Below is a list of books that I read/listened to this year along with a short description.
I’ve broken it down into two categories: audiobooks and actual books. Purposefully, I excluded children’s book, mainly because I have way too many opinions about them.
Enjoy and let me know if we happened to read any of the same books this year!
Audiobooks
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Taleb is an acquired taste, but this is the crown jewel of his writings packed with anecdotes and revelations. I loved it, even if the narration wasn’t by the author (my number one rule for audiobooks).
Stillness Is the Key
By: Ryan Holiday
My favorite book in the Obstacle, Ego and Stillness trilogy. I didn’t know how valuable this book would be when finishing it in January, as it’s a helpful guide when navigating turbulent times.
Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior
By: Phil Jackson , Hugh Delehanty
Short but a fine accompaniment to The Last Dance. There’s a bigger, likely better, Phil Jackson book including his years with the Lakers.
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions
By: Johann Hari
**Book of the year!**
This book fundamentally changed the way I think about and approach the world.
Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
By: David Goggins
If you haven’t heard David on any of the major podcasts, then this book is for you. No spoilers, but this forced me see my life in a new perspective and better evaluate what is actually hard.
Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World
By: Michael Pollan
A shortie from Pollan. It opened my eyes to the global impact of many of our daily rituals. It changed the way I view my cup of coffee/tea, and thankfully, it didn’t make me quit drinking either beverage.
The Burnout Generation
By: Anne Helen Petersen
The framing is for Millennials working in a pre-COVID world, but I think the story resonates with anyone grinding it our for themselves or a company—so, pretty much everyone.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
By: Malcolm Gladwell
One of the first books I read this year, and it left me with more questions than answers. Maybe that was the point as the topic is difficult to navigate.
While the central argument begins and closes with Sandra Bland, I have no idea what this book might sound like after witnessing everything that happened in the remainder of 2020.
The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
By: Neil Strauss
This one is wild. And as a father of a daughter, it made me terrified. Still it was a fascinating account of an underground society, and the Tom Cruise interactions are wonderfully paired with watching Magnolia.
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
By: Michael Pollan
In progress. But I’ll probably go do some mushrooms in the desert.
Actual Books
Greenlights
By: Matthew McConaughey
The most enjoyable read of 2020…maybe. This reads like a Lincoln commercial, but with more understanding of what is actually happening. I didn’t know many of the McConaughey anecdotes—somehow missing his appearance on every podcast and interview show—making this feel fresh, fun.
59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
By: Richard Wiseman
One of my all-time favorite Tim Ferriss interviews is Charles Poliquin, and he recommended this book. It’s quick and impactful, plus it will make you reevaluate some of your decisions.
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: Revised Edition: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition
By: Richard Ferber
**Runner Up for Book of the Year**
A must read for parents. I was able to separate emotionally from my child’s sleep routine and realize I AM THE PROBLEM.
Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue
By: Ryan Holiday
My least favorite Ryan Holiday book. This book slogged and at times felt repetitive. I loved the subject matter, but I didn’t quite get the satisfaction set out in the premise.
Farewell Kabul: From Afghanistan To A More Dangerous World: The War on Terror in Afghanistan
By: Christina Lamb
Sadly, I abandoned this book because I couldn’t take another tragedy, death or conflict before bed. My dreams were too much to handle, so I can’t imagine the hurt, harm and trauma of those actually involved.
It’s extremely thorough and impeccably written. I’m going to attempt to finish this in 2021, but it will likely take a few months of daytime reading and more distance from being a new Dad.
How to Write a Book: An 11-Step Process to Build Habits, Stop Procrastinating, Fuel Self-Motivation, Quiet Your Inner Critic, Bust Through Writer's Block, & Let Your Creative Juices Flow (Short Read)
By: David Kadavy
This very short read is a great introduction to what David Kadavy, and links to number of other resources including books, podcasts and articles. It highlights what David does so well: breakdown big ideas into manageable chunks. His book mantras are worth the couple bucks for this book.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong
By: Eric Barker
An actionable playbook for making better choices in your life and career. Personally, I love Barker’s style (whiny neutered goats fly!), and this book is so good, you’ll reshare everything you read with the people you love.
Mastery
By: Robert Greene
In progress. When the year is finally over, this feels like it should be book of the year. However, I don’t know if it would have hit the same without everything else on this list, the Akimbo workshop and the self-issued challenge to read it everyday.
“You could have the most brilliant mind, teeming with knowledge and ideas, but if you choose the wrong subject or problem to attack, you can run out of energy and interest.”
Mastery, Robert Greene (p. 179)
What’s the best book your read this year? Reply to this email or let me know in the comments.
Talking to Strangers is next on my list but I'll definitely be adding Lost Connections as a read for 2021! Thanks for sharing.