CONSCIOUSLY AND PURPOSEFULLY ADD TO WHAT
YOU KNOW ABOUT LIFE
One of the best ways to understand literature and its themes is to read. But sometimes we need to have
experiences that help us understand what we read. To do this, consider expanding your knowledge of the
world in the following ways:
Engage in conversations with people from different cultures
Talk to older adults about their life experiences
Add variety to your media preferences:
—read a variety of books (see Chapter 4)
—listen to different types of music
—watch foreign films, with subtitles
—read national and international newspapers
—watch The History Channel
—download lectures and philosophy podcasts and listen to them (iTunes U is a fantastic resource
for free materials at a college level)