Books are Great

I’ve always loved books. Reading them, collecting them, I even wanted to be a writer growing up. Nowadays one of my favorite things to do is to just hang out at a bookshop, grab a coffee and browse the shelves. 

Over the years I’ve read hundreds of books. All the Goosebumps, loads of thrillers, a few of the literary classics (Harry Potter counts I think?) and in recent years a lot of travel and non-fiction books.

I very rarely read a bad book. If it’s not good I’ll lose interest and move on to the next one. It’s a simple, but effective heuristic. Sure I might miss out on some insights or find that eventually it delivers something worth reading, but ‘ain’t nobody got time for that’.

Of the books I’ve read, I’d say 90% were either entertaining or provided a few pearls of wisdom to takeaway, which is all we really want out of a book generally. But, there have been a few pivotal, paradigm shifting books that have, in some way, helped to shape who I am today. 

Some are classic must reads for most anyone, others were just the right message at the right time for me personally, but they all left an indelible impression on me.

My 'Books' Page

This love of books and the impact they’ve had on my life has prodded me to include a “books” page on my website. This is another idea that I’ve taken from Derek Sivers. 

My books page will include brief reviews of the books I read, my overall rating of the book and any book notes that I’ve highlighted (I’m a big note taker, so these can be a bit excessive). I’ll stick primarily to the new, non-fictions books that I read, but I’ll add in a few of the more influential books that I’ve read over the past few years.

Click Here to Check Out My Books Page

The 10 Most Influential Books of My Life

To get things started, I’m adding in the top 10 books that have had an outsized influence of my life. In the order that I read them.

The Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama

I first read this book in high school and it is probably the book that I’ve recommended the most to others. It has impacted my life tremendously and the lessons learned still resonate within me. Oddly enough, it has a lot of parallels with ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’ which I read recently and thoroughly enjoyed. 

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

Like so many others around the world, this book has had a big influence on me. I’ve read it a few times at different stages of my life and each time it provides a unique perspective that I had glossed over during previous reads. The lessons are sticky and I find myself using them regularly in my day-to-day.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals - J. Maarten Troost

Probably the most obscure title on this list, but it was my first “travel” book and I’ve been hooked ever since. It is about Troost’s journey to Kiribati, a remote island in the Pacific where there are people who are at the very least immediate descendants of cannibals. Funny, with just the right amount of poignant. 

In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

This is the first book I read by one of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson. I love his writing style and try to emulate it in my more creative writings. He’s witty, self-deprecating and capable of imparting wisdom without you knowing it. This book details his trips around Australia and he is the perfect narrator to describe the oddities found in that beautiful country.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Marcus Aurelius

These meditations weren’t written to be published. They were from Marcus Aurelius' personal journal as he dealt with ruling an empire. This is a must read for anyone looking to learn about Stoicism, or to help you cultivate a more resilient and tempered mind.

The Four-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss

I remember seeing this book at all of the airport booksellers when it first came out and thought “What a load of bullshit.” It wasn’t until I started listening to his podcasts a few years later that I decided to give it a read, and it was life changing. It’s not about trying to work only four hours a week, it’s about being efficient with what you have to do in order to be able to do what you want to do. 

So Good They Can’t Ignore You - Cal Newport

I’m not sure where I heard about this book. But I was immediately  hooked. This book is about becoming a craftsman, and taking the craftsmen approach in whatever endeavour you take on. For some reason this really resonated with me and I have tried to implement his teachings in my own work.

Deep Work - Cal Newport

Piggybacking off the previous book, Deep Work takes a few of the lessons from So Good They Can’t Ignore You and goes deeper. Deep Work is about moving away from the multi-tasking, frivolous busy work, and focusing on going deep into your craft. Lots of practical tips and tools for students and knowledge workers.

Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl

I am ashamed that it took me so long to finally pick this book up. I’d seen it on so many people’s “must read” lists but I kept putting off reading it. That was a miss on my part. If there was one book I recommend everybody read, it’s this one.

Atomic Habits - James Clear

I’m on my second readthrough of this book right now. Such a game changer for anyone trying to adopt new habits, stop bad habits and take a systematic approach to achieving what you want to achieve. Each chapter is chock-full of tips and practical wisdom. I should have a full write up on this one coming soon.

So that’s the list of the 10 most influential books that I’ve read. They might not resonate the same for everyone who reads them, but that’s the beauty of books, there is something for everyone.

Hit me up with your recommendations, I’m always looking to add to the stack of books on my nightstand.