My Favorite Books Up Until Now (2023)
As we border on half-time of 2023 I’ve been doing some reflecting. What have I read? What have I enjoyed reading, and what not so much?
When looking for the answers some books immediately came to mind.
That’s why today I’m presenting the 5 books I’ve enjoyed the most, or learned from the most this year!
Rework
“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.”
Topic: Business/Entrepreneurship
You might have seen this book pass by in one of my posts from a month or so ago.
This book concludes that old ways of conducting business; don’t work that well anymore. It’s truly a paradigm shifting read, you’ll perceive business and entrepreneurship in a different light after reading this one.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
“Socrates used to say that death is like some prankster in a scary mask, dressed as a bogeyman to frighten small children. The wise man carefully removes the mask and, looking behind it, he finds nothing worth fearing.”
Topic: Stoicism
Again, a book I’ve mentioned in one of my earlier newsletter entries. Like the title of this book states it describes the life and thought patterns of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
What you’ll learn in this book is how you can use Stoic Philosophy to your advantage, to better understand your thinking and ways to deal with tough situations.
If you have a soft spot for Stoicism or History in general, this book is more than a must-read in my opinion!
The Chimp Paradox
“When you decide to do something, remind yourself that it is commitment not motivation that matters.”
Topic: Psychology/Mind Management
Each of us has a psychological Chimp within our heads, reacting to the world primitively and driving us to act impulsively, impetuously, and foolishly.
If you've ever fought to control your desires, surrendered to temptation, or handicapped your own achievement, your Chimp has most likely taken over. Fortunately, our brains also include an inner Human who, when working properly, controls our inner Chimp and helps us to engage with the environment in a stable, pleasant, and productive manner.
This book will teach you to better understand this constant battle between the chimp and the human, and ways to better deal with negative emotions.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
Topic: Habits
I’m always a bit skeptical when something gets praised to heaven. I’ve heard loads about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and all of it had a positive tone of voice. And all this praise was with good reason, because this isn’t just a read you skim through.
If you truly want to improve yourself and make your life and the lives of others better too. Applying the habits in the book will more than help you achieve this.
Trust me. You’ll become a more effective person by reading this one!
The Unfair Advantage
“One of the biggest ‘hacks’ or shortcuts to personal growth and development is via those we spend our time with.”
Topic: Success/Business
If you're thinking of starting a business, The Unfair Advantage is THE book to read. Entrepreneurs Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba show you how to accomplish your business dreams by identifying and using your unfair advantages, or the characteristics or circumstances that give you an advantage over competition.
Ali and Kubba exhibit that everyone has unfair advantages, and you must take use of them if you want to thrive in the brutal world of startups. This one really helped me to identify what skills I needed to outsource, and what skills I already had in my locker!
Let me know in the comments what your favorite read is of this year is up until now. I need some extra recommendations. ;)
Thank you again for reading!
-Quintin
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