This list is in order of influence it had on me.
1.The Selfish Gene
The single most significant book I have ever read. It talks about biology, evolution, society structure, individualism, genetics, memetics and everything that is Homo Sapien related. The ideas and discussions in this book were a door-opener for me into exploring other books on human society and religion.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People
What is the best way to be liked? Show genuine interest in others, active listening and empathy. These are the core principles of successful sales people and leaders alike.
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad
Understanding the difference between Assets and Liabilities is very well explained in this book.
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
No list of top ten books is complete without this. The habits in this book are explained in a practical way and easy to remember and implement. You can make wallpapers out of this.
5. Eat That Frog
If you are presented with a plate of frogs, which one do you eat first? Why eat the ugliest looking and biggest frog first.
6. The One Thing
We cannot multi-task. Focus on the important things that result in biggest affects – i.e. Pareto’s Law, i.e. the 80/20 principle.
7. The Compound Effect
Start with: your core values>choices you make>habits you develop>build momentum>compound over time>arrive to your destination.
This was the workflow outlines in this book to help achieve your goals.
8. The Power of Habit
Cue>Routine>Reward
To change a habit, keep the cue and reward, change the routine. Identify your triggers and root cause for the bad habits. Identify your Keystone habits. Realize that willpower is a limited resource.
These were my takeaways from this hugely practical book.
9. Managing Oneself
Another influential book to boost your productivity to the next level. It has simple English and practical lessons you can start using immediately.
10. Pitch Anything
In order to get others to do what you ask, realize that the human brain is primitive and limited in it’s capacity. There is just too much noise to pay attention to what you have to say. When two parties meet, their “frames” clash and stack. The frame on top is the dominant one.
11. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
This book is about the psychology of marketing.
12. Financial Intelligence of Entrepreneurs
Practical book for anyone interested in becoming an entrepreneur.
So there you go. A couple of bonus books. I could add a handful more, but these are the most significant ones.
Important Disclaimer
It is easy to get side tracked and forget the reason you started reading these “productivity books”. Remember your goal and what you need to accomplish. These books are just a means to help you get there.
The following tips are for optimum reading habits:
- start with watching a summary video on the book or read a summary article. If the summary seems something that will help you, then dig deeper
- do not “read” the book, instead listen to the “audio book” version
- make your own summary notes as key takeaways while you listen to the book. This should be no more than a couple paragraphs, or a few bullet points. Every book just has a few ideas – about 2 ideas on average. The rest is “fluff”. Having a short summary means you can start to apply what you learnt
- if you can find a copy of the book in audio format from your library, that is ideal. Use an app to do this. Do not pay for your first read because you don’t yet know if the contents are good for you. If they are significant, then you can put the book in your “personal library wish list”, with the intention of lending to other
- track the books you listen to in a spreadsheet
Have fun!
