I find great pleasure in reading for business, personal development, and leisure. Below is a list of books I’ll update from time to time, summarizing those I’ve found to be particularly influential.
This is also the home of my intended reading lists, and a record of what I’ve read each year.
The Four Agreements
Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements is part of what has defined how I approach life, love, and the endeavors I choose to pursue. Miguel Ruiz shows a way to approach life and daily situations with care, attention to detail, and an awareness of self which has paid dividends over and over as I apply his teachings to life.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Daniel H. Pink
I found Drive to be a particularly good reference for the concepts of autonomy, mastery, and purpose, as well as how these three concepts connect together. I found I learned a lot about myself reading Drive, and began finding ways to identify areas where I could foster more of the three above concepts for myself.
The Compound Effect
Darren Hardy
The compounding effect of introducing small and manageable changes, repeated consistently, is profound. Determine the smallest first step which feels manageable to perform consistently, and perform that step on a regular cadence. Write down your overall goal, write down the step you’re taking today, and commit to it on repeat.
This book set in stone a common concept I’ve known for some time, and framed the compound effect in a new way, for me.
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
For me, Ready Player One is a deep look into what the future (or the now?) could be, through a familiar lens for myself. I enjoy books which offer an opportunity for deep and broad thinking, and Ready Player One delivers on this in leaps and bounds.
Ego is the Enemy
Ryan Holiday
I find myself on an on-going journey of self reflection and improvement. I also find myself noticing moments where “human intervention”, if you will, gets in the way of opportunity for growth. Having one’s ego get in the way, is something which happens to us all regularly. Ryan Holiday explores this, and offers teachable moments for us all to reflect upon.
Start With Why
Simon Sinek
This is a staple must-read for anyone looking to grow personally or professionally. Simon Sinek teaches us to ask “why” before asking other questions of a new idea or project, and uses this as a vehicle to explore getting to the absolute root of an idea or situation, through asking meaningful and thought-provoking questions.
The Happiness Advantage
Shawn Achor
Shawn explores a simple ideal in this book, and one which I agree with; the attitude we bring to a situation dictates how we receive and are received in the situation. Happiness can bring about significant change within a person, or a given situation. Shawn tests this theory with a series of studies on students in specific scenarios, and reports his findings. I found this to be a thought-provoking read, and one which shaped a lot of how I approach many different unfamiliar situations.