The Top 7 Books I Read in 2021 That Can Help Ambitious Engineers

In 2020 I reached my goal of reading an average of one book per week - 52 books total. I wanted to up the ante in 2021 with a goal of 90 books read.

In the end, I was able to get 87. Did I fail? No! I read 87 books! That's more than I have ever read in a year - and I learned so much from them.

That said, sometimes I felt like I was reading books too quickly just to get through them rather than to truly take insights out of them. Yet one of the ways I can solidify my own learning is to share and talk about ideas from the books that I have read.

So I share with you brief reviews of some of my favorites here that can help you grow your career.

If you want to see my (almost) complete list for the year, you can check out my LinkedIn post here.?

Think Again - Adam Grant

This was probably my favorite book of the year and one of my top 5-10 books I've ever read. If you can get through reading this book without challenging your current beliefs, thought patterns, and approach to problem-solving, then I don't know how else to help you.

This book is all about helping you reimagine your perspectives and how they impact your choices. I would say it is a mindset-shifting book - but not just preaching a particular mindset. It's about finding ways to evaluate your current mindset and be open to making a shift in a direction that would be more helpful.

I appreciated that it helped me see that doubt is not always a bad thing, neither is being wrong. In fact, I can learn and adapt through the uncertainties of life, admit I don't know something, and be open to rethinking my previously held beliefs.

Pick up your copy of Think Again!

Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss

Written by a former FBI negotiator with some amazing stories to tell, this book is a masterclass on negotiations.?

He brings perspectives on negotiation situations where peoples' lives were literally at stake but teaches and applies the key principles of negotiation so that you can use them in business, career, and more.

Negotiations happen all the time - probably more than you are even aware of. You negotiate about where to go to dinner, what movie or TV show to watch, and more on a daily basis. Certainly, you will also experience opportunities to negotiate on larger things like employment compensation, buying a home or car, a work contract, etc.

The book is fun and engaging and teaming with usable insights that I often share with my clients.

Pick up your copy of Never Split The Difference!

Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker

I have always heard that it's important to get good sleep. I never really knew WHY it was actually so important until I read this book. It opened my eyes to the history, the science, and the many functions that sleep takes to build a healthy and productive life.

Certainly getting good sleep is a challenge at times as I raise 3 young children who don't always believe in sleeping through the night, but I am working to make sleep something I value rather than just a necessary thing that has to be done that takes away from time I could be spending doing other things.

Sleep affects more than you know - your memory, your ability to learn, preventing diseases like Alzheimer's and diabetes, how quickly you age, and can even help prevent cancer!

If sleep is not something you are prioritizing in your life right now, this book will help you reconsider that approach.

Pick up your copy of Why We Sleep!

Range - David Epstein

I often get people coming to me, especially early in their careers, and wondering how they determine their path to becoming a specialist in a particular field. They are interested in many different things and see themselves as a "Jack of all trades, master of none," but feel bad about that.

This book makes it clear that in many cases, being a generalist and trying many things can actually be a strength - even if you end up specializing in something later! Generalists, it argues, often find their path late after juggling many different interests. Yet they come out as more creative, agile, with the ability to make connections across disciplines that specialists can't.

So if you find yourself wondering if your hodge podge of experience is useful or worthwhile, this book may just help you see the value in your diverse background!

Pick up your copy of Range!

Designing Your Work Life - Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

After writing Designing Your Life, these authors created a new book focused on using design thinking principles to craft a meaningful career and work life.

They walk you through multiple principles and frameworks in order to craft a dream job, but it doesn't always mean you actually need to change the job you have! One of the most helpful ideas they share is the concept of reframing how you think about the situations you find yourself in, and therefore have the ability to take decisive action and do something about it!

They build up the usefulness of utilizing the designer mindsets of Curiosity, Reframing, Radical Collaboration, Awareness, Bias to Action, and Storytelling.

If you are unsatisfied with your current work situation, this book can help you approach it as a problem to be solved with great ideas of how to move through the process. After all - engineers are just problem solvers, right?

Pick up your copy of Designing Your Work Life!

Immunity to Change - Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey

This is probably the most academic book on the list, and it's not the most fun, but it is one that is extremely useful and impactful.

If you've met me or been following me for any length of time, you likely know that I am a big believer in the importance of becoming aware and adjusting our mindsets to achieve success.

Yet the process of changing a mindset has always been difficult to codify and understand.

That's what this book teaches! It leads you through a step-by-step process to identify the mindsets and beliefs that are holding you back from the improvements you want to make (your "Immunity to Change"), and how to systematically break down those beliefs to make sustainable change!

Using these ideas with many of my clients has helped them make transformational shifts in their mindset and approach. I've also used these ideas to change many things personally!

Pick up your copy of Immunity to Change!

How Will You Measure Your Life? Clayton Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon

This was a reread for me, but it had been a few years since the last time I picked it up. Dr. Christensen sadly passed away almost two years ago, but this book is a testament to his approach to living a life of meaning.

Just think about the premise stated by the title - how will you measure your life? Dr. Christensen uses strong theories that are typically applied to business, but applies them to our careers, relationships, and integrity.

Reading this book I felt like I was being tutored by a wise professor (I mean, I kind of was) who was also teaching me like a loving grandfather.

If you want to find satisfaction in your career, develop enduring and happy relationships, and stay out of jail, this is a book you'll want to read and take action on.

Pick up your copy of How Will You Measure Your Life?

Take Ambitious Action

Do you have a goal for reading this year? What are your favorite books you have read recently?

I invite you to choose at least one of these books, or a book that has been on your list to read for a long time, and actually read it.

Once you have read the book, make notes about the specific actions you intend to take, and make plans to implement these actions into your life.

Good books are amazing sources of knowledge - but knowledge is only useful if it becomes applied wisdom.

So be a reader, but also be a doer!

Also, share some of your favorite books (and what you learned from them) in the comments!

Accelerate Your Career

If you are serious about wanting to create a career and a life you love, I can help! For those serious about investing in themselves and their futures, you can schedule a time to talk to me at morethan-engineering.com/schedule-call.