Ellen Burstyn loves the “For Dummies” series of books

From the New York Times Book Review:

How have your reading tastes changed over time?

When I first began reading, I read fiction. My favorite novel was “The Magic Mountain,” by Thomas Mann. Over the years I find that I am less interested in fiction and more interested in trying to learn about science and mathematics. I love the “For Dummies” series. I remember reading or hearing many years ago, maybe in high school, that the first law of thermodynamics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form. So, I was thrilled to learn there was such a book as “Thermodynamics for Dummies.” It was interesting reading, but I’m afraid I could not quote you anything from that book.

Full interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/books/review/ellen-burstyn-poetry-says-it-better.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share