The French gourmet, philosopher, and lawyer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin is perhaps most well known for this quote: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” In other words, what a person prefers on their plate can say a lot about what goes on inside their head. Evaluating or judging people by what they eat is something most of us do unconsciously, just as we evaluate people by what they wear and how they speak. Don’t you have a different attitude towards someone sipping champagne than you do when you see someone with an oversized soda from the nearest fast-food outlet? It works the other way as well – we’re generally more conscious of what we’re eating when people are observing us.

What applies to food choices also applies to book selection. Several studies have been done that evaluate people’s personality based on the books they read. For example, extroverts in the studies were more likely to choose books that were people-focused, about sports and entertainment, but they also preferred books with horror- or history-based plots. Readers who regularly went to art events and classical concerts were naturally more likely to choose books on art, music, and fantasy. The studies also found that people who had highly-regulated habits were more likely to read books about science or politics.

Perhaps most interesting is the possibility that reading choices can influence how and what we think, as well. If you’re an introvert, can reading books about outgoing, social people help you overcome your shyness in group situations? If you’re generally fairly disorganized, can choosing precisely-written books on mathematics, physics, or astronomy help you get a more scientific approach to your daily schedule? Reading books on a variety of subjects will add to your knowledge base and expand your mind – and it just might change your mind as well.

Click to read more about the studies done in 1995, in 2004, and in 2011.