My 2018 Reading List — And the “Main Thing” From Each Book
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn
Reading is one of the most powerful things we can do to continue to develop ourselves, both personally and professionally. I made it a goal a few years back to read at least one business, personal, or professional development book per month. Now, this goal is fairly modest. A lot of people out there are voracious readers and may read a couple books a month, or even a book a week.
Myself, I tend to be more of a methodical reader, and I am ok with that. My goal is not just to read a book, but to spend some time with it, become familiar with it, and let it’s message sink in. For me, if I jump from book to book too quickly the message fades quickly. And unless it’s lessons have somehow sunk into my subconscious, I am not aware that it benefited me at all. So for me, one book a month is my sweet spot. I allows me to continue to gain knowledge at a pace that is comfortable for me, and allows the lessons of the book to sink in.
My primary goal is to come away with at least one “Main Thing” from each book I read. Some kind of lesson, practice, or principle that I can adopt into my daily life and way of thinking. If I can come away from a book with at least one “Main Thing” than the reading of that book was a worthwhile experience. Sometimes , I hit the jackpot and read a book that has a ton of great insight and knowledge to be gained. Other times, I read a book that may only have a single valuable insight. Sometimes, I read a book that a few chapters in does not “speak to me” in any meaningful way. I have learned to bail on those books quickly and move on to the next. But in the end the goal is always to come away with one “Main Thing”.
So, here are 12 books I read in 2018 with a brief summary and the “Main Thing” taken away from each one. So why write this post? I have to admit the reasons are somewhat selfish; it allows me to review and reinforce the “Main Things” I have learned from my reading throughout the year. But hopefully it will also provide some ideas for books to add to your own reading list. Maybe one of my “Main Things” will resonate with you and send you down the path to learn more about it by reading the book it came from.
Tribe of Mentors–Tim Ferriss
Summary: I’ll start with this one because it introduced me to many of the other books I read this year. Or Tim, through his podcasts, introduced me to the authors of some of the other books. In a nutshell, Tim is awesome. I have been a fan of Tim Ferriss, his books, and podcasts for awhile now. Tribe of Mentors is his latest book. I received it as a Christmas gift in 2017 and I dove right into it to start the year. In this book Tim presents past guests of his podcast, and other people he admires, with the same list of 11 questions to get their feedback on very specific topics. In the end it is a treasure trove of practical advice, tips, and tactics from the contributors.
Main Thing: Face Your Fears. A recurring theme from the contributors to this book is facing your fears. The only way to conquer your fears is to face them head on; you can’t dance around them. This is something we have all heard before. But we all deal with our own unique set of fears in our lives and it is a good reminder that you have to push through them. It is refreshing to hear that very successful people have faced fears as well, and their success is the product of them pushing through those fears.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“If you push fear away, the only version of fear available to you will be its crazy, irrational, or contorted version. If you’re willing to feel it, and merge with it, its energy and wisdom will appear.” — Kristen Ulmer
Man’s Search For Meaning–Victor Frankl
Summary: One of the questions Tim Ferriss asked of his contributors to Tribe of Mentors was: “What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?”
One of the most recommended books was Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl. I figured, if all these successful people think it is an important book I better give it a read. This is a powerful book of human triumph in the ultimate worst of human conditions. The book is about Fankl’s experience as an inmate in the Aushwitz concentration camp during World War II and how his experiences there shaped his work as a respected psychiatrist and his development of logotherapy.
Main Thing: We Create Our Own Reality. No matter what life throws at us, no matter what misfortune befalls us, we ultimately have the power to choose our own reality. We do not have the power to choose what happens to us, but we always have the power to choose how we will respond. Even in the darkest of times and the most challenging of circumstances in our lives we can choose to turn towards the light. We have the power to choose how we view and respond to our circumstances. If Frankl could choose to find hope in a concentration camp; than I certainly can choose to respond positively to any “first world” problem that I happen to be facing on any given day.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Man is not fully conditioned and determined but rather determines himself whether he gives in to conditions or stands up to them. In other words, man is ultimately self-determining. Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment.”
Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual–Jocko Willink
Summary: I was introduced to Jocko through Tim Ferriss’s podcast. Jocko was also a contributor to Tribe of Mentors. Jocko is all about self discipline, and that is the main theme of this book. The book provides motivation to build and maintain discipline in your life. And who among us would not benefit from a little more discipline and a little less procrastination in their lives? I refer to my highlights from this book to give me a boost when my discipline is starting to fade and I know I am slipping into procrastination.
Main Thing: Discipline is Freedom. It sounds like a contradiction, but the truth is the more disciplined we are, the more freedom we have. Living a disciplined lifestyle gives us the freedom to accomplish our goals. From weight loss, to education, to career progression; the more disciplined you are the more likely you are to accomplish your goals and gain the freedoms they provide. Freedom from bad health, freedom from ignorance, freedom to live the life you wish to. When we are disciplined we do not have to count on motivation. Motivation is fickle, it comes and goes and it isn’t always up to us if we are going to feel motivated on any given day. But discipline is constant, and we can make the choice to be more disciplined every day.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Let these challenges raise you up—let them elevate you. Let their demands and their trials make you stronger—let the adversity you face today turn you into a better person tomorrow. So in the future, you look back at these struggles and you say to them: Thank you—you made me better.”
Linchpin-Seth Godin
Summary: I have been familiar with Seth through his blog (https://seths.blog/) but this was the first Seth Godin book I have read. The book is about becoming a “Linchpin” in your organization, and in your life. It provides lessons and reflections on how to make your own rules, follow your own “true north”, and unlock your potential to become one of the few who are truly indispensable. The book challenges you to look at the work you do as art and to put your best self into the work you do every day to serve others and create great art.
Main Thing: Your Job is Your Platform. Instead of seeing our job as drudgery, where we carry out the wishes and instructions of our boss or company, we can choose to see it differently. We can choose to see our job as a platform where we get the opportunity to bring our best selves. Where we can serve others, follow our own high standards, and deliver art on a daily basis. This is a powerful mindset. It takes us from feeling like a cog in the machine to a feeling of empowerment. No matter what you do, you have the opportunity to serve others and go above and beyond to exceed expectations.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“You get paid to go to work and do something of value. But your job is also a platform for generosity, for expression, for art. Every interaction you have with a co-worker or customer is an opportunity to practice the art of interaction. Every product you make represents an opportunity to design something that has never been designed, to create an interaction unlike any other.”
Choose Yourself–James Altucher
Summary: I downloaded this book onto my Kindle quite awhile back and got around to reading it this year. The world is changing; cubicle and corporate jobs are being automated and outsourced. You must choose yourself and build your own personal brand and mission to not only survive but to thrive in life. You have to follow a daily plan that builds your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. This book is a good compliment to Linchpin by Seth Godin. The messages are similar; we have to choose ourselves and build our own platforms to make sure we are accomplishing the things that our most meaningful to us.
Main Thing: Bless That Which You Want. When you see someone who has something you want, or has achieved a goal that you haven’t accomplished yet, how do you feel? Do you feel a twinge of jealousy or envy? Don’t! Instead; bless that which you want. Look at it positively and send positive feedback to that person. Congratulate them, or just mentally send them positive “vibes”. This is a great exercise to eliminate the little twinges of envy from your life.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Try this exercise: pretend everyone was sent to this planet to teach you. Famous people, dead people, your neighbors, your relatives, your co-workers. This will give you a strong feeling of humility. And guess what, you will learn from people, you will appreciate them more, and they will actually appreciate you more. Because everyone loves to teach.”
Discourses–Epictetus
Summary: I was introduced to the philosophy of Stoicism a few years back when I read Ryan Holliday’s excellent book The Obstacle is the Way. Since then I have slowly been working my way through the writings of the Stoic philosophers. This year I read the writings of Epictetus. In a nutshell, Stoicism is about learning to focus on the things that we have control over and gaining tranquility by not worrying about the things we do not have control over. For being nearly 2,000 years old it is incredible how practical and readable the writings of the Stoics are. The advice they give on how to live a more tranquil life is amazingly applicable to our lives today.
Main Thing: Want Less. We expend a lot of energy in our lives chasing after things we want. In some cases, this is positive. We want our family to be safe and well provided for. So we work hard and advance in our careers to provide for our loved ones. In other cases, this is negative. We see our friends or old classmates on Facebook posting pictures from their dream vacation and assume they have a better life than us. We may get “fear of missing out” and envy their lives because we have not gone on that dream vacation. How do we combat this? Epictetus proposes that we learn to want less and appreciate the things we already have. We can remove jealousy either by working very hard to chase after something to attain it; or we can just not want it in the first place. Now, if you want to work hard to attain something for the right reasons; go for it. But if you are chasing after things to impress others or attain some kind of standard that society is placing on you; stop chasing and learn to appreciate what you have now. There are billions of people on the face of this earth who could only dream of having the life you have today. Appreciate it!
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of men’s desires, but by the removal of desire.”
The Third Door–Alex Banyan
Summary: I can’t exactly recall how I was introduced to this book. But I do recall that once I was introduced to it I immediately bought it and read it right away. Typically, when I am introduced to a book I want to read, I will put a book in my Amazon wish list and it waits “in the queue” until it’s turn to be read has arrived. This one I bought and read right away and I am glad I did. It is an easy read but has a powerful message. The author made a goal to interview Bill Gates and the book is about his persistence and “hustling” to meeting that goal. Along the way he meets and interviews several famous people. But none of these opportunities are “given” to him. They are all earned by his hard work and persistence. The book talks abut three doors we can pass through to achieve our goals and dreams. The first door is the main entrance where everyone waits to get in. The second door is the VIP door where we gain entrance through some kind of entitlement or privilege. The Third Door is the door we find on our own through hard work, passion, and persistence.
Main Thing: Be Persistent! Go the extra mile to achieve your dreams. Don’t wait for fate or luck to present opportunities for you. If you want something, get creative, start hustling, explore every option and never give up. Most people fail to achieve their goals simply because they give up when they fail at their first attempt or hit a roadblock. Don’t be one of those people. Persistence will not necessarily guarantee success, there are too many factors that truly are out of our control. But if you “leave everything on the field” your chances of succeeding skyrocket, and the journey becomes much more rewarding.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Everyone has the power to make little choices that can alter their lives forever. You can either choose to give into inertia and continue waiting in line for the first door, or you can choose to jump out of line, run down the alley, and take the third door. We all have that choice.
The Ideal Team Player–Patrick Lencioini
Summary: I read this book as part of a professional development book club at work. Patrick Lencioni has been the focus of this book club and through this club I have had the opportunity to read most of his books. If you have read any of Lencioni’s other books this one fits in with his usual formula of presenting his concepts in the context of a business fable. The focus of this book is the attributes of great team players: Humility, Hunger, and People Smarts.
Main Thing: Build Great Teams. As a hiring manager, it is my responsibility to take my time during the hiring process, and ask the right questions in interviews, to be sure that I am hiring great team players that will contribute to building great teams. Sometimes the tendency can be to focus on the technical skills required for a job. But it is even more important to make sure that candidates are evaluated on their ability to be great team players.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually.”
Success Is Not an Accident–Tommy Newberry
Summary: A book that was introduced to me by a business coach and mentor. The title pretty much sums up the content of the book. Success is not an accident; it is the result of the actions we take and the decisions we make every moment of every day.
Main Thing: Own Your Goals. Our goals are not something that should only live in our heads and be considered occasionally. Our goals should be tangible and examined daily. Write your goals down and frequently check in on your progress.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“More than any other single factor, you are where you are today because of the choices you have made. To achieve things you have never achieved before, you must take action today you have never taken before. Tomorrow changes today.”
How to Self Promote Without Being a Jerk–Bruce Kasanoff
Summary: A short and easy read about building your personal brand. It is a collection of blog posts from Bruce Kasanoff’s blog. One of my favorite blog posts of all time is Kasanoff’s “Help This Person”. After reading it I did a little digging to find more of Kasanoff’s material and found this book. The beauty of the book is that his advice for building your brand is totally centered around helping others and bringing value through unselfish and helpful action.
Main Thing: Help This Person. What better and more meaningful way is there to build trust (and ultimately your brand and reputation) through helping others? I just love the idea of letting the thought “Help this person” run through my mind at the beginning of every interaction I have. It is not easy. But it is a beautiful approach to life and one I will keep trying to build into my everyday thinking.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Every time you encounter another person, think: help this person. It’s not altruistic. Nothing else can so quickly supercharge your career and improve the quality of your life. And, yes, being genuinely helpful is the most substantive “self-promotion” possible.”
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There–Marshall Goldsmith
Summary: A book that was recommended to me by a good friend, The book focuses on bad habits, or “blind spots” that may be holding us back from achieving our full potential. Even the highest performers may be holding themselves back by succumbing to certain bad habits. This book walks you through 21 habits that might be holding you back and provides suggestions for overcoming them.
Main Thing: Listen, Breathe, Speak. This book has several great nuggets of wisdom, but the main thing I took away is the importance of being a good listener. Instead of talking over people, or not paying attention because I am thinking too much of what I want to say next; I need to focus on listening instead of speaking. A great tactic to help me do this is to simply take a single breath before I speak. This helps me to slow down and take my time to respond; which helps me to listen more attentively.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“The ability to make a person feel that they are the most important person in the room is the skill that separates the great from the near great.”
The War of Art–Steven Pressfield
Summary: Another book that was recommended by a large number of the the contributors to Tools of Titans. This book is primarily about fighting “The Resistance.” And what is The Resistance? It is our fear, our procrastination, our perfectionism; everything that prevents us from creating great art. We need to overcome The Resistance and instead listen to our Muse that helps us focus on our goals and create art.
Main Thing: Fight the Resistance! Just giving a name to the procrastination I experience from time to time was greatly helpful. Now when I am procrastinating or being a perfectionist I know I am just facing The Resistance. We all do, the greatest artists of all time did. When The Resistance rears it’s ugly head it is up to me not to give in, but instead to recognize it for what it is, and double down on my efforts.
Favorite Quote From the Book:
“Resistance is directly proportional to love. If you’re feeling massive Resistance, the good news is that it means there’s tremendous love there too.”
So there you have it, the 12 books that I read in 2018 and the Main Thing I took away from each one. In the end, there are some very powerful concepts from each book that can be used to help me continue to grow and develop.
The way I typically decide on what I am going to read is through the recommendations of others; friends, professional contacts, and other trusted sources. Next time you are out to lunch with a friend or a business contact, ask them for reading suggestions. This is a great way to add books to your reading list.
Hopefully you find some reading ideas for yourself in 2019 in this list. I am always looking for the next good book to read. So please offer any suggestions you may have in the comments below.
Have a fantastic 2019 and happy reading!
“I read a book one day and my whole life was changed.” – Orhan Pamuk
