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Turns out, all those shows you’ve been binge-watching may actually be an ideal basis for learning a whole new subject.
If you’ve ever found topics like philosophy, theology, psychology or mathematics intriguing, but too dry, difficult, or time-consuming to digest on their own, consider these books that use your favorite shows, movies, and even video games as a reference for navigating the basics of popular subjects.
Explaining new concepts and theories to beginners is a whole lot easier (and way more fun) when it involves scenarios, characters, and plot points that you’re already familiar with from your favorite episodes and storylines. The Simpsons, for example, provides countless examples of characters displaying (or often lacking) the core ethics and virtues written about by the great philosophers like Nietzsche, Kant, and Aristotle.
The books cast a wide net beyond just animation and philosophy or math though, connecting Star Wars to the teachings of Buddhism, Mad Men to the study of God and religion, and exploring the psychological behaviors (and disorders) of comic book heroes and villains.
Not only is it an opportunity to acquire new knowledge, but these books also uncover deeper layers of a joke or plot that you may not have fully picked up on the first time around. After reading these, you’ll be ready to re-binge the series and understand new references, character motivations, nuances, and even what books the writers themselves were reading, when creating the series.
Here are five great pop culture philosophy and psychology books to pick up, for a fun and entertaining way to dive into often-serious subject matter.
