Best Books I read in 2023

Every year, I read a few books and curate a list of my top five recommendations. This year's selection are gentle and easy to read list that make for enjoyable companions as you strive towards your new year resolutions. Take a moment to reflect on the past year and embrace the anticipation of an exciting new one as you explore my book recommendations.

Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish

I discovered this book through an article in The Globe and Mail. The book is written by Shane Parrish, an Ottawa thought leader and founder of the Farnam Street knowledge blog. It serves as a practical guide to mastering clear thinking, covering the creation of mental space and the application of clear thinking.

Parrish identifies four main enemies of clear thinking: Emotion default (reacting without thought), ego default, social default (conforming to others), and inertia default (resisting change). A few good tips outlined in the book:

• Assess hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness (HALT) when making decisions to avoid stress-induced choices. Address the root problems instead of succumbing to impulsive decisions.
• Establishing rituals is crucial for creating positive inertia. Observe how athletes repeat specific actions before critical moments, rituals redirect focus to the next task, fostering a mindset beyond immediate outcomes.
• Understand knowledge's boundaries. Leverage the HiFi and HiEx Principles for accurate information acquisition—finding the best intel within a situation and sourcing information externally.
• We unconsciously adopt traits of those around us. Whether working with a jerk or selfish colleagues, proximity shapes attitudes and standards gradually. Recognize and address these changes before they become overwhelming.
• Embrace the 3+ Principle, forcing exploration of at least three solutions to a problem. Avoid limiting options to two, encouraging a broader perspective in problem-solving.
• Establish personal rules as a potent tool for mitigating weaknesses. Example: Shane Parrish's no meetings before lunch rule allows focused mornings on crucial tasks, showcasing unexpected benefits.
• Modify ingrained responses by creating friction. For instance, remove distractions like social media and email from the phone's first screen, making conscious efforts to align behavior with desired outcomes.

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest

This is an interesting book that warrants multiple revisits due to its wealth of insightful information. Serving as a life instruction manual, the author emphasizes the essence of human attributes tied to learning how to think—laying the foundation for love, sharing, coexistence, tolerance, generosity, creativity, and more.

The book delves into diverse essays advocating the valuing of purpose over passion, expressing gratitude for hardships, managing negative thoughts, embracing daily routines, and scrutinizing the biases governing our lives. Personally, I plan to revisit these essays again next year as they are subtle reminders and catalysts for expanding my thinking.

Key insights that resonated include recognizing discomfort on the brink of change, often perceived by us as sadness. The book also highlights the pivotal role of habit in success, emphasizing the need for frequent practice to excel. Expertise emerges from a blend of profound self-control, disciplined routine, and unwavering dedication, setting apart achievers from the rest of us.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

This stands out as a truly unique book authored by the legendary music producer Rick Rubin. He comments that creativity is an inherent aspect of human existence, a birthright accessible to all. Exploring various artistic forms such as music, poetry, and painting, the book underscores the significance of paying attention to the world and transforming personal experiences into art.

Within its pages, the author shares profound insights, affirming that everyone possesses artistic capabilities. The book provides mental frameworks to navigate creative obstacles and fosters an understanding of what it means to operate as an artist in the world. Rubin outlines a four-phase process for bringing creative works to fruition:

1. Seeds: Collect a multitude of ideas, opening your attention to the world and allowing inspiration to gather seeds for future cultivation.
2. Experimentation: Play with high-potential seeds, engaging in experimental exploration without editing. Your excitement over time becomes a guiding metric for selecting seeds to focus on.
3. Crafting: Enter this phase with a clear sense of direction after ideation and experimentation. While executing, remain open and adaptive, possibly revisiting experimentation to refine ideas based on newfound information.
4. Completion: The final phase involves bringing your art to completion, supported by deadlines for optimal results. Emphasizing refinement rather than discovery, this stage ensures your work is the best it can be. It’s advised not to prolong this phase excessively to maintain a sense of connection to the work.

The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson

“Your greatest fear as a CEO is that people aren't telling you the truth.” —Mark Costa

This insightful book came to my attention when I read an interview of Scott Thomson, CEO of Scotiabank, where the book was mentioned. Exploring the concept of psychological safety, defined as a climate where individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves, the book guides readers on intentionally fostering such an environment within their teams. It emphasizes that psychological safety doesn't grant immunity from consequences but enables individuals to navigate interpersonal risks with candor.

In today's workplaces, people often withhold thoughts or questions to avoid looking bad, hindering the potential for growth. The author clarifies that psychological safety doesn't eliminate concerns about failure or performance feedback; rather, it minimizes interpersonal fear, allowing teams to take risks for enhanced performance.

Divided into three parts, the book dives into the research and provides real-world examples of organizations lacking psychological safety and offers practical insights for creating a fearless organization in the final section.

With compelling examples and scientific backing, the author underscores that genuine progress occurs when employees feel free to discuss ideas and express concerns openly, emphasizing the critical role of psychological safety in a knowledge-intensive world.

Magic Words by Jonah Berger

Were you aware that, on average, we utter about 16,000 words daily, often without giving much thought to the specific words we utilize in both our written and verbal expressions? The book is an engaging and practical reference that deserves a place in your library for frequent retrieval. Jonah Berger's research unveils the impact of six types of "magic words" that can influence various aspects of life, from changing minds to driving action. These include words activating identity, conveying confidence, asking effective questions, leveraging concreteness, employing emotion, and harnessing similarity and difference. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Noun-Based Descriptions: Transforming verb-based descriptions into nouns can create a substantial impact. For instance, describing someone as a "carrot-eater" instead of saying they eat a lot of carrots influences perceptions of stability.

2. Confidence Conveyance: To convey confidence, steer clear of uncertain words like "may" and "could." Embrace definites such as "definitely" and "clearly" to assert irrefutable truths and avoid hedging that might suggest uncertainty.

3. Effective Questioning: Asking questions fosters positive interactions, but follow-up questions are particularly powerful, demonstrating genuine interest and a willingness to delve deeper.

4. Handling Unfair Questions: Responding to an unfair question with a related question allows redirection of the conversation, showcasing interest while maintaining personal privacy.

5. Simplicity vs. Complexity: Using familiar words over complex ones enhances understanding and attention retention, making it easier for people to process information.

6. Language Similarity: Utilizing similar language fosters a sense of belonging to the same tribe, enhancing likability and trust. Mirroring someone's language further strengthens this connection, making them more receptive to your suggestions.

Sharing the best books I read every year has become a tradition, and I am curious to hear about any noteworthy reads from your end. Wishing you a fantastic 2024 filled with joyful reading adventures.