5 Practical Reasons To Read 52 Books In 2022
Reading highly-quality books is the cheat code to creating a high-quality life.
Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
“The difference between where you are today and where you’ll be in five years from now will be found in the quality of books you’ve read.”
— Jim Rohn
Reading books is a legal hack to creating a successful life.
If you’ve ever wanted to change your life in a positive way, you need to read more books. And it’s never been easier than before.
In our modern world, you can buy the wisdom it took someone a whole lifetime to learn for the price of lunch or less.
At no other time in history could you trade your Friday evening burger and chips for a lifetime of knowledge. What a bargain. There are no more excuses as to why you don’t know something other than being ignorant or lazy.
I hate to be that guy but you’ve got all the tools at your disposal. There are no barriers to entry. Knowledge is cheap. And persistence is expensive. But so is being left behind.
Look at any successful person you admire and I can almost guarantee you that they are voracious readers.
As a child, Elon Musk read up to 10 hours a day. Oprah Winfrey credits reading as “her personal path to freedom”. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg reportedly read a book a week.
The average millionaire reads more than 24 books a year for learning purposes.
I am not saying that reading will automatically make you successful but all successful people are readers. “Leaders are readers” as the old saying goes.
If nothing else, each book you read increases your chance of success by 1%. You see opportunities where other people can’t and have access to valuable information that other people don’t.
Each book you read stacks the deck in your favor.
Stack enough books and success becomes a certainty, not a lottery.
The level of success you will experience depends on the quality of your mind. And the quality of your mind depends on the quality of books you read.
#1: Reading allows you to stay economically relevant in a rapidly changing world.
We’ve all heard the saying that “a jack of all trades is a master of none.”
This quote is often said disparagingly towards people who are curious about many things and can’t focus on one thing for too long. Myself included.
But the full quote is: “a jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
Reading broadly gives you the ability to learn skills and knowledge about a diverse variety of domains. With the pace of change in the 21st century, breadth of knowledge will beat the depth of knowledge.
Specialization is for insects. And doctors.
So unless you’re in the medical field or wake up as a spider, our rapidly changing economy will require most knowledge workers to be able to master a new skill in less than a year, exploit it for 3 years and repeat the cycle again.
Consistently reading books means you stay a student. A lifetime learner. Reading gives you the flexibility to reinvent yourself however you like. If you know how to read, you know how to learn. And that’s the most powerful skill.
#2: Building your knowledge works under this principle.
“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.” — Warren Buffett
Just like investing your money, the earlier you start reading the more your knowledge compounds over time.
The formula for compounding is:
Consistency + Time = Exponential Results
You can apply this formula to achieve success in any field.
The principle of compounding is the reason why a casual learner will never beat someone who is committed to a lifetime of learning.
Consistency beats intensity. You’re allowed to read at your own pace. You’re allowed to take your time. You’re allowed to walk slowly, just not backward.
The more you read, the better the returns. I am yet to experience diminishing returns from reading a good book. Every book I read builds on the knowledge of the book that came before it.
The best time to start reading books was a year ago. The next best time is now.
#3: Reading is a meta habit that can help you learn any skill you want.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only once” — George R.R. Martin.
If you can learn to read properly and efficiently, you can theoretically teach yourself anything. You can improve any skill, develop any mindset or put words to experiences and emotions you’ve been unable to process.
It might sound odd, but I’ve taught myself a lot about relationships through books. Authors such as Logan Ury and Esther Perel have done more for my love life than I care to admit.
Books have helped me process my parent’s divorce, and understand romantic relationships and the changing dynamics of friendships as I age into my late-20s.
If you have a problem you want to solve, there is a book that has been written by someone who has experienced the same thing and found a way to overcome it.
#4: You become a less boring person.
It is no secret that reading books makes you more interesting.
I don’t want to sound like an elitist, but it is really obvious when you meet someone who doesn’t read a lot. They think differently. They talk differently. They are usually too confident in their opinions.
It is the same difference between someone who exercises regularly and someone who doesn’t. Just by how they look and move gives an indication of how they treat their bodies.
As Joseph Addison said, “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Knowing a little about a lot allows you to make new connections with people from all walks of life. You will come off as more interesting, curious and charismatic.
A little bit of knowledge goes a long way. Even the most obscure piece of knowledge will come in handy at some point in your life.
#5: Reading prevents you from becoming trapped in your own mind.
Reading is the antidote to ignorance. A guide to the truth. And liberator of your own self-imposed limitations.
Ironically, reading a good book tells me how much I really don’t know about the world. They expose the flaws in my thinking, the chinks in my intellectual armor and the gaps in my knowledge that I try to hide.
“One mark of an intelligent person is the ability to learn from people they don’t like”
You might be able to bulls*t the people you talk to. But it is difficult to hide from a well-researched and written book. Especially reading a book from an author you disagree with.
The process can be very humbling. I’ve read books that have changed my perspective on topics and made me think differently about societal issues.
I’ve learned an important skill through reading: understanding nuance.
Approaching any topic or debate, I’ve come to appreciate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in any challenge. I can see the merits of both sides. The bias and traps people fall into.
Reading has made me more balanced in my opinion and precise with my words. I make an effort to read things I am sure I will disagree with.
Having to create a steel-man argument for positions I strongly disagree with has made me a better debater. A stronger communicator and more empathetic.
Try it. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll grow from the experience.
Summary:
Creating the life you want begins with books.
Reading is the bridge that can help you become the person you want to be.
In the infamous words of Mark Twain, “a person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.”
Read more books. Quit most of them. And read the great ones twice.
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