Invest in yourself with these 15 must read books!
2017 is right around the corner and the new year is always a great time to take stock; what’s good, what’s great and what needs to get better in your life. Why not kick off 2017 with a fresh outlook, and curl up with one (or more) of these books over the holidays.
A good book can impact your life in a truly meaningful way, and we’ve got a feeling that these 15 stimulating reads will do the trick. We’ve selected titles ranging from psychology to innovation and motivation, because we know that inspiration can be found everywhere! Some of these books have been out there for a while and if they aren’t already on your shelf (and they should be!), now’s the time to hop onto your Amazon profile or jump into the closest bookshop.
1. Tools of Titans – Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss has taken dozens of 60+ minute interviews with some of the most successful and interesting folks around and summarised them into 2–6 page action-packed sections: the result is a collection full of instantly usable thoughts and ideas that will make you feel like you’re having a smart conversation with an interesting friend!
Peter Thiel is the brilliant co-founder of PayPal, one of the first investors in Facebook, and the guy who offered 20 Ivey League entrants $100,000 to quit school and start a company. Quite an interesting guy uh?! His book “Zero To One” is one of the best business books for entrepreneurs, because whether it’s education or communication, he’s trying to disrupt the establishment!
3. Business Adventures – John Brooks
Don’t pass on this one, it’s on Bill Gates’ “really inspiring books I read” list, and has been recommended by Warren Buffett as well! The author is a longtime NewYorker contributor and gives us an insightful and engaging look into corporate and financial life in America.
4. Thinking fast and slow – Daniel Kahneman
In this book, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Which system should we choose to deal with everyday life? Well you should read the book and find out!
5. Flow – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
What are the best tools to unleash the secret of peak performance? Remember the last time that you were so focused, so motivated that you felt in absolute top form? Chances are you were experiencing your “flow”. This book reveals how you can achieve this state of mind at will, turning everyday experiences into moments of joy and self-fulfillment.
6. Management and Machiavelli – Anthony Jay
With this book, Anthony Jay shows you how the new science of management is really a continuation of the old art of government. By looking at your own corporate organization in a political/historical context, you can fully understand its power structure! Jay believes that to understand the workings of a corporation or state, you must first understand the nature and behaviour of their leaders.
Need a business “pick-me-up”? Go for “Smartcuts”! Shane Snow is a guy to follow on the changing world of business and he brings some pretty innovative ideas to the table. This book is about getting off the beaten path and taking not shortcuts, but smart-cuts. And in our internet filled lives there are many Smartcuts to take.
8. The Inevitable – Kevin Kelly
Kelly provides a guide through the twelve technological imperatives that will shape the next thirty years and transform our lives. Are we ready to face them all? Well, we should be, as many of these are “inevitable”.
9. Essentialism – Greg McKeown
How often do you feel busy but not productive? The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more things done in less time, it’s about getting only the right things done. You don’t need a management strategy, or a productivity technique when you can use your inner “systematic discipline”.
One of Steve Jobs’ favourites, covering a range of diverse topics such as meditation and sudden enlightenment. The author always returns to the idea of the “beginner’s mind”, in recognition that our original nature is our true nature. Are you ready to start your Zen training?
11. Messy: the power of disorder to transform our lives – Tim Horford
Want to be more creative and resilient? Maybe you just need a little more disorder in your world! Why is messiness important in our lives? Why we resist it? And, most interestingly thing, why should we embrace it? Well, Tim Horford will tell you.
12. Homo Deus – Yuval Noah Arari
Arari envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. “Homo Deus” examines our future considering science, history, philosophy and every discipline in between: endeavouring to answer the compelling question – where do we go from here?
13. Elite Minds – Stan Beecham
Most people don’t reach their full potential because of physical limitations, lack of resources, or insufficient training. However, Stan Beecham believes that the biggest hurdle to reaching your full potential actually comes from the mind. “Elite Minds” gives valuable insight into the process of developing a world-class mind that will enable you to face every situation with the right approach!
14. The hard thing about hard things – Ben Horowitz
A must read for all Entrepreneurs and anyone trying to do something with their life. Life is a struggle. Life isn’t easy. Business isn’t easy. But there are lessons to be learned in everything we do, and this book is here to help you through the tough times!
15. The third wave – Steve Case
The Third Wave talks about the future of the Internet and the impact it may have on our lives. The internet will grow in our homes, our bodies, even our pets. We’ve moved past the app based culture where a single idea could change a business model. Rather than banking on an overnight success, we need to determine waves of innovation that we deem to be certain and place our organizations in front of them!
Did we miss your favourite book? Let us know your suggestions in the comments!