5 books that will upgrade your perspective
Yes, you are right, this is another of those articles listing recommended books. What is different though, is that these have been extremely curated and, at least, read twice to make it on this list.
As many of you, I made it a point to read a lot more in 2018 and consume less of the otherwise, easily available, bullsh*t. However, if we are honest with ourselves, reading each book takes a relevant amount of time, and becoming selective on what you read is much more important than the gross amount of it.
I tried those speed-reading techniques too but, trying to make it to a full book, quickly glazing over pages, created an anxiety on time rather than the actual enjoying of the words and insights. So, I recently decided that, being picky and really digging into each piece, is much more enriching and satisfying in the long run.
Therefore, I take the plunge of selecting for you just 5 that will give you a new edge in different but complementary areas.
1. The Inevitable — by Kevin Kelly
“Anyone can claim to be a prophet, a fortune teller, or a futurist, and plenty of people do. What makes Kevin Kelly different is that he’s right” — David Pogue
Wired magazine co-founder and Senior Maverick, active philanthropist, Ted speaker and recognized polymath. Tim Ferriss describes him as possibly the real-life “Most Interesting Man In The World.” And in his spare time, has written one of the most praised books of the later years,
This book is a must read (Marc Andreessen agrees with it). In it, Kelly identifies, describes and reasons over the 12 technologies that will change how we think, work, invent, invest and live.
It certainly is an interesting read for everyone interested in how the future unfolds, but if you are in a tech or business related field, or hold a management position it is a no-pass.
2. Principles — by Ray Dalio
“Principles are ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life.” — Ray Dalio
The most succesful hedge fund manager of all times. His company Bridgewater Associates holds over 160 billion dollars under management and, as thoroughly described in the also recommended, Tony Robbins’ book “Money: Master the Game”, made more money for its investors than any other hedge fund in history. Time Magazine dubbed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world and CIO Mag described him as “The Steve Jobs of investing”.
When Ray Dalio has something to say, and this book proves he does, the “smart” world stops and listens. Listed as #1 NY Times Best Seller and Amazon Business Book of the Year, not specifically focused on investing but in broad personal principles, it’s so filled with great material that digesting and implementing half of it will upgrade you to a whole new level.
3. Zero to One — by Peter Thiel
“This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world.” — Mark Zuckerberg
Without any doubt, one of the behemoths of Silicon Valley, Thiel is the co-founder of PayPal, first outside investor of Facebook and high-heels venture capitalist (his VC firm Clarium Capital Management has invested in 100+ companies). Peter is also known for holding bold, strong and sometimes very controversial opinions.
Zero to One is one of the best selling business books of the decade. Filled with not-so-obvious and, sometimes plain counterintuitive pieces of wisdom, it will completely change how you think about things like monopolies, value creation, differentiation and investing. A must read if you are thinking on either building, leading or investing in the future.
4. Anything you want — by Derek Sivers.
“I might need to do a second volume of my next book 100% dedicated to the knowledge bombs of Derek Sivers. So much good stuff. Hard to cut.” — Tim Ferriss
I have to agree with Tim here. In fact, it might sound funny, but I have this belief in which we see ourselves in a couple of decades, recognizing in Derek Sivers one of the most original and influential thinkers of our age.
Originally a pro musician, he later created CD Baby, the largest marketplace for independent musicians and sold it in 2008. Donating the 100% of its proceeds (22$ Million) to a charitable music-education trust.
Programmer, entrepreneur, Ted-speaker, extreme minimalist and defender of the long attention span, in Anything You Want Derek distills and explains the rationale and experiences behind his unconventional way of deliberate thinking. Topics like simplifying complex ideas, living frugally, extreme focus or others are explained straightforwardly.
If possible, I would encourage you to listen to the audiobook, narrated by Derek Sivers himself in a very engaging and entertaining way.
One last thing, his interviews on the Tim Ferriss podcast are genius on its own and highly recommended. But if you’re short on time, listening to its answer to the question “What is something you believe that other people think is insane?” will make your day.
5. Man’s search for meaning —by Victor Frankl
“An enduring work of survival literature.” — New York Times
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl survived to the Nazi death camps of World War II and, in this universal best-selling book, he argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward.
Based on his own experience and the stories of his fellow patients, it has become one of the most influential books of our times, selling over twelve million copies worldwide, for a reason.
First half of the book follows a pretty linear narrative of their times in Auschwitz, whilst the second half is filled with insights and observations about how one acts upon challenging circumstances and chooses its responses. It is an extremely moving piece and it will probably change how you think and react to your day to day interactions or incidents.
