According to a study conducted by Google Books, there have been 129,864,880 books published since the invention of Gutenberg's printing press in 1440 and now in the 21st centurybook publishing has never been so easy. There is close to 1 million books getting published annually now and if you add self-publishing books, we are looking at close to 4 million new books getting published each year, but the problem is you had 365 days a year 200 years back and you have 365 days a year even now, your time is limited, your time is precious so everytime you are picking up a wrong book you are just wasting your precious time. I wasted some precious time myself reading books which I did not add any value and I can remember giving up reading a book midway, so in this artcle I am going to pick and discuss 3 non fiction books that added tremendous value in my life and I think these are a must read for everyonein 2023.
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Number 3 - Sadhguru’s INNER ENGINEERING
This book is a New York Times bestseller and made a huge impact in many people’s lives. What sets this book apart from any other books out there is the fact that it does not talk about the outside material world that mankind created, it takes you right inside your own body, own mind. The first part of the book is a bit like a short autobiography of Sadhguru himself where he narrates the story of how he experienced a dimensional shift in him spiritually and how that changed his life forever. The 2nd part of the book reveals ancient Indian wisdom of energy Chakras, Nadis, Yoga, meditation. This book will not teach you Yoga but explores the science behind it, how Yoga is not only a physical exercise, it explores mind, body, energy like none other and after reading a few pages you will get sucked into the world of inner engineering. A must read book for all ages, I can term this book safely as life changing. Go for it.
Number 2 - Simon Sinek’s classic START WITH WHY
This book is one of my personal favorites. This kind of book comes almost once in a century which fundamentally changes the way we look at things specially business and innovation. START WITH WHY became best seller in no time and Simon Sinek was all over the news and internet. The core concept of the book resides in Simon’s theory of Golden Circle which explains why some companies like apple, Harley Davidson, Southwest Airlines, Gucci and others becomes so inspirational and get a cult like following from their customers and fierce commitment from their employees, why they can consistently keep innovating and provide value to the world and their customers. The Golden circle theory argues that what product you offer and how you make that product has minimum impact on customers and employees, but why you make that product in the first place has more deeper connect with your customers and employees. If your company’s vision, mission and purpose is not inspiring and if you do not align your decision making with that purpose consistently, even if you make a great quality product or offer great service you will not succeed in long term. This book is also packed with some real life examples of innovators, companies and leaders which will make an interesting read. START WITH WHY has compelled organizations and leaders worldwide to think more in terms of purpose and values rather than only focussing on making profits.
Number 1 - Angela Duckworth's GRIT - The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
This is a very unusual entry but I rate this book very high since it can help not only any individual to understand the secret of long term success but also can help parents to understand those key things to focus on while raising their children so that they are set up for success in their lives. Personally this book made a tremendous impact on me since it changed a lot of the things that I thought about natural talent vs hardwork and persistence. Angela Duckworth has a BA in Neurobiology from Harvard University, an MSc in Neuroscience from Oxford University and an Phd in Psychology from University of Pennsylvania, she was also awarded the McArthur Fellowship. In her book, GRIT, Angela takes on a very challenging subject. Many of societies leaders, innovators, creators and successful businessmen are lauded as great geniuses but Angela argues that talent and intelligence matters less to success than grit. The book is a mind blowing exploration of what grit is , where it comes from, how it drives success and how can you develop it. It also gives practical guidance on how parents can instill grit in their children, one of my favorite is DO NOT PRAISE SKILLS, PRAISE BEHAVIOUR. It gives you compelling case studies to explain why even if you are talented but lacks grit, you will not taste long term success in life and if you are less talented but high on grit you can taste long term success. A must read for all parents, a must read for leaders, a must read for people of all age groups who thinks success depends on talent alone. A highly highly recommended book from my end.
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