24 Life Changing Books - 2

There's really no dearth of books that are a real source of inspiration and motivation. Every day, every moment we discover real gem of books, some old and some new, but the message conveyed remains the same - become your best version. Here's another compilation of  24 amazing books that can transform our lives and catapult us to new heights of success, happiness and achievement in life.

My criteria for selection remains the same

• The book should touch our lives and personality at a deeper level
• The book should should be an easy and simple read so that any reader could relate to it
• The book length should keep the reader motivated to finish it in 1-2 readings to deliver the desired impact instantly. 

The books are listed in random order and not in terms of any rating or preference. Here goes the list

1. 52 Changes by Leo Babauta - Nice compilation of 52 topics - simple and relevant. There is a bit of exaggeration or extrapolation for few topics but that gets compensated with the rest of the topics. Nicely structured with clear guidelines on how to implement the change. The book has a nice mix of topics ranging from the most basic and obvious ones to the most relevant ones.
2. Happiness in a Nutshell by Andrew Matthews - Wit and Humour is always at the core of each of Andrew Matthew's book and this one is no exception. Simple nuggets of wisdom, beautifully illustrated and rendered in a funny yet engaging way. The book is quite addictive. 
3. The Art of Good Life by Rolf Dobelli - Though this book is promoted as a follow up to his earlier book "Tha Art of Thinking Clearly" but this book stands on its own beautifully. The selection and delivery of  all the 52 ideas in the book are unique and contain lot of substance and weight. The book definitely delivers on what it promises to i.e. a good life. It leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought and action too. 
4. Think Small by Owain Service and Rorry Gallagher - The beauty of the book lies in linking the concept of "small changes" with human behaviour and converting into an easy to use framework. The 7 steps mentioned in the book have been carefully culled out from behavioural scientific which renders lot of credibility to the content of the book. 
   
5. The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer - The story of a Dolphin which teaches the reader a lot about life including the importance of goals and dreams. The book is a story of hope and courage and a great reminder about how we can overcome our biggest fears and struggles by listening to our inner voice. 
6. One Minute for Yourself by Spencer Johnson - Here's another gem from the author. A first glance at the title and one would think that the book is all about self-care and like but once we start reading, the realisation dawns that the book is more about utilising the power of that "one minute". The book reveals a lot about the potential of the "one minute" and how it could transform our lives for the better.
7. Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal - Much on the lines of "The Last Lecture" and "Tuesdays with  Moorie", the book chronicles the journey of a doctor (the author) on being detected with a terminal disease (a rare form of cancer with only 10 percent chance of surviving). The book, in its own unique way, makes the readers realise (via the protagonist) about the value of "being alive" and how much importance each moment holds for us. The book is indeed quite heart-rending. 
8. The Law of the Garbage Truck by David J. Pollay - Living in a world full of toxicity, this book comes as a real blessing. The book is like a manual on avoiding toxicity and negativity in life. In the book, the "garbage" refers to anger, frustration and similar negative emotions and guides the readers on how to avoid garbage in life (personal and professional), whether in terms of being dumped or dumping it on others. The message of the book is straightforward - Avoid Garbage in your life and achieve happiness and success. 
9. Do The Work by Steven Pressfield - A wonderful book about the resistance we face in life in the form of fear, self-doubt, procrastination and other forms of self-sabotaging behaviour. Primarily written from a writer's perspective but the content is equally applicable to any form of creative pursuits that we may engage in. The lessons delivered are quite powerful. 
10. Choose the Life You Want by Tal Ben-Shahar - If i have to identify two key messages from this book, they would be - 1. elements of happiness, and, 2. the power of choice. The 101 nuggets of happiness i.e the chapters/ topics are carefully chosen and laden with real examples/ stories that appeal to the reader. The book is definitely going to leave the reader much happier than before.  
11. Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller - The topic of  "Attitude" is definitely among the topics that has been explored at length, researched in depth and also written about a lot. Make no mistake, this book discusses the topic in an entirely different way, a way that is far more engaging, enlightening and makes you reflect deep about our own attitude. The lessons are not only short and crisp but highly impactful too.   
    
     
12. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson - This book is about the reiterations we need in our life about many of the small things that negatively impacts us in a big way. The 100 topics/ chapters dealt with in this book are bound to leave us much more relaxed and calmer by virtue of the simplicity and clarity of the content.    
13. The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins - Quite an inspiring book, especially because of the way the author discovered the wonderful tool of "5 seconds". This book is for anyone looking for the missing inspiration to get back and go for things. How "5 seconds" could prove to your "push moment" is the key idea of this book. Apply the concepts in the book and you might discover the panacea.
14. Little Voice Mastery by Blair Singer - A cluttered mind is the source of confusion, distraction, aggression and disappointment in our life. With so many voices playing in our head, it becomes very difficult to focus and listen to the right voice. This book is about that inner voice (crudely called as mind chatter) and guides us primarily on 1. getting aware of the voices in our head, and 2. filtering and identifying the voice that will lead us to growth, freedom and success in life. In a nutshell, this book is a useful guide on how to use the mind chatter to our advantage. 
15. Live It ! by Jairek Robbins - The book attempts to bridge the achievement gap and taking you to where you want to be.  The 3 step process described in the book (Learn It, Live It and Give It) helps the readers not only create a realistic vision but also helps convert that vision into reality. On of the important component of the 3-step process is about creating an exponential effect through giving back.   
16. Just Shut Up And Do It by Brian Tracy - Don't get deceived by the length of this book as this book is one of the most powerful books on the subject of Goals. The book is a blueprint for achieving our goals and lays out the formula in 7 lucid steps. The book highlights the importance of action in actualising our goals and acts as a ready recknoner in times of inaction, doubt or fear. 
17. The Dip by Seth Godin - Succintly put, the book wonderfully teaches that winners are not only good at winning but good at quitting too. The book delivers about "dip" that all of us hit at some point in our life. A real winner is the person who knows how to beat the dip, much before they hit a cul-de-sac.
    
18. Life is Tremendous by Charlie Jones - Perhaps one of the shortest but the most lively book on personal development. The enthusiasm of the author is quite evident in each page of the book. The seven laws of leadership mentioned in the book deal with the most essential skills needed to be productive and successful.
19. 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold - No idea, why 177  secrets ! But the book is a great attempt at compiling the secrets of world class achievers/ champions. It talks in detail about the thought processes, attitudes and actions of the achievers. Each chapter has a lot to offer the readers and include sections on action items and external references too. A powerful book to become a champion.
20. The Little Big Thing by Henry Fraser- An incredible true story of a young man who never lost hope even in the direst of circumstances and situations. An inspirational memoir filled with courage, hope, perseverance, passion and an intent to live life inspite of all odds. Definitely an emotional read but very inspiring, teaching us to celebrate life in the face of gravest adversity. Indeed a very touching account.   
21. Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard - This book delivers powerful messages about life - the need for transformation and showing gratitude to the chances that life provides us every now and then. With the metaphor of an amusement park, the protagonist takes the readers on a journey of personal transformation and creating a turnaround, from a life laden with obstacles and tragedies in life to a one filled with positivity, love and redemption. 
22. The One Thing by Gary Keller - Staying focused in a world full of "distraction" is the biggest challenge today. Smitten by the bugs of  "Busyness" and "Multitasking", we carry on without any realisation of how our obsession with these two (busyness and multitasking) is doing us more harm than good. The book provides a whole range of tools, techniques and methods to get focused and live a more fulfilling life.   
23. Ready For Anything by David Allen - A nice compilation of 52 principles that could really bring about a turnaround in terms of success and achievement in personal and professional spheres. The 52 principles are nicely categorised in 4 sections and each of the 52 chapter has enough food for reflection and action.
24. You can be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson - Another masterpiece from the author. Among the many highlights of the book, one of the key highlight is the structuring. The book explains 5 key Principles of Life and then explains (in 5 different chapters) their impact on 5 key areas of our life. The 5 key principles mentioned in the book are all about what each of us can relate to easily - 1. Thoughts, 2. Moods, 3. Separate Realities, 4. Feelings and 5. Present Moment. The 11th chapter on checklist for life answers some of the very pertinent questions about life.    

Book List - Three Books about Life's Lessons

There's something special and unique about certain books that instill in us that extra bit of courage to take on life's challenges, even the unforeseen ones, in the right spirit and be grateful for everything that we possess. Many a times in our life when tragedy strikes us, we get stunned and get stuck, unable to move ahead with our life. These precisely are the times when we seek solace by drawing inspiration from people who have been there before and have bravely overcome these adversities. These 3 amazing books are my personal favourites when we think about human courage and resilience. These 3 books are not only full of wisdom but are a testimony to the fact that nothing is bigger than the opportunity called life. However grim the situation may be, life always provides us with plenty to feel good about and cherish. And the most important lesson is to embrace life'e unpredictability.

• The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - This is about the author's tryst with life after being detected with a terminal pancreatic cancer. The book captures the lecture titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" delivered by Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007. The book provides immense learning as the author recollects the memories from his childhood to the present and the lessons he learnt. He further shares about how living life and enjoying every moment is much more than anything else and how, after getting aware of his illness he started valuing every moment of it. The core message delivered by the book is to enjoy the life to its fullest and cherish every shades in it because one never knows when life may end.

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom - Here's another gem and this book is all about the lessons and learnings on living and dying that the author(Mitch Albom) gathers from one of his university professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is suffering from ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a disease characterised by death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. After watching his college teacher on a TV program, the author connects with his professor after a gap of 16 years and visits him. The author spends 14 Tuesday's with his professor and every meeting is about lessons and learnings on living and dying.

• Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal - This book is another masterpiece about reality of life. The book details out the life of the author post diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Inspite of being a medical doctor, how the protagonist deals with the vagaries of life is the central theme of this book. With a 90% chance of dying within 5 years, the book traces the author's journey of realisation and his ascend by accepting mortality, finding purpose and mission in life and appreciating every moment of life. 

So, to be fully alive and live well

• Accept Life's unpredictability
• Accept mortality and 
• Always exhibit gratitude for what you have always  

Book Review - Things a Little Bird Told Me

Things a Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone

Core Idea Discussed : Living one's values and mission in the startup world and in life 

A lovely book by Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter. The most striking thing about the book is the honesty and sincerity of the author in penning down things as they happened, presenting them with all the facts. While reading, it didn't appear that the book is written by a techie from Silicon Valley. The book is an interesting mix of insights, ideas and sharing and goes much beyond than just telling us how the little bird (Twitter as we know it !) came about. The revelations about the struggle and tribulations involved with a startup makes for some real interesting reading. The valuable lessons shared makes the book quite inspirational. Of particular interest was how the idea of starting cropped up, how twitter grew organically, how it metamorphed into a collaborative platform impacting humanity at a deeper level.

The wisdom and knowledge shared in the book turns it into a treatise for multiple topics/ subjects, some of which could be entrepreneurship, start up world, people over technology and how to create a value-driven business/ organisation. The real personal stories and incidents shared in the book provides the much needed inspiration to the budding entrepreneurs. Anyone reading the book could also get a slight peek into how the silicon valley operates (don't expect too much of it !) 

Though the last 20% of the book deals with the author's life after leaving Twitter but still it has so much to offer to the reader in terms of lessons in meaningful living. Reading about how Twitter turned around a "startup co-founder" into an altruistic being is pretty impressive.

It also has great lessons for startup geniuses who are smitten with greatness. It also provides some real common sense principles which every employee working in a startup need to be aware of to help them contribute their best.   

Key Learnings/ Interesting Bits from the Book

• Purpose, Passion and Patience hold the key to success in life and business
• Lesson about how inspite of so many obstacles, optimism and value driven approach could help us lead the way
• How the "bird" logo came about 
• How to convert a user into a "co-owner" and help the product evolve
• How technology could build a global bridge of human collaboration with the simple principle of putting people before technology
• Being effective and impactful while still being neutral in approach and intent
• How a simple tool could create changemakers
• Altruism and Empathy is the way forward for any technology driven business to reach out and make a real impact on human lives

Book Review - Inherit The Wind

Inherit The Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

Core Idea Discussed - Darwin's Theory of Evolution

A wonderful book for 2 reasons 

• Based on an American Play about a courtroom drama
• Based on the interesting theme of Darwin's Theory of Evolution

My first tryst with reading a book based on a play left me wanting more. The book revolves around the courtroom drama related to a school teacher who is accused of breaking the law by teaching about Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The book is an interesting account of the heated arguments between the plaintiff and the defendant and which gradually turns into a contest between religion and science. The book beautifully touches upon the freedom of speech and how religion and science crosses path. Whether the school teacher has committed a crime is the main topic of contention between the two parties. The reader actually feels a part of the courtroom drama when the tempo picks up towards the latter half of the book. The book ends with an interesting verdict to the case.

Key Learning/ Interesting Bit(s) from the Book

The book makes you wonder how difficult it would have been for Darwin to find takers for his Theory of Evolution.       

The Art of Reading Better and More

Every book lover has this inherent wish to read more and more but this wish is undone by the chaos and distraction prevailing in the times that we live in.  "More Time = More Reading" is the easiest solution but what to do when we feel hard pressed for "self-time"and can't find enough time to read.

We keep searching for that magical strategy/ strategies that could help us quench our thirst for reading more.

The motivation doesn't seem to be a problem as with great enthusiasm we enroll ourselves in various reading challenges. But soon we realize that motivation alone won't take us as far as achieving the unrealistic target that most of us set. This is when we start exploring strategies to help us keep pace with our reading target.

I have been through that phase where i struggled with my quest for reading better and more and tried many strategies, a few of which i will share in this post. For all the passionate readers (including myself), reading is an experience and the idea behind picking any strategy should be to ensure that the "experience" is not compromised upon. This post is not about speed reading techniques at all (though i tried many of them in my quest to read more) because if a passionate reader starts focusing on "quick reading" then the entire essence of reading is lost. The strategies mentioned below comes entirely from my own experiences at becoming a better reader - someone who could read more without losing the real essence of reading.

Few of the common sense/ smart techniques that can help any of us read more (these techniques have worked for me !) are as mentioned below:

• Be Selective - Each one of us is hard pressed for time and therefore it makes sense to be selective about what we pick up to read. First and foremost, let's identify what genre we enjoy reading the most. Once we have identified our favourite genre, then we must go through the preview/ review of books in that genre (based on popularity, recommendations, preferred sub-topic/ theme, favourite author, preferred style of writing) and then finally do the selection.    

• Follow your Interest - While picking a book for reading, we must always follow our interest rather than the herd

• Multimodal Reading - Be open to reading books across different modes and formats. Even if we are a die hard paperback/ hardbound fan, we should get accustomed to reading on e-readers and other gadgets. Building this flexible habit will help us twofold
• even if we are not carrying the paper books, we can still utilise those tiny, little free time slots that we get during the day. 
• we can never be without our preferred stockpile of books even during travel as e-readers (kindle, etc.) and gadgets (smartphone) can carry ample of books 

• Cross-Reading - Parallel reading in terms of picking books from different genres will retain the motivation and excitement. This not only broadens our thinking but also brings more variety in our reading habits   

• Read the Original - Never compromise on reading the original.An abridged version or a derived version may not do justice to the thoughts and ideas contained in the original edition.

• 3 by 5 Reading Rule - To learn about any subject, i follow the technique of identifying the 5 best books on that subject/ topic and then reading any 3 out of that. And i don't forget to read the earliest one on the subject.

• Chunking - The days when i was experimenting different techniques for improving my reading habits, i tried skimming and scanning but these did not achieve my goals of reading more and better. I discovered Chunking and that suited my objective. Chunking is all about reading a group of words (usually 3-5 words) rather than word by word.

• Make Reading a Habit - Building reading time in our routine will make us more disciplined and regular     

Hope applying few or all of the above mentioned simple and common-sense tips help you read better and more.

N.B.: Reading is fun as along as it is immersive, so retain your passion for reading and not get lost in the quest for quantity instead of quality !

24 Life Changing Books

Books have the power to change and  this post is all about 24 life changing books that can transform our lives. This is not a sacrosanct list but purely my pick. These books have been my companion and support system, always preparing me well to deal with any upheavel in my life. This list is neither comprehensive nor complete but just an attempt to get the readers started with few real gems.

This compilation is based on the following premises:

• The book should touch our lives and personality at a deeper level
• The book should should be an easy and simple read so that any reader could relate to it
• The book length should keep the reader motivated to finish it in 1-2 readings to deliver the desired impact instantly. Almost all the books are short reads. 

Here's the list (the books are not ranked in any particular order)

• Notes to Myself - Hugh Prather 

A lovely insightful and honest book which provides ample of opportunities for self-reflection. The beauty of the book lies in how it came about out of personal scribblings and notes. Every page is like a food for thought to discover ourself. Read the detailed review at http://bit.ly/2qbC6YT

• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

This book is all about fulfilling our dreams. It is about how a young man discovers his true calling, listens to his heart and realize all his dreams. This book is for every soul who dare to dream. 

• Who Moved My Cheese - Dr. Spencer Johnson

Most probably, the first (and maybe the only) book that explains the topic of CHANGE in such an interesting manner. It's a lovely fable which delves into the importance of change, why we resist change, what it takes to move us out of our comfort zone.

• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma

The book uses a fable to share about the modern day dilemma of materialism. It's about dreams and  goals but most importantly it's about how we, most of the times, tend to forget the real purpose of our existence end up pursuing goals which only leads to a dead-end. 

• The Greatest Salesman In The World - Og Mandino

If looking for a shortcut to success, then this book fills that void. A wonderfully written book which talks about the principles of success. The book is like a convergence of sales and success and describes how a young man is shared the secrets of success by a dying old man (a trader) in the form of ten scrolls. The principles mentioned still hold relevance today. 

• Eat That Frog - Brian Tracy

Procrastination is the bane of effective time management and if there's any book which deals nicely with this then it's this one. This book is about prioritization and how simple habits and techniques could help us crack the productivity conundrum.

• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

This book is like a treatise on the subject of Productivity, Effectiveness and Efficiency. The book serves as a manual on Personal Excellence and deal with the topic so comprehensively and holistically. No need to look any further than this book for achieving your best self. 

• The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

Ever imagined, what if we just had today to live. This book is a real account of the author's tryst with reality after being detected with terminal illness and with limited time to live. The book is about living our dreams now and not waiting for any other day or occasion.

• Tiny Buddha - Lori Deschene

A nice book about the vagaries of life. For sure it contains good wisdom on living a better life. The book is all the more interesting because of the way the book got conceived. The author's personal experiences make the book very authentic. Read the detailed review at  http://bit.ly/2ECIH1J

• Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankl

Mere words can't describe the greatness of this book. The book has many useful lessons on how to survive and thrive in most adverse circumstances in life. It's an account of the author's struggle for survival in Nazi's concentration camp during World War 2. The book is a lesson about living a purposeful life even in face of dire constraints 

• One Small Step Can Change Your Life the Kaizen Way - Robert Maurer

Applying the principles of Kaizen to bring about positive and progressive personal change is the theme of this book. It's amazing to note how the philosophy of incremental change could be descibed in such a simple way and that too with huge impact on our life. 

• Fish - Harry Paul, Stephen C Lundin, John Christensen

This book is about happiness and shows how even the most mundane task could be made exciting and fun-to-do. Applying the 4 guiding principles of Fish philosophy can transform any workplace into a highly motivated and productive place full of positivity and result-orientedness.   

• Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

The book is all about hope and optimism. Based on a true story, the book is about a young man (the author) who gets to learn a lot from his once professor, who unfortunately is nearing death due to a terminal illness. The beauty is how the author's professor delivers life lessons even in the face of imminent death.

• Finding Your Strength In Difficult Times - David Viscott

When feeling short of advice or suggestions while dealing with upheavel in life, this book serves as a true companion. Written in a succinct manner, the book provides nuggets of wisdom for self-discovery and sane living. The book describes about how to develop a positive outlook while facing adverse situations and circumstances in life. Read the detailed review at http://bit.ly/2lGpiEg

• The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

This book is all about enabling us to be creative. It talks about the various resisting factors, the inner conflicts, the demons inside us that hold us back from being our creative best self. It then discusses about how to overcome the different types of Resistance and create our best possible self. 

• The Secret - Rhonda Byrne

This bestseller book is all about the ancient theory of "Law of Attraction" and describes how our thoughts create our desired reality. Not only the universal principle of "like attracts like" but also how to apply it in our real life is so beautifully explained.  An amazing book, it teaches us how we can manifest our own dreams by the power of thoughts and how our thoughts act like magnets and create the universe that we consistently "think".   

• Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

An interesting book about the story of a seagull who pushes the limit to reach greater heights. The message is all about self-discovery, moving out of comfort zone and achieving our best possible self through the power of self-belief and confidence.

• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - Deepak Chopra

This masterpiece is a convergence of spirituality and practicality. The book explains how understanding our basic "human nature" and following the universal laws of nature enables us to achieve personal success. The premise is - whatever laws work with nature will work with humans too. 

• The Miracle Morning - Hal Elrod

This wonderful book, through its easy to apply approach provides six habits (routines) that can catapult us to greater heights of success and achievement. These requisite six habits of success mentioned in the book help build the required discipline to start our mornings more productively and calmly.     

• The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown

A wonderful book with a profound message that "even with all our imperfections, we(humans) are still complete". Backed by research, the book delivers how inculcating the 3C's of Courage, Compassion and Connection can lead us embrace imperfections and lead us towards "Wholehearted Living". The book also highlights the need to be be authentic self and letting go of what holds us back from achieving that "self".  

• The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

Drawing from the Toltec Wisdom, the book delivers four simple yet extremely powerful principles to help us get rid of our self-limiting beliefs and create a life full of love and happiness. The simplistic approach to explaining the four principles and their application in our lives makes it a wonderful read. 

• The Art of Living - Epictetus

This book makes a good read because of the crispness with which the underlying message is delivered in each of the teachings. The instructions are simple and clear and each of the 93 instructions in the book still hold as much relevance today as when the book was written. 

• Sam The Magic Genie -  Brian Mayne

An interesting tale on how positive thinking can change our lives for better. This book reiterates that even during times of fear and doubt, being positive is the only way to keep moving forward. The book presents the message of "positive thinking" through an interesting adventure tale undertaken by a boy who is struggling in life.

• Achieve Anything in Just One Year - Jason Harvey

An excellent book that can help create our dream life. A book full of inspiration where each of the 365 days provide a wonderful quote to start the day followed by relevant stories and/ or action items. Overall a highly impactful book.

Hope you have found your pick from the above !

Book Review - The Magical Book of Affirmations

The Magical Book of Affirmations by Jack Canfield and Ram Ganglani

Core Idea discussed - Affirmations (for Success)

The book is all about Affirmations and that too plenty of them, about 405 of them (not sure why this number!). The affirmations are based on the 64 principles of Success by Jack Canfield, who is also a co-author. There are multiple number of Affirmations for each of the 64 Success principles mentioned in the book. Some of the success principles stand out as mandated ones to lead a good life and the affirmations pertaining to them are quite powerful and relevant.

While reading the affirmations in the book, these affirmations may themselves appear like basic principles of living a successful life. At times, it many become an overdose of Affirmations but keep going as it will definitely provide you with set of affirmation suited to your context.

The best way to derive the maximum benefit from the book is to handpick your set of affirmations and start applying them in life to bring about the desired change.

The book may be previewed and bought from http://amzn.to/2pHTcNJ (Amazon India) or http://amzn.to/2l6iyjr (Amazon Global)