The Art of Manliness recommends that men read fiction for cognitive development. They say most men stick to non-fiction.

While many men have stacks of books accumulating on their “to-read” pile, chances are that pile is composed primarily of non-fiction tomes. For the past 20 years or so, the publishing industry has noted a precipitous decline in the number of men reading fiction. Some reports show that men make up only 20% of fiction readers in America today.

They list a few reasons for men sticking to non-fiction, but not the one I’m most familiar with. I’ve heard most often that men want to read something true or that which they perceive as productive. Fiction, they would say, is just escapism.

But fiction reading, AoM reports, will improve your creativity, empathy, and theory of mind among other things.