I don’t want to dis on other people’s list of books, but the more list I see, the more often I see the same books over and over again. I mean, is there a rule that says The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey must appear on every list?
So I went through my bookshelf and looked for some of the most useful books I have read that don’t seem to make it on to list very often if at all. I think these books are real gems. They made a big difference in my thinking and my life. They can do the same for you.
Note: the article below does contain affiliate links to Amazon. If you find the article interesting and do purchase one of these books with the link, I will get a little something to help be pay for the coffee that fuels my 5:00 am writing.
A Philosopher’s Notes: On Optimal Living, Creating an Authentically Awesome Life and Other Such Goodness, by Brian Johnson.
I love this little book written up in one-page lessons that are made more impactful by their conciseness. Brian moves through these nine main topics in the book; Optimism, Purpose, Self-Awareness, Goals, Action, Energy, Wisdom, Courage, Love, and En*theos (God/Spirit/The Universe).
It reads well as a daily devotional. I keep my copy on my nightstand as I find it an excellent book to inspire nightly reflection. In fact, I recommend reading it one brief section at a time and then making time to reflect on the wisdom.
This book is hard to find in print, but the Kindle version is just as readable as the printed and just as insightful.
Lesson; At every moment in our lives we can choose to step forward into growth or backward into safety, choose growth.
The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, by Oliver Burkeman
If you are tired of the same recycled messages in one self-help book after another, then The Antidote may be just the book you need. Part travelog and part psychology, Burkeman introduces us to a diverse cast of characters including psychologists, terrorism experts, Buddhists, hardheaded business consultants, Greek philosophers, and modern-day gurus who all insist that it may be our pursuit of happiness that is making us miserable.
This counterintuitive book encourages us to embrace failure, pessimism, and uncertainty on the “Negative Path to Happiness.” Despite the dire sounding premise, I found this book both practical, surprising and uplifting.
Lesson; the pursuit of happiness is making us miserable, but accepting the uncertainty in life may be the key to liberate ourselves.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.
This is a book on leadership written by two Navy SEALs who illustrate their lessons with stories from their combat experience that make the book read more like a Tom Clancy novel. I literally sat on my deck and just read this book from cover to cover. But the best part isn’t how fun it is to read, its the lesson it teaches about taking extreme ownership of your life.
The lessons on leadership and taking responsibility are hard-won through combat experience, but they apply equally to any job or walk of life. Implementing lessons learned from reading this book changed my view of my life and work in profound and positive ways. It can do the same for you.
Lesson; Whether or not it is your problem, fully accept it as you responsibility.
Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes, by Ben Bergeron
Ben Bergeron is a guru in the world of cross fitness where he has coached more than one Crossfit Champion. What I like about this book is that Ben believes what separates the top performers from the rest is not innate physical ability, but character. Get the character right and you can build all the rest.
I found this book equal parts inspiring and practical. Ben illustrates his point with examples from the athletes he has worked with and their triumphs and failures. Not a long book, it reads quickly, which is good because you will want to read it again and again.
Lesson; Character is more important than ability. Get the character right and the success will follow.
The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion & Purpose, by Matthew Kelly
I love the message of this book which can be summarized as; who you become is more important than what you do or have. It’s a message that gets lost in our hyper-busy lives and it was good to slow down with a book that reminded me of how important it is to get in touch with the person I am meant to be.
This insightful book is filled with practical advice and humor that makes the work very approachable. It will have you looking to become the-best-version-of-yourself.
Lesson; Who we become is more important than what we do or have.
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness, by Jeff Olson
If I was to sum this book up in just a few sentences, they would be. Show up consistently and with a positive attitude. Be prepared for and committed to the long haul. Cultivate a burning desire backed by faith it will be done. Be willing to pay the price. And do the thing you have committed to doing — even when no one else is watching.
The message is simple and clear in just those few sentences, but the book is worth reading to flesh out the nuances of these statements.
Lesson; Big results come from commitment and small improvements.
The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling, by Stephen Cope
A unique book that uses the ancient Hindu text called the Bhagavad Gita to show how a fulfilling life comes from discovering our deep purpose and giving our lives over to that purpose. The book uses the lesson and story of the Arjuna and his divine mentor Krishna as a starting off point and then incorporates lessons from more modern lives like Jane Goodall and Walt Whitman.
Using the story of the Bhagavad Gita as a backbone, the author takes us through a step by step journey to help us find our purpose in life and to accept it.
Lesson; Avoiding our purpose in life is the source of suffering and accepting it can be liberating.
Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, by Mark Goulston
The lessons I learned from this book greatly improved my relationship with my coworkers, patients, spouse, and most importantly my teenage children. In several easy to digest chapters filled with practical advice, Dr. Goulson shows us how to communicate with anyone.
I liked the approachability of the book and its no gimmick approach to communication. If you want to be heard, then Just Listen if for you.
Lesson; Make the conversation about the other person if you want them to hear you.
Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence and Action, by Susan Jeffers
So often in life, it is not events that hold us back, but fear of those events. In this inspiring book, Dr. Jeffers offers up advice form years of dealing with people who’s lives were stymied by their fear; fear of making decisions, taking actions, asking for more, and doing what they knew in their hearts they need to do. From that practical experience, Dr. Jeffers offers up lessons that all of us can use to embrace the situations that scare us and push through to the results we deserve.
Lesson; The underlying fear in all situations is the fear you can’t handle it, but you can.
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, by William B. Irvine
When I first heard about stoicism as a modern school of thought, it did not sound like something that would make me happier. After all the image is a stoic is grim determination in the face of suffering. But this book showed me that a two-thousand-year-old school of philosophy has held on for so long because it has a lot of practical lessons to teach about avoiding worry, figuring out what is important in life, and letting good of all the unimportant stuff. It also taught me to start looking at my action by dividing them up into the things I control and the things I do not, then focusing on the first and letting the second go. It is a lesson that dovetails nicely with the lessons of Extreme Ownership.
There is an ever blossoming collection of books on stoic thought, but this was one of the first I read and I think this book makes the concepts very approachable and well… not just a bunch of boring old stuff rehashed.
Conclusion
I hope this list puts a few new books on your reading list. All of these books have made a big difference in my life and I think they can do the same for you. Now go out there, put what you learn into action and come alive to be the best version of yourself that you can be.
