Why Does Warren Buffett Read So Much?

Noa Strijbos 07/29/2021

Warren Buffet is quite admirable for his humanitarian efforts and $101.8 billion net wealth. However, he’s perhaps best recognized as one of the world’s most successful investors, and many are curious as to how he achieved such success. Does he read, and if so, why does he read so much?

Warren Buffet reads so much because it’s a part of his job to gather more and more information. Buffet spends at least ¼ of his day reading books and the daily newspaper. To read like Warren Buffet, you’ll need to engage in a significant amount of analytical reading.

This post will detail the number of books Warren Buffet reads and why he does so often. I’ll also include book suggestions from Mr. Buffet himself, as well as advice on how to read more like him.

How Much Does Warren Buffet Read and Why

Buffett’s daily reading volume and page count are unclear, but it’s believed to be about 500 pages, plus newspapers and reports. He spends about five to six hours each day reading. Notably, Warren Buffet does more than just read. 

He also analyzes data and uses it to make business choices. Mr. Buffet is an avid reader who recommends that anybody who wants a comparable achievement, should read 500 pages each day. That, he asserts, is how information accumulates, much like compound interest.

Buffett’s famous reading habit is credited with providing the basis for his knowledge development and serving as the momentum for his success. 

The question I got asked so many times is: Should You Copy Warren Buffett’s Portfolio? I wrote a post about my toughts on it.

Books Warren Buffett Recommends

If you’re inspired by Buffet to start a new reading regimen, he has several book recommendations for investing and self-improvement. If you want to achieve as much success as he has, you might want to apply this new literary knowledge to many areas of your life.

Business Adventures by John Brooks

In 1991, Buffett said this was his favorite business book.

This business text is a compilation of New Yorker articles examining various business endeavors throughout history. It aims to advise where well-known entrepreneurs went right and terribly wrong on their paths to success.

John Brooks’ business writings are particularly compelling because they focus on people and how the proper leadership can propel anyone to success.

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

For those interested in passive income, Warren Buffet noted that this book is known as the bible of value investing. Graham assists individuals in developing long-term plans that enable them to achieve their financial objectives.

In this book, Graham made a significant contribution by exposing the irrationality prevalent in the stock market. As a result, he teaches investors how to benefit from the stock market’s volatility rather than engage in it.

How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Mr. Buffet gave a testament to his admiration and respect for Dale Carnegie’s work by noting that he boasts certificates from a Dale Carnegie course more than his diplomas. Communication skills are critical for productivity, and this is the message that this book wishes to convey to its readers.

The foundations of Carnegie’s methods include a lack of criticism or complaint against others, as well as genuine respect for those around you. After reading, you’ll have the tools to:

  • Lead conversation
  • Make others fond of you
  • Handle arguments effectively

The Farmer From Merna by Karl Schriftgiesser

Warren Buffet recommends this book to anybody searching for new business as inspiration.

The book chronicles the life of George J. Mecherle, an Illinois farmer who devised a scheme to provide car insurance to his state’s agricultural community. In addition, it documents his battle to establish the well-known insurance business State Farm.

Since State Farm couldn’t access financial markets throughout its years of rapid expansion, the company lacked the stock options, and extravagant wages that many believe are necessary for success.

However, State Farm eventually surpassed all of its rivals.

How To Read Like Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet reads for guidance on future initiatives, which requires a thorough comprehension of the material ingested. Therefore, you would classify this kind of reading as analytical. 

Analytical reading, in broad terms, is the capacity to examine acquired information and develop judgments based on it critically.

Analytic reading entails many stages that you may use while reading your next novel:

  • Categorize the book based on its genre and topic content. While analytic reading always takes a critical approach to the text, it’ll be different for a fictional book, which is dense with symbolism, than for an academic text, which uses more straightforward language.
  • Determine the issues the author wants to address. The purpose is to examine the author’s argument thoroughly and deconstruct the core message conveyed by their work.
  • Bear in mind that each chapter is significant. By considering the text as a whole, it’s possible to gain a greater understanding of the significance of each part, as well as the rationale behind the author’s choice of expression.
  • Recognize the connection between a book and its contemporaries. By comparing a book to others with comparable topics, it’s possible to better grasp the context in which the information contained in the book is presented.
  • Determine the connection between a book and society. Each character, section, chapter, or even discursive structure can be associated with a specific aspect of a civilization.
  • Make an effort to comprehend the perspectives before forming an opinion. The analytical reader will make every effort to absorb the studied material before agreeing or disagreeing with the author. This may require approaching additional supplementary works that aid in comprehending the significance of a book.

When practicing analytical reading, keep in mind that you may need to read a book many times.

Your first reading should include rapidly finding the essential facts. Following that, a more in-depth reading must be conducted, during which the actors, instances, words, and all other material are examined.

Final Thoughts

Warren Buffet is proof that the importance of reading books cannot be understated.

If you’re struggling to increase your reading, I strongly urge you to persevere. You can begin by scheduling a short time for reading each day, even if it’s just 5 minutes.

If you want to start being a better analytical reader as soon as possible, Professor Kelsey Maki has a video that can help: 

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Sources

Noa Strijbos

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