25 Books that Changed My Life
Over the last few years, I read more than 200 books.
They changed my mind, my body, and my life.
Since I was a kid, I read a lot, but mostly fiction. Then one day, when I was about 17, a girl showed me the book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki, and that book changed my whole life perspective. I decided I wanted more out of my life.
Once I discovered business and self-help genre, I started devouring books. I was in the library once a week borrowing 3 books (maximum in our library) and reading them so fast that I became famous in our city library.
I started reading books about health, so I started training. I started reading investment books, so I started investing. Later came books on the human mind, how-to manuals, spirituality, communication, design, psychology, neuroscience, specialized business books, etc.
Countless books later here I am, aware that the more I read, the less I know. There are so many excellent books that I need a thousand lives to read them all.
Change Your Life
It’s incredible how one book can change your perspective on life. Books carry centuries of knowledge and wisdom, and we have the opportunity to learn from the world’s best mentors (even from those who are not among us anymore). Isn’t that amazing? If you ask me, it’s foolish not to read every single day.
However, I’m well aware that in our hectic world there are not many hours left to read. That’s why we need to be really careful with the precious hours we have and read only the best books in the world.
My goal is to carefully curate a list of influential books and simplify your decision-making process when selecting what to read next.
1%
If you want to change your life, get leverage, and make real changes, I would recommend these 25 books. Read them, but more importantly, take action. Acting, not just reading, will bring you the best results. Everybody can read, not everybody can change their life.
Knowledge without action is wastefulness and action without knowledge is foolishness.
I know very well from my personal experience that it’s not possible to take action on everything we read, but if we take action on only 1% of the book, we will be far ahead in the game of life. You can read one book and apply 1% of its knowledge, and be ahead of a person who reads 1000 books and does nothing with all that potential.
A 1% action is nothing, but the cumulative results will be amazing. Focus on taking one key takeaway from a book, take action, and the changes in your life will gradually add up. With each book, you can get new ideas. Ideas can trigger a few new habits, and a few new habits will change your life.
25 Books That Changed My Life
If you read these 25 books and apply only 1% of wisdom, you can change your life forever. The more action you take, the more results you will get, and the more results you get, the more you will want to take action. It’s a beautiful cycle. Simple, but not easy.
1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad Poor Dad is a book that advocates the importance of financial literacy (financial education), financial independence, and building wealth through investing in assets, real estate, starting and owning businesses, as well as increasing one’s financial intelligence (financial IQ). It’s the book that started my whole journey, so it will always have a special place in my heart.
2. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
The Richest Man in Babylon is a 1926 book that dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set 4000 years ago in ancient Babylon. It’s regarded as a classic of personal financial advice.
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The best and most translated book on following our dreams. Whatever your dream entails, this book will fill you with inspiration.
4. The Millionaire Fastlane by M. J. DeMarco
Rapid wealth creation is possible. It’s not easy, but simple if you follow certain rules and detach yourself from distractions and quick wins.
5. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Escape 9 – 5, live anywhere, and join the New Rich with Tim Ferriss’ proven techniques.
6. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Man’s Search for Meaning records author’s experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and describes his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner envisioned the future affected his longevity. Our actions mold the meaning when life asks. Humans are survivors. But only humans who have a purpose survive the longest. This book will make you stop complaining about things that don’t matter.
7. The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
Sometimes all it takes is a short 5-second window of opportunity to give ourselves an extra push so we can respond to situations the way we should. If you have the instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.
8. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
A guide to spiritual enlightenment. It emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and transcending thoughts of the past or future. Fight your ego to become more content and present.
9. The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Self-help business fable derived from Sharma’s personal experiences after leaving his career as a litigation lawyer at the age of 25. This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy.
10. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
A book that explores the science behind habit creation and reformation. With this book alone and a few good habits, you can change your life forever.
11. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Essentialism is not about doing more in less time. It’s about doing the right things. It’s not a time management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline to discover what is absolutely essential and then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the greatest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.
12. Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki
A book that shows us how minimalism can lead to a happier life. Our things won’t give us as much happiness and satisfaction as we think. Get rid of most of them and find true freedom. Sasaki shares his minimalist journey and gives us valuable tips on minimizing process to gain freedom and truly enrich our lives.
13. Everything That Remains by The Minimalists
Not a how-to book, but a why-to book to minimalism. An incredible story of what happens when one young man decides to let go of everything and start living a more meaningful life.
14. Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by The Minimalists
This how-to book comprises 5 dimensions for living a more meaningful life: health, relationships, passions, growth, and contribution.
15. Money Master the Game by Tony Robbins
Based on extensive research and one-on-one interviews with more than 50 of the world’s most legendary financial experts – from Carl Icahn and Warren Buffett to Ray Dalio and Steve Forbes – Tony Robbins has created a simple 7-step blueprint that anyone can use for financial freedom.
16. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
True gold that blends practicality and wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophy. Ryan Holiday does an amazing work translating ancient wisdom into modern world language understandable to everyone. 365 ancient truisms for 365 days per year.
17. The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
If you want a long and meaningful life, this book can show you how, with the right lifestyle, you can live up to a decade longer than the average person. The book explores 5 zones in the world with most centenarians and reveals their secret to a longer, healthier life.
18. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
The book suggests many ways to conquer worry and lead a wonderful life. It also reveals the magic formula for solving worry-some situations and 7 ways to cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.
19. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Timeless bestseller packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of today’s famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie’s principles endure and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.
20. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
If you have a reason, you’ll find a way. If the reason is not something you believe in, you will find an excuse. An outstanding book to help you design a purpose-driven life and business.
21. The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone
The only way to build more wealth, do more, and live more is to do 10 times more than you are doing right now. A simple principle of ‘Massive action’, allows you to blast through business clichés and risk-aversion while taking concrete steps to reach your dreams.
22. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
Without an effective morning routine, you are betting on your life instead of taking control of it and focusing on the things that matter.
23. Unlimited Memory by Kevin Horsley
In Unlimited Memory, you’ll learn how the world’s best memory masters get themselves to concentrate at will anytime they want. When you can easily focus and concentrate on the task at hand, and store and recall useful information, you can easily double your productivity and eliminate wasted time, stress, and mistakes at work.
24. The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung
Fasting is not about starving oneself. When done correctly, it’s an incredibly effective therapeutic approach that produces amazing results regardless of the diet plan.
25. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
In his best-selling book, Dave Ramsey shares a proven plan for financial fitness. “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”
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The books above have changed my life and allowed me to see the world in many different ways. They opened my eyes, made me more knowledgeable, confident, open-minded, and interesting (at least I would like to think so).
Seeking knowledge and understanding things you have never understood is the most exciting thing in the world. Start reading and stay curious.
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only once.
P.S.: If you have interesting books that can benefit our lives, share them in the comments below.
Cheers!
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