RC

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• 1 Like

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @CL.Valera said:
  Hi all! I was told that reading extensive and "hard" books/articles will help you in the RC section. Is this true? Does anyone recommend a list of books I should read? Thanks!
  

  Hey @CL.Valera
  
  I know reading things like Scientific American, The Economist, and New York Times has been recommended by people. I personally think the Scientific American is great because some actual RC passages have come from there and they all seem pretty similar to real RC passages. Same with the Economist. I think the NYTs is pretty good too, although I don't really read it personally, so I can't say.
  
  However, in my opinion I always thought it makes sense to just practice on actual LSAT RC passages. There are plenty out there and they are actual passages, so you will be prepping for the real deal, not just something similar. But that is assuming you are thinking of using other things for prep. If you are just looking for something to read in your spare time, I think Scientific American and The Economist are the two best options... Like I said, they are written so similar to real passages.
• 3 Likes

  MrSamIam Inactive ⭐

  August 2016 2086 karma

  The best way to improve your RC score is to practice using real RC passages. I would go as far as to say that you're better off rereading RC passages that you read in the past, as opposed to reading random articles.
  RC tests your ability to read like a lawyer, hence, it is written in a certain manner. This isn't often the case for most articles.
  That said, reading articles found in, for example, The Economist may help you on RC, in that it'll help you understand the context a bit more.
  
  @"Alex Divine" I didn't know that some of the RC passages were drawn from the aforementioned magazines...you learn something new every day!
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @MrSamIam said:
  The best way to improve your RC score is to practice using real RC passages. I would go as far as to say that you're better off rereading RC passages that you read in the past, as opposed to reading random articles.
  

  Perfectly stated! And I definitely agree with this!
  
  

  @MrSamIam said:
  @"Alex Divine" I didn't know that some of the RC passages were drawn from the aforementioned magazines...you learn something new every day!
  

  Yup. I am not sure if it is the case with The Economist, but I am fairly certain articles from Scientific American have been used from what I know. Even so, I still think that re-reading old RC passages is preferable to the similar articles you may encounter with Sci Am.
• 3 Likes

  Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  August 2016 27900 karma

  Yeah, they've used lots of Scientific American and Economist stuff. As a matter of fact, both are cited in PT 78.
  
  I think reading scholarly stuff is great though as long as you're not using it to replace studying. There's nothing like the real thing. Any outside reading must be viewed as a supplement. It doesn't really matter what you read, but I do think it matters that you read. Harry Potter is better than nothing if you're not a big reader. Readers will always have the advantage over non-readers on RC. So yeah, be a reader.
  
  Here's a few books I've been reading/rereading in my downtime which I specifically chose as LSATesque material:
  
  "Culture and Imperialism" by Edward Said.
  
  "Pale Blue Dot" by Carl Sagan
  
  (I know they've pulled from C&I for an RC Passage, and I'm almost certain they've used Sagan, but I can't recall a citation.)
  
  "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
  
  "On Language" by Noam Chomsky
  
  "The World of Mathematics" edited by James R. Newman
  
  And if you want a real challenge:
  
  "Signs Taken for Wonders" by Homi K. Bhabha. If you do read this and understand what it says, there's nothing the LSAT can throw at you that you can't master with ease. Also if you read this and understand what it says, please explain it to me!
  
  Just to reiterate what Alex and Ron have stressed, extracurricular reading does NOT replace studying. But I do feel like it develops your reading abilities in general. We've got access to the cumulative body of human knowledge, and that is truly awesome. LSAT totally aside, take advantage of that access!
• 1 Like

  Kateryna Alum Member

  August 2016 984 karma

  our brain can remember twice the information stored on Wikipedia with no issues, that being said there is tons of things you can read that will make you a better reader. lsat RC, on the other hand concentrates its attention on a couple of particular things you need to know how to identify in the passage stem (a.k.a. lsat RC questions). RC questions tend to be repetitive so u can anticipate what kind of questions you will be asked as you are reading the passage. and that comes with practice.
  
  
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  August 2016 27900 karma

  @Kateryna said:
  our brain can remember twice the information stored on Wikipedia with no issues
  

  I must have a seriously defective brain.
• imran123 Free Trial Member

  August 2016 67 karma

  When you say, it is suggested to read The Economist or NYT or Scientific American, are there any special areas or anything general on these sites is good ?
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @"Cant Get Right" said:
  "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
  

  One of my favorite books! If you like Gladwell, check out Outliers and David and Goliath as well! (If you haven't already)
• 2 Likes

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 edited August 2016 23929 karma

  @imran123 said:
  When you say, it is suggested to read The Economist or NYT or Scientific American, are there any special areas or anything general on these sites is good ?
  

  I usually just read anything on Scientific America's website. I think almost all the articles are structured the way you see passages on the LSAT RC. The more boring, the better. I find reading these helps you remained focused when you are uninterested in the subject.
  
  The Economist's articles vary a bit more in structure and writing style I find. But I still think most if not all will help you.
  
  
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  August 2016 27900 karma

  Yeah, I thought tipping point was really interesting. I actually followed that up with outliers already, haha. Gladwell has been criticized for using somewhat anecdotal evidence, but I feel like much of that is used as a more approachable demonstration of complex social mechanics. I know very little about sociology, but that's the sense I get. I'd love to read the harder research behind it but I don't even know where to begin.
• 2 Likes

  Paul Pederson Member

  August 2016 903 karma

  Personally, working on Edward Gibbon's "THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" along with anything by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has helped me a lot on RC, don't get me wrong, Im far from becoming a sage however in the last year my RC has greatly improved. A good piece of advice given to me by my older brother was don't forget to read for recreation so I don't lose my love of reading. Also, if anyone wants some good recreational reading I highly recomendChuck Palahniuk, his book "Rant" is by far the best fiction I've ever read, literally read it from cover to cover in one sitting, so good I couldn't put it down. It blew my mind, def not for the faint of heart.
  
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  August 2016 27900 karma

  Hey, I'm reading Gibbon too! It's on audiobook, so not sure if it really counts, but a really great history!
• 1 Like

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @"Cant Get Right" said:
  Yeah, I thought tipping point was really interesting. I actually followed that up with outliers already, haha. Gladwell has been criticized for using somewhat anecdotal evidence, but I feel like much of that is used as a more approachable demonstration of complex social mechanics.
  

  Yeah, I have seen other academics criticize him for that as well. I remember reading some pretty unfavorable reviews of David and Goliath in Slate and almost not reading it as a result. But I agree with that you say about it being a more approachable way to understand these complex ideas. And Ironically I think trying to criticize a book called "outliers" because the data doesn't prove it true is almost ironic, haha.
• tanes256 Alum Member

  August 2016 2573 karma

  @"Paul Pederson" said:
  A good piece of advice given to me by my older brother was don't forget to read for recreation so I don't lose my love of reading.
  

  Interesting because I've put all my recreational reading down. Felt guilty. I take breaks when I need it but I just felt if I had free time I should be studying. I just might have to brag a book I actually want to read!
  
• 2 Likes

  draj0623 Alum Member

  August 2016 916 karma

  @"Alex Divine" said:
  The more boring, the better.
  

  So true. My weakness used to be science passages because I was genuinely uninterested in the content. My focus would be dampened by my lack of interest so I changed my preferential reading habits to include more science and now it's probably the type of RC passage I do best in. I need to do the same with art history now.
  
  I concur with the sentiments expressed by all on this thread. Practicing with real RC LSAT passages is the best way of studying for this section. I've been using articles from the Economist for warm ups prior to studying and prior to taking timed practice tests because it helps get your mechanics going. The Economist often has a diverse range of subjects that you can read so that you can push beyond your subject matter comfort zone. I highly recommend reading subjects that you have no interest in because the LSAT loves exploiting the areas that a minor subset of human beings are actually interested in.
• 1 Like

  CL.Valera Alum Member

  August 2016 22 karma

  Thanks everyone!! This is very helpful.