5 Books That Will Change Your Life In A Weekend
BY CHRIS DANILO — First appeared on my personal blog
BY CHRIS DANILO — First appeared on my personal blog
STOP.
This is important.
Before you read this list, you need to make sure you walk into it with the right mindset.
Each of these books can be read in a weekend. Which, means you’ll be able to read this whole list in just over a month! But it’s important to take some time off in between.
You’re not going to be able to read a book, absorb the content, and TRULY internalize it in a weekend.
It’s going to take a lifetime of practice.
So when you read each of these, remember to take time off to practice what they preach, and re-read the sections that resonated with you the most.
The best way to get the most out of habit/lifestyle changing books is by reading them with a friend and discussing them afterward.
From the educational neuroscience literature, we know that this verbal processing can help you retain significantly more information.
With that, here are 5 books that I read, each in a weekend, and in no predetermined order, that have changed my life:
1. Calvin and Hobbes: 10th Year Anniversary, by Bill Watterson
Humor is an incredible teaching tool, a powerful relationship builder, and a biological weapon for good.
Bill Watterson wraps naive brilliance into lessons that get richer with age.
I started reading this book when my cousin Kevin gave it to me at age 7. I’ve read it countless times, since.
2. Gut Feelings, by Gerd Gigerenzer
A lot of my research at Penn State was on early emotional development, temperament, and the role of emotions in decision making.
Digging into the neurological nuances of socio-emotional factors of decisions is for another blog post, but I can say that Gerd does an incredible job of highlighting all of the key points in clear articulation that makes even complex neuroscience easily digestible.
3. The Dip, by Seth Godin
A must for anyone starting a project. I’ve written about this book before, but I can’t help include this in my list.
Knowing if you should start or quit a project is more important than the project itself. The faster you realize this, the faster you can start putting your time into projects that matter, and stop wasting time on projects you never finish.
4. Stop Stealing Dreams, by Seth Godin
Another rock-solid articulation of the archaic, industrial school system. Would you believe that the blackboard was invented as a primary teaching tool in the 11th century?
So what’s changed in 1000 years?
This book digs into what you should have learned in school and what to do about it now.
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — Seth Godin
5. How to Lie with Statistics, by Darrell Huff
Did you know that 98% of teens lie to their parents?
Well, guess what this means?
It means that 2% of teens lie on surveys.
Knowing more about the insane torrent of information you’re being hit with on Facebook, Instagram, and the countless Medium articles we’ve all read can help you make better decisions about what to believe and how NOT to be lied to.
If you want to change the world, you’d better arm yourself with the right kind of thinking.
You might also like these posts:
The 4 Reasons Your Last Relationship Failed
How NOT to Start a Dance Party at Penn State
24 Life Changing Productivity Tools
Thanks for reading!
If you got some value from this, RECOMMEND this post and spread the love to someone who needs to see it.