over time, it releases a vanilla scent. The paper is often treated with various chemicals as well, which, as they age, can add notes of camphor, wood, mushroom, and almond.

As it turns out, there’s also science behind the ease with which we can lose ourselves in a good book. Reading fiction, especially when it’s particularly descriptive, stimulates specific areas in the brain. Whether you read about something or actually experience it, your brain will respond similarly. There’s an excellent article on the subject here that I highly recommend.

Happy reading!

14 comments:

  1. Off to check on your article link...but just wanted to say that I do lose myself in a book, all the time. (I lose myself writing them too!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I think losing myself during the writing is better than during the reading. When you get into that flow and the book almost seems to write itself... heaven!

      Delete
  2. Excellent post! And the article made my inner geek squee.

    (I managed not to squee on the outside, but I did HUH! several times. That is a less alarming sound than random computer-aimed squeeing.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're too funny! :) My inner geek did a happy dance when I saw this recent neuroscience article too. Really amazing research!

      Delete
  3. I love books, too, whether in paper or digital form. The words are the good part. I can't understand the people who don't read. They are missing so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! Even when a good story is made into a movie, I almost always prefer the book. There's so much more to a book that a movie could never touch.

      And I prefer the scent of pages to popcorn any day!

      Delete
  4. I once heard that the smell of books was caused by the mould that grew on the paper - your explanation is so much nicer. But either way, I still love that smell!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're absolutely right - mold does add to the scent of old books too, if they were kept in a moist environment! Who'd have thought mold could add to such a pleasant smell?

      Delete
  5. Great post, Jen! I'm more of a fan of electronic books, but sometimes it's good to just hold a paper book in your hand and just let go into the world of your imagination. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's definitely a place for both paper and ebooks! I love being able to carry hundreds of books around in my Kindle!

      Delete
  6. Hello. I love them too! The world wouldn't be the same without them. :)

    Pleased to meet you on this a-z challenge. Have a good week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ever wonder what you'd do with all those hours you spend reading if you just weren't a bibliophile? I can't even imagine...! (Nor do I want to.)

      Thanks for dropping in!

      Delete
  7. Fascinating stuff. I had no idea what caused old books to smell as delicious as they do. Lignin. Even the word is pleasing. Thanks for this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mmmm... it makes me want to go visit a used book store!

      Delete