It turns out, unwinding with a good book can actually make you better at business. According to a series of studies, reading classic literature actually transforms the mind in ways different than mere casual reading—and by reading the classics, according to the study, you may actually become better at reading people.

“It’s when we read fiction that we have the time and opportunity to think deeply about the feelings of others, really imagining the shape and flavor of alternate worlds of experience,” wrote Anne Kreamer in The Harvard Business Review.

And according to a study published in the Creativity Research Journal there is a significant connection between the amount of fiction a person reads, their empathy, and their “theory of mind” abilities—essential in today’s business climate.

Kreamer writes:

Theory of mind, the ability to interpret and respond to those different from us—colleagues, employees, bosses, customers, and clients—is plainly critical to success, particularly in a globalized economy. The imperative to try to understand others’ points of view—to be empathetic—is essential in any collaborative enterprise.

In her article Kreamer cites several studies published by Harvard, NYU, and Yale that all point to one main idea: Reading literature enhances the ability to read people. And reading people is a key element of successfully navigating the business climate.

In theory, of course, any literature that delves deeply into the human condition will also make the reader a better reader of people. But with limited time, Literary Manhattan has here compiled a list of six of our favorite works specifically telling of the business community and the diverse set of minds that comprise it.

Click here to view the slideshow.

Of course, there’s still no guarantee that by understanding other people’s “worlds” you’ll successfully interpret that subtle gesture of a competitor’s hand and convert it into a million-dollar business endeavor, but reading literature may just give you that subtle extra edge.

Business is essentially just another of the humanities, like art, history, anthropology and fiction. And the better you know the human condition, the more likely your business endeavors will be to succeed.

So as you develop your business ideas, don’t give up on that MBA, and certainly keep reading Portfolio.com, but, by the same token, don’t forget the classics.

Editor's note: Portfolio.com contributor Michael del Castillo is also the cofounder of the startup nonprofit Literary Manhattan, committed to promoting Manhattan's rich literary history and advocating for the benefits of reading—one of which, especially for the reading of classic literature, is making the reader better at business.