Art Ravels: Books That Make You Dumb

Monday, October 19, 2009

Books That Make You Dumb

A chart rating intelligence by reading preference based on actual, scientific evidence. Or at least a correlation between university SAT scores and favorite books listed on Facebook. Virgil Griffith has put together fun data sets for both books and music. Click on the image for a bigger, easier to read version.

Note: Deciding to read to Lolita after looking at this chart has not been proven to make you more intelligent. Sorry.

Labels: Books that make you Dumb, literature, reading, Virgil Griffith

13 Comments:

Chris Rywalt said...: However, you should read Lolita anyway, because it's a great book.; October 19, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Art said...: This is what I was told last night. After reading Pale Fire, I haven't really wanted to. Maybe I'll have to check it out afterall.; October 19, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Anonymous said...: Not one single romance novel. SIGH. Everyone lies on facebook anyways. Also, Little Women is Chick Lit?! Ridic.; October 19, 2009 at 12:36 PM
William Evertson said...: This is too funny. Aren't statistics wonderful?; October 19, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Thomas Hogglestock said...: Many problems with this, but also fascinated by it. I think one of the more interesting things is that people who read "The Holy Bible" are not as smart as people who read "The Bible". The oddest thing is, I think I understand why...; October 19, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Art said...: Correlation is not causation, yes yes. But why take the fun out of it?

Lusty, true--not Chick Lit and I'm suprised it even made the list as a favorite book. Although I did love it when I was 12.; October 19, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Scott B. said...: I hope Art Forum is considered a book. It sure feels like one!; October 19, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Chris Rywalt said...: Lolita is the only Nabokov book I've read. It's really excellent. I read it probably about 20 years ago. It's wonderfully well-written.

I also recommend, off this guy's chart, Catch-22 and A Clockwork Orange. Make sure you get the full 21-chapter edition of the latter, though. The former is truly one of the greatest novels in the English language, a rollercoaster ride of hilarity and despair, with a punch in the gut near the end.

As for the Holy Bible, you can skip that.; October 19, 2009 at 6:40 PM
Unknown said...: Well, that explains a lot - I've never read any of the "right" books...
I've seen "Lolita" the movie, though, but, I guess since it was so severely censored, one couldn't get enough smarts from it...; October 19, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Art said...: Catch-22 is GREAT. Loved it. Have not read or seen A Clockwork Orange though. Guess I'll add it to the list.; October 20, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Anna said...: Wow that's great. Gotta love stats, but yeah definitely some problems!

I agree Lolita is great. Such a haunting book. Catch-22 and Atlas Shrugged are also must-reads.; October 20, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Steerforth said...: Lolita is my favourite book. How Nabokov managed to write such beautiful prose in a second language is beyond me.

I chickened out of Pale Fire.; October 20, 2009 at 7:14 PM
Chris Rywalt said...: That's okay. I chickened out of Atlas Shrugged. However I have read Prometheus is Pissed. Just kidding. I made that one up.; October 22, 2009 at 8:17 PM

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Art Ravels

Monday, October 19, 2009

Books That Make You Dumb

13 Comments:

Art Ravels

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