FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2019:
As the new year approaches, I’ve been reflecting on my favourite books of 2019. Below are my top 3 (plus 1 honourable mention). All of them have changed the way I think and/or behave in a big way.
*Note: In honour of the new year, I’d like to share these books with more people, so I’ll be gifting 9 audiobooks. If one of these books speaks to you, send me a message or leave a comment with the title and I’ll send you the book on Audible.
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Hat tip to the awesome folks at Raw Signal Group for putting this book on my radar. As they put it, “If you are a person who gathers other people together, if you host or organize or facilitate, it's required reading.” As someone who gathers people both in my work and in my personal life, I was immediately intrigued and picked up a copy. This book quickly became a top fave for me, and I anticipate I will refer back to it for many years to come.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’ve been a fan of James Clear’s writing for several years. His blog is incredibly popular, with his writing focused on “how we can create better habits, make better decisions, and live better lives.” Near the end of 2018, he released his first book, Atomic Habits and boy -- does this book deliver. I highly recommend picking up a copy if you want to set yourself up for meaningful self-development in 2020. If you’re at all interested in understanding behaviour change and habit formation, or if you’ve enjoyed the work of authors like Charles Duhigg or Daniel Kahneman, then you will love this book.
Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki
This book picks up on many of the threads that Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up touched on, but ultimately dives deeper into the philosophy behind minimalism. The book is less about specific tactics (no sock-folding instructions here) and more about the deeper insights of why one might want to experiment with the principles of minimalism, and the benefits that can emerge from pursuing a life of more meaning with less “stuff”. While I don’t agree with all of Sasaki’s viewpoints, this book has helped me make significant progress in my personal journey -- 7 years (!!) and counting -- of evolving my relationship to “things”. If you liked Kondo’s work, or if you enjoy authors like Leo Babauta, Joshua Becker, and The Minimalists, then this book should definitely be on your list.
Honourable Mention:
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
While I first read this book some years back, this is a staple I return to year after year. This short but powerful book serves as an effective kick in the pants and a good reminder to lean in the direction of The Resistance that so often gets in the way of doing one’s true work. I re-read this book at least once a year (but would probably benefit from revisiting it even more often).
Happy New Year and happy reading in 2020!