Here are 5 of my favorite books I read in 2016, in no particular order:
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
I have always been self-conscious, and questioned my own decisions. Atlas Shrugged helped me to place my highest value on my own decisions and desires.
One of the main principles behind Rand’s Objectivism is that individual human achievement is the most pure of all values.
This book changed my life. It introduced me the concept of “selfishness as morality”. We are in an age in which giving to people in need stands on higher moral ground than pursuing one’s own self interests.
Rand challenges this principle, and suggests the opposite. She shows, through a captivating fictional story, the dystopian macro result of placing more value on need than contribution.
The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson
Pearson has a way of understanding and explaining the over-arching trends within our market and economy. He shows with hard data that stability and security are on the way out, soon to be replaced by freedom and entrepreneurship.
He provides tons of practical advice for how to begin investing in entrepreneurship to get yourself ahead. There are so many ways to develop skills and create a signal of your value that transcends any college degree or credential, and this book outlines several.
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
This book is the cornerstone of all self-improvement works. It is focused on the power of mental imagery and visualization. Tony Robbins and Jim Rohn both endorse this book.
Through practical exercises and real stories, Maltz shows how high performers in any field use the power of mental imagery to create results in reality. Your thoughts truly become reality, and Psycho-Cybernetics is the place to start if you’re interested in managing your own thoughts intentionally.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
If you want to change the world, this book is for you. Thiel throws out all the standard startup advice and offers a radical perspective that will achieve radical results.
Most startups go from 1 to 1.1 to 1.2 to 1.3. They start in markets that have already been proven to work, and they improve on what’s already there.
Thiel offers a new way of thinking. Instead of improving, he suggests thinking outside of the box completely, and creating something that hasn’t ever existed. This way of thinking has resulted in companies like Tesla, Paypal, Uber, and AirBnB – companies who have achieved rapid success by truly altering the world
How to Find Fulfilling Work
We hear all sorts of advice for finding fulfilling work. Find your passion, stop doing stuff you hate, do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life… There are countless relevant but sometimes impractical pieces of advice out there.
The harsh truth is that there isn’t a 100% perfect job for everyone. Part of life and work is dealing with the things you don’t like while you can’t do the things you love. This is such a unique balance for everyone, and Roman Krznarik sifts through all the strategies, and breaks down this challenge into an easy-to-understand way of thinking.
Highly recommended.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?