Netflix Hasn’t Killed my Love for Books in 2018!
Here, we’ll share our love for books and list 34 books you should add to your reading list for 2019.
This year, I’ve read inspiring books that I want to share with you. I’d be glad if you’d share your list with me too!
The love for books
If you feel like you’re never reading enough books and that acquiring new theoretical skills and knowledge provides you with a deep feeling of fulfillment, this article is for you.
I have a startup project of my own besides my day job as a VC and I feel like for every stage of development I’m at, there is a relevant book to guide me with insightful thoughts and tips. Sometimes even, it’s just a matter of realigning my thoughts and mindset when I’m in a downward mood.
Of course, keeping your nose inside your books is like building your product on your own in your garage without talking to potential customers. It’s not the right way to go. There needs to be a good balance between theory and practice in everything that you do.
Hence, relaxing through learning is a great way to go!
Finding answers in books
This year, I felt like I needed to get stronger on marketing and product. Currently, I have the intuition that I’m struggling with branding for my startup. I should probably focus on reading books about that for the upcoming year. That’ll probably involve digging fields related to neuroscience to better understand my potential users (hopefully I’ll get a lot of them) and develop a sticker communication line.
Finally and as I am going through some kind of work-related existential crisis, like most of my Y Generation folks, I’ll most likely look for a deeper meaning to what I do. Taking a step back and reflecting on the social and economic contribution that aspiring unicorns are thriving for (or aren’t). As a matter of fact, that question’s been bugging me ever since I’ve read “The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google”.
I just want to make sure that I’m working on a project that has a mindful and meaningful impact and that what I do is not feeding any unsustainable and greedy ambition.
Books that are written by Masters
Reading a book is like taking a step back and listening to a Master of a specific field of expertise. It’s like if that Master were always available to teach you at the exact pace you need while commuting or during a long and boring journey.
While the point is not to summarize every book you read few months after you’ve read it, I found out that the human brain is always able to pull out the proper toolkit and frameworks you’ve acquired through books when it needs to.
This year I’ve read 35 books, I’m 17 books short from my goal! I’ve definitely have bought more than that so the pile is stacking up. One book per week is definitely ideal. That’s what Bill Gates does. So, I should probably get up earlier, read another book about fast reading or just stick to 120 pages books if I want to catch up!
You’ve got this, I love books so bear with me if you share that love. :)
UX/UI and Product
- The design of everyday things by Don Norman
- Hooked by Nir Eyal
- Ask by Ryan Levesque
- Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Marketing
- The quick way to effective speaking
- The content code by Mark W. Schaefer
- Exactly what to say by Phil M. Jones
- Start with why by Simon Sinek
- Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
- Petit Traité de Manipulation à l’usage des honnêtes gens by Robert-Vincent Joule and Jean-Léon Beauvois
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini
- Inbound Marketing by Halligan and Shah
Business
- Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday
- What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
- Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss
Entrepreneurship, Productivity, and Growth
- Who, the Method for Hiring by Randy Street and Geoff Smart
- The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane
- Getting Things Done — The art of stress-free productivity by David Allen
- Screw It, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson
- Presence by Amy Cuddy
- Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
- Book Launch by Chandler Bolt
- Authorpreneur by Jesse Warren Tevelow
- Measure What Matters by John Doerr
- La Fabrique des Start-up by J-F Caillard and T. Paris
- La 25e Heure by Declair, Dinh and Dumont
Tech
- Machine Learning by Olivier Theobald
- The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google by Scott Galloway
- Brotopia by Emily Chang
Philosophy
- Philosophie de la Biodiversité by Virginie Maris
- Ikigai by Yukari Mitsuhashi
- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Exploring new horizons related to photography
- Le Monde de la Mode, Stratégie des grandes marques by Mark Tungate
- Fashion and Lifestyle by Dixie Dixon
The best book in 2017: Mastery — Robert Green
The 2018 FAVORITE EVER: Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss
The latter is by far the most brilliant book I’ve read about negotiation technics. Chriss Voss is a World class renown FBI negotiator and he explains how to apply mediation technics learned on the field to business.
The 2018 worst book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey… Sorry, Oprah… I thought a book written by such a successful lady would be inspiring and enriching. Like the one from Richard Branson. Unfortunately, it happens to be completely dull and insipid. A complete waste of time. Although it’s a short book, I haven’t been able to make it through.
Here’s the link to last year’s list.
Anyways, I’m excited about my 2019 reading list, let me know by commenting if you have some recommendations to share and Happy New Year!
I hope this article will help you or someone you know. Feel free to give me 50 claps and follow me if you enjoyed it, thank you!
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