How to Read 1,000 Books in 5 Years

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Over the last 6 years, I’ve read an average of 136 books a year. The most in one year was last year (179 books in 2020) and ever since I started counting in 2013, I’ve read exactly 941 books.

I only say this to establish credibility, not to brag. What I mean to say is that yes, you can absolutely read 1,000 books in 5 years — you just have to do things a little differently than I did.

For instance, I think it’s helpful to start off with a simple question:

Why do you want to do this?

Friedrich Nietzsche said that whoever has a strong enough “why” can bear almost any “how,” and with a massive goal like this (seriously, a thousand books is even more ambitious than it sounds like), you’re often going to be tempted to quit.

If you just want to be known as someone who reads a lot, or be able to tell people that you’ve read 1,000 books in five years, just tell them! Seriously, hardly anyone will ever call you out on it; just memorize the names of some famous books, grab some quick and dirty online summaries, memorize a few quotes and big, complicated-sounding ideas, and you’re off to the proverbial races.

I’m half kidding, of course, but I’m actually not. If your only motivation is to impress people, there are far easier ways, and 1,000 is just a…