# Did They Really Read 704 Books in a Year? The Truth Behind the Numbers

Let's not debate whether this is true or false first. What does reading 704 books in a year actually mean? Let me do the math, and the truth will reveal itself.

This isn't impossible—it's a matter of redefining what "reading" means.

## The Time Math

365 days in a year, 704 books.
That's 1.93 books per day, roughly 2 books daily.
No rest days, no sick days, no social life. Zero downtime all year.

## The Page Count Math

Assume an average book has 200 pages (that's already conservative).
704 books × 200 pages = 140,800 pages.
That's 386 pages per day.
If reading 4 hours daily, that's 97 pages per hour.
This is already speed-reading territory.

## The Comprehension Math

Reading breaks down into three types:
- **Deep reading:** 30-50 pages/hour (understanding + reflection + note-taking)
- **Skimming:** 100-200 pages/hour (browsing + capturing key points)
- **Scanning:** 300+ pages/hour (flipping through + reading contents + scanning quotes)

Reading 704 books annually can only be scanning, not deep reading. Period.

## The Content Math

Depending on what they're reading:
- **Webnovels, popular fiction, picture books, comics:** Possible.
- **Self-help books, success guides, short biographies:** Possible.
- **Academic books, scholarly works, literary classics:** Impossible.

So the real question isn't "how many books," it's "what books."

## But There's Another Side to This

**First, some people genuinely can do it.**
Full-time readers, book reviewers, publishing editors—reading is their job, 8+ hours daily. But even they rely mostly on skimming with selective deep reading.

**Second, "reading" has different definitions.**
Some count it as reading if you open the book.
Some count it if you read the cover, table of contents, and key passages.
Others require full comprehension from start to finish.
Different standards = different numbers.

**Third, the AI variable in this era.**
AI can now help with reading:
- AI summarizes entire books
- AI extracts core ideas
- AI generates reading notes

The boundary of what "reading" means gets even blurrier. Is the AI doing the reading, or the person?

## The Most Uncomfortable Truth

Reading 704 books in a year means spending most of your time reading instead of actually living.

Reading should enhance life, not replace it.

If reading becomes a KPI, you've lost the point of reading entirely.