In 2018 I read a total of 38 books, but I actually bought 66 books. Almost all of the books I bought were used (to save money) and very rarely do I buy new books (with the exception of author events). However, even by buying second hand books, the total cost of books can add up.
Similarly to what I did last year, I decided to review all of my book purchases to find out exactly how much I've spent on books in 2018.
In 2017, I bought 52 books which totaled $414.61 or $7.97 per book. Let’s check out the stats for 2018.
Here is the cost of Every book I bought in 2018:
$7.98 Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet
$7.57 Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
$4.99 When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man
$11.98 A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the Internet Tells Us About Sexual Relationships
Book review: "A Billion Wicked Thoughts” by Ogas & Gaddam
$4.99 A Million Little Pieces
$9.48 The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Revised Edition
$10.95 How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life
$18.89 The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win
$10.87 Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior
Book review: "Subliminal” by Leonard Mlodinow
$4.00 The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy, Revised and Expanded
$16.63 Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
$12.57 Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual
Book review: "Discipline Equals Freedom" by Jocko Willink
$6.04 Tao Te Ching
$10.31 How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
$10.95 The Road to Wigan Pier
$10.19 The Alchemist
$7.96 The Undiscovered Self: With Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams
$19.19 The Director's Manual: A Framework for Board Governance
$5.99 The Truth about Leadership: The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know
$8.79 The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny
Book review "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma
$9.56 The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag
A great book about life in North Korea: "The Aquariums of Pyongyang"
$11.75 This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)
$10.71 The Compound Effect
An excellent book, learn more here: "The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy
$12.09 Unit 731 Testimony
A horrifying book but necessary to remember: UNIT 731: A Book About Evil and War Crimes
$3.00 The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
$4.99 The Fault in Our Stars
$8.94 Man and His Symbols
$3.00 Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers (Pimlico)
$4.44 Modern Man in Search of a Soul
One of my all time favorites, read more here: "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl
$10.47 The Book of Five Rings
$4.99 Rogue Warrior
$8.71 Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
Book review: "Smarter Faster Better” by Charles Duhigg
$6.07 On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft
Book review: "On Writing" by Stephen King
Find Stephen King’s favorite books here.
$9.37 Writing To Learn
$7.44 The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
$10.39 The Power of Myth
Book review: "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell
$7.70 The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Book review: "The Dragons of Eden" by Carl Sagan
$7.49 Wild at Heart: Discovering The Secret of a Man's Soul
Book review: "Wild At Heart" by John Eldredge
$10.80 Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World
Book review: "Make Your Bed" by William McRaven
$6.97 Lolita
$9.75 The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
An excellent book about productivity and time management, read my takeaways here.
$4.33 The Forgotten Highlander: An Incredible WWII Story of Survival in the Pacific
A great book about POWs in WWII, read more here.
$16.67 Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)
Highly recommend this book, read my takeaways here.
$15.57 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
Highly recommend this book, read my takeaways here.
Bonus: 6 Profound Quotes from "12 Rules for Life" by Jordon Peterson
Total Cost: $ 493. 22
Interesting Figures:
Number of books purchased: 66
Average book price: $7.47
Most expensive book: $19.19 The Director's Manual: A Framework for Board Governance
(Of course the most expensive book is a college textbook…)
Least expensive book: $3.00 Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers (Pimlico)
Well there you have it, I spent a little over $493 on books last year.
Keep in mind that the cost listed does not include shipping. In total, I think it’s safe to say that I spent $500+ or so altogether.
It may silly to spend this much on books, but I consider books to be an investment, not an expense.
Instead of spending cash on cable, beer, drugs or other hobbies, I spend my money on books. All hobbies cost money, but very few will give you a positive return and improve your life.
That’s why I recommend more people should start reading books, you won’t regret it!
Before you go:
As you can see the cost of books adds up, throw in the cost of maintaining a website and it comes out to several hundreds dollars a year. However, I truly enjoy reading and writing and want to continue sharing awesome lessons and knowledge with everyone. Thus, I ask viewers to consider donating to help keep this site up and running, every dollar counts!
If I’m able to turn this into a full-time career, I’d be able to read a lot more books and share many more important lessons learned from books. I also promise to keep the site ad-free and strive to provide interesting and educational content.
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Thanks everyone! -Alex
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