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Jordan Peterson's Reading List (2026): 10 Books He Recommends, With Reading Times
Jordan Peterson has publicly recommended these 10 books; reading them all takes about 68 h 52 min at the average 238 words per minute.
Jordan Peterson maintains an official recommended book list on his own site, covering dystopian and philosophical fiction alongside history and psychology, much of it concerned with totalitarianism, meaning and moral responsibility.
The titles below are taken straight from that list, with reading times added so you can weigh up commitments like Dostoevsky's Demons against shorter picks such as Man's Search for Meaning.
Picks are sourced from Jordan Peterson's official recommended book list on jordanbpeterson.com.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026.
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Books on this list
10
Total reading time at 238 WPM
68 h 52 min
At 400 WPM that drops to 40 h 59 min.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley · 1932
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Brave New World? About 5 h 33 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (288 pages), or around 3 h 18 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell · 1949
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Nineteen Eighty-Four? About 6 h 19 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (328 pages), or around 3 h 46 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
The Road to Wigan Pier
George Orwell · 1937
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read The Road to Wigan Pier? About 5 h 5 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (264 pages), or around 3 h 2 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1866
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Crime and Punishment? About 12 h 55 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (671 pages), or around 7 h 41 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Demons
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1872
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Demons? About 14 h 47 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (768 pages), or around 8 h 48 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche · 1886
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Beyond Good and Evil? About 4 h 37 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (240 pages), or around 2 h 45 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Ordinary Men
Christopher Browning · 1992
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Ordinary Men? About 6 h 19 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (328 pages), or around 3 h 46 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
The Painted Bird
Jerzy Kosinski · 1965
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read The Painted Bird? About 4 h 30 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (234 pages), or around 2 h 41 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
The Rape of Nanking
Iris Chang · 1997
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read The Rape of Nanking? About 5 h 35 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (290 pages), or around 3 h 19 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl · 1946
On Jordan Peterson's official recommended Book List.
How long does it take to read Man's Search for Meaning? About 3 h 11 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (165 pages), or around 1 h 53 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Jordan B Peterson - Book List
How Long Would the Whole List Take?
Based on 983,400 total words across every book on this list.
| Reading speed | Speed band | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 200 WPM | Slower than average | 81 h 57 min |
| 238 WPM | Average adult (Brysbaert, 2019) | 68 h 52 min |
| 400 WPM | Fast reader | 40 h 59 min |
| 600 WPM | Trained speed reader | 27 h 19 min |
Most people can roughly double their reading speed with practice. Take the 2-minute speed test to see where you are.
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Jordan Peterson Reading List FAQ
How many books are on Jordan Peterson's reading list?
This list covers 10 books Jordan Peterson's recommended, drawn from on-the-record sources rather than second-hand claims.
How long does it take to read Jordan Peterson's book list?
Reading all 10 books back to back comes to roughly 68 h 52 min at the average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute (Brysbaert, 2019). Your own time will vary with your reading speed and how closely you read each book.
Where do these recommendations come from?
Every pick on this page is sourced directly, listed on Jordan Peterson's own official recommended book list. Each book card links to the original source so you can verify the recommendation yourself.