Here Are the 22 Books I Read Last Year
My 2019 reading list and why I chose to read what I did.
“Read. Read anything. Read the things they say are good for you, and the things they claim are junk. You’ll find what you need to find. Just read.” — Neil Gaiman
There is really no question about the value of reading. Think about all of the ridiculously successful people you know. I guarantee they have a long-established reading habit or a routine of consuming information.
Warren Buffet reads 500 pages per week. Bill Gates reads at least 50 books per year. Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Mark Cuban all contribute much of their success to their reading practice.
In an attempt to emulate their success and learn as much as I can about the world, here’s what I read in 2019:
My 2019 Reading List
Bringing Up Bebe — Pamela Druckerman
My wife and I were planning to start a family at the end of the year, so we wanted to educate ourselves on different parenting styles. We are now expecting a daughter in September, so I’m glad we got a head start on prepping ourselves for the upcoming change.
Travels with Charley — John Steinbeck
I normally read nonfiction but wanted to throw in at least one piece of fiction that was more for pleasure. This was mentioned by Tim Ferriss whose recommendations are usually top-notch.
The Inner Game of Tennis — W. Timothy Gallwey
I’ve done a lot of work on mindfulness and this book talks about it from the perspective of sport and the inner critic. Overall, the book was decent with some good takeaways, but it’s not the type of book I would go back and re-read.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces — Joseph Campbell
We can relate much of life to the Hero’s journey so I wanted to understand more about Joseph Campbell’s work, especially how I could relate it to my writing.
The Art of Asking — Amanda Palmer
I’ve historically been terrible about taking care of myself and asking for what I want, and this book was helpful for that. The author gives numerous examples from her own life, complete with both good and bad outcomes of trusting and sharing with her audience.
You Are Here — Thich Nhat Hanh
An amazing book on mindfulness by the guy who basically invented it. I loved this book because it had a lot of different meditations and prayers I still use daily. If you can only pick one book to read this year, this should be it.
The Culture Code — Dan Coyle
I have a strong interest in leadership, especially as it pertains to culture. This book talks about what type of culture winning teams typically possess. It has an especially powerful message using an evidence-based approach.
This is Marketing — Seth Godin
I read this because I wanted to learn and understand more about business in general and marketing specifically with the anticipation of launching my brand, Chapters & Interludes.
Dare to Lead — Brene Brown
I’m a life-long student of leadership, so it’s no surprise that I love leadership books. I wanted to hear what Brene had to say about it- and she did not disappoint. If you want to understand what it truly means to lead, you MUST read this book.
Draft №4: On the Writing Process — John McPhee
I knew I wanted to start a writing venture so needed to get better at process and structure. This book lays this out clearly with examples from John’s own writing.
Choose Wonder Over Worry — Amber Rae
A good book on mental health and choosing to focus on the wonders of life over the worries. It was especially helpful since it included different journaling prompts and exercises for the reader.
The Art of Gathering — Priya Parker
A book that I thought would help with leadership that discusses the best way to host meetings, parties, and other gatherings of people.
The Lost Art of Good Conversation — Sakyong Mipham
I don’t find myself to be the best “networker” or a people person- I think I’m more of an introvert. So I wanted to read this book to start to become a better conversationalist.
Joyful — Ingrid Fetell Lee
A book about finding the joy in life and one I wanted to read for mental health. This was one of my favorites of the year.
An Audience of One — Srinivasan Rao
A business-oriented book discussing product development and focusing on your core group of customers.
In Defense of Troublemakers — Charles Nemeth
A book about dissent and the benefits of thinking differently and speaking out against the consensus. This was also one of my favorite books of the year. I find you can learn a lot about psychology with these types of books.
Atomic Habits — James Clear
As the name suggests, a book about habits and how to create them. This book was outstanding and I highly recommend for anyone looking to beef up their routines or make positive change in their life.
Mastering the Market Cycle — Howard Marks
A book about different types of cycles and how they impact investing. Working in financial services, this interested me, especially since cycles are probably one of the most misunderstood or opaque subjects in finance.
Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — Mark Manson
Mark Manson’s books were some of my favorite of the year. This one is about how mindless positive thinking is not helpful and that life’s struggles actually give it meaning. Mark uses an easy to read style that helped me fly through the book.
Everything is F*cked — Mark Manson
This was a book about hope and all its downfalls. It gives a very unique perspective on life and what it takes to find peace. He uses the same easy to read style he used in his previous books.
The Third Door — Alex Banayan
A book about networking. It was an easy read and I enjoyed it, although I wouldn’t say I got a whole lot of actionable takeaways from it.
Trillion Dollar Coach — Eric Schmidt
Another leadership book from a top executive coach in Silicon Valley. Another highly recommended book for anyone wanting to understand more about what it takes to be a great leader.
I write to engage with my community. You can contact me directly at jared@chaptersandinterludes.com if you have questions.
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