Books offer so much valuable information, it’s easy to be inspired by the lastest book you finished and go on to be a beast for the next three weeks. But then it starts to ware off. You pick up a new novel and forget all about the “you” that you were during your last reading sessions. That’s why I like to go back to some of those ones that stand out. The ones that tend to inspire me and make me a better person, even if it’s just for the next few hours or so.
I typically read a couple of books at once, I also like to overload my senses and read a few pages from different books in the morning or at night. When I say my “daily reads,” what I really mean is just the one or two pages I skim throughout the week.
Some of these books I read throughout the year, picking up every so often to set my mood for the day or before I go to sleep. These books are typically impactful and important refreshers for me when I’m in a funk. The others on this list are simply large time-consuming books that I can chip away at from time to time rather than trying to haul it on my commute every day.
Without further ado, these are the books that I’m reading at an almost daily pace:
The Daily Stoic – Ryan Holiday
Stoicism is one of those trends that has been around for centuries, but is just now starting to get more and more recognition and limelight. Ryan Holiday is a huge reason for this. With his series of books, he has brought Stoicism, an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, back in to the hands of young readers and successful people alike. The Daily Stoic is great as it just gives you little thought starters for your day. The page will provide you with a quote from one of the great Stoic teachers – Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, or Seneca – and then Ryan Holiday will describe how those same teachings from centuries ago still apply to our everyday lives.
G’Morning, G’Night: Little Pep Talks For Me & You – Lin-Manuel Miranda & Johnny Sun
This is one of those books that Barnes & Noble keep right in front of the cash register – you flip through it, see that it has a funny little feel to it, and you think of a friend that it would be a good gift for. This book was gifted to my fiancee from her sister. We kept it on our coffee table for a while until we just started flipping through it one day. It’s written my Lin-Manuel Miranda, of Hamilton fame and each page offers a 1-to-10 line comic or poem meant to give you a little motivation – one to start the day, and one before you go to bed. Lauren and I have now started a daily ritual of reading the morning poem before we head to work. Good little stocking stuffer, or house-warming gift.
The Power of Your Subconcious Mind – Dr. Joseph Murphy
I said it once, and I’ve said it many more times – this is no doubt the single most important book I have ever read. I’m now on maybe my seventh time reading it straight through but honestly, I’ve lost count. I keep two copies in my apartment – one on my nightstand that’s at least 30 years old with highlights, underlines, and torn pages – and one brand new copy that I can travel with.
Every time I feel stressed, worried, anxious, or angry for more than a day or two, I pick up this book, read a few pages and instantly get back into the right mindset. It’s teachings are essential, in my opinioin. The basic fundamental is, to use a Shakespeare quote, “Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Tools of Titans – Tim Ferriss
I mention this book a lot, and for good reason – it houses some of the greatest pieces of advice in Health, Wealth, and Lifestyle that you can possibly find. Rather than listen to hundreds of hours of podcast interviews, Tim Ferriss distilled the very most important pieces of advice from people like Tony Robbins, Jimmy Fallon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Foxx, etc.
I try to read at least one profile once a week, and take notes on the best pieces of wisdom whether that’s a quote, a life goal, a book they recommend, or a product that’s changed their life. There is so much valuable wisdom, science and financial advice that I try to keep it somewhere in the apartment that it will cross my eye.
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York – Robert A. Caro
I wrote about this in one of my recent posts, but this book is MASSIVE. It’s over 1,200 pages and the writing is like single-space, size 9 font. I started reading it on New Year’s Day, reading a few pages here and there before I go to bed and I’m only on page 53. This has been a life goal of mine though. If I can finish this book, not only will I have the best dinner party conversation pieces about New York City, but I’ll also have crossed off a major bucket list item. It will probably take me several years to complete. The tiny writing is enough to scare off even the most avid readers.
And that’s it! I also listen to this song almost daily.
-KB