CEOs Do Not Read a Book a Week
The average CEO does not read a book a week. There are no studies on this, just a bunch of YouTube hucksters in a circle jerk. There are, however, studies on mere mortals.
The average American reads 12 books a year. The highest income earners ($75,000+) read 15. It’s not a huge difference. I have been and met CEOs and they’re not smarter than anyone else. As Michelle Obama said:
“I have been at probably every powerful table that you can think of, I have worked at nonprofits, I have been at foundations, I have worked in corporations, served on corporate boards, I have been at G-summits, I have sat in at the U.N.: They are not that smart.” (Newsweek)
The lie of late capitalism is that it’s a meritocracy and that people are on top because they’re somehow better. Education is supposed to be one way to differentiate that, but when western educations cost upwards of $100,000 now, it’s becoming another class shibboleth.
That said, reading is wonderful. I read a lot of books and it deepens my thinking whereas reading the news and Internet stuff mainly makes me angry. Reading is a wonderful habit, but making a capitalist dick-measuring contest out of it isn’t.
