My next 10 books in 2017 (11–20)

Since I wrote my last post on the first 10 books I read in 2017, it was very well-received, and many people asked me to continue reviewing my next 10 books I read. If you haven’t seen my previous post, just click the link above. So here it goes — Books 11–20!

11. What I talk about when I talk about Running — a memoir by Haruki Murakami

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

This particular memoir is a great book that I enjoyed thoroughly. Apart from the fact that I highly resonated with Murakami on a personal level, the book taught me quite a lot of great running tips that I did not know about.

The action also is such that it makes it pretty hard to leave the book aside without thinking of what is coming up next. A natural introvert, Murakami describes his feelings in great depth, no matter positive or less positive about his ambition to push harder every single day. He makes the reader aware of the fact that running marathon after marathon has been closely linked to his performance in writing. An amazing book for each and every runner and not only!

12. Success and Luck by Robert H. Frank

“If all mansions were a little smaller, all cars a little less expensive, all diamonds a little more modest, and all celebrations a little less costly, the standards that define “special” in each case would adjust accordingly, leaving successful people just as happy as before.”

Although I have always been a strong believer in hard work and ambition leading to success, Robert Frank uses his personal experience and true scientific facts to demonstrate that success does also come from having a certain degree of luck. He goes on to relate that chance plays a huge role in important life outcomes.

The author emphasizes how, despite living in a world increasingly dominated by winner-take-all markets, chance opportunities often translate into big income differences, how the idea of luck persists across many different cases; and how myths about personal success and luck shape individual and political choices in harmful ways. However, he argues that this inequality driven by luck can be decreased by adopting some unintrusive policies. I would recommend this book to anyone who is skeptical about the idea of chance or luck!

13. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

“If you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you’re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone.”

This book is another masterpiece in the field of personal development. Everything you learn from it is deep and has an effect on you at some point in your life.

Mitch Albom outlines a sad but real story of his relationship with his early professor and later life coach, Morrie. It becomes a habit for them to meet every Tuesday to discuss a certain topic. After Mitch graduates from college, he goes on with his life and they stop seeing each other for many years. As Morrie grows older, Mitch learns that his coach becomes sick with ALS and has not long to live. Mitch rediscovers Morrie in his last months of his life, just as back in college, through coaching sessions every Tuesday. Their relationship gets closer and thus Mitch learns some valuable lessons about how to live just before Morrie dies. Everyone should read this book, as it teaches deep lessons about life.

14. Freedom and the Future of the Internet by Julian Assange

“The internet, our greatest tool of emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen. The internet is a threat to human civilization.”

In his book, Julian Assange brings together a small group of highly intelligent thinkers (or cypherpunks i.e. activists who advocate the widespread use of strong cryptography as a route to progressive change) to discuss whether electronic communication will emancipate or enslave us.

Some of the interesting topics debated include discussions on whether Google has become the greatest surveillance machine, whether people have become willing collaborators to this despite being far from victims, and also whether people have the technological savvy to take action for their freedom. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to increase their knowledge about cryptography and the side effects of what we call today “Internet”.

15. Gene Keys by Richard Rudd

"We human beings are following different vectors through time and space and each of our paths must at some time converge at this single point deep inside the body. There is a place inside your DNA whose sole purpose is to trigger this awakening."

Gene Keys is based on the idea that humanity may be on the verge of a major shift in consciousness rooted in a new understanding of how our DNA operates — namely that it is programmed directly by the way we think and feel. It outlines in great detail the 64 human keys that can be raised to a higher level of frequency once our lives enter a new level of awareness. Since our beliefs shape our genes, when we change our beliefs, we change the chemistry of our body.

After reading this book I decided to buy it and keep it safe on my book shelves at home. This truly is a bible of exploring the 64 human gene keys and how our DNA will start to transform the way we feel and think. It is a complex and quite difficult book, but the depth of knowledge you get from it is incredible.

16. Take Pride by Jessica Tracy

"Rather than pushing your pride aside or trying to stifle it, you can intentionally seek out the more desirable form of this vital human emotion. Listening to your pride is one of the best ways to figure out who you are, what you want out of life, and how you can get there."

This was an interesting read especially as I discovered that pride is one of the most misunderstood emotions out there. Why? Because without pride we cannot achieve our potential. Although this emotion has a dark side attached to it as well, all overachievers in the world have reached so far in their lives as a result of pride. Tracy explains that by making us care about how others see us and how we see ourselves, pride makes us be our best and always strive for more. She goes on to say that humans need to know the clear difference between the two types of pride, and thus avoid the bad kind of pride while nurturing the good kind a secret to success.

17. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

"It may be important for great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to live the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect".

Siddhartha is a young man who leaves his home as a young child to follow a self discovery path. In order to get there, he is going through different phases as he pursues a lifelong quest to rid himself of his ego so that he can know true peace and enlightenment: he experiences deep suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.

This is great book to read if you follow your spiritual path closely. You will learn about enlightenment and self discovery. Everyone should read this book at least once — and if you go back to reading it again after some time, you will most probably learn from it something new.

18. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

"I’d tell men and women in their mid twenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt."

Every entrepreneur should read Phil’s memoir, Nike’s CEO. We all know that every successful entrepreneur has an interesting story of how he/she got to a huge outcome, but I’d say Phil’s story of what we call Nike today is just unbelievable and unique! Looking back at his story, there were so many difficult, but crucial moments that stood between Phil and his dream, you just won’t believe it. If you start reading this book, you will never leave it until the very last page I promise you. One of the best books I read so far for entrepreneurs.

19. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli

“There are frontiers where we are learning, and our desire for knowledge burns. They are in the most minute reaches of the fabric of space, at the origins of the cosmos, in the nature of time, in the phenomenon of black holes, and in the workings of our own thought processes. Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world. And it’s breathtaking.”

If you want to discover the basics on physics, this is the book for you! Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli describes in seven brief and very easy lessons the most important physics breakthroughs: general relativity, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, gravity, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, and the role of humans in the strange world. You will be shown the mystery and the beauty of this world, despite the “ocean of the unknown”, as Rovelli likes to call it. A book for everyone, easy to read, and easy to understand as well.

20. Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

"All human actions are motivated at their deepest level by one of two emotions: fear or love"

This is the first in a series of 4 books and discusses various existential topics to which every human being has at some point in life sought an answer. Walsch writes his book as a profound discussion between the reader and God. He shows the reader how to be inspired by God and he also helps the reader relate to God from a modern perspective.

I strongly believe that this is a book that should be read by every single human being, as it gives clear answers to everything that we call mystery in this life: the nature of God, who we are as humans and what we are ought to become, what lies beyond death, the reality of fear, the evolution of species, etc. A very enriching book!