Successful People Read

Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, is well known for spending up to 80% of his day reading. In fact, when Warren was once asked about the key to success, he pointed to a stack of nearby 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.”

“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

Warren isn't the only one who feels reading regularly is extremely important if you are going to improve your life. Here are some other names you might recognize that have learned the importance of this habit of highly successful people.

• Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year, which breaks down to about a book a week.
• Mark Cuban reads more than 3 hours every day.
• Mark Zuckerberg made a resolution to read a book every other week.
• Oprah Winfrey is an avid reader and stated: “Books were my pass to personal freedom.”
• Don Smith reads several books every week and credits much of his success to this habit.

The list goes on and on. Successful people read!

Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Sign up for our personal development book club, and we'll send you a book recommendation each month and some tips each week designed to challenge and grow you.

Who is Picking The Books?

Let me introduce you to our founder, Don Smith. Don has five kids and runs a multi-million dollar IT business. He has served as a director on multiple company boards, is a business coach, leads many community groups, writes regularly on this site, and has completed three Tough Mudders – half marathon muddy obstacle courses billed as some of the toughest events on the planet.

Smith conducting a workshop

On top of all that he reads a ridiculous amount, several books a week most weeks. He's literally read thousands if not tens of thousands of books over the last four decades and credits much of his success to what he has learned from them.

Bottom line: You are not going to find a better source for recommendations.

Take a look at this video from Business Insider covering this habit that most ultra-successful people have in common.

What Types of Books Are Recommended?

Want to sample the types of books we recommend? Here is a free guide to 20 of the best personal growth and development books in the market, covering a wide range of topics including finances, business, relationships, time management, and skill development.

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Reading Habits Take Time To Develop

This challenge is about developing a habit of reading for personal development. Habits take time to form, which is precisely why we put this program together, to help you develop that habit. Zig Ziglar once said, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily.”

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

These are some of the best books for personal growth and development out there, covering a wide range of topics including personal finances, business development, leadership, relationships, skills, and health. We'll even throw in some fun to read books sure to expand your mind!

Get Started Today With Our First Book Recommendation

Our first book is The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John C. Maxwell. This is a core book that should be considered required reading for everyone. Whether you've just been granted a promotion, think you may want to lead at some point in your life, want to improve your relationships with others, or have been a manager for a long time, you will get a lot out of this one.

Challenges are always more fun and effective with friends. Be sure to share and challenge your friends to do this with you!