Reading More Can Indirectly Boost Your Social Success
Since you're viewing this site you're already familiar with the concept of reading about your problems to try and deal with them.
I think I made a lot of headway on my own social issues not by researching them directly and looking for a solution, but through making myself a more interesting, knowledgeable person by reading all kinds of other material.
Some things I just read because I felt like it, not everything was a calculated attempt at self-improvement. But I find almost everything I read has at least some tiny benefit. Maybe I'll pick up a tidbit of knowledge or trivia that will come in handy for a conversation one day (at the very least I'm a lot better at talking about books now). Sometimes I'll gain a new way of looking at things or come away with a nugget of wisdom about the human condition. Sometimes the author has a certain good attitude that comes through in his or her writing and I absorb some of it into myself.
I've read up on all kinds of stuff. I think it's fleshed out my personality, given me more to talk about, and helped me catch up on a lot of the knowledge more socially successful people already know. It's also helped me understand and relate to people better, through directly reading about them, but also by digesting the material they expose themselves to. There are also benefits not related to the theme of this site. My philosophies on life are a lot more in order based on the ideas I've been exposed to, for one.
Personally, I paid particular attention to learning about topics on which I was pretty ignorant but other people seemed to know about. That was something that was important to me. I also focus on material where I can come away with some new insights on human relationships and interactions. Often these insights are small but they can add up to a robust knowledge of the way people are.
The best thing about all this is that it's easy and fits in with my natural preferences. I'm the type of person that will gladly sit around at home and read for hours at a time. It's a self-improvement step you can start taking right away. You're almost cheating and getting life experience and knowledge quickly and easily by reading it, rather than having to have figured these things out yourself.
It can take a lot of willpower to get out of the house and start making friends, but anyone can pick up some books and start absorbing the information. Down the road, what you've learned may help you hit it off with someone you meet. Wax on, wax off.
What to read
In short, read all kinds of stuff. One rule is not to be too selective. If it seems like it'll be enjoyable then go for it. A trashy biography of a rock star could still indirectly teach you a lot about how to socialize. Another guideline is to gravitate towards areas you're not familiar with but think it may help to know something about. Try to dabble in as many areas as possible too, though also realize you can never learn every last thing. Maybe read a few books or websites on traveling then look at a few on art. The more information you have crammed into the head the better. You never know when it will come in handy.
I'd recommend reading up on things you have a bad attitude about too. I remember when I worked at one office job I had a negative view of Marketing. I was a bit of a hippy and saw people from that department as manipulative, evil capitalists. After reading a few books on the subject I came away with a more balanced viewpoint. I also did a lot to get over my personal bitterness towards sports by reading about them.
One thing that consistently surprises me is that I can be reading a book about one topic and come away with valuable lessons on a completely different area. I've read books on mountain climbing and gained insights into human relationships. A book on the first World War may teach you something about making friends. A weird piece of fiction may instill a more confident attitude in you. A short, jokey article may end up teaching me something about a certain subculture.
I hardly ever pay for books. Why do that when you can get an unlimited supply of them free from the local library? Just go to yours and poke through the shelves. Check out the books that catch your eye. At worse they won't have a certain book and you'll have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive from another branch. I'm not the type to re-read books so this is fine for me. If you like to take your time with books, or like to have them around for later, you can always buy them. Borrowing them from people is also an option.
I've met people who are quite interested in self-improvement and feel that the only books worth reading are on direct personal development topics. They would see reading up on other stuff as an inefficient waste of time. The thing is, learning about all kinds of things is self-improvement too. It helps you grow as a person and adds color to your personality. It makes you more well-rounded and gives you things to talk about with people.
I used a have a list of all these different genres or topics you could read. But really, it's not necessary. A good book from any category can be useful. Fiction, non-fiction, realistic, fantastical, whatever. The quality is more important than the genre. Just go to a library or bookstore and start looking around. Or see what's online. I'm not going to recommend any specific books either as it really isn't about that. It would really just be a list of books I like anyways. Dive right in and figure out what you like, and what helps you, for yourself.
