10 Books You Should Read

I quickly outline 10 books you should read, well actually 11 but 10 seems like a better number to put for a title;). The truth is there are numerous out there. The point you are at in your life can also have an impact on what resonates with you. But why should you read?

Research shows that reading not only helps with fluid intelligence but with reading comprehension and emotional intelligence as well. You make smarter decisions about yourself and those around you. That seems to be something many of us struggle with.

Countless studies have proven that reading makes you smarter: it can raise your GPA, increase your general knowledge, enhances your analytical thinking skills, expands your vocabulary, and even sharpens your memory and writing skills.

Plus, it can reduce stress, bring you a sense of tranquillity, and give you a better connection with the people around you.

Someone committed to developing self and others makes the time to read! 

Fiction is always a nice escape from reality and a way to learn new things in a creative way. But non-fiction often deserves a higher priority, given the fact that the books showcase real-life problems and teach real-life skills. 

Here is our list of the 10 non-fiction books that you should read at least once in your life:

Turning Pro – If there is one book that changed the way I show up it was this one. It met me where I was at in terms of my personal development. I could go back and read it over and over and learn something new… in fact, I am going to do just that.  Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield is the follow-up to his bestseller The War of Art.  Turning Pro navigates the passage from amateur life to professional practice.   “You don’t need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.” – WHOA!

The Art of War – The ancient military strategy manual by Sun Tzu is required reading for every man, regardless of what path their life takes. The book is about so much more than just war and fighting—its strategies can be applied to every aspect of life. Businessmen, politicians, and generals all swear by this book, and you will find that it helps you to understand both yourself and “your enemy” (whatever that means to your particular circumstances) for more clearly.

The Virtue of Selfishness – Ayn Rand is famous for her deeply intellectual works and is best-known for Atlas Shrugged. Yet The Virtue of Selfishness is a shorter, easier-to-digest look at Objectivist philosophy—also known as “everyone should pursue their own individual happiness above everything else”. This isn’t a book to guide your life, but it will give you a much better understanding of why other people think and act the way they do. It’s excellent to help you dissect humanity’s innate selfish nature so you can find ways to live in harmony with all the self-centred people around you—and, of course, yourself.

Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living – Life isn’t always about being perfect: having the perfect family, the perfect body, the perfect diet, the perfect life, etc. It can be hard to accept that imperfection is far more common, but this book is designed to help you not only come to terms with that fact but embrace it. It’s intended to help you find those “little victories” that make life so much more enjoyable even as you struggle to find your best version of yourself.

All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Wealth – So many of us dream about being rich, but do we ever stop to think about what would happen if we actually had fortunes? This book takes a cold, hard look at money—not just earning it, but being wise with it, knowing how to make it work for you, and how to use it to bring happiness to your life. If you’re planning on getting rich, this is a book that definitely deserves to sit on your shelf.

Outliers: The Story of Success – Malcolm Gladwell’s book takes a deep-dive into success in every aspect. It follows the lives of wildly successful people, evaluates what success truly means to each person, and follows the trails of success all around the world. This will help to shape your perspective on the concept of success and help you to redefine how you think and feel about it.

Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert’s treatise on art and the creative life can help you to find that artistic spark in your life—and not just find it, but harness it, shape it and integrate it into your life. Everyone has a bit of artist within, though so many of us find ways to suppress or resist the urges to create. But that creativity is part of what makes us human. If you’ve always wanted to do something artistic—paint, build something, write a book, or learn to dance—this is the book for you!

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – In this day and age when Instagram likes and Facebook comments mean everything, Mark Manson’s 2017 novel definitely deserves a read. This “counterintuitive approach to living a good life” can help you to disentangle your ideals of success and happiness from the approval of others. It can also be an eye-opener to help you realize that you may have been placing too much emphasis on what others think and letting that dictate your actions. 

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up – Yes, it’s pretty common for us to find messes slowly encroaching on our spaces: office desk, home office, bedroom, garage, and the list goes on. This book, written by organizational specialist Marie Kondo, can help you to not only get rid of the clutter in your home but in your life and heart as well. The goal: to help you be as happy as possible while living a life free of unnecessary baggage, emotional and physical.

Sex Object: A Memoir – Sexism is something that we, as men, rarely have to worry about. Yet for the women in our lives, it’s a daily problem. This memoir gives an insight into how sexism affects the lives of women everywhere. Taking the time to read it can help you see how your actions (or inaction) could be modified to restore balance to the world. 

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person — Shonda Rhimes is one of the most successful TV writers of all time, so when she writes, it’s a good idea to sit up and take notice. This book is partly a how-to guide and partly a memoir, but it’s all awesome when it comes to giving you a short, easily-digestible guide to positivity in your year. 

These books may not be your “traditional” reading fare, but by the time you finish them, you will be a much more enlightened and have some ideas that anchor your thoughts and the directions you want to take.