My top 3 books from 2017–2019
Back in 2017, I set myself a rather different new years resolution. Whilst most people opt to cut out alcohol, go to the gym more or reduce social media consumption, I decided to set myself the goal of reading 52 books before the end of the year. That’s a book a week. Why did I decide to do this. I was on a self-education and personal improvement mission (still am!) and ‘read more books’ kept coming up as advice from notable figures.
Someone once asked Buffet about keys to success, and he said
“Read 500 pages every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”
Likewise Bill Gates reads 50 books a year and goes on retreats on his own where he spends time reading and thinking.
Three years on and I’m happy to say that I’ve completed the challenge every year and in some years went beyond it, hitting 61 books in 2017, 56 in 2018 and 52 in 2019.
But I don’t have time to read that much
Firstly, let’s look at how to do it. With any new habit and any goal, you need to ensure you prioritise it. I had it in my daily habit tracker and to-do list. Next you need to make sure that no time is wasted. I’ve had a kindle for quite a few years now and take it with me everywhere. And I mean everywhere. If I’m meeting a friend for dinner, you bet I’ll have my kindle with me and read on the train / tube / bus on my way there and home.
Think about all the time you spend playing games on your phone, staring out of a window, sitting on trains, being stuck in traffic, walking, commuting, ironing. These are all opportunities to consume books.
Beyond a Kindle, this would not have been possible without the Audible app. I subscribed to Audible and exclusively listen to books when I’m driving (alone) in the car. I also put in my headphone and listen to books when walking and sometimes whilst doing mindless chores such as ironing and washing up. Furthermore, I set the reading speed to 2x. Now this will seem fast at first but within 10 minutes you’ll find anything slower than that painful. 2x on most books, is about conversational speed.
That alone could add up to a lot of reading time. However beyond that I did dedicate about 30mins to 1 hour each day to sit down and read, either a physical book or my kindle.
My top books from each year
2017
- The Untethered Soul: the journey beyond yourself by Michael A. Singer
This is a great book which I’ve recommended to many people and was a recommendation to me from Mike Bledsoe from the Strong Coach. It’s one of the first books I’ve read about the mind and your thoughts within it and really helps you to understand on a deeper level what’s going on in your head and how to process it.
2. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
I’ve read a fair amount of books by CEOs and Founders and before I’d read this, I’d never even heard of Zappos. But I really like how Tony gives an honest account of his time at Zappos and love the ethos that he was building. It’s a great book for anyone wanting to be an entrepreneur as well as anyone working in eCommerce.
3. Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestly
I’ve read all of Daniel’s books and been to see him speak a couple of times in person. I really like his business ethos and methodology and subscribe to his way of building a business and building a personal brand. It’s a book I’ve revisited many times as well as his other books. If you get a chance to see him speak, I’d highly recommend it.
2018
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
I can feel the hatred from some of you already. Just the mention of Ayn Rand can divide a room. This book came up a lot by people who Tim Ferriss interviewed both on his podcast and for his book ‘Tools of Titans’. It’s a very long book but honestly I was hooked. Whilst many see it as preach for libertarianism, what you mustn’t forget that this is a fiction novel. It’s a story and a great one at that. So whatever your views on libertarianism, this is a great book in its own right.
2. Mythos by Stephen Fry
This is a great book giving a detailed account of the greek myths with the story telling ability that only Stephen Fry can give you. I listened to the audible version of this narrated by Stephen Fry himself and highly recommend. He not only recounts the ancient myths but gives you information about how they relate to other stories in history and how some of the modern words we use are still derived from them. This and the sequel ‘Heroes’ are not to be missed.
3. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
The second reading of this book for me, that in part started off this whole journey for me, it can’t me missed off the list. Tim gives you a great perspective of how to live your life in a better more unconventional way and details how to do and what tools to use. Truely a game changer.
2019
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
This is an amazing fictional account based in Bolshevik Russia of a rich aristocrat who is stripped of his wealth. Although fictional, I learnt a lot about the period reading this book and it gave me a huge appreciation to the rich history that Russia has to offer.
2. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
This is a book about maps. 12 maps to be specific. Tim gives a great account about how geography can help explain the why behind the behaviours of nation states such as Russia and China, how Europe and America became so prosperous and why certain countries and regions seem to always be at war. Tim puts the issues we face today in international relations and economics into a geographical form and is thorough in his research and findings giving the reader both historical insight and knowledge.
3. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
This is a must read for everyone. Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator gives you the key lessons to negotiating as if your life depends on it. Whether you’re negotiating a sales deal or just trying to convince your child that it’s bedtime, this book provides you with insights and skills that you can use to swing any negotiation in your favour. I’ll definitely be re-reading this book again soon.
Notable mentions that weren’t in the top 3 for any given year that I feel deserve a mention:
The obstacle is the way by Ryan Holiday
This book started me on my path of stoicism and has undeniably lead to more personal happiness. Ryan looks at the ancient philosophy of stoicism and gives real life examples of how to use it in your everyday life as well as giving you a historical education of it’s inception into philosophy. Looking at the likes or Seneca and Marcus Aurelius this is a must read for anyone wanting to make a positive change in their life. I highly recommend all of Ryan’s books.
Find my article on Stoicism here: https://medium.com/@Coffee.Whisky.Barbells.and.B/01-why-im-a-stoic-and-you-should-be-too-2e317eda6536
Sapiens by Yuval Harari
If you want to broaden your mind and understand the origin of our species and why we are the way we are, I’d highly recommend the work of Yuval Harari.
I’ll stop here but there are too many great books out there for you to read so stop reading this and go grab yourself a book.
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