5 Books to Upgrade Your Thinking and Change Your Perspective

I am a book hoarder! There I said it. I love hoarding more and more books every chance I get. I’m always on the lookout for books — old and new to add to my collection. Whether I read them all is a completely different story. As I stalk new books to add to my collection (ahem hoard!), there’s a tiny voice in my head reminding me about the growing mountain of unread books. And my defense to that has always been reminding myself that I don’t have to read them all and I can add them to the anti-library, watching it grow and serve as a constant reminder of all the things I don’t know.

“It is our knowledge — the things we are sure of — that makes the world go wrong and keeps us from seeing and learning.”

— Lincoln Steffens

In 2019, I managed to increase the size of my collection and anti-library considerably, by about 50 or so books. But I did end up reading more as a result too. I completed a respectable 25 books (Some of them might have been sci-fi/epic fantasy but still!).

Here are the ones that had a considerable impact on me, changing the way I think, live and feel. All amazing books on their own and each and every one of them has helped me grow as a person and upgrade my thinking and perception. In no particular order, here are my top picks —

→ Atomic Habits — James Clear

Hands down, one of the most actionable and practical books I have read in a while! No matter how inspiring a book, I’ve always seen the spike of inspiration quickly vanish a week or two after I finish the book. But this is a book and the lessons learned have stuck with me and I’m still motivated by the tactics from the book to build great habits!

→ The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer — Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel

An extremely interesting read on healthy living and lifestyle backed by solid research written by a winning combination of a Nobel Prize-winning biologist and a health psychologist. This is not the usual theory-heavy book that you would expect from a Nobel laureate but a very practical and approachable book clearing explaining the latest research on telomeres and it’s implications to our wellbeing.

→ Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers — Tim Ferris

Easily one of his best books! Covering hundreds of interviews of experts and authorities in a wide variety of fields. The advice you get from these superstars and experts gives you a great window into their thinking and mindset which led to their success! My book is filled with markings and notes on almost every page!

→ This is Marketing — Seth Godin

Seth Godin has been a thought leader, consistently providing wisdom on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Through the book, he conveys his timeless knowledge and wisdom on marketing and the principles that he has used to approach marketing. The book completely changed my perspective and way of thinking about marketing brands and myself.

→ When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi

A tragic memoir of a young neurosurgeon who succumbed to cancer after helping save countless lives. After being diagnosed with stage IV cancer, faced with almost zero chance of survival is forced to confront his mortality while trying to remain hopeful and attempting to answer the question ‘What makes a life worth living?’. Brilliantly written, moving and heartbreaking memoir which will leave a lasting impression and think about the most important thing in life.