Books

All Books of 2021

Each described in one sentence.

At the end of each year I write an annual review of every book that I read using only a one sentence description.

The goal with this practice is to highlight the most important takeaway, idea, or lesson learned from the book. The real value in this practice and what I found most surprising is that it is not always the thesis or main idea that resonates most with me.

Sometimes it is just a single sentence or quote that impacted me the most. For example, Angela Duckworth’s book on Grit is full of important research, but the single sentence that I think about on a daily basis in this:

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare. — Angela Duckworth

This annual review is a meant to keep the most important ideas front of mind. This way I ensure that my reading process always leads back to action. Without a method for bringing ideas back into your process, you will lose them, making the act of reading less valuable as a process for self-improvement.

I have been engaging in this practice since 2016 when I first read about the idea from Ryan Holiday. It also doubles as a catalog of all the books I have read, which helps me chart my growth through the exploration of emerging concepts and ideas.

For example, I can see how I learned about neuroplasticity, the process in which the brain changes itself through deliberate practice, over the course of reading several books on mastery. It is also a mini reference guide, identifying the first book that sparked an idea that led to my current stance on a certain concept and details the fluency in which I can explain it to others.

2021 was an interesting year for me, as it is the first time I started going back and rereading classics that I read long before I started blogging about books. Not only was I able to revisit some of the most important books of the last 50 years or so, I was able to return to the time and place in which I read these books.

I enjoy reflecting in this way, having created a “memory palace” in my mind, where I think about my past successes and model the future I hope to achieve.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: focus a majority of your efforts on the other person, what they are saying, what they care about, and how you can help them.

The Decision by Kevin Hart: your comfort zone is the worst place on earth you can be.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami: the decision to continuously pursue difficult projects and goals is worth thinking about and doing, well into your 50s and beyond.

Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron: winning is the result, not the goal, and the daily actions that build character are most important, not talent.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy: from the editor of Success Magazine comes the most important message for success: efforts compound over time.

Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy: the power of love is the “shaper of character and destiny,” the most powerful force in the universe.

The Master Coach by Gregg Thompson: to master the art of coaching one must have unwavering character, connect deeply and intently, and be able to guide life-altering conversations.

The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body by Ross Edgely: Edgely uses the “Great British Swim” around Great Britain as a backdrop for his exploits in mastering the human mind and body.

Tough: Building True, Mental, Physical, and Emotional Toughness for Success and Fulfillment by Greg Everett: true toughness is defined by four elements — character (who are you), capability (what you are able to do), capacity (how much can you handle), and commitment (how much are you willing to give).

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: when you put your house in order, you put your past in order too, which allows you to clearly see into your future.

Entrepreneurial You by Dorie Clark: despite being an expert, you also have to be persistent to strike out on your own and succeed at doing what you love.

The Attributes by Rich Diviney: there are hidden drivers of performance that are not easy to observe and measure that lead to optimal performance and success.

Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life by Brent Gleeson: successful people view difficulties as challenges, where obstacles are opportunities for growth.

Power Speed Endurance: A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training by Brian Mackenzie: a skill-based approach, with anaerobic and strength skills built in, flips over the traditional paradigm for endurance training.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber: effective businesses have an integration of systems that work together to orchestrate success — it leaves nothing to chance, everything that the business does is built into the system.

Atomic Habits by James Clear: if you can get one percent better every day, you will be 37 times better at the end of the year.

Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to be. — James Clear

Adaptive Coaching by Terry Bacon and Laurie Voss: a coach exhibits “unconditional positive regard” when dealing with clients, meaning you always view your clients positively as human beings.

Big Money Energy by Ryan Serhant: we have 1,000 minutes to use per day — be intentional about how you use yours.

Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden: a take the stairs mentality is required to succeed in today’s “escalator world,” which means self-discipline is the anchor that keeps us away from temptations and quick fixes.

The New Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz and Dan Kennedy: your self-image defines and limits your possibilities.

• All Books of 2020 (How Champions Think, Change Maker, The Score Takes Care of Itself, It Takes What It Takes…)
• All Books of 2019 (Relentless, Poke the Box, Getting Things Done, Mind Gym, Moonwalking with Einstein, The 50th Law, Grit…)
• All Books of 2018 (Can’t Hurt Me, Turning Pro, Ego is the Enemy, Shoe Dog, Every Day is Game Day, The 10x Rule, How to Get Rich…)
• All Books of 2017 (The Brain That Changes Itself, Mastery, Managing Oneself, Outliers, The Secret, Talent is Overrated…)
• All books of 2016 (The Slight Edge, The Talent Code, The Magic of Thinking Big, The Millionaire Fastlane, The Art of Non-Conformity…)

This post contains affiliate links on Amazon which means I get a portion of what you pay at no extra cost to you. If you are interested in getting more book reviews and insights, check out The Outwork Book Club on the High-Performance Lifestyle publication.

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