Vera Nünning. Reading Fictions, Changing Minds: The Cognitive Value of Fiction. Schriften des Marsilius-Kollegs 11. Heidelberg: Winter, 2014, 343 pp., € 45.00. Reviewed by Alexander Dunst, Universität Paderborn E-Mail: dunst@mail.upb.de DOI 10.1515/anglia-2017-0018 Why do we read fiction? This age-old question stands at the center of Vera Nün- ning’s monograph. Situating herself within the burgeoning field of cognitive literary studies, Nünning builds on a wealth of empirical research in psychology and the neurosciences to show that fiction can increase our ability to empathize with and understand others, and may therefore lead to better social skills. As the author states in her introduction, her study aims at “a synthesis of narrative and cognitive concerns” (17). The potential benefits of their integration seem clear: cognitive scientists possess a complex working knowledge of the human minds which transform words, images, sounds, and much more, into stories. Their empiri- cal methodologies allow for testing hypotheses and may lead to the confirmation or, alternatively, the falsification of theories – a scientific ideal that the humanities have at times rejected, at times sought to emulate. Yet even a cursory overview of the field of empirical aesthetics will demonstrate that many psychologists and Anglia 2017; 135(1): 215–217 Brought to you by | Universitätsbibliothek Paderborn Authenticated Download Date | 3/23/17 10:20 AM