Deep Reading & Knowledge Path

Read 12 Books in a Year

Elective. One book per month is the entry cadence for autodidacts. Start here if 2+ books per month feels unrealistic right now. Proof: 12 written reflections demonstrating real engagement with each book's content.

Read 24 Books in a Year (2 Per Month)

Elective. Two books per month is the cadence that builds genuine breadth across a year — enough to span non-fiction, fiction, and a technical subject simultaneously. Proof: public reading log with summaries.

Read 52 Books in a Year (1 Per Week)

Elective. One book per week demands ruthless selection and a reliable summary system. At this pace, reading becomes a discipline rather than a preference. Proof: published summaries or notes for all 52 books.

Build a Personal Knowledge System (1 Year)

Elective. A knowledge system is what separates reading that accumulates from reading that compounds. This milestone proves you can connect ideas across books and time. Proof: 100+ connected notes and a published output (essay, talk, or article) that cites your system.

Complete a Self-Designed MBA Curriculum

Elective. A self-designed MBA applies the autodidact's discipline to a structured curriculum across strategy, finance, marketing, and operations. The proof requirement — a documented syllabus and completion log — is what makes this a credential, not a reading list.

The foundational text on analytical and syntopical reading. Free on Archive.org. If you have never deliberately practised reading at multiple levels, start here before logging your first book.

Free introduction to the note-taking system behind one of the most productive academic careers in modern history. The best starting framework for the 'Build a Personal Knowledge System' milestone.

A curated, openly available list of the 99 best business books across every MBA core subject. Free to browse — the canonical curriculum for the self-designed MBA milestone.