Want a Smarter Way to Sharpen Up?

Want a smarter way to sharpen up? Researchers at The Brain and Mind Centre and audiobook provider Audible.com.au have today announced the ‘24 Best Audiobooks to Grow the Mind’.

The literary guide was built on insights from neuroplasticity research and includes fiction and non-fiction audiobooks across categories such as: Mind Expanding Fiction, An Exploration of Beautiful Minds, The Art and Science of Growing Your Mind, Your Brain at Work, and Positivity and Mental Wellness.

The guide was created after research* commissioned by Audible.com.au found almost two thirds of Aussies (62%) want to grow their mind this year, more than a third (33%) of Aussies agreed there is increasing societal pressure to grow the mind and nearly half (47%) are more attracted to those who do so.

Despite this, Aussies spend less than half as much on mental development ($602 annually) than on physical betterment ($1,142). In fact, a whopping quarter (26%) of Aussie stopped learning when they left school/university.

Dr. Amit Lampit, an international expert in brain training at The Brain and Mind Centre and creator of the guide, said the audiobooks were selected to help prevent getting ‘set in our ways’ when it comes to thinking.

“Over time, the brain will naturally specialise in common everyday tasks and will focus less energy in thinking processes outside of this1. Audiobooks and other cognitively stimulating activities can counter this by diversifying learning opportunities. This is especially useful nowadays when value creation has shifted into the ‘soft skills’ of being able to think creatively and adaptively.”

“It’s worth remembering that reading is actually still relatively novel for humans, so learning by listening could be more hard-wired into our brain networks and can even be more effective.” says Lampit.

Audible.com.au’s research also found 70% of Aussies feel they could be learning more, yet respondents had an average of three hours per day when they could listen and absorb information while doing other activities.

Tracey Markham, Audible Ltd. Spokesperson, says: “Because we’re so time-poor in today’s society, people are increasingly looking for effective ways to either get an advantage in their careers, expand their mind for fun or improve mental wellness. Australians could be fitting an average of three audiobooks into their week simply by listening while doing housework, exercising, commuting or even getting to sleep.”

Lampit found performing mentally-stimulating tasks while exercising results in greater benefits than doing these tasks in isolation, and are more effective in aiding the ability to multitask and solve problems more quickly and accurately2.

Matthew Gain, Head of Audible Australia, says: “The brain is a continuous construction site and is constantly evolving. We’ve created this guide after seeing a boom in people keen to grow their minds and harness the power of the spoken word in achieving this.”

Other Audible.com.au research findings:

• 81% of Aussies agree it is important to grow the mind.
• 35% of Australian’s don’t know the best way to grow their mind.
• One in five (19%) books are started but never finished (or an average of two books per year).
• Women spend $738 per year on growing the mind while men only spend $462.
• Women feel more social pressure to grow the mind (38% of women vs 29% of men).

The full list and supporting information can be found here at Audible.com.au/Grow.

*Survey of 1,018 Australian respondents conducted by House of Brand.