How These 6 Books Inspired Us To Change Our Lives (And Why You Should Read Them)

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"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." – George R.R. Martin

Books can open our world. New ideas, inspiration, and captivating stories. To write a book signifies a major life accomplishment, and it’s a big reason why I only listen to audiobooks instead of podcasts .

Here’s a list of 6 books that Austin and I agree have changed our lives.

“How Will You Measure Your Life?” (by Clayton Christensen)

Recommended by: Austin

At the end of each school year at Harvard, Dr. Clayton Christensen would use the last day of class to help his students apply the same theory/strategies they’d used to build successful businesses to their own personal lives. This book is a summary of those discussions on “how do we achieve a fulfilling life?”

This one is my #1 recommendation on the list. I read this book once a year as a real check-in to make sure I’m building the life strategy I truly want.?

One of my favorite frameworks from this is “Herzberg’s Motivation Theory”, the idea that job satisfaction is actually made up of 2 parts: Hygiene Factors & Motivation Factors. Hygiene Factors are things that, if not done right, will cause us to be dissatisfied with our jobs (ex: status, compensation, job security, work conditions, etc.) Good hygiene factors will mean that you won’t hate your work, but they can't make you enjoy it. To love your work, you also need Motivation factors - the things that “make you tick” (interesting work, recognition, growth, responsibility, etc.) These are the things that should form the true criteria in your job search.

Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less (by Greg McKeown)

Recommended by: Jason

This book is entirely focused on the idea that you should only do something if it’s a “hell yes!” You should strip away all of your non-essential activities. The core concept is “Less, but Better”.

I re-read this book once per year, and on my last read the part that really struck home was a part on sleep. Most of us don’t get enough sleep. Arguably the best asset we have to offer the world is ourselves, and humans require ~7 hours of sleep per night. Essentialists prioritize sleep so they can operate at their highest levels when giving all of themselves. I have a newfound relationship with sleep that has improved my life in nearly every way.?

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants (by Malcom Gladwell)

Recommended by: Austin

This is a thought-provoking book about how (& why) underdogs often triumph over giants. For example, why do Economics PhDs from non-Ivy league schools regularly outperform their Ivy League counterparts? It makes you rethink conventional wisdom about where you choose to live, work, go to school, etc…

The “big fish / little pond” concept has a special place in my heart (and was a big part of why I chose to attend a smaller/low cost program instead of an Ivy League school for my MBA). The idea here is that prestige isn’t everything. We need to recognize that there are significant trade offs when choosing between “small fish / big ponds” environments (prestigious, but extremely competitive places like Harvard, Google, etc…) and “big fish / small ponds” (less well known schools and companies where you have a greater chance of standing out as an all-star due to decreased competition).

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (by David Epstein)

Recommended by: Jason

Generalists rule the world. Becoming highly specialized, even while this is taught in schools and in business, is entirely wrong.?

The life changing part of this book for me was to give permission to bring ideas from different parts of life into business. It made me better at drawing parallels, coming up with analogies, and not feeling guilty about having hobbies. Most Nobel Prize winners have a strong secondary interest in things like music, art, or sports, that sets them apart and leads to breakthrough discoveries. So just embrace being a generalist and stop worrying about specializing.?

Fun Fact: One of the stories in this book inspired one of our most popular Unwritten articles on how to think about data

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones (by James Clear)

Recommended by: Austin

Probably the best book in the world (in my opinion) on how to establish good habits / break bad ones.

The concept that I still think about every day is the “2 minute rule” (the idea that if a task can be completed in two minutes or less, you should do it immediately). The 2-minute rule can be applied to any area of your life. For example, if you want to start writing more, you could commit to writing one sentence every day. If you want to start exercising, you could commit to doing one push-up every day.?

When a task is only two minutes long it's not a big commitment. You can do it even when you're feeling tired or lazy. And once you start doing a task, it's often easier to keep going. The author puts it this way: “Consistency before intensity. Start small and become the kind of person who shows up every day. Build a new identity. Then increase the intensity.” It’s changed the way I build habits (including writing each day!)

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike (by Phil Knight)

Recommended by: Jason

This is the story of Phil Knight starting Nike. It’s not a business book; it’s really a story about people and dreams.?

The transformational part for me is how Phil Knight was just obsessed with disruption. He dreamt about shoes. He ran every day, often testing the latest pair of Nikes. He challenged the status quo in how he grew his company, and nearly every year almost went bankrupt. It made me want to work for a disruptive company and innovate.?

Just for Fun

The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings (by Brandon Sanderson)?

Recommended by: Jason

7 years ago (during our MBA program), Austin and I’s first conversation led to a discussion about our favorite books. I hadn’t ever read fantasy (including Harry Potter). I just wasn’t interested. He insisted I read the first book in The Stormlight Archives called The Way of Kings.?

This book series is just fascinating. You’re introduced to a variety of characters - a slave learning to become a leader, a warlord prince who is beginning to despise warfare, an unstoppable assassin who doesn’t want to kill, and an artist who is plotting to be a thief. The story is just a page turner and offers a form of escapism that few books do. The world-building and character development is one of the best I’ve ever read. This book series turned me into a fantasy reader. It’s perfect for anyone looking to juice their creativity and be taken on a fantastic story-journey.

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