46 books from 2021
As a follow up to my post about New Year resolutions for reading, here is my honest & very short review of the 46 books I have read in 2021:
#1 - The Ride of Lifetime - Bob Iger
It was the first and probably the best I read this year. An (already former) Disney CEO shares an overview of his career path, talks about challenges he faced and the decisions he made. Truly inspiring!
#2 - Stillness is the Key - Ryan Holiday
If you are into Stoicism, you know who Ryan is, and you probably heard about the book. If not - dive into the Stoicism and then come and read this book.
#3 - Growth Hacker - Ryan Holidays
This is a blog post, not a book.
#4 - Anything you Want - Derek Sivers
This was indeed a fun book from a very fun individual. If you never heard about a famous "CD Baby email" - google it. And then read the book.
#5 - Hyperfocus - Chris Bailey
A bunch of focus/productivity ideas is packed together. Nicely written, if you are into the subject - go for it.
#6 - The Decision Book - Mikael Krogerus & Roman Tschapper
A crash course for concepts like Eisenhower Matrix, BCG Box etc. Nice intro for further exploration of tools available for making decisions.
#7 - The Little Black Book For Manager - Cross, Gomes, Money
The title is self-explanatory. Nothing groundbreaking.
#8 - Human Hacking - Christopher Hadnagy
Find the dude on a podcast, skip the book. The subject can be covered within 1h talk.
#9 - Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
Really enjoyed this one! Good story, very honest about early mistakes and shortcomings and quite open in admitting that there was no "grand vision" behind Nike. Phil just went with the flow.
#10 - The Everything Store - Brad Stone
A good book giving you a glimpse into how Amazon was built. A couple of very interesting chapters about Amazon vs Stock Market and the launch of Kindle.
#11 - How to Take Smart Notes - Sonke Ahrens
Book provides a fantastic toolset unless you are prepping for ph.D. - get a summary.
#12 - The Black Swan - Nassim Taleb
Like the idea, hate the author. Nassim is an intolerable snob...and that's exactly why I read his books and Twitter. Although I disagree with him in the majority of cases, having a fresh & alternative opinion is reeeealllyyyy important.
#13 - Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Was very lucky to pick an Audible audiobook. David is just a character and the book is moving & motivating. I promise, that after finisht the book who will be running on a Boulevard yelling "They don' know me, son!!!"
#14 - The Very Little but Very Powerful Book on Closing - Jeffrey Gitomer
You are better of just googling about sales & closing, than reading this book.
#15 - The Personal MBA - John Kaufmann
A really great book! What you have to know, that this is book is just a starting point of understanding the MBA Course. So be prepped to expand your reading list after you finish this one for 50+ books.
#16 - Strength Finder 2.0 - Tom Rath
The book is useless if you are not into Employee Engagement research done by Gallup. Google them, then come for a book
#17 - The Power of Full Engagement - Loehr, Schwarts
Remember the Personal MBA reading list? That's how I found this book. Just another "self-development" book, nothing specific.
#18 - Bit Literacy
Outdated. If you don't know how to manage your online presences/files/devices - ready Cal Newport.
#19 - Greenlights
Fantastic memoir. All things McConaughey. Listen on audible is possible - a pure pleasure to listen to him.
#20 - The Lean Startup - Eric Ries
Another great one! Gives you a good understanding of how to run (and not to run) small experiments, how to measure them, and how to pivot when necessary.
#21 - The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
If you are looking for extra motivation to actually start your creative journey - this book is a perfect kick in the butt.
#22 - The Productivity Project - Chris Bailey
I like this book more than Hyperfocus. It's really interesting to read how someone already tried all the "productivity" hackings, what stuck and what didn't.
#23 - Black Box Thinking - Matthew Syed
A rare case where the book is actually better than TED talk. The book is packed with great examples of how companies/industries learn from mistakes and implement a new way of thinking.
#24 - Start with Why - Simon Sinek
Simon is...Simon. Everything time when I hear him talk, I get inspired. This book is not an exception. Watch him on YouTube and then decide.
#25 - Indistractble - Nir Eyal
Social media - bad. Time with a family - good. Listen to the podcast, skip the book.
#26 - The Great Influenza - John Barry
This book is massive and will eat a huge portion of your time. On the other hand - I can't find a better source to have your own opinion on COVID 19 pandemic. This book helped me a lot to draw parallels and understand what is happening with the world.
#27 - Leaders is Last - Simon Sinek
Ok, I like Simon, but seriously - just watch his YouTube and skip this one.
#28 - The Sense of Ending - Julian Barnes
A fiction book! It was heavily recommended, so I decided to give it shot. Didn't regret it.
#29 - Mindset - Carol Dweck
I believe this book is classic by now. If you heard about "Growth Mindset" before, go and thank Carol. Really great one.
#30 - The Almanack of Naval Ravikant - Eric Jorgenson
Ok, I am gonna fanboy for a second. This book pretty much changed the way I think about a bunch of different topics. My advice: go and listen to a Joe Rogan Podcast with Naval and then dive into the book. Thank me later.
#31 - How to Avoid Climate Disaster - Bill Gates
A very straightforward book about Climate Change. Brings a ton of perspective and explains the challenges and opportunities.
#32 - The Infinite Game - Simon Sinek
Ok, I admit. I really like Simon. And this book - you don't skip. But still, listen to his speech on YouTube about infinite games. The concept itself is really great.
#33 - Everything is F*cked - Mark Manson
Mark tried to do it again after the success of "The Subtle Art..." and I don't think he managed to do so.
#34 - The 5 AM Club - Robin Sharma
This book was recommended to me by dozen people. Wasn't impressed for a second, since heard it all before. And in different packaging. Not my cup of tea.
#35 - The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Schwartz
Found no magic here, to be honest. Just an OK book
#36 - Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink and Leif Babi
Jocko knows a thing or two about Leadership. Whenever a former Navy Seal talks about how to lead people and take responsibility - I think it's wise to listen.
#37 - Drive - Daniel Pink
A surprisingly good book about motivations, incentives, and why the "carrot/stick" formula is not working.
#38 - Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Rober Kiyosaki
Listen, there are plenty of better books about finance than this one. Ready "I will teach you how to be rich" and skip this one.
#39 - Original - Adam Grant (re-read)
Adam Grant is a smart dude. You don't have to agree with him on 100% of the points, but he clearly has a very interesting vision. Highly recommended (P.S. a story of Warby Parker in the book made me an actual loyal customer of the brand)
#40 - Notes on a Nervous Planet - Matt Haig
I am surprised how this is even a book. I guess, when you establish a personal brand, you can sell pretty much everything. And that's exactly what Matt is doing here. Avoid at all costs.
#41 - Holocracy - Brian J. Robertson
Holocracy is a very interesting concept about managing people/companies. Dive all the way in, take something, and implement it straight away - but do move in this direction if you are a leader. And read the book.
#42 - No B.S. Sales in New Economy - Dan Kennedy
Find the summary, skip the book. Nothing groundbreaking.
#43 & 46 - The Great Mental Model vol.1 & vol.2 - Shane Parrish
Highly highly recommended books. Just spot on, straight to the case, remain on a subject, provide useful information with very relatable examples. Simply the best!
#44 - Spark - John Batey
A really good book about the interconnection of physical & mental health. If you need an extra kick to get yourself to the gym - the book does the trick perfectly.
#45 - Twelve and a Half - Gary Vaynerchuck
A summary of what is Gary preaching on this YouTube channel for years now. Got as an Audiobook - felt like yet another podcast with Gary. If you know - you know.