2019 Reading List
Here is what I read in 2019, in no particular order.
Primed to Perform (Neel Doshi, Lindsay McGregor)
Doshi and McGregor draw on over a decade of workplace motivation research to bring a concrete science to the soft, traditionally hard-to-measure components of organization culture.
Ego is the Enemy (Ryan Holiday)
Holiday explains in detail, through historical examples and colorful language, why humility is the best strategy to follow.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation (Ottessa Moshfegh)
The story of an young women’s extended alienation from the world in her Upper East Side apartment through the use of a cocktail of prescription drugs.
True Love (Thich Nhat Hanh)
A short book about love by Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh.
Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport)
Cal Newport wrote Deep Work a few years ago, a book about eliminating distractions in life and focusing on what really matters. This follow up book dives into how to use technology to our advantage.
Homesick for Another World (Ottessa Moshfegh)
A collection of short stories by the acclaimed Otessa Moshfegh — I enjoyed her latest book so much that I wanted more.
Reality Is Not What It Seems (Carlo Rovelli)
This book’s subtitle is "The Journey to Quantum Gravity.” That pretty much sums it up. I understand maybe 50% of it — a fascinating take on how much we don’t know about how the world works.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
We’ve all experienced the state of “flow,” where time disappears and we engage in an activity simply for the enjoyment of it. This book is about that.
Titanium: The Path to Recovery (Charles Jijon)
A memoir about Jijon’s horrific cycling accident and the road to recovery.
The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays (Esmé Weijun Wang)
A deep, personal story of one person’s experience living with schizophrenia.
Dare to Lead (Brene Brown)
A book about how to lead through vulnerability and curiosity to become a daring leader.
Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell)
Gladwell explains how factors like culture, environment and upbringing can impact individual success and achievement.
Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up (Jerry Colonna)
CEO-executive-coach Jerry Colonna’s deeply personal story and guide about using “radical self-inquiry” to become a better human being — and thus a better leader.
How To Do Nothing (Jenny Odell)
Artist Jenny Odell’s essay on how to take control of our most precious resource: our attention.
The Art of Loving (Erich Fromm)
The opening lines provide a perfect summary: “Is love an art? Then it requires knowledge and effort. Or is love a pleasant sensation, which to experience is a matter of chance, something one “falls into” if one is lucky? This little book is based on the former premise, while undoubtedly the majority of people today believe in the latter.”
Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence (Dan Siegel)
Dr. Dan Siegel’s theory of how the mind works, what awareness is, and how to cultivate a more fulfilling life.
Four Days To Change (Michael Welp)
A radical story about how white men have a responsibility to uncover blind spots, embrace paradox, and become a productive voice in diversity and inclusion conversations.
Attached (Amir Levine, Rachel Heller)
Levine and Heller dive into the world of attachment theory, explaining the differences between secure, anxious and avoidant attachment styles and how to create the conditions for loving romantic relationships.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Yuval Noah Harari)
This was my second time reading Sapiens — I enjoyed it just as much this time around. It’s a humbling and brilliant narrative of humankind told by a nontraditional historian.
The Book of Joy (Dali Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams)
The true story of a 2015 week-long meeting between Desmond Tutu and the Dali Lama — two individuals who have survived through incredible suffering — where they discuss what joy is and how to cultivate it.
Radical Acceptance (Tara Brach)
Most of us have a deep core belief that something is wrong with us — that we’re not worthy of love and respect. In a deeply personal book, Brach explains how accepting who we are — flaws and all — is the key to personal growth.
Inward (Yung Pueblo)
Contemplative poetry from the brilliant Diego Perez (whose pen name, Yung Pueblo, means “young people”). This book contains many profound insights.
Stillness is the Key (Ryan Holiday)
Holiday’s latest book on the importance of cultivating stillness in our lives, told through many historical ancedotes.
Goldfinch: A Novel (Donna Tartt)
An award-winning piece of fiction; a coming-of-age story about a 13-year old boy whose life is turned upside down when his mother is killed in a terrorist bombing.
Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection (Sharon Salzberg)
Meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg provides her take on what love is and how to cultivate it through various practices and exercises.
Emotional Agility (Susan David)
David’s research based book on how to thrive in the face of challenges life throws at us, using her framework, “emotional agility.”
