Verbal Section: The Economist

[MissionStanford]

Which types of sections should I be reading? Sometimes I just read the most recommended articles. Usually I read articles about economics in the US (To get more informed, etc. and because economics articles are usually lengthier and more difficult to read than science articles). Is that bad though? Maybe I should be reading articles about science, politics in other countries, etc. too? Any other suggestions for verbal? I'm only going into sophomore year, so I'm not practicing passages yet.

Also, any other recommended reading? I always see The Economist pop up on this site. From past experience, I do believe that The Economist is harder reading than, say, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.

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[Leonardo Noto]

Which types of sections should I be reading? Sometimes I just read the most recommended articles. Usually I read articles about economics in the US (To get more informed, etc. and because economics articles are usually lengthier and more difficult to read than science articles). Is that bad though? Maybe I should be reading articles about science, politics in other countries, etc. too? Any other suggestions for verbal? I'm only going into sophomore year, so I'm not practicing passages yet.

Also, any other recommended reading? I always see The Economist pop up on this site. From past experience, I do believe that The Economist is harder reading than, say, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.

I highly recommend reading The Economist regardless; I read it every week. One caveat about The Economist is that it's a British publication and there are some minor differences in British and American English grammar/punctuation (shouldn't be relevant for the MCAT). With that said, I really think the number one thing that you should be doing to prepare for the verbal section is to work through practice passages with questions in a good review book (preferably in several review books from different companies).

Dr. Leonardo Noto
www.leonardonoto.com or follow me on Twitter @DrLeonardoNoto

 

[benjaminl1nus]

anything Economist is fine. However, I don't think it's very difficult to read relative to MCAT-style stuff. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way to stay informed.

I would recommend difficult texts to read. Books on philosophy, healthcare, and evolution come to mind.

Currently, I'm reading the Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. Pretty dense stuff, but it's good brain food.

I would also recommend Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant. Pretty philosophical stuff, and definitely good practice for the MCAT. You can find it free on amazon for kindle (you can read it online without a kindle, too).

Hope I helped.

 

[MissionStanford]

anything Economist is fine. However, I don't think it's very difficult to read relative to MCAT-style stuff. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way to stay informed.

I would recommend difficult texts to read. Books on philosophy, healthcare, and evolution come to mind.

Currently, I'm reading the Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. Pretty dense stuff, but it's good brain food.

I would also recommend Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant. Pretty philosophical stuff, and definitely good practice for the MCAT. You can find it free on amazon for kindle (you can read it online without a kindle, too).

Hope I helped.

Thank you both!

I just found Critique of Pure Reason online. I just looked at the first page, and it's extremely challenging. Any advice on how to get through this book? Should I just try my best to read through it and go over Sparknotes at the same time if I start getting really lost or to help guide me?

 

[benjaminl1nus]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. That first page sucks. It's very abstract, but not unlike passages you may see on test day. My best advice is to keep trying! It worked for me. I definitely did not understand it the first time around.

 

[benjaminl1nus]

good luck