Econmist, The New Yorker, and Scientific Journal Forum

[meandme]

Many people on this site have recommended I read the Economist, The New Yorker, and Scientific Journal to help me improve on my RC. The thing is I don't see that happening. The magazines are so much easier to read and follow than the RC passages. I have, however, been reading an article and writing the MP of the article. That has helped a little but nothing major has happened.

Does anyone else feel the same way or am I just on something? Thanks for the all responses in advance.

God bless

[20130312]

Skip the boring papers and just do practice tests.

[Mik Ekim]

The reason those materials are suggested is because they help you get used to reading dense material --

However, the articles in those passages do not have the same type of reasoning structure as LSAT passages, so it makes little sense to use them to practice reading for reasoning structure (main point, support, etc) -- the only passages that consistently have the same reasoning structure as LSAT passages...are LSAT passages. If you need practice identifying main points, support, etc, actual LSAT passages should consume the vast majority of your rc practice time --

In terms of outside material to read, here are two suggestions, helpful for slightly different reasons --

1) A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson -- I think this is extremely useful for the long-term LSAT student -- it gives you great practice at reading dense material, is science-written-for-non-science-people, in the same way that LSAT science passages are, and it covers every significant scientific breakthrough in history. Chances are, whatever topic is covered in your science passage on the LSAT will have been discussed in the Bryson book at some point. Additionally, the book is fun, brilliant, and inspiring -- not bad bonuses.

2) The Week--which is a weekly news magazine. Basically, the way the Week is structured is, they take some primary topic in the news--say, for example, the fiscal cliff coming up--explain the context, then they juxtapose various contrasting opinions on the topic. The Week is not particularly dense, but it's terrific practice for organizing opinions relative to one another and relative to the main point.

[M.M.]

This post actually made me realize that I've never seen anyone suggesting reading economist debates on TLS.

I just made a thread about it if you'd like to check it out; I think it would fit your needs.