The Art of Reading: How Books Become Weapons in Life

Author Go Myung-hwan · Publisher Lagom · Published 2026-07-08 · ISBN 9791193939666

About the Book

"Reading is no longer a hobby. It's a means of survival."
Go Myung-hwan, winner of the 'Author of the Year' award, encapsulates 20 years of reading wisdom in one book.

Go Myung-hwan, the most sought-after speaker and author whom readers most want to meet, connects with thousands of people through over 40 lectures a month. At the end of every lecture, hands invariably go up. "So, how should I read books?"
Go Myung-hwan, one of the greatest readers of our time, who has read thousands of books over 20 years and lived by the truths he discovered in them, has condensed his 20 years of reading expertise into one volume. Why read, how to read, and how reading changes one's life—"The Art of Reading" was written to generously share the positive functions of reading and the author's diverse personal reading methods with readers.
The author, who has completely transformed from a comedian into an author, lecturer, and CEO of a restaurant business, winning the 'Author of the Year' award, exporting publication rights to 5 countries, and more, attributes all this to reading. When he felt anxious, he ran to the library to read, and when answers seemed elusive, he spent hours reading to find direction in books. Having read over 3,000 books and accumulated solid reading experience, he now lives a life where he can go where he wants, when he wants, and with whom he wants.
Ahn Jung-geun's saying, "If I don't read a book for a day, thorns grow in my mouth," means that those who read find solutions instead of complaining to the world, and ask questions instead of resenting. If you continue to read despite the hundreds of reasons that make you want to put down a book every day, that accumulated reading power will make you stronger. In uncertain times, the only way to survive is through reading.

"There is no anxiety that an hour of reading cannot dispel."
The most essential skill and a powerful tool for seizing opportunities in uncertain times.

There are people who are said to be "lucky." They always seem to choose well and achieve optimal results in everything they do. Do luck and opportunities really only appear to them?
Wittgenstein said, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." This means that you see as much as you know. If everyone can see it, it's not an opportunity. It's an opportunity if you can see what others cannot. We can find the answer in Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's statement that "what's needed in the AI era are people who can predict the future and react quickly," and Warren Buffett's remark that "I spend 50 weeks a year reading (thinking)." The ability to discover infinite possibilities within oneself, seize opportunities, and predict the future world—all these are only possible through 'reading.'
The author claims that books are the best weapon for navigating uncertain times. Based on his 20 years of reading experience, he presents 24 reasons why one should read. Reading helps cultivate an eye for opportunity, reveals the flow of money, dissipates fear, and allows one to enjoy time. It led him to become an author, lecturer, and restaurant CEO, roles he never imagined before. The power of reading gives one the ability to adapt, no matter how the world changes.
In the future, thoughts will be bought and sold. The extent of experience that serves as a clue for these thoughts will be determined by the amount of reading. With books, one can always move in the right direction at moments of choice.

"One page as soon as I open my eyes. This is reading I never skip."
Revealing specific reading methods such as the 10-page reading technique and utilizing the 'six to nine' approach.

So, how should one read? Many people say, "I don't have time to read because I'm busy." To them, the author says firmly, "You're busy because you don't read."
The author emphasizes that books should be read not as a hobby, but with a life-or-death attitude. This means making time for reading the top priority in one's daily life. To achieve this, he introduces various specific methods he has practiced for 20 years. For example, reading one page first thing in the morning and at least 5 minutes before going to sleep. He conserves energy for the time between 6 PM after work and 9 AM the next morning, and always carries a book to read whenever he goes to the restroom or meets friends.
The '10-page reading method' is what the author recommends most. It involves choosing three books from different fields like literature, philosophy, and science, and reading 10 pages from each. The author used this method to read difficult books and is currently applying it to "In Search of Lost Time."
True reading involves choosing the books you need and that suit you from countless options, reading them with the right methods, then taking walks, creating content, writing, and discussing to transform your life. However, not all these processes yield results overnight. Still, if you don't give up and keep reading, every minute accumulated will change your future. If you build up the process of reading day by day, turning pages one by one, your efforts will never betray you.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Process of Finding My 'Luck'

1. Why Should We Read? – "I Read to Think"
It's about getting familiar, not understanding
"If I don't read a book for a day, thorns grow in my mouth."
To those who say they're too busy to read
The power to enjoy time
50 weeks of reading, 2 weeks of work
Living as a master, not a slave
I need time with myself
Reading 1 : Thinking 9
Transforming an ordinary day into an extraordinary one
It makes me reflect on myself
Why read classical literature
The power to edit the world
Body and mind become beautiful
The most important process in my life
Fear disappears
The flow of money becomes visible
It never stops
I read to survive
An eye for seizing opportunities
The power to understand "My heart is a lake."
Turning crises into opportunities
It makes me value myself
A system that guarantees success
Let's read the books that need to be read

2. How Should We Read? – "It's the Process of Meeting the Self Within Me"
The two characters inherited from Dasan Jeong Yak-yong
Choose reading
Thoughts born during long drives
The 10-page reading method
Literature, philosophy, science, and walking
Follow the books that books introduce to you
The greatness of rereading
From this book to that book
Get obsessed with books at least once in your life
Make it an end, not a means
Don't 'see', 'look'
The power of reading together
Read with a life-or-death attitude
Writing to make what you read your own
How to debate with your inner self

3. My Reading Methods – "One page as soon as I open my eyes. This is reading I never skip."
One hour of forced reading
How to read quickly
Go to the library
The mindset of having little time
How to read series
Things you must prepare for reading
The 'six to nine' reading method
Reading method using a cell phone
Reading and writing simultaneously
Each interpretation is different
Books that don't need to be read to the end
Reading method for creating content
Holiday reading method
How to train your brain for reading
20 minutes before meeting a friend
How to read "brick" books (long, dense books)
How to read unfinished books
Get bored, and ideas will emerge
Go Myung-hwan's current reading method

4. When Reading Becomes a Weapon for Life – "All books lead to the question, 'Who am I?'"
Creating standards for self-assessment: "The Art of War"
Starting a thought with one sentence: "Future Forecast: The Calling Society"
Creating my own sentences: "Turbid Flow," "Contradiction"
Asking questions through classics: "A Pale View of Hills"
Experiencing connections: "Pere Goriot," "Nausea," "Eugénie Grandet"
When encountering a book you don't understand: "The Fall," "Nausea"
When re-encountering a familiar story: "The Evergreen Tree"
Combining books and walks: "Tattoo"
Reading by analogy: "Sapiens"
Pondering a single word: "The World as Will and Representation," "The Will to Power"

Conclusion: What is Your Question?