5 Books for a Deeper Life in 2025

2025 will all be about the fast algo life.

The algorithms are taking over and they know rage bait content is what works.

I’ve made my resolution this year to slow down, do things with deeper thought and with more intent - to be better at avoiding my reactionary self.

One way I’m doing this is through reading more books.

Books that deep dive into topics that we’ve come to take for granted or have allowed technology to slowly erode away.

Of the many books I read in 2024, below are my favourite that I recommend to you, covering why having more information doesn’t lead to more truth, how populist leaders use power plays to take over, how to build a more resilient ability to focus, and how to stop your internal self doubt that is keeping you in a job you hate.

Quick note: writing these articles take time. Hours in fact. But I want to keep bringing these articles to you for free. So should you be interested in any of the books, you can show your support by purchasing through the affiliate links where I will get a tiny commission.

Nexus (Yuval Noah Harari)

https://amzn.to/3C6YtnR

• Data. Data. Data. We constantly talk about data and how we are generating more data and information. But does more information mean more truth in the world? Does more information coupled with AI help us make better decisions? Seeing the rise of populism and conspiracy theories, I would say not.
• A long term hunch of mine is that more information does not lead to a more free and wise world. But why? Be that in life or in the workplace, often the information points one way and yet our customers and bosses do the exact opposite. They can’t all be stupid can they?
• With everyone focusing on AI and amassing more data and information, Harari brings into light the foundations of what information is/isn’t and reveals how information can bring about truth or control, but not both. It’s a reminder that more information won’t solve the complex societal issues that algorithms and AI are surfacing. We can’t sit idle in hopes that these problems will solve themselves.
• If you are working with or on AI or if you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the information floating in our world, this book is a crucial read in making sure you become more thoughtful on what information you consume and not fall into the more information = good fallacy.

The Pathless Path (Paul Millerd)

https://amzn.to/4gOLmqI

• Graduate, work, retire - this is the default path society expects us to take.
• We sell the majority of our waking hours to pursue someone’s else’s dream. Yet in a life we only live once we reserve only the weekends to ourselves, by then we are too tired to pursue our own passions. Why do we postpone the pursuit of our dreams to the end of our lives, to when we are old and less energetic? Why are we so willing sell our best years so someone else can have their dreams realised?
• We all know this to be true but we do it anyway. Millerd argues that society makes it easy for us to fall into this path and modern day norms reinforce this - the glorification of the hustle, equating self importance to the number of meetings in your calendar, the badge of honor of doing an all nighter etc
• Millerd’s story resonated with me because, like him, I was a management consultant seeking to break free and dedicate my best years to becoming the best version of myself. Working on things I valued, not something my boss valued ‘because they said so’.
• This book isn’t some Gen-Z cop out or guild to build your FIRE movement, rather it focuses on resetting your deeply held relationship with work and address the insecurities and dread of leaving a stable life in pursuit of one that is more meaningful.
• If you’ve been a high achiever in life that has fallen into the corporate track and looking for something beyond the Instragram career advice clickbait videos, this could just be the book to redefine your 2025 and beyond.

Power of Unwavering Focus (Dandpani)

https://amzn.to/4ad7oRe

• Why was it when we were younger we could read uninterrupted for hours and yet today we would struggle to not glance at our phones every 30 minutes?
• The most rare assets we own are time and focus. Companies know this, this is why they engineer algorithms that keep you doom scrolling. More scrolling means more ads served and more money made. The algos are taking over and things we care about is getting highjacked in the interest of others.
• If you are looking for concentration hacks, this book is not for you. But if want to build the power to hold unwavering focus for the rest of your life so you can do more meaningful work and build deeper relationships, then Dandapani will teach you step by step in his book.
• The core concept is that where awareness goes, energy flows. Focus and the ability to direct where your awareness goes is something that has to be trained and maintained. We are not born with this ability. Yet most of us assume that we can “just focus,” and that by telling someone to do so, it magically happens. If we can’t, the first solution now seems to be is to medicate ourselves. If you’ve never learnt to play the piano, do you drug yourself until you can? Of course not. You know it takes dedication over many months and years to develop piano playing skills, so why are you expecting to be able to focus without any intentional practice at all?
• The world in 2025 is only going to get more distracting and algos smarter at taking over where you focus. The Power of Unwavering Focus is your first step to taking back control of your energy and life.

Dictator’s Handbook (Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith)

https://amzn.to/3PwWufF

• To paraphrase Trotsky “you might not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you”. Populism and their strongmen are back and the media is more than willing to parrot their desires creating an echo chamber for you. There is no escape given politics and power happen to you whether you are concise of it or not.
• Understanding politics is difficult given its often mixed in with the personal opinion of the person doing the explaining. And books that explain the mechanics of politics would put any insomnia drug company out of business.
• The Dictator’s Handbook has been the exception. It was the most impactful book I read during my MBA. I’ve even written a linkedin article on this already. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-dictator-herman-cheung-bx9we/?trackingId=fBNW%2BrfWTZSgZNNKAxxjtw%3D%3D
• The book reveals how power dynamics work, be that in government or in the workplace and why often bad and harmful behaviour is the most rewarded. Understanding how power is captured and used to sure up those already in power will help you see through pass the narrative and better protect yourself in power plays that happen in life.
• With the incoming governments across the world in 2025, the Dictator’s Handbook will shift you away from being a passenger in life to see past the frivolous claims of the populists (or even be the start to your long held ambition to be a dictator).

Supercommunicators (Charles Duhigg)

https://amzn.to/4gc4gXv

• I’ll be the first to admit I’ve read books on body language on how to connect better with people. “Lean in to show you are listening”. “Nod occasionally.” “Maintain open body language.” These things indicate that you are listening and paying attention. Blah blah blah.
• But maybe, just maybe… the best way to show you are listening is to … actually listen?
• The world is filled with podcast, videos, shorts on shallow hacks on how to connect better. I hate this type of content as it is so detrimental to those that are already socially anxious, instead of helping them this content makes them focus on their nervous actions rather than to help them connect at a deeper level and to overcome their anxiety.
• Rant over.
• The solution is Supercommunicator by Duhigg. This book avoids all the performative actions that the body language books promote, rather it helps to remind us about the importance of being more emotionally open to build deeper relationships.
• Today, it’s easy to hide our true emotions being emojis and short texts. Soon AI will do all this communicating for you. So while technology will do its utmost to erode our ability to communicate, Supercommunicators is there to remind us we are humans and we need deep connections to thrive.