1. The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh
2. Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
3. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
4. Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

1. The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu
2. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
3. The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
4. The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking

1. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
2. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
3. The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
4. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

1. The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane
2. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
4. Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards
5. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
6. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
7. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
8. Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas
9. Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek H. Murthy
10. Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz

Multiple sources suggest that top executives read far more than the average person. A Fast Company survey of 500 CEOs reportedly found that the typical CEO reads about 60 books per year, which is roughly five books each month. By comparison, the average American reads only about 12 books per year, with a median of just 4 books annually often quoted in business circles as evidence that “leaders are readers.” In fact, N2Growth advisors note that Fortune 500 CEOs tend to read 4 to 5 books a month, totaling 48 to 60 books annually. While the exact ns by individual (depending on schedule, industry, and personal preferences), it’s clear that CEOs dedicate significant time to reading, highlighting the value they place on continuous learning.

Reading is a key habit for many successful leaders because it helps them stay informed, sharpen decision-making, and gain fresh perspectives. CEOs often turn to books on leadership, strategy, and innovation to grow their knowledge base. Books offer them access to insights from experts across various fields, enabling them to make better decisions and lead their companies effectively.

For example, Bill Gates is known to read around 50 books per year. He credits reading as his main way of learning new things and keeping up with the latest ideas in science, technology, and public health. Similarly, Warren Buffettto spend 5-6 hours daily reading, which includes business reports and financial news in addition to books.

While reading 50 books a year may be impressive, it’s not a strict requirement for success. The important thing is continuous learning. Successful CEOs prioritize lifelong learning—whether through books, articles, or podcasts—to remain adaptable and innovative.

“In the twilight of my days, I’ve come to see that gratitude is the true measure of life—a quiet, constant acknowledgment of every precious moment that has enriched my soul.”

“Embracing our imperfections is the first step toward gratitude; by learning to love ourselves just as we are, we open our hearts to the beauty woven through every moment.”

“Every day offers a thousand tiny miracles, and when we dare to notice them, gratitude transforms our very existence into a tapestry of wonder.”

“When we slow down to savor a sunrise, a smile, or a whispered word of love, we discover that true abundance isn’t measured in possessions but in the daily practice of gratitude.”

“Life is made of moments, small pieces of silver amidst long stretches of tedium. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves now to live, really live … to love the journey, not the destination.”

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
5. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
9. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
10. A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

1. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
2. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
3. Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
4. The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford
5. Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
6. The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
7. The Behavior Gap by Carl Richards
8. Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
9. The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth
10. Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

1. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
3. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
4. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
6. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
7. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
8. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
9. The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
10. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Embrace reality: Face the facts to make informed decisions.
“Embrace reality and deal with it.”
Think ahead: Consider long-term consequences beyond immediate effects.
Systematic process: Follow a 5-step process—set goals, identify obstacles, diagnose problems, design solutions, and execute persistently.
Radical open-mindedness: Welcome diverse perspectives to boost creativity and innovation.
Learn from mistakes: View failures as opportunities for growth.
“Pain + Reflection = Progress.”

“To do justice to the figure of Kafka in its purity and peculiar beauty one must never lose sight of one thing; it is the purity and beauty of failure. The circumstances of this failure are manifold. One is tempted to say: once he was certain of eventual failure, everything worked out for him en route as in a dream. There is nothing more memorable that the fervor with which Kafka emphasized his failure.”

“Yes, there can be no innovation, learning, or creativity without failure. But failing is painful. It fuels the ‘shouldas and couldas,’ which means judgment and shame are often lying in wait”

“Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.”

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”

“I must have no fear of failure. It was my fear of failure that first kept me from attempting the Master Work. Now, I’m beginning what I could have started ten years ago. But I’m happy at least that I didn’t wait twenty years.”

“You can’t skip chapters, that’s not how life works. You have to read every line, meet every character. You won’t enjoy all of it. Hell, some chapters will make you cry for weeks. You will read things you don’t want to read, you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end. But you have to keep going. Stories keep the world revolving. Live yours, don’t miss out.”

1. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss & Tahl Raz
2. I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen
3. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg
4. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton
5. The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane

“I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”