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Bookshelf

Since I was a little Juan I dreamt of having a room full of books. I wanted to live in a fancy house with a private library like those smug rich characters in movies. Existing only to pick a book from a bookshelf, spout exposition, drink scotch, and smoke a thick cigar.

You might think that these days this kind of possession is nothing more than an attempt to intellectually flex at whoever you convince to visit you in your mansion — and you would be partially right. I would argue, however, that as long as you are reading as much as you can you should treat yourself. Get that fancy Ikea bookshelf and 20 copies of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson booboo. 

I don’t think I have to make a case for how important reading is for your development, competencies, and success in life. Countless studies are backing this up and blog posts from very talented people exist out there in the Ether. But if you need some, look for the footnote at the end.

In the meantime, in our endless pursuit of improvement and following the theme of accountability and shared motivation we want to share with you our bookshelf. Here you will find the books we have read (in no particular order) and have made an impact on us.

If you already familiarized yourself with our Impossible List you would know that our current aim is to have more than 100 books in our bookshelf. We want to share this journey with our readers and foster more reading in the world, however that looks.

 

Read:

  • The Denial Of Death by Ernest Becker.
  • Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig.
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
  • A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking.
  • The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking.
  • The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield.
  • Space Chronicles by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
  • The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson.
  • Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.
  • No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert A. Glover.
  • The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga.
  • The Way Of The Superior Man by David Deida.
  • The Art Of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli.
  • The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger.
  • How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
  • The Four by Scott Callaway.
  • Your Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.
  • The Magic Of Maths by Arthur Benjamin.
  • The Nature Of Space And Time by Stephen Hawking & Roger Penrose.
  • A Universe From Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss.
  • The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
  • How To Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh.
  • The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
  • Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.
  • The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
  • Braving The Wilderness by Brené Brown.
  • The Power Of Vulnerability by Brené Brown.
  • A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
  • For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.
  • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
  • How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
  • The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge.
  • Mindset: Changing the Way you Think to Fulfill your Potential by Dr Carol S. Dweck.
  • The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday.
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama.
  • Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss.
  • You are a Badass by Jen Cincero.
  • Linchpin: Are you Indispensable? by Seth Godin.
  • Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela.
  • Everything that Remains by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus.
  • Space Chronicles by Neil deGrasse Tyson
  • Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven
  • The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker
  • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Reading:

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Will Read Next:

  • Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.
  • Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman.
  • Mastery by Robert Greene.
  • Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn by John C. Maxwell.
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker.
  • Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell.
  • Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.
  • Start with Why by Simon Sinek.
  • The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek.
  • Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
  • Educated by Tara Westover.
  • The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker.
  • The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
  • Will by Will Smith and Mark Manson

This list will continue growing as we move forward with our goals.

We would like to hear from you. What are you reading? Send us an email. Also, feel free to suggest any books you think would help us expand our views and provide better content for everyone.

Footnote

Wilhelm, J., & Smith, M. (2014). Don’t underestimate the power of pleasure reading.

Christy Whitten, Sandra Labby, Sam L. Sullivan. (2016). The impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success. (Volume 2) The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research, Article 4, pp. 48-64.

Cullinan, B. (2000). Independent reading and school achievement. Research Journal of the American Association of School Librarians, 3, 1-24.

Fulks, J. (2010). Reading may be the key to unlocking basic skills success. Academic Senate Basic Skills Committee Chair.

Dr Billington J., Prof Christopher D., Dr Hamer A., Dr Robinson J., & Dr Williams C. (2010). An investigation into the therapeutic benefits of reading in relation to depression and well-being. The Reader Organization, University of Liverpool.