A psychologist explains why fictional characters can teach you more about business and interpersonal relationships than you might think.

Airport bookstores are full of business books. Some are written by CEOs who share their leadership secrets, others by consultants who swear by a specific method for sales, motivation, or happiness. Then there are books written by psychologists–like me–about how to use your mind more effectively. If you’re a frequent business traveler, you pass by bookstores jammed with these books, and it’s obvious why you’d gravitate toward them: to get an edge on the competition.

But airport bookstands are also full of fiction, from detective mysteries to stories about sci-fi warriors who save the world in the last 25 pages. You might grab one of these to read when you don’t want to think, but chances are you don’t consider it an opportunity to pick up some business lessons in the process. You probably should.

Continue: The Best Business Book You’ll Read All Year Will Be A Novel