Book Recommendations From a Guy Who Hated Reading
I’ll keep this short because what’s below is more important. Growing up, I did not like to read. When I was in elementary school, I only did the mandatory reading, if that. In middle and high school, I discovered websites like SparkNotes and Shmoop (it sounds silly, but it was a good one), and realized I could reduce my reading to almost nothing. I was not into the vast majority of the books we read in school and it turned me off to reading completely. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in college that I was convinced by two close friends that reading is both beneficial and enjoyable if you pick the right books. Reading has become an integral part of my life and I’ve since read close to 100 books. Reading has impacted my life substantially. I hope that one person who hates reading, like I used to, sees this and picks up one of these books. Below I share with you my book recommendations — from the guy who hated reading:
Biographies
Tier 1
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
Insight: This biography showed me how people at the pinnacle of success (Phil Knight in this case) can achieve it without having everything figured out. The most genuine biography I have read to date.
Tier 2
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
Insight: Hysterical at times. Somber at times. And interesting at other times. Way less political than I expected, which was refreshing. I was shocked that someone as young as Trevor grew up during Apartheid.
Honorable Mention
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World
by Tracy Kidder
Insight: I read this book when I was a freshman in high school. Back then, I did not enjoy reading. Still, this book inspired me to live for others rather than for myself. It was the first book that put me on the path of giving.
Non-Fiction
Tier 1
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
by Yuval Noah Harari
Insight: Easily the most mind-blowing book I have read.
Tier 2
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
by J.D. Vance
Insight: This book is the best way to understand why poor people in rural areas struggle and stay poor. Hint: It isn’t about the money. Like Born a Crime, this book elicits various emotions and is one of those books you can’t put down.
Honorable Mention
Principles: Life and Work
by Ray Dalio
Insight: Ray Dalio is a top two investor of the last 100 years, along with Warren Buffet. He lives a fulfilling and moral life, while maintaining the logic to make sound business decisions. He talks about his principles for both his personal and business lives. You can’t read this without getting a ton of value.
Fiction
Tier 1
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
by Stephen King
Insight: This is my favorite book from the series. Read the whole Dark Tower Series from start to finish. It’s a big time commitment, but you will not regret it. In the word’s of my friend Christian who recommended it to me, “do it.”
Tier 2
The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
Insight: When I gave reading a second chance, I read strictly self-help and business books for the first year and a half. This was the first fiction book that I read (omitting business allegories). This book is powerful. I read it during a difficult time and it impacted me. You’re following a journey that you feel like you’re part of.
Honorable Mention
The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion
Insight: Whether you are in touch with your logical side or in touch with your emotional side, this book is the best way to see the other perspective. I lean far toward the logical side and I learned a lot about people who lean toward the emotional side from this book. Plus it’s just a hilarious book. P.s. Logical might look better on paper, but this book shows why that isn’t always the case.
Philosophy and Mindset
Tier 1
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Insight: When people ask me what my favorite book is, this is the answer. #1 overall. I work intentionally and consistently to live by the Go-Giver mindset.
Tier 2
Ego is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
Insight: I didn’t think I had a big ego…then I read this. Ryan Holiday writes awesome books in general; this one is my favorite.
Honorable Mention
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown
Insight: Most people try to add more things to their lives to become happier and more successful. I definitely subscribed to that method in the past. This book lays out the case for cutting things out instead, and gives actionable advice on how to do it. This is one of those books everyone should read.
Leadership
Tier 1
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win
by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink
Insight: This book is simultaneously so fun to read and so packed with value. I suggest the audio version because these guys have really cool voices. This book is so good that I read it twice.
Tier 2
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
Insight: The subtitle is very accurate here. This book was written after studying what separated the highest performing companies (based on stock performance) from the rest. This means that the conclusions in this book came after the information gathering. That’s the less glamorous, but more effective way to do it. Very in depth, though easy to digest analysis on what the leaders of these companies did to achieve success.
Honorable Mention
The Go-Giver Leader: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business
by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Insight: You may have noticed this is the second Go-Giver book listed. Bob Burg is that good. Once again he goes against conventional wisdom. Once again his book is packed with value and is a joy to read.
Finance
Tier 1
Unshakeable: Creating Peace of Mind In a World of Volatility
by Tony Robbins
Insight: This is the finance book that literally tells you what to do with your money. Tony Robbins spoke with Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio and literally derived the steps you should take if your goal is to concurrently get the best returns and the safest returns on your money. This book removes the guessing game many people play with personal finance.
Tier 2
The Richest Man in Babylon
by George S. Clason
Insight: If you want to dive into the world of personal finance, this is the book to start with. It explains, through a fictional (though relatable and realistic) story, why and how investing your money is important. If you think you’re not making enough money yet to start investing now, read this book.
Sales
Tier 1
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it
by Chris Voss
Insight: High level sales tactics taught by a hostage negotiator. If you’re a decent negotiator or salesperson yourself, this book can help you elevate to the next level with specific, actionable techniques.
Tier 2
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
Insight: Almost anyone who is involved in self-improvement has read or at least heard of this book. It was published in 1936 and it is still just as relevant, if not more so. In a “me, me, me” world, this book teaches you how to appeal to others, while helping yourself.
Bonus
Tier 1
The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book
by Don Miguel Ruiz
Insight: I couldn’t leave this book off the list. It is so powerful and reading it will make you a better person. Don’t take my word for it though. I gave this book to my dad to read on a short flight, and he finished the whole thing and said, “wow! that’s a really good book”.
Tier 2
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success and Happiness
by Jeff Olson
Insight: This was the very first book I read when two friends of mine convinced me that reading is both useful and enjoyable if you read the right books. Shout out to Brendan Logan and Christian Chasmer! This book created a huge paradigm shift for me. If you don’t think reading is for you or you don’t think you can maintain the habit, this is a good starting point.
To anyone who decides to trust me and give reading another shot, I’m confident you won’t be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.
Feel free to reach out to me about reading, books, or recommendations at kevinmartignetti@gmail.com.
- Kevin Martignetti
