'Since class 12, I have only read two books': Paytm CEO admits he's bad at reading

It is often assumed that successful people are voracious readers, but this is not always the case. In fact, many successful people are not good readers at all.

In a refreshingly honest admission, Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma on Tuesday said that he is "really bad at reading." He said that since class 12, he has only read two books: Steve Jobs' biography and Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch.

"I am really bad at reading books," he wrote on Twitter. "I just completed my 45th and only book I have read a few chapters of is: Psychology of Money. In fact, since class 12, I have only read two books: Steve Jobs Biography and Straight from the Gut."

Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s tweet on reading came in response to a listicle of "10 Must Read Books Before You Turn 45".
Sharma, however, said that he wants to enhance his reading skills so that he can read and enjoy more books.

Paytm CEO also mentioned that he loves reading academic books, even when they are unrelated to the subjects he studied. He believes that reading helps him to learn new things and to expand his knowledge.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma also wondered whether the language barrier stopped him from feeling good about reading. "Could it be because of language comfort? My first subject book in English was in engineering college," he said.

Several Twitter users responded to Vijay Shekhar Sharma's tweet empathizing with him and suggesting he read books in whichever language he is comfortable in. 

“Vijay, reading, from any age, lends wisdom, perspective and, not in the least, the ability to write well (eg, just one book, Open by Agassi, upped my writing skills 10x).Start now!!,” a user wrote. “Reading is a solitary pleasure, but it becomes even more enriching when shared with others.Seek out like-minded individuals who share your passion for books. Together, you can explore literary landscapes and embark on a collective journey of intellectual exploration,” another one commented. “Happy to make recommendations Vijay. Just tell me what you want to learn about and I will write you a one page brief and the chapters you can skip in a book,” a third user said.

"Read in Hindi then. Most popular books are available in Hindi," Devina Mehra (@devinamehra). "In fact, if you search for best sellers in Hindi on any of the online platforms the bulk of the top 20-30 are all translations."

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