How long does it take to read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck?
Mark Manson
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck takes 3 hours 17 minutes to read. The unabridged audiobook runs 5h 17m at 1x, or 3h 31m at 1.5x.
Mark Manson's book is the shortest non-fiction title in our study of 100: a little over three hours at an average pace. It's an easy one to finish in a single day.
Average is about 250 WPM. Measure yours in two minutes and every time on this page recalculates.
How much to read a day
At 250 words a minute, to finish the book:
Have a deadline in mind? The pages-per-day calculator works it out for any date.
How we measured it
Method: audiobook estimate. Estimated from the original 2016 unabridged audiobook narrated by Roger Wayne (5:17) at 155 words a minute.
Part of our study of the 100 most popular books, last checked November 2026. Reading times assume steady reading; editions, translations and your own pace all move them.
See how long it really takes you
Log it in Parch as you read. It tracks your pages, sessions and streak, so you'll know your real pace, and how long the next one will take.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck?
About 3h 17m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 4h 6m at 200 and 2h 44m at 300.
How many words are in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck?
About 49,135 words. That's estimated from the unabridged audiobook at a narration pace of 155 words a minute, so treat it as close, not exact.
How long is the audiobook?
5 hours 17 minutes unabridged at 1x: 3h 31m at 1.5x and 2h 39m at 2x.
How many pages a day to finish The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck in a month?
About 6 pages a day, or 7m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 179 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Can you read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck in one sitting?
With a long sitting, yes: it's about 3 hours 17 minutes at 250 words a minute, and under 3 hours at 300.
Is it shorter than Atomic Habits?
A little: about 49,000 words against 52,000 by the same audiobook estimate, roughly 10 minutes less reading.