Matt Hutson’s Reviews > Rise of the Reader: Strategies For Mastering Your Reading Habits and Applying What You Learn > Status Update

Such a great list of recommended books!

Key Insight: Real transformation comes from your action, not just the author’s words.

Story: After finishing Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter, Nick thanked Sharon for writing the book. Her response? “Don’t thank me, thank yourself.” She reminded him that over 32 million copies of the book had been sold, but only a fraction of readers truly applied its lessons.

"1% a day doesn’t look like much—until it looks like everything."

Action Step:

Identify one area where you can improve 1% daily (for me: daily reading).

Commit to consistency over intensity—let small steps stack up.

Use reading as fuel, but always pair it with action.

"Don’t just take notes, build a system that remembers for you."

Action Step:

1. While reading: bracket and circle page numbers.


2. After session: write biggest takeaways in a physical notebook.


3. After finishing: extract top 5–10 takeaways into a digital, searchable system with tags.


4. Review and revisit when facing relevant challenges.

Key Insight: Beat the forgetting curve with spaced repetition and action.

Reflection: German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus developed the concept of the Forgetting Curve, which shows how quickly we lose information without review. The solution is spaced repetition—revisiting material after increasing intervals: first a few days or a week later, then a few weeks after that, and so on.

Key Insight: Treat your books like hard-earned trophies, not just decoration.

Reflection: Nick compares books to real sports trophies—not the participation kind, but the ones earned through winning and exceptional effort. Just as trophies reminded him that hard work pays off, books can serve as visual reminders of the effort you’ve put into improving your life. Display them as “play bigger triggers."

Key Insight: Use the “Rule of 100” to decide whether to continue a book.

Reflection: Shared by Tim Ferriss and Ryan Holiday, the Rule of 100 says: Start with 100, subtract your age, and the result is the number of pages you should read before deciding whether to finish a book. For me, at 41, that’s 59 pages. The older you are, the fewer pages you need to read before making that choice.

Key Insight: Productive procrastination can reveal your true calling.

Reflection: Productive procrastination happens when the thing you do to avoid “real work” turns out to be the work that matters most. It’s like asking, What would you do if money was no object?—except you’re already doing it despite financial constraints.

Key Insight: Your future self depends on the actions you take now.

Reflection: The end of Chapter 1 challenges you to imagine yourself at 80, looking back on your life. If you want to reach that vision, you must start making intentional choices today. One of the most powerful ways to do that is through reading—and, more importantly, applying what you read.