You’ll fall in love with at least one of them.
Repetition is boring.
Well, usually.
Sometimes repetition is a source of awe. For example, an ocean that you dive into again and again because there is so much to discover and explore.
These books are like the deep and wide ocean. Whenever you read them, you’ll find something new to learn.
Let’s have a look!
A dive into Alfred Adler’s approach to psychology.
Alderian philosophy gives us tough love.
It tells us not to blame our trauma. You are in charge of the way your past experiences affect you.
“…is being normal, being ordinary, really such a bad thing? Is it something inferior? Or, in truth, isn’t everybody normal?”
Similarly, it tells us to accept ourselves and others as they are. We should not let others’ expectations and views affect our behavior. There is a simple question to ask, ‘Whose task is this?’
If it isn’t your task, don’t do it.
“We can live only in the here and now. Our lives exist only in moments.”
The authors bring us Alderian concepts in the form of a dialogue between a young man and a philosopher, making this book very engaging.
One of the most important things this book tells us is to live in the ‘now’. It tells us to look at life as a collection of moments rather than a linear journey.
There are many things in the book that are relatable and can help you in life.
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Learn to look for life’s meaning in suffering.
Whenever someone is in a tough situation, I find it hard to tell them to buck up and face the suffering.
Who knows what I’ll do in such circumstances? Who am I to tell people what to do when tragedy befalls them?
“An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.”
After coming across this book, I have found another way to help people who are stuck. I am no one to tell anyone to find meaning in suffering. But you know who can?
Victor Frankl.
He was a psychologist who was captured by Nazis and kept in concentration camps. In this book, he shares what he and his fellow prisoners endured. He also tells us about the mindset that helps someone survive such a grim situation.
“… there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.”
I’ve recommended this book and sent a summary of it to a friend who has been in a situation that she cannot escape from for many years now. I also told her how the lessons from the book applied to her situation.
Her response was very positive.
I’d say this book is a perfect gift for anyone who is going through a hard time.
Make ‘no’ your default.
Ever since I came across this book, the lesson has stuck with me.
Obviously, I can’t say I applied the lesson 100%. But honestly, it has helped a lot.
“Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life.”
Greg Mckeown makes us see how much our energy is in disarray when we focus on a lot of things. This way we aren’t able to advance towards our goals.
He tells us to pick out the most vital things and focus on them. He also tells us to eliminate all the trivial things.
In a way, he teaches us to Marie Kondo our life.
“Sleep will enhance your ability to explore, make connections, and do less but better throughout your waking hours.”
This way you’ll have clarity and control over your life. By focusing on less, you can do more.
This book provides a practical solution for us to achieve our goals.
Combine the power of fast and slow thinking for optimal decision-making.
The author tells us about the two systems in our brain.
System 1: It is fast, impulsive, and automatic.
System 2: It is slow, reliable, and requires effort.
“The psychologist, Paul Rozin, an expert on disgust, observed that a single cockroach will completely wreck the appeal of a bowl of cherries, but a cherry will do nothing at all for a bowl of cockroaches.”
System 1 helps us navigate this world. But it has a lot of biases.
We need to prevent the biases from leading us to flawed decision-making. That’s why we need to slow down and engage system 2, especially in important situations.
“We are prone to overestimate how much we understand about the world and to underestimate the role of chance in events.”
The author also tells us that there are two selves, the experiencing self and the remembering self. We make decisions to have better memories, not better experiences.
This book is a comprehensive one and helps us understand how decision-making happens in our brains.
Turn stress into strength.
I have been talking to my sister about this book today. I reminded her how I want to live an outdoor life (ideally) and I don’t want things like pooping in the open while camping to affect me.
This is antifragility. I don’t want experiences to break me. I want them to make me.
Thanks to Nassim Taleb for giving me a word that can define my approach to the adventurous parts of life.
“Logically, the exact opposite of a “fragile” parcel would be a package on which one has written “please mishandle” or “please handle carelessly”.”
The author wants us to make ourselves and our systems antifragile.
In that case, when hard times strike, we won’t go down. We improve and become even better.
“…for Mother Nature, opinions and predictions don’t count; surviving is what matters.”
He gives us the example of Hydra from Greek mythology. When one of her heads is struck down, two grow in its place. This is a clear example of antifragility.
This book is filled with wisdom and philosophical references. You’d regret missing out on it.
This book is a private journal made public.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor. He was trained in Stoicism and wrote his stoic thoughts in a journal.
What he didn’t know was that his writings would become a source of wisdom and enlightening for many.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…”
This book was not meant to be published for the world. Somehow that makes it even more valuable.
As Marcus struggled with the death of his children, his young wife, and his many duties as the Emperor, his stoic thoughts helped him through all.
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
He tells us about the fact that the word ‘logic’ comes from the Greek word ‘logos’ which for stoics was the ‘force of life’. ‘Logos’ connects everything. In short, it is the grand plan of things.
Slowly, the essence of the word was lost and we started using the word ‘logic’ in a technical way.
This journal of an Emperor from the past will help you face life with a new rigor.
Do small, achieve big.
Change is hard.
But Clear makes it easy for us. He tells us to make small changes. Improve by 1% each day, he says.
“The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it.”
Through 1% change every day, we can build our lives towards our goal. But if you refuse to do anything or start regressing 1% every day, you’ll fall way behind.
Throughout the book, the author teaches us how to adopt the right habits and make sure that we stick to them.
“We imitate the habits of three groups in particular: The close. The many. The powerful.”
James Clear tells us to conserve our willpower by making the right decisions easy for ourselves. In contrast, we have to make the bad habits difficult for ourselves.
This book provides an easy and simple way to start reaching for your dreams.
The encyclopedia of wisdom.
Naval Ravikant is a successful entrepreneur and investor. This book compiles his thoughts from his podcasts, tweets, and interviews.
The author divides them into three parts:
Wealth
Judgment
Happiness
“Specific knowledge is found much more by pursuing your innate talents, your genuine curiosity, and your passion.”
We often think of rich people as shallow ones to whom everything was handed on a silver platter.
That is not always the case. Some of them think deeply about life just like us. Naval is one of the shining examples.
“Doctors won’t make you healthy. Nutritionists won’t make you slim. Teachers won’t make you smart. Gurus won’t make you calm. Mentors won’t make you rich. Trainers won’t make you fit.”
He tells us to take responsibility and save ourselves. No one will do it for us.
Similarly, he advises us to build knowledge of a specific field if we want to succeed.
This book is filled with simple yet deep thoughts of a man who has experienced the highs and lows of life.
Make hard times your stepping stones.
David Goggins had a tough childhood as a kid. His abusive father had an overpowering presence and he abused Goggins’ mom, siblings, and Goggins himself.
In this book, he tells us his story.
“Everyone is on the hunt for that simple action algorithm that nets maximum profit with the least amount of effort.”
Just like Victor Frankl’s book which tells us to find meaning in suffering, and Nassim Taleb’s book which tells us to turn stress into wins, this book tells us to do the same.
You don’t deserve anything just because you have envisioned it, says Goggins. You have to work on yourself to make yourself worthy.
“Your entitled mind is dead weight. Cut it loose. Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim on what you are willing to earn!”
The author builds on his own experience of taking the entrance test for US Navy SEALs, failing, and trying again.
Today Goggins is an ultra-endurance athlete with the World Record for most pushups in 60 minutes.
Old is gold.
Miguel Ruiz is Mexican. His mother and father practiced Toltec ways. His mother was a faith healer and his grandfather was a Toltec ‘nagual’. (like a shaman)
The author had a car accident that brought him back to his roots.
He started lecturing and teaching what he learned. He also wrote multiple books. This is one of them.
“It is when we lose control that we repress the emotions, not when we are in control.”
Ruiz tells us that society domesticates us. Due to that, we become our own domesticator.
We measure ourselves according to the beliefs that were imparted to us. And when we don’t measure up to those, we punish ourselves.
“We punish ourselves when we don’t follow the rules according to our belief system; we reward ourselves when we are the “good boy” or “good girl”.”
He also tells us how to deal with emotions. We have to experience them instead of repressing them.
This book will help you apply Toltec wisdom to your everyday life.
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