What did I love reading in 2021? And a gift...

Barack Obama famously said, “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible”.

I believe when you read, you open yourself to new perspectives, lessons, and adventures.?Now days reading is out of vogue and I find it an endangered habit. Especially because of social media. Most of my young colleagues spend inordinate time on social media, scrolling through content that does not help them in any way.

I believe, everything you read fills your head with new information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to address any challenge you’ll ever face!

While reading shouldn't have a "goal" and one must not take the "challenge" to read hundreds and hundreds of books, one must read a few and implement the lesson! Here are my top reads of 2021 and the lessons I derived from those.

1. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
2. The Anarchy by William Dalrymple
3. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
4. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
5. The CEO Factory by Sudhir Sitapati

The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel

The book is relatively short but packed with timeless and fun financial lessons. It teaches you how to have a better relationship with money and make smarter financial lessons. My favourite lesson is “ The ability to do what you want, when you want, with who you want, for as long as you want, is priceless. It is the highest dividend money pays”.

This means, having more flexibility and control over your time is far more valuable than getting 2% on your returns by working all night.

The Anarchy, William Dalrymple

The book accounts for the rise of the East India Company from 1599 to 1803 and their rule over the Indian subcontinent. It is almost heartwrenching to learn from?The Anarchy?what Indians lost as a civilisation just because they allowed themselves to be divided. Especially in today's day and age when politicians in India are once again relying on the divide and dominate policy.

Although the book not only discusses the?emergence of British rule in India but also prompts reflection on the dangers of corporate excess in our present. So, please read!

The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod is a 6-step morning routine using what are called Life S.A.V.E.R.S.: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing.

After I read it, it quickly became one of my favourite reads of all time.?I liked the routine so much, I immediately implemented it and now after following the routine, I would say it’s a game-changer. I have talked about this so many times in all my interviews and conversations that Hal must give me a royalty!

The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss

The core idea behind the book is to work less and make more money. You know, work smarter, not harder. Tim says you only need to manage your time smartly, rather than fitting everything in your schedule to achieve more. He says, “The question you should be asking isn’t, 'What do I want?' or 'What are my goals?' but 'What would excite me?'"

I think this is one book that I wish I had read far sooner in my career. If you are young, this is the book for you!

The CEO Factory, Sudhir Sitapati

This book is both an eye-opener and a refresher. The CEO Factory?starts with HUL’s brief history and sets a good context.?It?is a systematic detailing of just how this is achieved every single day and what comes through is a company that has institutionalized change by carefully mapping every aspect of the product life cycle and yet allowed itself to remain flexible enough to respond rapidly to changes in the market.

So these were my books from 2021!

What are the top 5 books that you read in 2021? What are some books that you are hoping to read this year? What are some books that I ought to read as I continue my journey?