The 5 Books That Changed My Mindset

I'm not the guy that will tell you to read 52 books in 52 weeks. I am also not the person who will tell you that you should reread the same book six times in order or internalize every aspect. My philosophy on reading is pretty flexible because I do it not only to learn, but to change. Read what will impact you most.

Not every book worth reading is on this list. I like to think of things in tiers. I didn't include the tier of books where it goes without saying that everyone should read them. For example, I didn't list How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie because I consider it to be a part of the "legendary tier" of books that you should be rereading several times a year. That includes scripture, important manuals, and a small handful of self mastery books such as Carnegie's.

The main idea for this article is to bring to light some books that may not be as widely known, or the next tier down from the legendary tier. I call it the VIP tier. I chose to slim this to 5 books, but this list is by no means set in stone and will probably change as I continue to discover great reads.

To clear the air, I hope that one day I could be paid to promote a book. For now, I am far from it. You should also know how hard it was to choose only five out of the hundreds of high quality books. Therefore, if a book isn't on this list but you're inclined to check it out, you should still give it a read.

5. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand

The adage that the book is better than the movie was definitely true for this one. I am glad I read the book before I saw the movie. The story of Louie Zamperini is one of the most impressive that I've ever heard. It's an underdog story about athletics, war, love, and belief. There have been few people that have pushed through what he did. Louie makes the 1936 Olympics, joins the military, survives 47 days stranded at sea in the Asian Pacific, spends two horrifying years in POW camp, and overcomes all to devote himself to a noble cause.

The moral of the story? We have no bounds.

4. How Will You Measure Your Life, Clayton M. Christensen

There are few people more widely revered than Clayton Christensen. Since his death only four months ago I have seen hundreds of mentions on how positively he has impacted our world. He did so largely for me through this book. When I read it the first time I was at a turning point in life, a few weeks from getting married.

Christensen designed the theory of "disruptive innovation" and wrote The Innovator's Dilemma in the late 90's, but focuses this book on how to cultivate values throughout a successful life. He explains how to develop habits to achieve the goals you have in all walks of life. It covers everything from balance in life, to job satisfaction. At the end of your life, how do you want to be remembered?

The moral of the story? No one ever said on his or her death bed, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."

3. Essentialism, Greg McKeown

This book is about The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, as McKeown puts it. I can't count how many days I have closed my laptop knowing that I was totally busy but didn't get anything substantial done. Some may take what Greg has written the wrong way, that maybe he is implying we do less. Rather I was influenced by the thought of doing more of the essential items. It's more about "the right thing, in the right way, at the right time". This one is paired well with books like Multipliers or Deep Work—if you're really looking to boost your productivity.

The moral of the story? Focus your energy on the essential.

2. Atomic Habits, James Clear

This book left me shook. How had I wasted so much of my life without Atomic Habits? If you are trying to break a habit or start a habit, you need to read this book this weekend. It's a quick read, but the information will affect you positively as long as you keep up on it. James gives access to all of his charts, graphs, and trackers through his website as well, which makes starting and keeping these habits easy. Don't forget the bonus on how to apply the principles to business and parenting.

This book was a perfect balance of scientific research, storytelling, and applicable principles. Once I understood the 1% Better Every Day principle, my life was never the same. 1% better for 365 days is a 37.3x improvement, versus a 1% decline resulting only a .03x downturn.

The moral of the story? Great is one habit away from good.

1. Shoe Dog, Phil Knight

I finished Shoe Dog feeling entertained and inspired to do something meaningful in the world. It is refreshing to see that like many of us feel right now, no one actually knows the path to success. From the book it seems that Phil makes a couple right choices as he makes several risky others. Knowing what it is now and seeing Nike from its beginnings was incredible, giving me a feeling that even a kid from a small town can make an enterprise that influences for good.

If I remember right, I had to call a friend right after I finished this one, to tell him how we need to take the plunge into some of the crazy ideas that we had. It is one of those reads that will probably push you to make that next move that you're on the fence about.

The moral of the story? Just do it.