I was a big reader growing up. I loved Harry Potter, for example. But as I got older and reading stopped being “cool,” I in turn stopped reading for pleasure. But it was more than that, of course. As I got busier, reading became less of a priority.
I’ll be honest, I only recently started reading for fun again. Basically, I recently re-discovered that reading actually is “cool.” Knowledge is power, and consistent reading guarantees lifelong learning.
The 10 books below will be extremely knowledgeable and transformative, and especially helpful for those in college or the workforce. While some more than others, all of these books will be more helpful if they are used as guides as opposed to just another casual read.
- Let Go of Whatever Makes You Stop by John L. Mason
This self-improvement book is split up into 52 short nuggets. Reading one nugget each morning and reflecting on it while having coffee would be highly beneficial and take less than five minutes. I found that to be a productive part of my morning routine, as it gave me concrete things to work on throughout the day. This book includes bible verses.
Have you ever heard of the idea that you can achieve something that you previously couldn’t by taking on an alter ego? Or that some professional athlete “becomes” someone else mentally before they compete? That is the basis of this book. Interesting read.
- Napoleon Hill’s Keys To Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement
This is a somewhat dull but very important read. The principles encompass all of personal achievement, giving readers practical tips to excel in all areas of their life. If you want to cheat, you can just find a list of his 17 principles and what they mean.
This book is super short, it’s a quick read. No joke, when I had initially read this, I then planned on reading it every Monday for the next month to see how drastically my life would change. I liked it that much. This is the kind of book that will motivate you to get off the couch, take charge of your life, and make radical change.
Also, yes. This book is written by that Russ.
The author being a former top hostage negotiator for the FBI is how this book initially caught my eye. The book is formatted so that a specific hostage situation is explained in-depth by Mr. Voss, and then he explains the negotiation tactics he used in the field and how to apply them to daily life situations.
Chris Voss is featured in a lot of podcasts, but I have also seen him pop up online and in the news a lot recently.
July 22nd, 2020 – How a Master Negotiator Stays Calm in a Crisis
July 17th, 2020 – FBI Hostage Negotiator On How To Talk To Strangers About Masks
February 11th, 2020 -Want to Get Free Travel Upgrades? A Famous FBI Hostage Negotiator Says Do These 5 Things
January 7th, 2020 – Ex-FBI hostage negotiator: Why you should ditch an ‘assertive’ voice and use this negotiation style instead
October 24th, 2019 – A Top FBI Negotiator Shares 5 Tactics for Getting the Outcome You Want
Lastly, he is the Founder and CEO of Black Swan Group, a service that helps individuals, groups, teams, or businesses to improve their emotional intelligence, intuition, and negotiation skills.
- Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud. Supplemental information is provided in a workbook.
This book provides comprehensive tips and examples for dealing with boundaries in your life and the lives of others, and it is a great guide-like resource for learning how to create or further establish boundaries.
- Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
This is a must read. Even if you don’t think you need to read it, you do.
- The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over by Jack Schafer
Again, the initial reason I checked this book out is because the author is an Ex-FBI Agent. FWIW, I read this book from the perspective of wanting to learn how a FBI agent thinks and analyzes people, as well as to see what stories and perspectives he would provide from his on-the-job experiences.
While I have not personally read this, another book written by Mr. Schafer is The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Getting People to Reveal the Truth
- The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter — And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD
This book obviously targets a specific age, but the information provided is helpful, succinct, and could be a good refresher even for someone who only has fond memories left of their Twenties.
- Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez.
This is another must-read. This book is so much more than just a finance book guilting readers into saving money and avoiding debt. This book forces readers to question their relationship with money as well as how money is intertwined with every aspect of their daily life, especially the intangibles, whether or not they realize it. While this book is fundamentally a money and finances book, it may feel more like a book about life and personal development as it is being read.
Thanks for reading. Leave any book suggestions in the comments!
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Matt Morrow 