Sunday, April 26, 2020

Books That Had Major Impact on Me

I do get asked to recommend non-fiction books by friends and colleagues. I compiled a list of books, that has had major impact on me and those I regularly re-read and/or go back to get my bearings right. I've organised them by a few categories for quick access. My apologies if I've missed out your favourite book - chances are I might have not come across them - please do specify them in the comment section. 

 Can't help but share this quote "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” ― Mark Twain

Leadership

Strategy

Professional Development

Companies

People

  • Einstein: His life and Universe (How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson’s biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom)
  • iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon (iWoz traces the life and times of a brilliant, gifted...individual whose contributions to the scientific, business and cultural realms are extensive)
  • Leonard Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson (Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy)
  • Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing)
  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (From printer's apprentice to internationally famous scientist, inventor, statesman, legislator, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin led a most remarkable life. Seldom is history so well articulated by someone who was there)
  • The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life (In this startlingly frank account of Buffett's life, Schroeder, strips away the mystery that has long cloaked the word's richest man to reveal a life and fortune erected around lucid and inspired business vision and unimaginable personal complexity)

Life Advice

  • Atomic Habits (How to set life changing habits and how to break negative habits)
  • Brand You 50 (In 50 essential points, Tom Peters shows how to be committed to your craft, choose the right projects, how to improve networking, why you need to think fun is cool, and why it's important to piss some people off. He will enable you to turn yourself into an important and distinctive commodity. In short, he will show you how to turn yourself into . . . Brand You)
  • Deep Work (How to do deep, focussed work free from all other distractions)
  • Ego is the Enemy (Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. The book shows how reach highest levels of power and success by con­quering our own egos)
  • Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence and Action (Offers insight and tools to vastly improve your ability to handle any given situation)
  • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Why success is less about IQ or inborn talent, but more about perseverance, passion and resilience (my excerpts))
  • How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big (Blasting clichéd career advice, the contrarian pundit and creator of Dilbert recounts the humorous ups and downs of his career, revealing the outsized role of luck in our lives and how best to play the system. Adams shares the game plan he’s followed since he was a teen: invite failure in, embrace it, then pick its pocket)
  • Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (The father of the new science of positive psychology, draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enchances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it)
  • Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment (Drawing on Zen philosophy and his expertise in the martial art of aikido, bestselling author George Leonard shows how the process of mastery can help us attain a higher level of excellence and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in our daily lives)
  • Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment)
  • The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives)
  • QBQ! The Question Before the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life (Succinct, insightful, and practical, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question provides a method for putting personal accountability into daily action, which can bring astonishing result)
  • Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity (You don't have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Using Radical Candor―avoiding the perils of Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy―you can be kind and clear at the same time (my excerpts))
  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! (The #1 Personal Finance book of all time - the book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you)
  • Your Erroneous Zones (How you can take charge of yourself and manage how much you will let difficult times and people affect you)
  • The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life (A set of breakthrough practices for creativity in all human enterprises. The Zanders' deceptively simple practices are based on two premises: that life is composed as a story ("it's all invented") and that, with new definitions, much more is possible than people ordinarily think)
  • The Path fo Least Resistance : Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life (Discover the steps of creating; the importance of creating what you truly love, how to focus on the creative process to move from where you are to where you want to be, and much more)
  • The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (In The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Dr. Joseph Murphy gives you the tools you will need to unlock the awesome powers of your subconscious mind)
  • The Richest Man in Babylon (Based on “Babylonian parables”, the book has been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In simple language, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys)
  • The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (Once we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, a sense of well-being, good health, fulfilling relationships, energy and enthusiasm for life, and material abundance will spring forth easily and effortlessly)
  • What to Say When You Talk to Yourself (Shad Helmstetter shows the reader how to erase and replace past mental programs with healthy, new programs that can be positively life-changing)
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, the book becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live."Is it hard? Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes thats hard." (More quotes here))

Inspiration

  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (needs no intro)
  • As a Man Thinketh (An extraordinary book that shows how man is the creator and shaper of his destiny by the thoughts which he thinks. Its a very short book and I recommend reading it in one full sitting of  45-60mins and I bet you'd come out different in your thinking)
  • Awaken the Giant Within (In his indomitable style, celebrate self-help Guru Tony Robbins forces you to conduct a reality check and take a hard look in the mirror and most importantly to take action) 
  • Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Extremely good company when you take yourself seriously and get stressed. Dr. Carlson with gentle and supportive suggestions reminds us almost everything is "small stuff" and helps not to make a big deal and remain sane and happy)
  • Man's Search For Meaning (Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor and a psychiatrist argues man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Touching, impactful and contemplative)
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull (A story of a bird determined to be more than ordinary. Its about seeking a higher purpose/vision, and learning the meaning of love and kindness)
  • The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the story of a shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. The book teaches the wisdom of listening to our hearts and follow our dreams)
  • The Law of Success (A timeless classic, Napoleon Hill's 16 lessons are obtained after interviewing dozens of successful individuals. Lessons are valuable even now. Read it and gift it to an young adult and make a difference in their life)
  • The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (The subtitle says "A fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny". It comes pretty close to its promise. Presented in a fast paced way, it helps you get out slumber)

Spirituality

  • A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Eckhart Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence)
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (A dynamic and inspirational story of Paramahansa Yogananda, that many consider a masterpiece of spiritual literature. I can't explain the feelings I go through whenever I read this book).
  • Freedom from the Known (Usually it needs a few re-reads to understand JK but his books are gem. In this book he talks about living the life without fear and anxiety) 
  • I'm That (This book is a collection of Nisargadatta Maharaj's speeches on Advaita Vedanta. Deep, Meaningful and beautiful - not an easy read though)
  • Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (An awesome collection of the conversations with the great sage. Self-enquiry shines through every page of this book)
  • The Art of Meditation (Matthieu Ricard shows that practicing meditation can change our understanding of ourselves. Great book for anyone trying to understand what meditation is, how it is done and what it can achieve)
  • The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living (HH Dalai Lama tells happiness is the purpose of life and the very motion of our life is toward happiness and guides us to defeat anxiety, stress, anger etc.,)
  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlighenment (Simple and profound. Life transforming teachings on ego-based state of consciousness, how being present in the Now changes one's life dramatically)
  • Walden and Civil Disobedience (Thoreau's chronicles during his isolation in the woods - makes you stop and reflect, slow down and appreciate the universe)
  • Wherever you Go, There you Are  (Great introduction to mindfulness with practical exercises and good examples)
  • Zen Mind, Beginners Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice ("In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few". So begins a classic, thought provoking and enigmatic book with full of insights)

Software Development

Miscellaneous

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