Many successful people have one thing in common: books. But what exactly populates the bookshelves of the likes of Warren Buffet or Bill Gates?
Long before podcasts, movies and TV shows (aka, back when the world was a boring, lonely place) people used to read. Jokes aside, highly successful people are known to devour books, or even write them themselves. Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day. Bill Gates reads 50 books a year. That’s a whole bunch of knowledge these extremely successful men build up simply by picking up a paperback.
Understandably, successful people don’t just pick up any book. We’re talking about men and women who have counted hours in the day, and although a fictional rom-com might just pass the time, we tend to find that these hyper-successful individuals prefer to read for learning, and not necessarily solely for leisure. So what exactly are the books you should keep on your shelf if you want to read like Bill Gates and learn like Buffet?
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
A compilation of the Roman Emperor’s writings, this book teaches successful people a series of spiritual reflections and exercises which Aurelius himself used to make sense of the world around him. As a result, stands a book read and admired by great thinkers of our generation.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens is a modern literature classic if there ever was one. From perspectives which include biology, anthropology, paleontology and economics, Harari has built up a book of precious information that analyses the history of humankind in a read which is both challenging and engaging.
Competing Against Time by George Stalk Jr.
We all understand the issue of time; the ticking clock which has become the world’s most precious currency. In Competing Against Time, Stalk Jr speaks about the topic through the lens of the market, touching up on money, productivity, quality, and even innovation.
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
A stock-market bible, The Intelligent Investor book is a Warren Buffet favourite. Teaching its readers how to play the long game, The Intelligent Investor helps you reach your financial goals. As Graham points out, price is what you pay, value is what you get — and indeed there is a lot of value to be taken from this book.
The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks
Again, another Warren Buffet favourite. The Most Important Thing Illuminated is another investment book, this time written by Howard Marks, the chairman and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, who is known for his intelligent assessments of market opportunity and risk. Good for any level of investor, the book speaks to both amateurs and knowledgeable economists.
Essays in Persuasion by John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes has been a very influential character in the way economists discuss, think and speak. Interestingly, John Maynard Keynes predicted in his writings that on the Versailles Treaty excessive Allied demands for reparations and indemnities would cause Germany’s economy to collapse.
