As we approach the end of 2022, I thought I would compile a list of the great books that I have read over the last 2 years as I have worked on my own upcoming book. These books changed my mindset, challenged some of my deepest held beliefs, and revolutionized my life perspective.
Why take time to review a book list now? As we prepare to head into the final stretch of this holiday season, we all know that the madness will soon begin. Food will be eaten, drinks will be drunk, carols will be sung, and before it is all over…we may even take a few moments to consider what we want our next year to look like, and how we can become better people along the way.
In my life, I have found that one of the best ways for me to progress and grow as a person is to READ. But, I don’t just want to read anything, I want to read truly GREAT BOOKS! The following list is far from exhaustive, but it represents some of my personal recommendations for your consideration in this new year. They’re messages are both timely and timeless and they are sure to challenge and inspire.
If you are looking for a reading list for 2023, I highly recommend the great books to read below. The books may seem somewhat varied in their category and content, but then, so are my interests. To help, I have separated them into categories based on content. Enjoy!
1. Personal Development
Get Your Mind Right, by Todd Durkin
The first on my list needs to be a shoutout to my friend and mentor, Todd Durkin. Todd is a world-renowned health and fitness expert, writer, author, speaker, and life changer. Founder of the world-renowned Fitness Quest 10 in Scripps Ranch, CA., Todd has spent much of his life training elite athletes from all different sports and all walks of life. In his book, Get Your Mind Right, Todd shares some of his greatest tips, tricks, and mindset hacks to kickstart your day, own your week, and jumpstart your life. I consider it a MUST READ.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Chaos and 12 More Rules for Life: Beyond Order, by Jordan Peterson
The author of these books has now become so famous (or infamous, depending on who you talk to), that he hardly needs an introduction. But, in my personal opinion, these two books by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson are absolutely life-changing. For those seeking to bring a little bit more order to a chaotic life, Dr. Peterson’s 2018 book An Antidote for Chaos provides 12 life changing “rules” that will provide guidance, structure, and much needed encouragement.
For those seeking to move beyond mere structure, Dr. Peterson’s sequel to his 2018 bestseller will be sure to delight and inspire. In Beyond Order, Dr. Peterson explains how it is not enough to merely bring order to a chaotic life. Too much structure can bring stultification and suffocation. To be truly alive and creative, it is necessary to walk the boundary between chaos and order. It is a difficult task to be sure, but when embraced, it is one that provides the true meaning and purpose of a life well-lived.
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
I read this book long ago while I was in school but recently picked it up once again and decided to read through it as an adult. My time and effort were certainly not wasted. In this classic, internationally renowned psychiatrist, Viktor E. Frankl tells his story of endurance, faith, and unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps. Through the narrative of his own personal experiences, Frankl explores the very depths of human depravity and evil. Surprisingly, it is there that he finds the very last thing that the reader would expect: hope and faith in the human spirit’s ability to overcome and persevere through any hardship. This is a must read.
2. Personal Finance and Business
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
When Robert Kyosaki first presented the lessons that he learned from growing up with two different dads (a rich one and a poor one) in early 2000, his ideas were criticized and disparaged. “This isn’t true…you can’t say this” he was told. Now, 20 years later and with 44 million copies sold worldwide, the lessons that he teaches in this timeless classic are perhaps even more true today than ever before. This book completely changed the way that I think about investing and finance, and I say that as someone who has two Masters degrees, one in Business, and one in Finance.
Killing Sacred Cows, by Garrett B. Gunderson
In many ways, Garrett Gunderson follows in the steps of Robert Kiyosaki in his 2017 NYT bestseller Killing Sacred Cows. Gunderson helps readers to rethink the traditional financial truisms that we have been taught since childhood. He explores such ideas as soul purpose and human life value and explains how these ideas are central to a meaningful and financially successful life.
100 Ways to Create Wealth, by Sam Beckford, and Steve Chandler
In this insightful and penetrating book that has been hailed as “the modern reader’s Think and Grow Rich!”, business leaders and consultants Sam Beckford and Steve Chandler discuss their most profound mental hacks and business recommendations to help achieve lasting wealth and success. These are the 100 ways that they have seen success with their clients over and over again. A must read in my opinion.
3. Cultural Commentary
The War on the West, by Douglas Murray
In this instant NYT bestseller, Douglas Murray explores a rather interesting topic in our modern culture. It is now considered fashionable to denigrate and vilify everything and anything to do with Western nations, including values, cultural norms, and long-standing traditions.
It is now supposedly the sign of an enlightened sophisticate to celebrate everything nonwestern, just as it is the sign of a narrow-minded dullard to associated or embrace anything to do with the strain of ideas that took hold of the public consciousness during the European enlightenment. These ideas in particular are to be questioned, deemed inherently suspect, and even condemned.
While Murray does explain how much of this can be considered a long overdue reckoning, he also questions whether it will have its supposedly intended effect. Could it be that we are moving society backwards rather than forwards? Could we be making way for some very bad ideas to flourish and inadvertently supporting some very anti-liberal nations while we seek to consistently undermine and chastise our own?
Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage, by Dan Crenshaw
In this 2020 release, Congressman Dan Crenshaw delivers a hard-hitting analysis of the modern western culture and what he calls “the era of outrage.” Crenshaw demonstrates how many people in America—particularly the younger generation—are consistently encouraged to exchange rational discourse for emotional outbursts and substitute well-reasoned debate with the silencing of opposing (a.k.a. “triggering”) opinions.
Drawing on his own experiences as a Navy SEAL, Crenshaw describes the effects that his own personal challenges and tragedies have had on his mental fortitude. On his third tour of duty, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in his face and nearly left him blind. While his personal recovery was long and arduous, punctuated by moments of severe doubt and even despair, Crenshaw says that it was the darkest moments that helped him to find perspective and hope.
Cynical Theories, by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay
An academic look into a new strain of ideas that originated in academic institutions but are increasingly seeping into the culture at large. Brilliant and insightful, Pluckrose and Lindsay’s work is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about Postmodernism and Critical Theories.
4. The Warrior Mindset
The Warrior Ethos, by Steven Pressfield
A modern-day recounting of the Warrior Spirit, Steven Pressfield’s The Warrior Ethos, is a must read for all Marine Corps officers. I also highly recommend it to anyone seeking to define their own purpose, develop mental toughness, and live with honor and integrity.
Bushido, Inazo Nitobe
Excerpt from Amazon: “Bushido: The Samurai Code of Japan is the most influential book ever written on the Japanese ‘Way of the Warrior.’”
Widely read around the world, the book is considered a timeless study of Japanese culture and the warrior values that the Samurai inculcated into their very existence. During his life, Inazo Nitobe attempted to build a bridge between the East and the West. He was both challenger and defender of his home country of Japan. It is all the more fitting that his words should still defend and challenge all of us who seek to be warriors today.
5. Creative Expression
The War of Art and Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield
If you have ever sought to overcome the creative blocks in your life and live out your soul’s true calling, then I can’t recommend these two books highly enough. Whether you are a writer, painter, singer, composer, or wish to pursue your creative dreams in any other domain, The War of Art and Turning Pro are must reads on my list.
The Steal Like an Artist Trilogy, by Austin Kleon
I really liked reading through this trilogy as I was writing my book. Austin Kleon gives helpful and constructive advice for how to stay motivated, market yourself, and creative a community, all while pursuing the creative work that speaks to your soul.