26 Reading Rules for 2026 by Ryan Holiday
1. Don’t just read more books, read the right books.
2. Speed reading is a scam. You have to spend a lot of time reading.
3. You should always carry a book. Phone, keys, and a book.
4. If you’re not reading with a pen, you’re not really reading.
5. Mark your books. Fold pages. Beat them up.
6. Forget the news, the best way to understand what’s happening in the world is by reading books... usually old books.
7. Don’t just read books, re-read books.
8. Don’t be a book snob; read bestsellers.
9. Never read without taking extracts.
10. If a book sucks, stop reading it.
11. The rule for quitting a book is a hundred pages minus your age.
12. Good writers (and good books) are not hard to read.
13. Ask people you admire for book recommendations.
14. Cool titles usually make for crappy books.
15. Look for wisdom, don’t just memorize facts.
16. Ask yourself: What do I plan to do with this information?
17. In every book you read, try to find your next one in its footnotes.
18. When you find an author you love, read ALL of their books.
19. If you see a book you want, buy it. Don’t worry about the price.
20. Don’t judge a book by its cover...but also you kinda should.
21. Build an anti-library—a stack of unread books that humbles you.
22. Read books and writers you disagree with.
23. “Don’t be satisfied just getting the ‘gist’ of things,” - M.A.
24. Prefaces and forewords are there for a reason. Don’t skip them.
25. If a book is really good, recommend it and pass it along.
26. Find great stuff and suck everything you can out of it.
#learning
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