THE TOP TEN BOOKS I READ IN 2020

It's that time of year again! During my annual review process, I go through my reading list of 50 + books and pick the very best books of the past year and share them with you!

Here are the 10 best books I read in 2020:

10. Can’t Hurt Me - Master Your Mind and Defy The Odds - by David Goggins

I listened to the audiobook, and I'm glad I did because there were podcast style extra interviews during and after each chapter. Hearing so many stories of how Goggins went way beyond what he thought were his capabilities - reminded me of the few times in my life when I have really pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible for me - it really is an eye opening experience. And I was reminded also, how if you don't have a really strong motivation - you will probably settle for "good enough" at some point. Like when Goggins tried to push Navy Seals to keep training as hard as they had in hell week - they rebelled because they were satisfied with simply maintaining their fitness (at it's admittedly ultra high level).

9. How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs by Guy Raz

Best business book of the year. After reading 400+ biz and non fiction books over the last 10 years - its rare that I find one that is still inspiring - and because Guy Raz places a high value on telling his stories the best way possible - this book is more engaging on a personal level and spurred lots of creative thinking in my own business. #1 Takeaway - think about positioning your business to serve a wave in the market (Ghirardelli Chocolate and Wells Fargo made it big by serving the California gold rush) Current wave examples: remote workers, explosion of coaching, blockchain, marijuana legalization

8. The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf

When I came across a statue of Humboldt in my local park with a Plaque that said, "In honor of the most accomplished traveller of this or any age," I knew I needed to learn more about him.

It turns out that Humboldt was perhaps the most famous man in the world in his day (first half of the 1800's), and was the first person to explore much of South America, where he spent 5 years on his own dream science expedition. Humboldt was a polymath and a master a unifying ideas from botany, geology, climate, geopolitics, and more. He came up with ideas like Ecology, climate change, and plate tectonics, and influenced the likes of Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, Thoreau, Muir, and Goethe

7. Think Like A Billionaire by James Altucher

I really admire James Altucher as a writer - he has said before that if he isn't a little bit uncomfortable with how vulnerable he is being when he publishes a blog post, he won’t publish it. This was an interesting ‘Scribd exclusive’ (You can only get it on their platform) where he is distilling down lessons he has learned from the 15 BIllionaires he has interviewed on his podcast. This is a great book concept and I'm doing the same thing with my interviews of professional adventurers.

6. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind - By Joseph Murphy.

What you DO in life is only as powerful as the BEING doing the doing. The subconscious mind and dreamtime two of the best way to access and change your identity (Being). I've read this through at least twice and it is required reading for The League of Superconductors (the biz mastermind I run for thought leaders), along with Lucid Dreaming by Robert Waggoner. Here is my podcast interview with Robert Waggoner.

5. Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health by Rupert Sheldrake

I'm on a quest to bridge science and spirituality, so that we might take advantage of that wisdom to become more powerful creators, find peace, and be more effective entrepreneurs. This book is a key piece to that puzzle and focuses on how science helps validate seven practices on which many religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage: meditation, gratitude, connecting with nature, relating to plants, rituals, singing and chanting, and pilgrimage and holy places.

4. The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen

Perhaps the most intriguing biography I have read in years. Samuel Zemurray did what the CIA does, before they existed (and eventual they modeled after his success) - overthrow foreign governments and install his own in order to improve his business prospects.

"When Samuel Zemurray arrived in America in 1891, he was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans sixty-nine years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. Working his way up from a roadside fruit peddler to conquering the United Fruit Company, Zemurray became a symbol of the best and worst of the United States: proof that America is the land of opportunity, but also a classic example of the corporate pirate who treats foreign nations as the backdrop for his adventures."

3. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss

Best negotiation book I have encountered. Voss was a lead FBI hostage negotiator and now trains people all over the world in negotiation. This book has 5000+ 5 star reviews for a reason - it's incredibly simple and works wonders. I have started using the listening techniques with everyone I know, and am consistently hearing people tell me, "That's Right!" And when people feel understood, they feel connected to you and will work together with you reach a desirable solution.

2.The Synchronicity Key - The Hidden Intelligence Guiding the Universe and You by David Wilcock

This book blew my mind at pretty much every turn of the page. And I kept saying to myself, "Of course that's how the universe works!" What I love about this book is the incredible amount of scientific source material that Wilcock brings in to illustrate woo-woo concepts. The 'synchronicity' part of the book is really only a starting point - there are many more fundamental building blocks for how our 3D reality works. I also highly recommend his previous NYT bestseller - The Source Field Investigations

#1 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:

The Power of Eight: Harnessing the Miraculous Energies of a Small Group to Heal Others, Your Life, and the World by Lynn McTaggart

Not only does McTaggart show the evidence that proves how collective consciousness works - she shares her decades of experimentation that reveal there is a mirror or rebound effect for positive intention.

Reading this book led me to implement a similar group intention setting practice for the business mastermind I run - after 11 months, the results are incredible - every single intention we set for someone’s business has come true within three weeks! (TV appearances, sold out offerings, raving referrals from customers, etc)

Honorable Mentions:

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story By Arnold Schwarzenegger - Just a really fun and inspiring read

Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers by Russell Brunson - Highly applicable to anyone doing business online - I open this book for reference at least once per month

Unacknowledged: An Exposé of the World’s Greatest Secret By Steven M Greer - Hundreds of first-hand accounts and declassified government documents that prove UFOs and ETs are real and currently interacting with us.