All Books of 2016

Each described in one sentence

Note: this is my original post from 2017 before moving my blog to Medium. It is the first time I cataloged all the books I read in a year and decided to repost as an introduction to this annual review of books I do every year.

After years of being a recreational reader, I decided to take this practice to the next level with a goal of 300 books.

At years end, I didn’t come close but I learned a lot about what it takes to read 1–2 books a week. It is a total dedication to the reading process. Even more when you expect to extract lessons from those books and when you want to translate knowledge into action.

Ryan Holiday talks about reading all the time. The key: embrace the process by reading whenever you can, wherever you can.

If you aim to read a book a week, then you must love reading. You must love the feeling that learning something new gives you. It is a different feeling from consuming any other type of media and something that every avid reader knows very well.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” — Pele

The more I read and write, the more I think about the connections between mindset and discipline and how they come together to forge a person’s character.

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson: the slight edge is a daily action that starts small but builds into an unstoppable force.

Habit by William James: the father of American psychology describes the process for building habits and with it, provides this quote:

“So with the man who has daily inured himself to habits of concentrated attention, energetic volition, and self-denial in unnecessary things. He will stand like a tower when everything rocks around him, and when his softer fellow-mortals are winnowed life chaff in the blast.” — William James

Hero Habits by Hugh Culver: Hero habits are different from the regular ones that control most of your life, they are meant to create a capacity for success in work and life.

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup by Neil Strauss: you can practice and prepare (and master) anything, including the spontaneous one-offs with a girl at the bar.

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle: talent is the repetition of repeatable skills that don’t depend on size — if a skills is repeatable, then you can become talented by working on it over and over again.

The Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle: the accumulation of talent is a physical response: wires that fire together, wire together.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz: there is a certain power in being audacious.

Big ideas and big plans are often easier- certainly no more difficult- than small ideas and small plans. — David J. Schwartz

Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook by Abby Lawson: you can build a successful seven figure business by blogging if you can find a successful niche that attracts readers and other potential bloggers.

Marketing by Brian Tracy: three simple questions to guide whether or not you should start a business: does a market exist? What is the size of the market? Is the market concentrated?

The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco: you can become an expert in any discipline not requiring physical skills; if you acquire skills that produce value, you can generate wealth.

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau: remarkable people first made a decision to do something unconventional — accept the label of outcast and venture into the unknown.

Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt by Aida Donald: the “Man in the Arena” is the most notable president we will ever have because of his commitment to action and adventure.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown: a cohesive team is much more powerful than a group of great individuals.

Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler: a lesson from the SEAL is that toughness is an ability built by overcoming hard things — the more hard things you overcome, the greater your ability to endure more.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson: we waste too much of our time and energy worrying about things that are only minor annoyances.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: the human spirit is unbreakable, which Olympic athlete and Prisoner of War Louis Zamperini proves in this story of endurance, resilience, and redemption.

Becoming The Iceman by Wim Hof: you can use your psychology to control your physiology, regardless of how extreme the external environment is.

Patton’s Drive by Alan Axelrod: be relentless, attack swiftly, lead from the front, and never waiver in the face of the enemy.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford: you can rise from nothing to the greatest strategic commander that has ever lived by embracing your environment, continuously learning, and always evolving.

Presence by Amy Cuddy: power poses give you power.

Start With Why by Simon Sinek: not what to do or how to do it, but why to do it — start with why to do it and stay connected and committed.

The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene: before venturing out into the world of seduction, first understand what works best for you based on your natural inclinations.

Win Forever by Pete Carroll: there is a central theme to Carroll’s success — Always Compete.

Willpower by Roy Baumeister: willpower is a muscle that can be exhausted by making choices and when fatigued, we will lose our ability to make good choices.

Grindin’ it Out by Ray Kroc: always be on the lookout for a competitive advantage and have a big vision.

Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne: the final battle of the Comanche Indians teaches us to adapt when necessary and embrace change.

Strong Enough by Mark Rippetoe: “Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.” — Mark Rippetoe

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