Atomic Habits – The most actionable book I’ve read in years; the go-to guide on how to build sustainable habits. I’ve been successfully able to implement concepts from this book (ex: Habit Stacking). Notes
Hell Yeah Or No – I’m a huge fan of Derek Sivers. He is one of the most thoughtful people I’ve come across, and his blog has a lot of insights that have helped me become a better person and professional. This book is a collection of his thoughts on life, work, and everything else. If you aren’t an avid reader of his blog, this book is worth it. If you are, this is still a good refresher.
How Innovation Works – I enjoyed reading How Innovation Works. Matt Ridley puts forward a comprehensive take on innovation across industries and through the course of history. He then lays out the essentials of innovation and why companies and governments struggle with innovation. I learned a lot from this book. There’s a lot of actionable advice for leaders and professionals across industries. This is a very compelling read.
Why Stocks Go Up or Down – A great introduction to stocks and bonds. The book does a great job of explaining the fundamentals of financials of a company – reading financial statements, cash flow, etc. It took me a long time to finish, but it wasn’t hard to follow. No financial background is needed to understand the concepts in this book.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack – Charlie is a genius, and there’s so much to learn from him. This book is a biography of Charlie and covers his approach of life, his beliefs, his contrarian ways of thinking, and much more. This is an incredible read.
The Most Important Thing – Howard Marks deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Warren Buffet and Charlier Munger. His essays are legendary, and this book doesn’t disappoint. This is an outstanding take on investing and is a must-read for amateur and professional investors.
On Writing Well – I’ve found this book incredibly useful in improving my (non-existent) writing skills. You’ll find a lot of actionable insights and little tweaks you can make to your writing. Notes
Vikram Shenoy 