One of my intentions this year is to read at least one book for personal development each week. My medical training offered me many opportunities to practice tsundoku, the art of piling up books that are unread, and I’m excited to reverse this trend.
Herein are the books I intend to read, or reread, between 2020 and 2021, to think, to grow, and to laugh. Those listed as “READ” or “REREAD” are in approximate order of my recommendation. Below my reading list are the podcasts, grouped categorically, that are inspiring me this year. Topics include science, happiness, self-improvement, business, economics, medicine, news, storytelling, and foreign languages.
Not every book I read or podcast I hear this year will make this list. A few titles are admittedly too cringey to publicize, and the category of “Social Justice” can’t be stretched sufficiently to include the Animals in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. There are also many more fantastic books I’ve read previously that are not here, including by some of my favorite authors, Atul Gawande, Frans De Waal, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose works I wholeheartedly recommend.
Thank you to all who have contributed to my efforts this year by sharing favorite books and authors, as well as podcasts, for me to check out, and please continue! A good recommendation is always welcome and appreciated.
Leadership, Medicine, & Social Justice
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth (READ)
- The Story of You (and How to Create a New One), Steve Chandler (READ—This is the best book about fundraising I’ve ever read, and that remarkable fact goes to show just how powerful our stories are.)
- Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want By Changing the Way You Think, Dave Gray (READ — This is a compact read on how to evolve ourselves, our interactions, and our ideas by checking our assumptions, disrupting our processes, and truly connecting with ourselves and others.)
- Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell (READ)
- So You Want to Talk About Race, ljeoma Oluo (READ)
- Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For, Jonathan Raymond (READ—This book opened like many others, yet grew on me with increasingly profound revelations to the very end.)
- The Art of War, Sun Tzu (READ)
- The Clutter Connection: How Your Personality Type Determines Why You Organize the Way You Do, Cassandra Aarssen (READ — If not a traditional leadership topic, this book nevertheless wowed me for its critical relevance to organizational efficiency and workplace optimization.)
- The Irresistible Introvert: Harness the Power of Quiet Charisma in a Loud World, Michaela Chung (READ — With this book, I rediscovered my inner introvert through a series of aha moments, as in, aha, that explains why I neutralized my overwhelming happiness with tear-jerkers last night. If there’s an introvert with bewildering behavior in your life, I do recommend this read.)
- The Comprehensive ENFP Survival Guide, Heidi Priebe (READ — This is an excellent reference text for understanding the ENFPs in your life and relating with others as one.)
- For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education Book, Christopher Emdin (READ — Another nontraditional leadership title, this book reimagines the teaching environment by empowering students via peer-to-peer co-teaching and genuine cultural engagement.)
- Bossypants, Tina Fey (READ)
- No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career, Larry Smith (READ—While his TEDx talk intrigued me, I realized rather quickly herein that fear and excuses already do not drive me. Two nuggets of advice I appreciated, however, were around firstly sharing the your passion for your work with your children and secondly assessing your career path, and continuing education, for efficiency towards your real end goals. As I discovered earlier this year, you may not need that MD-PhD.)
- The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, Darren Hardy (READ—Focused on the compounded impact of small changes over time, this read added little to my repertoire but might be well suited to a self-improvement novice.)
- Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler (IN PROGRESS)
- Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, Chip Heath and Dan Heath (IN PROGRESS)
- Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D.(IN PROGRESS)
- Without Saying a Word, Kasia Wezowski, Patryk Wezowski (IN PROGRESS)
- How to Own Your Own Mind, Napoleon Hill (IN PROGRESS)
- How to Be Heard, Julian Treasure (IN PROGRESS)
- Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, Lois P Frankel
- Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, Valerie Jarrett
- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond
- Under the Udala Trees, Chinelo Okparanta
- Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life, Susan David
- The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
- The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, Gene Kim
- Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, Tim Ferriss
- The Rich Employee, James Altucher
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, Robert I. Sutton, Ph.D.
- Egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (Or Most Expensive Liability), David Marcum and Steven Smith
- Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit, Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal
- Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, Dr. Frank Luntz
- Black Box Thinking: Marginal Gains and the Secrets of High Performance, Matthew Syed
- The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types, Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
- A Prescription for Change: The Looming Crisis in Drug Development, Michael Kinch
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama
- An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases, Moises Velasquez-Manoff
- Madam Secretary: A Memoir, Madeleine Albright
- Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, Jeff Sutherland
- The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
- Discover Your True North: Becoming an Authentic Leader, Bill George
- Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts., Brené Brown, Ph.D.
- The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, Brené Brown, Ph.D.
- Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone, Brené Brown, Ph.D.
- Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené Brown, Ph.D.
- I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough”, Brené Brown, Ph.D.
- Take Charge of Your Healthcare Management Career: 50 Lessons That Drive Success, Kenneth R. White Ph.D.
- Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Atul Gawande
- Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World, Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall
- First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, Gallup
- Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, Marcus Buckingham
- StandOut 2.0: Assess Your Strengths, Find Your Edge, Win at Work, Marcus Buckingham
- It’s the Manager: Gallup finds the quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success., Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
Emotional Intelligence & Relationships
- Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It, Kamal Ravikant (REREAD — I first received this book as a gift I didn’t know I needed; now, it’s a book I buy again and again for people who don’t know they need it, either.)
- Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples (3rd edition), Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt (READ — This book came to me at a time when I thought I had figured it all out, and it fundamentally changed my approach to love and life for the better.)
- The Cow in the Parking Lot: A Zen Approach to Overcoming Anger, Leonard Scheff and Susan Edmiston (REREAD — I think of this book every time I struggle to find parking. The authors take the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, among others, and deliver it with humor and grace.)
- Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find — and Keep — Love, Amir Levine and Rachel Heller (READ — This is a book that quite possibly solves some of life’s greatest perplexities.)
- He’s Scared, She’s Scared: Understanding the Hidden Fears That Sabotage Your Relationships, Julia Sokol and Steven A. Carter (READ—For the person who seeks love but cannot obtain it, or who has love but is driven to leave it, this book is a must.)
- The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho (REREAD — Like the enigmatic Mona Lisa, locking in your gaze from every position, herein unexpectedly lies the message you need to hear for wherever you find yourself in life.)
- Coming Apart: How to Heal Your Broken Heart, Daphne Rose Kingma (READ — Here is a cathartic blueprint for conscious uncoupling and finding peace through the grieving process and understanding what we seek, and gain, from those relationships that ultimately end.)
- Peace is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh (READ — A reflection imbued with wisdom, this mediation is best suited to the novice who will tolerate his classic, long-drawn-out style.)
- Taming the Tiger Within: Meditations on Transforming Difficult Emotions, Thich Nhat Hanh (READ — A work which acts almost as an abridged version of Anger, this tells memorable allegories with limited repetition.)
- The Heart of Understanding, Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Commentaries on the Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh (READ — This quick read interprets the Heart Sutra and the core of Buddhism for the novice.)
- Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, Thich Nhat Hanh (READ — For the reader who struggles with Thich Nhat Hanh’s repetitive style, I recommend similar ideas shared more directly in The Cow in the Parking Lot by Leonard Scheff and Susan Edminston.)
- Help! I’m in Love with a Narcissist, Julia Sokol and Steven A. Carter (READ)
- Open Her: Activate 7 Masculine Powers to Arouse Your Woman’s Love & Desire, Karen A. Brody (READ — Though not the target audience, I have to sheepishly admit that this was actually a pretty enticing read.)
- What Smart Women Know, Julia Sokol and Steven A. Carter (READ — I found this work relatively unprofound for the smart woman who has lived and loved.)
- Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers by Faith Harper, Ph.D. (READ — If at times engaging, the profanity felt overdone and content limited. For specific interventions, I recommend works by Dr. David D. Burns, MD, instead.)
- Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life, Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. (IN PROGRESS)
- When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, David D. Burns, M.D. (IN PROGRESS)
- But He’ll Change: Ending the Thinking That Keeps You in Abusive Relationships, Joanna V. Hunter, (IN PROGRESS)
- Don’t Feed the Ducks!: Overcoming Unhealthy Helping in Your Life and Relationships, John Raven
- “Me” Time: Finding the Balance Between Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself, Jennifer Beall
- Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself, Melody Beattie
- The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, Esther Perel
- Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, Esther Perel
- Feeling Good Together: The Secret to Making Troubled Relationships Work, David D. Burns, M.D.
- Falling in Love: Why We Choose the Lovers We Choose, Ayala Malach Pines
- The Art of Extreme Self-Care: 12 Practical and Inspiring Ways to Love Yourself More, Cheryl Richardson
- Living Apart Together: A Unique Path to Marital Happiness, Or The Joy of Sharing Lives Without Sharing an Address, Anne L. Watson
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz
- Do One Thing Different: Ten Simple Ways to Change Your Life, Bill O’Hanlon
- Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Dr. Sue Johnson
- Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, John Gottman, Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman, Ph.D., Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams, M.D.
- Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse
- Getting to Commitment: Overcoming the 8 Greatest Obstacles to Lasting Connection (And Finding the Courage to Love), Julia Sokol and Steven A. Carter
- Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up’s Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents, Nina W Brown (Note: This selection does not reflect my views on my own parents, but rather family dynamics associated with my previous relationships.)
- The Happiness Project: Or, Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, Gretchen Rubin
- The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety, Alan Watts
- Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit, Ana Forrest
- Think on These Things, J. Krishnamurti
- An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life, The Dalai Lama
- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chodron
- Reinventing Truth: A New Map of the Spiritual Path and Reality As It Is, Edward Mannix
- Long, Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America, Natalie Goldberg
- Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, Pema Chodron
- Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves, Frans De Waal
- Divorce Busting, Michele Weiner-Davis
- The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt
- What Doesn’t Kill Us, by Stephen Joseph
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, Mark Manson
- 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics: How Manipulators Take Control in Personal Relationships, Adelyn Birch
- The Covert Narcissist: The Quite Side of Narcissistic Personality. Signs, Causes and How to Respond, Shell Teri
- Behind The Mask: An Introduction Into Covert Narcissism, Aydin Guner
- Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D.
Interesting Asides
- Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (READ)
- Physics For Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines by Richard A. Muller (IN PROGRESS)
- The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You’re Not, John Vorhaus (IN PROGRESS)
- Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, Frans de Waal
- The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat, John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis
- Kissing: The Best Tips, Techniques and Advice, Taylor D’Aotino
- The Illustrated Book of Sayings: Curious Expressions from Around the World, Ella Frances Sanders
- Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World, Ella Frances Sanders
Inspirational & Educational Podcasts
- Where Should We Begin?, Esther Perel
- The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos
- The One You Feed, Eric Zimmer
- Minds and Mics, Nick Wignall
- By The Book, Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer
- Hidden Brain, NPR
- TED Radio Hour, NPR
- Pleasure Studies, Feist
- Wonderful!, Rachel and Griffin McElroy
- Codependency No More, Brian and Jennifer Pisor
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck, Mark Manson
- Women on The Move
- Freakonomics
- Planet Money, NPR
- Bad With Money, Gaby Dunn
- The Indicators from Planet Money, NPR
- How I Built This, Guy Raz
- Life Kit, NPR
- Dr. Death, Wondery
- The Nocturnists
- The Clinical Problem Solvers
- The Curbsiders Internal Medicine, Matthew Watto MD, Stuart Brigham MD, and Paul Williams MD
- AMA Doc Talk
- NPR News Now
- On Point, WBUR and NPR
- All Things Considered, NPR
- Fresh Air, NPR
- Revisionist History
- The Moth
- Radiolab
- This American Life, NPR
- Invisiblia, NPR
- Dear Hank & John
- Duolingo Spanish
- News in Slow Spanish
- Duolingo French
- News in Slow French
For updates on my journey throughout this year, please click ‘follow’ and check out these related posts:
