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Reading Habits of Highly Successful People

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“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.”


― Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale

reading habits of successful people

Reading is one of those hobbies I cannot vouch for enough. I have always read a lot. Since I was a kid, reading has been really important to me. One of the things that took me out of reality yet somehow helped me grow more and get better in the real world was reading.

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”

-Margaret Fuller

Reading is one of the best ways to learn anything you want. Think of something that you want to learn, head on to the library, and there is bound to be a few books about it. With the internet, it has become easier for people to get their hands onto books that are expensive and difficult to get.

If you don’t have a lot to spend you can still read a lot. Library memberships are a good investment to read physical books. There are tons of ebooks available for free, the ones that require you to pay aren’t that expensive either. You do not have to have a dedicated e-reader to read an ebook. You can read the books on your phone or laptop.

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”

-Jim Rohn


Most successful people have always read a lot. Reading is always advised by them. They all have a particular reading routine they follow. Today we will be talking about a few so that you feel inspired to pick up a book yourself.

reading habits of successful people

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, business magnate, and investor, is someone a lot of people look up to. His quotes are religiously followed by many.

When Warren Buffett was asked about the key to his success, he pointed to a stack of books, and said, “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.”

At the beginning of his investment career, he took his reading to an extreme, he read between 600 and 1000 pages per day. He still dedicates 80% of his time reading. He starts his day by reading various newspapers.

“I read and think,” Buffett once said. “So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.”

Read this post on CNBC that talks about the scientific reasons to follow Warren Buffett’s reading routine.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”


–Dr. Seuss

reading habits of successful people

Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is a businessman and investor. Mark Cuban is

  • the owner of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks.
  • the co-owner of 2929 Entertainment.
  • the chairman of AXS TV.
  • one of the main “shark” investors on the ABC reality television series, Shark Tank.
  • an author.

Many people starting out in business look up to him. Even with so many things to run, he still finds time to read. Mark Cuban reads for 4-5 hours every day.  He starts with reading newspapers. He is subscribed to Dallas Morning News, The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and six magazines. He reads curation sites, goes through emails, does technological research.

Since he was 20, he read everything he could get his hands on. He explained what he read with this, “every book or magazine I could get my hands on because one good idea would pay for the book and could make the difference between me making it or not.”

Mark wrote on his blog:

“A guy with little computer background could compete with far more experienced guys just because I put in the time to learn all I could. Most people won’t put in the time to get a knowledge advantage.”


“To this day, I feel like if I put in enough time consuming all the information available, particularly with the net making it so readily available, I can get an advantage in any technology business.”

reading habits of successful people

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is someone whose name is familiar to even people who have no interest in business or investing. He is a philanthropist, business magnate and investor. Who hasn’t heard of Microsoft? Gates was the principal founder of the corporation.

Bill Gates reads 50 books a year, making it one book every week. Unlike the other two we talked about, this one is easier for most to follow. If you don’t read, you can start by following Bill Gates reading routine. A book a week can be achieved easily if you are dedicated enough.

“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.”


–Mark Twain

Non-fiction gives a lot of information on various topics. Successful people don’t read for entertainment, they read to gather information. They are interested in books that are dedicated to the craft they work on, as well as the biographies and autobiographies of other successful people. You can get life-changing information from reading. Reading is a form of entertainment that is sure to teach you a lot.

From their reading choices, you can make out that successful people are more selective with what they read, they value their time. Tom Corly, the author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals,” studied the daily activities of 233 rich people and 128 poor people over 5 years. He found that 67 percent of rich people watch TV for less than one hour a day.

“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.”


–Roald Dahl

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