Partners of the project have created a Book Club with recommendations of books that would be a valuable addition to the learners who want to deepen their knowledge on particular subjects. Learners are also welcomed to share their own recommendations, that will be later on added to the Book Club.

The partnership had decided to create the Book Club due to the following reasons:

  1. Help the learners get extra knowledge that will help them achieving in their new endeavour
  2. Help the learners brain stay sharp
  3. Help them to have a stress relief activity during the stressful period of creating a business
  4. Help them boost their creativity
  5. Help them boost their confidence and believe more in themselves

All of the above are extremely important for the specific target group, since creating a new business in the age of 45+ needs a specific mindset and skillset. More in detail:

 

Help the learners brain stay sharp:

Regardless of your age, reading helps to sharpen your brain. Reading a book, according to a research in 2013[1], effectively produces real brain modifications that can last for several days.

Results of the study showed that the brains of the participants showed increased connectivity in the left temporal cortex, the area associated with language, the morning after reading the book pages. The scans also showed changes in the part of the brain associated with the primary motor region of the brain—the part associated with physical movement.

 

“The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist,” Berns said. “We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically.”

 

Help them to have a stress relief activity during the stressful period of creating a business[2]:

Book clubs also promote reading more, and reading decreases stress levels on its own. Even six minutes of reading, according to a 2009 research, can decrease stress levels by more than two-thirds (68%). And it seemed to work better and quicker, at least in this research, than listening to music, going for a stroll or having a good cup of tea. Lead researcher Dr. David Lewis stated: “Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation. This is particularly poignant in uncertain economic times when we are all craving a certain amount of escapism.”

 

Help them boost their creativity:

The whole essence of creativity is about making new connections and creating fresh links, and book clubs can be a key element in achieving that. Listening to the opinions of others, characteristics, and settings, you are likely to think about things you wouldn’t have been thinking about before. A research in 2013, showed that more creative intellectuals were individuals who were frequent readers, so if you’re reading you’re already promoting creativity.

 

Help them boost their confidence and believe more in themselves:

John Coleman, co-author of the book Passion & Purpose: Stories from Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders[3], says in his article on Harvard Business Review that book clubs can make you more comfortable in professional debates: “While there are countless articles on better conversations, the best and surest way to be a good conversationalist who’s able to engage on substantive issues is to practice. Book clubs offer a safe space outside your professional environment to engage on content in discussion and learn to converse more productively with others.”

The full range of the suggested books can be accessed through here


[1] Berns Gregory S., et al., “Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain,” Brain Connectivity, December 2013; 3(6):590-600, http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2013.0166.

[2] “Reading Can Help Reduce Stress,” Telegraph, March 30, 2009, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/5070874/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html.

[3] COLEMAN, J., GULATI, D., & SEGOVIA, W. O. (2012). Passion & purpose stories from the best and brightest young business leaders. Boston, Mass, Harvard Business Review Press. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=45566.