Mark Cuban didn’t mince words. In a CNBC interview, he said: “Somebody 40 and over, even 30 and over, if you’re not reading, you’re f—ed… because you’re not expanding your mind.” Then he added something that really got me: “Somebody who doesn’t read lives one life, somebody who reads an unlimited number of lives.”
I read maybe one book last year — and I’m not sure I finished it. So that landed.
The thing is, Cuban reads more than 3 hours every day. Warren Buffett devotes roughly 80% of his working day to reading. Bill Gates gets through about 50 books a year. According to Time magazine, this is the single habit ultra-successful people share above all others. I believed it. I just couldn’t see how it applied to me. Between work, a commute, and trying to cook something that isn’t toast, I’m lucky to get through two pages before falling asleep with a book on my face.
But Cuban’s words stuck. If not reading means living only one life — I wanted more than that. So I tried something different. I downloaded an app called Blinkist and committed to using it every day for 30 days. Here’s what happened.
Even Apple recommends Blinkist for those who are lifelong learners, naming it one of the best apps in the world. And Apple CEO Tim Cook — himself a Blinkist user — even stopped by the Berlin office to see what the fuss was about.
Blinkist gathers the key insights from nonfiction books into 15-minute reads and listens. There are over 9,000 titles across 27 categories including entrepreneurship, management and leadership, and personal development.
More than 43 million people are now expanding their horizons with Blinkist. The app is loved by everyone from The New York Times to Forbes.