Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

The 3 most beat up and read books on my bookshelf. What are your most beat up and read books?

28 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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1:18

In this solo vlog, Nick Hutchison, a longtime reader of nonfiction and personal‑development titles, walks viewers through the three most worn books on his shelf. He introduces himself, notes his ten‑year reading background, and then showcases each book in turn: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, which is missing pages after repeated daily reading; Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, marked by dog‑ears, coffee stains, and a habit of signing the cover each time he reads it; and The 4‑Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, which has survived multiple international trips, airport checks, and frequent handling. For each title, Nick describes the physical wear as evidence of how often and where he has read the book. He concludes by inviting the audience to comment with their own most beat‑up books, fostering community interaction.

Chapters

Here are the 3 most beat-up books in my library. My name is Nick. I've been reading for 10 years in the nonfiction business and personal development space. And as you can see, some of these books have seen better days. Number 1 is The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. As you can see, this book is a little beat up. It's actually missing a couple of pages that I tore out and walked around with. And I think this is my third or fourth copy of the book. But when you tear it open and you read it daily, this is what happens to the book. Number two is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book has dog ears, coffee stains, bent pages. It's been in my backpack about a thousand times, and and I try to sign it every time I read it. And this book has just been read so many times. And last but not least, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. I have read this book in at least five different countries, which means it's been. Been through a lot of airport bag checks, and it's been packed and unpacked many, many, many times. Oftentimes I'll leave the dust cover of a book at home so that I don't ruin it, and I'll just bring the book underneath the COVID with me. Comment down below and share your most beat-up books.