Recommended Reading
Below are quick reviews of books I highly recommend. I don’t list everything I read here; only the books that I found to be of a legendary nature. All links are affiliate links unless otherwise noted. Click through, buy a book, and you’ll be helping to support my writing as well as getting a kick-ass read.
March 2011
The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
Reading alone won’t make you a superior man, but this book certainly helps. I wish I’d discovered it years earlier. Deida’s insights helped me clear up a lot of blocks and misunderstandings I had about women, and feel more at ease expressing my assertive side.
January 2011
Getting Things Done by David Allen
I thought I was pretty good at the whole productivity thing before I read this book. It really helped shine a light on a bunch of my “open loops,” as Allen calls them. The habits he advocates aren’t always easy to develop and maintain, but they’ll make you a productivity ninja if you commit to them.
December 2010
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
This book changes the way you look at the world. It reminded me of a post I once wrote here on the blog, but of course Tolle takes you much deeper into the concept of present awareness and appreciation. I feel this is a book I should revisit often.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
I fell in love with the Zappos way of doing business after seeing these interviews with Hsieh on Big Think. This book is the story of how the company grew from zero to $1 billion in sales within 10 years by always keeping the big picture in mind and caring about people. If you think nice guys finish last, Hsieh’s story proves you wrong.
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Fascinating book, backed by lots of research. Mickey C explains how happiness can be achieved by learning to control inner experience, and drives home the point that it’s not so much what happens to you that determines the quality of your life, but how you respond.
Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina
This book had me saying “A-ha!” time and time again. Steve has created an ingenious personal development framework that can be used to improve every area of your life. He writes clearly and doesn’t pull any punches. Also check out his blog for hundreds of excellent free articles.
November 2010
People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck
This book is about human evil, and the hope for healing it. Peck describes evil people as those who are in opposition to life and liveliness, lying to themselves because they’re terrified of having to deal with their own shortcomings. Peck also writes about his first-hand experience at two exorcisms and the phenomenon of group evil.
September 2010
The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau
One of the nicest and most genuine guys I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, Chris also happens to know a whole lot about thinking for yourself and challenging the status quo. His book tells you how to live your dreams while also making the world a better place. Be sure to check out his excellent blog for lots of great free content. I especially recommend you read his manifesto, A Brief Guide to World Domination.
Some time or other
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
This book changed my life. I didn’t have an entrepreneurial bone in my body before I picked it up, but proceeded to have my mind blown and my world expanded page by page. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to live life on their own terms. Also check out Tim’s blog for lots of great free content.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
If you’re struggling to create something worthwhile, you must consume this book. It’s a quick but insanely powerful read. It will make you better at whatever you do.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I remember reading this in one sitting at a bookstore in New Orleans and feeling in love with the world as I strolled home down St. Charles Avenue. The Alchemist is a fable which underscores the importance of following your dreams and enjoying the journey.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Widely regarded as one of the best business books ever written. Collins and his team spent five years figuring out the differences between the merely good companies and those who had managed to achieve sustained excellence. Lots of great insights. This book served as inspiration for two of my blog posts: The Stockdale Paradox and Finding your Life Purpose.
Tribes by Seth Godin
If you ever need a little inspiration to step up and be a leader, read this book. Seth Godin challenges you to be remarkable, to embrace your inner heretic, to break free of the status quo. By doing so, he promises that you’ll piss off a few people, but you’ll also find a whole tribe waiting for you to lead them. Check out Seth’s remarkable blog here.
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
An absolute classic, and a must-read for anyone interested in spiritual growth. This book had me gripped from the beginning as Peck discussed the difficulty of life. There are another two books in the Road Less Traveled series but the original is the masterpiece.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Another classic. Frankl wrote this book in 1946, chronicling his experiences in Nazi concentration camps and introducing his theory of logotherapy. Frankl explains how the prison guards were able to take away all of his human freedoms but one, writing “Between stimulus and response is our greatest power: the freedom to choose.” Here’s a blog post I wrote on the topic: Everything is a Choice.
The Essential Gandhi by Mahatma Gandhi
This book is a collection of Gandhi’s writings, and captures the essence of the man and his contribution to the world. Can be quite dense at times, but well worth the effort. I believe I’m a better, more compassionate person for having read this.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This is perhaps the first “self help” book I ever picked up and I must confess that I still haven’t finished it. Reading about the first three habits gave me so much to think about and work on that I never got too deep into the rest. I suspect my mind will be blown yet again when I eventually get around to habits 4-7.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The granddaddy of personal development books, first published in 1937. Hill spent more than 20 years studying the most successful men in America and emerged with 13 principles of personal achievement. It’s all very simple, but not very easy. If you can master the principles, I have no doubt that you will succeed in reaching whatever lofty goals you might have in life. (Oh, and last time I checked the Kindle version of this cost less than $1. Ridiculous value.)
Anything to add?
You see the kind of books I like. Any more you can recommend for me? Get in touch via the contact page.
