The Three Best Books I Read This Year
Business Made Simple by Donald Miller
What it’s about
Business made simple is about business. It breaks down high-level, typically exclusive business concepts to just about anyone. The main goal of this book is to help its readers become what it calls “value-driven professionals.” It helps anyone who works at a business level up in their role, by increasing their understanding of how the business machine runs, anyhow they can contribute to it even more, thus increasing their personal economic value.
Why I loved it
I wish I read this book when I started my career. The way it simply explains a wide range of concepts would have helped me achieve success long before I learned the lessons the hard way. Donald Miller is an incredibly clear writer, making difficult concepts simple to understand.
Business Made Simple is also really well organized, making it a great reference for future business needs. If you suddenly find yourself in a management role, or a finance role, or a marketing role, this book can give you a crash course on the top things you should understand. I read this book cover to cover, and then within a month of finishing it, I was asked to write a mission statement for a client. I simply cracked open the chapter on mission statements, and wrote something very strong.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
What it’s about
Atomic Habits gets its title inspiration from the atomic bomb. Tiny, atomic changes in one’s routine can yield incredible results over the long term. And that’s what this book is about. It breaks down the process of habit formation, showing you how very small, seemingly insignificant habit adjustments can compound river time, creating real change.
Why I loved it
The ideas in this book made me a much fitter person in 2021. Previously, I had trouble getting into a workout routine, because I knew that the most efficient workout would take me 45-60 minutes. James Clear’s ideas encouraged me to add short “workout snacks” to my routine, in order to build a lifestyle and identity around fitness. This is actually the most effective way to be come a fit person, despite 15-minute workouts not being as effective as longer ones. Once I built the identity around being a fit person, by stacking small actions, I started to become one.
James Clear has a very accessible wiring style. He’s not a journalist who uses big words, and he never set out to impress anyone. He just wants to share the processes that changed his life.
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
What it’s about
The great American novelist John Steinbeck writes a memoir about a van-life road trip he took around the country with his dog Charley. When Steinbeck turned 60 in 1960, after a few decades of success, he decided he needed to get out of New York, and reconnect with the people and places that inspired his novels. The result is a wonderful-to-read memoir by one of the best writers in American history.
Why I loved it
Even though this book was written in 1960, it’s amazing how much of what Steinbeck observes about our country is still true today. His observations about politics, economics, and culture feel like they could have been written for our time in 2021. This book gave me a greater appreciation for the country, and the people who live in each pocket.
Our age of sensationalist media seems unique to our digital age, and disheartens me a great deal. But hearing Steinbeck discuss the sensationalist thinking of many during the civil rights movement brought perspective to me. That while there are those who cling to sensationalism as a form of identity, there are also those who choose to think critically, and analyze each scenario for what it is.
It has been a great year of reading! I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did.
