To win in business – and life – we all know that being a lifelong learner is mission critical. As the cheesy saying goes, “learners are earners.” Clichés aside, I have a deep love for learning and the written word. Great books inspire, inform, and give us the tools we need to win in these increasingly challenging times.
With so many books to choose from, it’s easy to select a dud. I hate getting 75 pages into a book, only to realize it isn’t worth finishing. To help you avoid information overload and snag a great read, I wanted to share my seven favorite books from 2019:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (by James Clear)
A fun read with a powerful approach to building daily habits in order to drive your achievement. The author shares inspiring stories while making the concept of chipping away at our biggest goals accessible. The book includes great tips and hacks on how to build good habits while removing bad ones.
- You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life (by Neil Pasricha)
Neil’s book delivers a renewed spring in your step to anyone who has felt rejected, disappointed, or less-than-awesome in any way. The book is warm, touching, and personal. The author reveals some really cool techniques that I’ve embraced myself, including “untouchable days” and a 2-minute morning ritual that drives focus and gratitude.
- Everything Is Figureoutable (by Marie Forleo)
The wildly famous host of MarieTV breaks down her approach to achieving anything. It’s a combination of motivation and practical tools. I found the book energizing as she reinforced important principles around resilience and tenacity in a fun, fresh way.
- Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds (by David Goggins)
Not for the shy or timid, this memoir portrays life as the toughest person on Earth. Goggins is a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, ultra-distance champion, and world-record holder for pull-ups. This raw book reveals how he overcame a troubled past to build incredible mental toughness. If you want a kick-in-the-rear to push yourself harder, this is it.
- The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (by Daniel Coyle)
As someone who is fascinated with corporate culture, I was delighted to soak in the author’s extensive research on what makes a high-performance culture. Great storytelling reveals many surprising truths and gives readers a blueprint to build effective teams.
- Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done (by Jon Acuff)
If you’ve ever started something but didn’t finish it, this book is for you. Jon not only shares inspiring, memorable, and actionable stories, he also loads the book with laugh-out-loud humor. One of the most fun and productive books I’ve read in a long time.
- Blitzscaling: The Lightning Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies (by Reid Hoffman)
A peek behind the curtain of Silicon Valley giants, the reader gets to see and feel what it’s like to build a billion-dollar tech company. I enjoyed the ride, but also loved the practical takeaways for the rest of us mere mortals who are not trying to be the next tech titan.
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (by Yuval Noah Harari)
A deeply thoughtful and provocative book, readers get a glimpse of the future. Some books in this category showcase whiz-bang predictions, but here the author shares the impact that trends such as geo-political turmoil, artificial intelligence, and climate change will have on our kids and grandkids. A mind-blowing read.
I highly recommend each of these books and hope that you get the chance to devour them. Here’s to your continued learning… and success.