52 Books, 52 Lessons
What I read this year — 2018 Review
There is a saying: The more you learn, the less you know. After my journey in books (one per week) for 2018, I couldn’t agree more. Completing my reading challenge, I learned many valuable lessons from books, and I feel like there is so much left to learn. Here’s the list of 52 books I read this year. 📚
For the first half of the list, I invite you to read my other article, 26 Lessons I’ve Learned Reading 26 Books.
27. You can’t know the man until you know the story.
Meet Ove. A grumpy yet lovable man. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse, but behind the cranky exterior there is a hidden story and a sadness. In this book you’ll find how love can change someone.
“He was a man of black and white. And she was color. All the color he had.”
📕 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
28. A growth mindset will always push you forward.
Based on their mindset, individuals can be placed in two categories: with fixed or growth mindset. Those that have a fixed mindset believe that their success is based on innate ability — their abilities, intelligence and talents are fixed traits, you are either born with or without them. On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe that their success is based on hard work, learning and training. Moreover, they understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They overcome failures easier, because they see them as an opportunity to learn from.
If you are born with a fixed mindset, don’t despair, you can always change it! Whether it’s about sport, business or relationships, having a growth mindset will bring you closer to a successful life.
📕 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
29. Happiness has a formula.
H = S + C + V
The total level of happiness (H) is the sum of your biological set points (S), the conditions of your life (C) and the voluntary activities (V) that you do.
- If you won the cortical lottery, then you are born more optimistic, thus enjoying a happier life — this is the biological setpoint.
- Moreover, if you get the conditions of your life right, you can achieve lastingly happiness. The most important ones are Love and Work.
- Because the voluntary activities are something that you choose to do, they increase the overall level of happiness. These include, but they are not limited to: meditation, exercise, reading, learning a new skill, or traveling.
If you want to find out more about the magic formula, access my book summary, below:
📕 The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
30. There is always sunshine after the rain.
Make the most of your life on earth. Enjoy the little things. Live in the moment. Find beauty in details. Read. Write.
Remember that pain is not forever. Everybody wants happiness, nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.
“I hate depression. I am scared of it. Terrified, in fact. But at the same time, it has made me who I am. And if — for me — it is the price of feeling life, it’s a price always worth paying.”
📕 Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
31. The power of knowledge is a dangerous thing.
The novel of a fantastic and terrifying hypothesis: what if we could enhance our intelligence, artificially? The book tells the story of the mouse Algernon and the human Charlie, both subjects of an experiment to increase their IQ levels, and eventually change their lives.
📕 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
32. Emotional Intelligence is what separates mediocre leaders from great leaders.
Great leaders excel not just through skill and smarts, but by connecting with others using Emotional Intelligence (EQ). The four core components of EQ are:
- Self-Awareness — how accurately you can assess your emotions.
- Self-Management — your ability to control your emotions (when you are aware of them, trough self-awareness).
- Social Awareness — the level of empathy you have, how well you relate with the feelings of others.
- Relationship Management — serve as an inspiring leader and catalyst for change, collaborate with a high-performing team, and manage conflict.
The best leaders have “resonance” — a powerful ability to drive emotions in a positive direction to get results. A leader can fluidly interchange among a variety of leadership styles as the situation demands. From the ones that favor resonance:
- Visionary — motivate people to achieve common goals.
- Coaching —make a bond between one's wishes and the organization's goals.
- Affiliative — create emotional bonds and harmony.
- Democratic — build consensus through participation.
To the ones that generate dissonance, if applied incorrectly:
- Pacesetting — expect excellence and self-direction.
- Commanding — demand immediate compliance.
Keep in mind that the actions of leaders and their moods have an overwhelming impact on those they guide.
“People Don’t Leave Companies — They Leave Leaders!”
📕 Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Annie McKee, Richard Boyatzis
33. The lack of authority can lead to dangerous chaos.
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. Their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin, and evil. But what could be the adventure of their lives, with no adult supervision, turns into a dreadful nightmare: hatred is the place of innocence and murder is rushing over a world that wanders its compass. A parable of an incredible force that gives us an equally cruel and realistic response to the question: is absolute freedom the way to paradise?
📕 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
34. We may soon become the only species that will knowingly attend its own extinction.
Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cause is “one weedy species” — us. Human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before.
📕 The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
35. What is essential is invisible to the eye.
Probably you know or heard of the famous tale of The Little Prince. It is a title accessible to all age groups, a simple and charming anecdote, spoken in simple but poetry language. The book brings to the fore the human values, the responsibility and the bond between people, the tolerance and the spirit of adventure. A delightful story about childhood, loneliness, and friendship.
“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.”
📕 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
36. All children need superheroes.
We don’t have to be Spider-Man, an X-Men mutant, or any other Marvel character to be a superhero. Every human could turn into a superhero for any kid. Their superpowers could be anything from being strong, tall, loved by everyone, super tidy, or the opposite, being really messy.
Elsa, seven years old and her grandmother, seventy-seven years old and crazy, are best friends. But after her grandmother passes away, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.
📕 My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman
37. Working remote has its perks, but it’s a trade-off.
A few advantages of working remote are:
- You don’t waste time while commuting.
- Escape the 9am — 5pm routine.
- Have the chance to work in different environments: your home office, coffee shops, parks, co-working spaces, etc.
But, as mentioned, it comes with some trade-offs, which you must be aware of:
- There are many distractions at home, leading you to procrastination.
- Or if you don’t waste time, you can get into the opposite, and overwork.
- Involuntary, you may isolate yourself by having less social interactions.
📕 Remote: Office Not Required by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
38. It’s within our nature to be eager for knowledge.
In seven brief lessons, Italian theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli guides readers with admirable clarity through the most transformative physics breakthroughs of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This playful, entertaining and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, explains general relativity, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, gravity, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, and the role of humans in this strange world. It’s a book about the joy of discovery.
📕 Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
39. You can’t predict the future. Stop trying.
I became sure of this after reading Taleb’s book, The Black Swan — a metaphor used to describe a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: it’s rare (1); it carries a massive impact (2); and, despite its unpredictability, we strive to find explanations after (3) it happened, to convince us that it was, in fact, predictable.
Black Swans underline almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. The stock market crash of 1987, the 9/11 attacks, the astonishing success of Google — they are all Black Swans.
Our mind has a (wrong) tendency to predict what will happen in the future by using our past as an explanation. Based on the only things we can be certain of — what has happened in our lives in the past — we weave a narrative that makes sense and expect that the future simply must unfold this way. But there are many unknown factors that could change it.
For example, imagine you’re a turkey, and for 1000 days you live on a farm and get free food from the farmer. You would expect the next day to be the same. But tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and — surprise! You’ll be killed, stuffed and roasted. The very same thing happened to everyone who lost a fortune during the financial crisis — people believed markets would go up forever, because that’s all they had done for years.
Imagine you had known about the 2008 financial crisis, then you wouldn’t have been shocked and surprised. But you can’t predict a Black Swan — you can’t predict the future. But what can yo do?
The central idea of uncertainty is, that in order to make a decision, you need to focus on the consequences (which you can know) rather than the probability (which you can’t know).
“We are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, a remote event, a chance occurrence of monstrous proportions … Remember that you are a Black Swan.”
📕 The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
40. Believe in yourself, and chase that “big fish”.
A clear and simple story but at the same time deep, emotional and full of meaning. It’s a true parable of man’s invincibility, willing to overcome his human condition: physical, psychic, and material.
An old fisherman, Santiago, sails out in the sea, grieving that he has not caught any fish for almost three months. Like any true fisherman, he does not give up a second to the dream of a huge catch that will break his bad luck and get him out of hunger.
“But man is not made for defeat,” he said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
The old man gives us a life lesson about courage, perseverance, and optimism. Santiago believes in his chance and lets himself in foreign waters waiting for the right moment to enjoy the capture of his life.
📕 The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
41. You can easily be fooled by appearances.
One of the most popular novels in the English literature, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen approaches the middle class bourgeoisie life. The comedy of the writing lies in the depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the British Regency period.
The action of the novel is centered around the Bennet family composed of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Having no son to inherit their property in Longbourn, Hertfordshire, Mrs. Bennet is desperate for at least one of her daughters to make a brilliant match.
The comical situations, the humorous dialogues, the style in which they are written will definitely delight you, just like the two heroes of the book, Elizabeth — generous, sensitive, intelligent and spiritual, and Darcy — a fair man with high principles moral, very smart but arrogant. During the book, unexpected encounters and new details overwhelm the young woman’s view of Mr. Darcy, and the question everyone is asking is: will Elizabeth succeed in seeing Lord Darcy’s true face or hide in detail?
📕 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
42. Life is simple. Live it.
Oscar And The Lady In Pink is not just a sympathetic narrative, a sick child, an old nurse, and some naive letters. It’s enough to go beyond the story to get its message, restless and mysterious: any of us can be an Oscar with a few more days left.
A book that shows you the joyfulness of life, rather than “living each day as if it was your last”, Oscar encourages us to “look at the world every day as if you were to see it for the first time”. Although there are many solutions to “Life”, the only one is to live.
📕 Oscar And The Lady In Pink by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
43. Public speaking is a skill that you learn through practice.
The fact is that everyone is initially nervous about public speaking. Being able to deliver a well-crafted and interesting speech is not the result of some innate talent that only a few possess; rather, it’s a skill that anyone can learn.
Preparation and frequent practice are the main keys to become an exceptional public speaker. Moreover, it’s important to know your speech well enough so that you don’t have to rely on your notes.
The critical parts of a speech are the introduction and the conclusion. Start your talk by arousing your audience’s curiosity, tell a story, or ask a question. Close it with a summary of your key points, a call to action or a joke — that (hopefully) leaves them laughing. Last, but not least, pay attention to the words that you use and improve your vocabulary every day.
The power to affirm your personality, including what you say is essential to your success. The techniques by which you can master an audience can help you in any kind of existence. Make the words you say one of your strengths.
📕 How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People by Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie
44. Know the question, and you’ll understand the answer.
An intergalactic story that has as protagonists a human, Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect, from a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. They travel through space along with their fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox — the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod’s girlfriend and Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot.
Although the book is humorous and full of nonsense, it has some truths to reflect on. The inhabitants of an ancient planet, Magrathea, built a computer in order to find out the answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. The citizens are confused with the answer they get, but the computer gives them a simple explanation:
“I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you’ve never actually known what the question is … So once you do know what the question actually is, you’ll know what the answer means.”
📕 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
45. We need chaos in our lives to the same extent that we need order.
The order is good for us — it’s our comfort zone. It’s when we feel safe. Nothing bad happens, even more, nothing extraordinary happens. And that’s why we need chaos — to escape our comfort zone. It’s when we grow. We get wings and fly! But if we’re not well prepared, the disorder could prove to be (almost) catastrophic. How can we keep our clear thinking when chaos surrounds us? By following strict rules when life is at ease. As the old Latin expression says: “Si vis pacem, para bellum” — “If you want peace, prepare for war”.
To prepare for the war in your life, you need strict rules to guide you when it’s peace. That’s why I think the 12 Rules for Life is really a valuable book. We all need rules, standards and values. Very briefly, these are: (1) stand up straight, (2) respect and take care of yourself, (3) make friends that help you grow, (4) aim to be better than you were yesterday, (5) raise your children well, (6) judge yourself before judging others, (7) think long term — don’t be fooled by ephemeral joys, (8) be honest with yourself, (9) learn to listen, (10) precisely express your weaknesses, (11) be a man!, and last but not least — (12) enjoy the little things in life.
📕 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
46. Storytelling is what makes a business great.
Why the Four succeeded when other similar companies failed? Amazon was not the first online shop, Facebook was not the first social network platform, there were other search engines before Google, and Apple didn’t invent computers nor smartphones. But there is something that differentiates them. Amazon came up with ratings and reviews, Facebook had photos, Google was simple, friendly and easy to use and Apple distinguished as a luxury brand.
Furthermore, they had a vision, a great storytelling that got them access to cheap capital. Their statement is simple: Google — Organizing the world’s information, Facebook — Connecting the world, Amazon — Earth’s Biggest Store and Apple’s mission is to always have sleek, modern, minimalist designs that are intuitive and simple.
Towards the end of the book, Scott Galloway has some good carer tips on how to succeed in a world ruled by the Four. One of the most important is:
“Don’t follow your passion, follow your talent.”
In other words, do what you are good at, invest in your strengths, and spend modest effort to get your weaknesses to average so they don’t hold you back. Always be eager for learning, don’t settle, because:
“Curiosity is crucial to success.”
📕 The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway
47. Journaling leads to huge insights about oneself.
At the age of thirteen, Anne Frank began to write an extraordinary diary, for a period of two years, while she and her family were hiding from the Nazis.
Facing hunger, fear of discovery and death, and the petty frustrations of such confined quarters, Anne writes with adult wisdom and views beyond her years. Suddenly she discovers reflection, and with tremendous clarity, she is able to see the beauty in things:
“I’ve found that there is always some beauty left — in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.”
Her story is that of every teenager, lived out in conditions few teenagers have ever known.
📕 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
48. “Smart creatives” are the essence of Google.
The rise of the internet, mobile, and cloud computing have shifted the balance of power from companies to consumers. In order to succeed in this new era, the companies must hire the so-called “smart creatives”. They are a new breed of multifaceted employees who combine ideas from different areas, businesses, and tech expertise in creative ways. They are competitive, curious and very ambitious.
How Google Works is a book about how and why Google hires smart creatives, how it builds a free-thinking company-culture and how it creates a climate for innovation and open spaces for collaboration. The company promotes discussions over decisions and encourages 10X, not 10% thinking.
“Innovative people do not need to be told to do it, they need to be allowed to do it.”
📕 How Google Works by Eric Schmidt & Jonathan Rosenberg
49. Our universe has more black holes than stars!
There are about 100 billion stars in our observable universe. And the black holes could be more numerous than that!
In A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking explains the most complex concepts and ideas of physics, such as gravity, planets, stars, black holes and the space-time theory. Read this book if you like to better understand how our universe was created, where it came from, and where it’s going.
📕 A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
50. “Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”
You have the ability to make your own choices, or else other people will decide for you. Even the act of not doing anything is a decision.
The Way of the Essentialist is to do more with less. Although, keep in mind that it’s a trade-off. You have to give up something in order to get something. But this is alright, as long as you pursue what you truly want. Do only those actions that bring value to your life. Learn to be effective by saying no. There is German saying for this:
“Weniger aber besser. The English translation is: Less but better.”
📕 Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
51. The only sin is … theft.
“There is only one sin … And that is theft … When you tell a lie, you steal someones right to the truth.”
The Kite Runner is a sweeping story about friendship and betrayal that carries readers through Afghanistan over the last days of the monarchy and up to those of today’s atrocities. Amazing changes of situation make this book memorable, both a political chronicle and an emotional story about childhood and maturity.
“There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.”
It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons — their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
“It always hurts more to have and lose than to not have in the first place.”
📕 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
52. Be kind.
Published for the first time in 1843, A Christmas Carol commends the spirit of this holiday. It’s the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old and scratchy cheese-scrawl that hates everyone around. On a frozen Christmas Eve, he receives three phantom visitors: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They carry him on a stunning and scary journey, after which the grumpy old man changes —he treats his fellow human beings with kindness, generosity, and warmth.
📕 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
These were the lessons I’ve learned while reading a book per week this year. Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings in terms of learning. 😊
What is the most valuable lesson that you’ve learned from books in 2018? Share your answer in the comments below.
