I read a lot of books. Most of the books I read don’t do much to change my life. Some of them, however, change everything.
Everyone needs to have a Bible in their life. Whether it’s The Bible, some other religious text or a secular book doesn’t matter. Everyone needs a book to live their life by, to read and re-read, and to find answers in from when problems arise.
When I left my family to go to college, my Bible was The Bible. As I delved into the logical world of computer science, my Bible became the core set of computer programming reference books that lined my bookshelf. But my real awakening came when I read Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek for the first time. Then I reread it. And then again. The 4-Hour Workweek was my first true Bible, the blueprint for my life.
Of course, as human beings, we are always changing and striving to improve. Over time, more books built on the foundation that The 4-Hour Workweek laid. These are the books that most changed my life (so far):
The 4-Hour Workweek
Tim Ferriss is the person who opened my eyes to the world of self-improvement. He calls it “Lifestyle Design.” The 4-Hour Workweek teaches how to rid your life of all the inessential clutter, discover what is truly important, and productively work towards your ideal lifestyle. It is the only book I re-read every year.
The 4-Hour Body
In many ways, The 4-Hour Body continues where 4-Hour Workweek left off. The 4-Hour Workweek teaches how to attain your ideal lifestyle, but The 4-Hour Body explains how to achieve your ideal body to maintain your lifestyle. I use it as an activity book of things to try. Not everything works for everyone, but everything is worth trying.
Letters from a Stoic
Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher and contemporary of Jesus Christ. Letters from a Stoic is a collection of letters written to his friend Lucilius. Seneca imparts wisdom in his letters on subjects of life, death, and how to live. Although he wrote the letters two thousand years ago, his ideas can still be applied to modern life.
On Writing Well
William Zinsser’s classic guide to writing non-fiction teaches how to write clearly and concisely. Writing forces you to organize your thoughts, and writing well correlates to thinking well. On Writing Well changed my whole philosophy of how to write.
The Miracle Morning
One thing every successful person has in common is an established morning routine. The Miracle Morning provides a framework for creating the perfect morning routine. I always thought of myself as a night owl, but after following Hal Elrod’s advice and waking up early every morning for a few days, I have changed myself to a morning person. I now wake up at 5:00 AM every morning, and I feel good through the entire day.
Disclosure: Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links
Leave a Reply