When was the last time you sat down and read a business book? Recently, we hope. Books are brain food: they broaden your professional and interpersonal skills and increase your knowledge. They help you become more successful. They help you make more money. (And who doesn’t want to make more money?)

Committing to reading just one book per month can make you a better thinker, a better worker and a better person. To get the most out of the material, you may have to read it more than once. Taking notes – even transcribing them a few times by hand and then typing them into a computer – can help you really absorb what you’ve read.

Don’t be fooled into thinking the subject matter must relate directly to your occupation or industry. In this issue of The Pulse, we share an INC.com video by Damon Brown explaining why we get great insight from reading books outside our comfort zones.

“When there’s a book that looks interesting to you, even though it’s out of your particular field, that actually may be more of a reason for you to read it,” he explains.

So what are you waiting for? Turn off the TV – The Real Housewives of Atlanta isn’t exactly mind expanding – and dive into a book. But first, check out Brown’s video, Why Entrepreneurs Should Read Books Outside Their Expertise.