I believe that reading can indeed make some people better people. I say this because reading a book can give someone a different viewpoint on a certain something and help the reader better understand different people and how they see things. They can actually feel or experience where this different point of view comes from. A reader has a chance to get to know other people through books and can then use the socializations inside the books to help improve their ways of socializing with other people. Some people may even be able to apply this newfound perspective in every day life as soon as they have witnessed it through a book.
However, I do not believe this applies to anyone and everyone who has ever read a novel. It's very unlikely that if you just pick up a book and read it you will immediately feel a moral change and live up to these changes discussed on the article. It takes more than reading a couple books to change a person's moral intentions and actions. For example, if a serial killer reads a novel a day, it is still very hard to believe that someone like that could and will change due to their reading of books. They'll probably keep killing people and keep reading as a hobby with no change in their morals whatsoever. This example may be a little extreme, but it has a gritty truth to it that should partially debunk the thought that reading will, without a doubt, help make everyone a better person.
So, could reading books often possibly have an effect on some people's moral consciousness? I say yes, but I strongly disagree that it can make every single person a better person.
I agree with your assessment that one or two books will probably not create the effect this article discusses. Also, a serial killer most likely suffers serious mental health issues that are not resolvable simply through empathizing with literary characters. I think the true message here is that avid readers are more likely to be more open-minded and empathetic to others that are different than themselves.
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