How I managed to get my summer reads done!

When summer hits and vacation is in sight I have tons of ideas of how I want to spend it. On top of exploring the world, I always set out to get a lot of reading done, and that’s where it get’s tricky. I end up in the dilemma of wanting to read inspirational nonfiction on the newest on UX, leadership, psychology, design, innovation etc. while also really wanting to kick back with a crime page turner.

This year was no different. Again I had like 10–15 titles that I would really like to dig into - I get so much energy and ideas from reading and it really get’s me excited and refuelled. However, I also had this big page turner by one of my favorite authors, as well as New York and San Francisco to explore.

So, I decided to try something new. I had heard about Blinkist, an app that has boiled tons of books down to their very essence allowing you to dig through them in less than half an hour, and thought that would be worth a test drive.

I’ve never tried Kindle because I still love real books, and for some reason reading on a screen means that it simply doesn’t stick with me, so first of all I was interested to see whether I would like to read on my phone. In addition, I was a little worried that the feel and characteristic of the author could get lost in the executive summaries.

Many of the books that I wanted to read had some very clear points, which meant that I didn’t feel like I were missing out by choosing the boiled down version - more than anything it kept my attention and the momentum high because it required less than an hour of my time.

In conclusion, I have been pleasantly surprised - and I am now home from vacation 10 books wiser! It is really a great tool for keeping me inspired and on my toes with interesting reads, instead of the pile on my desk reminding me of all the stuff that I should have read. Many of the books that I wanted to read had some very clear main points, which meant that I didn’t feel like I were missing out by choosing the boiled down version - more than anything it kept my attention and the momentum high because it required less than an hour of my time. I like that I didn’t have to pick only one book but had the luxury of reading/listening to several books on the same topic.

The List

Here’s my reads, with a little extra detail on the ones I found most relevant and what I took with me. My focus this summer has been on self improvement, behavioural science and psychology to use in my work as an Experience Designer.

7 habits of highly efficient people, Stephen R. Covey: I was expecting something completely different from this book, but what it gave me was better. I expected instructions on how to structure my day to achieve certain goals - but in reality, the book provided interesting insights as to the importance of choosing how to view the world, which was a pleasant surprise.

The points that stuck with me was how to understand and be aware of concerns that you can change and the ones that is out of your control. By acknowledging this you can be way more focused. Furthermore it reminded me of the facts that gestures means different things to different people, so you should always understand what the other person think of as a “good deposit”. Definitely worth a read.

Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman: A darling that doesn’t need much of an introduction. However, I know a lot of people who have struggled to finish the actual book. Really interesting read on the two systems that runs our brain: one act instinctively, while the other requires way more effort. If we do not pay attention, the instinct will often jump in and react, not always with the best outcome. Many books covers this theme with different perspectives, but starting to think about how you can control your reactions and mind if you pay attention is something that I use on a daily basis.

Behave, Robert Sapolsky: Looks at how our environment and brain chemistry tells a lot about our behavior. I liked the book, but it falls in the same category as Thinking Fast and Slow, 7 habits, and 12 rules of life — so I would go with either 7 habits or Thinking fast and slow. However, this is the luxury of getting the digests - I had time for all of them, whereas I would normally have to pick one of them.

The subtle art of not giving a fuck, Mark Manson: The core point - Make sure your focus is on the right thing, it will give you focus and make you happier. This is also a popular title and thus doesn’t need a thorough introduction. I liked that it reminded me to focus on what is actually important to me, and even though it might seem basic it is always an important reflection on what we use our energy on, and really not a simple exercise. Definitely worth a read.

12 rules of life, Jordan B. Peterson: This book has many of the same pointers as the 7 habits, but with a slightly different perspective, that I liked. It focuses on the chaos of life with some interesting insights to care for yourself and be a better you.

Think small, Owain Service & Rory Gallagher: Based on behavioral science, this book focuses on how important it is to break things down into manageable pieces and how if others know our goals we are more prone to succeed. This book covered what I expected of 7 habits, so if you’re interested in how to organize your day better, this is a good little read. I wouldn’t have read this if it wasn’t in a boiled down version.

My morning routine, Benjamin Spall & Michael Xander: I like to get up early to have enough time before I head to work. I’m always interested to learn about other peoples’ morning routine and try out new stuff. Fun little read, and again not a book I would have read if it wasn’t a boiled down version.

The 4 hour body, Timothy Ferriss: If you are curious about how you can teach your body different things (sleep routines, diets etc.), and what you can control, this is an interesting read, however there was not much that was completely new to me.

100 things every designer needs to know about people, Susan M. Weinschenk: I thought this was more about how to relate to clients and your colleagues, but it was about how we understand and make sense of the world as humans and how we can accommodate for this in design. For example how we interpret structures and the mechanisms of our unconscious decision making process. I wouldn’t have read this if it wasn’t for this simple version.

…and what I have on my reading list for the next weeks:

  • Influence, Robert. B. Cialdini
  • Happiness by design, Paul Dolan
  • Breakpoint, Jeff Stibel
  • 21 Days to a big idea, Bryan Mattimore
  • The paradox of choice, Barry Schwartz

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