The Catalyst Habit: A Reintroduction to Reading: The Transformative Power of a Timeless Practice

Reading isn't a distraction from success. It's the foundation of it.

— 2025 BookLife Prize — Quarter Finalist —

“A vital resource for readers determined to think more clearly in a world driven to digital distraction.”
—BookLife

“Perennial good advice, and well delivered… A passionately argued case for building a regular reading habit.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Reading rates are at their lowest point in decades—pushed aside by career demands, family obligations, and endless digital noise.

Yet high performers across fields share one quiet truth.

The most powerful tool for growth isn’t a new technology.

It’s an ancient one.

In The Catalyst Habit, entrepreneur and bookseller, Josh Jacobs shows how reading can become a foundational practice that fuels growth across nearly every area of life.

With a personal trainer’s precision, Jacobs breaks reading into manageable daily “reps,” revealing how just a few minutes a day can sharpen focus, reduce stress, and strengthen lifelong learning.

Inside you'll discover:

• The Five Pillars of Reading
• Why high performers make reading nonnegotiable
• How five minutes a day can sharpen focus and reduce stress
• How to build a sustainable reading habit that fits your life

Rather than treating books as a luxury left behind after graduation, The Catalyst Habit makes a compelling case for reclaiming reading as one of the most powerful tools for lifelong growth.

Perfect for readers of:

Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf
Why We Read by Shannon Reed
Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish

Reclaim reading—and rediscover one of the most powerful tools for learning, focus, and lifelong growth.

Josh Jacobs is a serial entrepreneur, entrepreneur coach, and founder of The Collective Bookstore, an independent bookshop in Verona, New Jersey dedicated to inspiring curiosity, connection, and a lifelong love of reading. A former entertainment and start-up executive recognized on Billboard's "30 Under 30," he has founded three successful companies and built a career at the intersection of business, creativity, and community. Through his bookstore, affiliated book clubs, and coaching work, Jacobs helps entrepreneurs and readers harness the transformative power of books for personal growth and professional development. He is also the founder of The Collective Literary Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing literacy initiatives and providing free books to children and educational organizations across his community.