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Naval Ravikant's Reading List (2026): 12 Books He Recommends, With Reading Times
Naval Ravikant has publicly recommended these 12 books; reading them all takes about 80 h 34 min at the average 238 words per minute.
Naval Ravikant keeps a published reading list on Navalmanack, the site built around his essays and talks, and each entry there comes with a short note on why the book made the cut, from Sapiens to Marcus Aurelius's Meditations.
The books below are taken directly from that list, along with the specific line Naval used to describe each one, plus reading time so you can see what you are committing to.
Picks are sourced from Naval Ravikant's official recommended reading list on Navalmanack.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026.
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Books on this list
12
Total reading time at 238 WPM
80 h 34 min
At 400 WPM that drops to 47 h 57 min.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari · 2015
Naval calls it the 'best book of the last decade I have read' on his official recommended reading list.
How long does it take to read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind? About 9 h 52 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (512 pages), or around 5 h 52 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves
Matt Ridley · 2010
Listed by Naval as the 'most brilliant and enlightening book I've read in years.'
How long does it take to read The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves? About 8 h 56 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (464 pages), or around 5 h 19 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life
Nassim Nicholas Taleb · 2018
Naval names it his best book read in 2018, an excellent business and philosophy book on risk and accountability.
How long does it take to read Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life? About 5 h at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (260 pages), or around 2 h 59 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World
David Deutsch · 2011
Naval says the book 'made me smarter' and he unequivocally recommends Deutsch's work.
How long does it take to read The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World? About 9 h 33 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (496 pages), or around 5 h 41 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Siddhartha
Hermann Hesse · 1922
Naval states he has 'given out more copies of this book than any other.'
How long does it take to read Siddhartha? About 2 h 56 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (152 pages), or around 1 h 45 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Charlie Munger (ed. Peter Kaufman) · 2005
Included on Naval's recommended reading list as a key text on success and mental models.
How long does it take to read Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger? About 9 h 52 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (512 pages), or around 5 h 52 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
The Lessons of History
Will Durant, Ariel Durant · 1968
Naval recommends it for concisely summarising major historical and civilisational themes.
How long does it take to read The Lessons of History? About 2 h 19 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (120 pages), or around 1 h 23 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
James Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg · 1997
Naval calls it the 'best book I've read since Sapiens.'
How long does it take to read The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age? About 8 h 38 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (448 pages), or around 5 h 8 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius · 180
Naval describes it as 'absolutely life changing', the personal diary of a Roman emperor.
How long does it take to read Meditations? About 4 h 56 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (256 pages), or around 2 h 56 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity
Carlo Rovelli · 2016
Naval calls it the 'best book I've read in the last year' on his reading list.
How long does it take to read Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity? About 5 h 24 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (280 pages), or around 3 h 13 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
Nassim Nicholas Taleb · 2012
Listed alongside Taleb's other Incerto titles on Naval's recommended reading page.
How long does it take to read Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder? About 10 h at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (519 pages), or around 5 h 57 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl · 1946
Included on Naval's recommended reading list among works on meaning and resilience.
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: Navalmanack - Naval's Recommended Reading, 2024
How Long Would the Whole List Take?
Based on 1,150,600 total words across every book on this list.
| Reading speed | Speed band | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 200 WPM | Slower than average | 95 h 53 min |
| 238 WPM | Average adult (Brysbaert, 2019) | 80 h 34 min |
| 400 WPM | Fast reader | 47 h 57 min |
| 600 WPM | Trained speed reader | 31 h 58 min |
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Naval Ravikant Reading List FAQ
How many books are on Naval Ravikant's reading list?
This list covers 12 books Naval Ravikant's recommended, drawn from on-the-record sources rather than second-hand claims.
How long does it take to read Naval Ravikant's book list?
Reading all 12 books back to back comes to roughly 80 h 34 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 Naval Ravikant's own official recommended reading list on Navalmanack. Each book card links to the original source so you can verify the recommendation yourself.