For many executives, reading isn’t just a pastime; it’s a performance habit. IBM’s chief commercial officer, Rob Thomas , recently told me that he considers it a discipline worth mastering early in one’s career. Most mornings, he spends two to three hours reading before the workday begins, diving into biographies, history, technology, and sports to understand “what makes people and systems successful.”

He’s hardly alone. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett estimates he spends 80% of his working day reading, a habit he credits for sharpening his judgment over decades. His longtime partner Charlie Munger once put it plainly: “In my whole life, I have known no wise people… who didn’t read all the time—none, zero.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously launched a personal book club in 20

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