You Might Have Missed Out on Some Life Lessons by Not Reading Enough Books. Here Are 10 Books to Catch Up.
A single book can move mountains. It changes our thinking, our thought process, the way we absorb information, how we grow, learn, and diversify.
Hindsight is a powerful tool. With this article, we hope that if you’re young, you’ll read these books and reap the benefits of them… and if you’re older, and still want to move those mountains, that you’ll grab one and start today.
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Without further ado, let’s get straight into the article.
1
Don’t F*cking Panic: The Shit They Don’t Tell You in Therapy about Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks, & Depression by Kelsey Darragh
Your desk is a mess, your dishes are piled up in the sink and you can’t find your deodorant. You hear your phone begin to ring and you still need to get your dog to the vet…
You start to feel that panic creep up into your throat and your chest begins to tighten. It’s all too much to deal with, so you sink into the floor and weep.
We don’t give enough time to our mental well-being and this book is a powerful tool for several reasons. One: You realize you are not alone. Two: The book helps you realize there is not an overnight quick fix, but there are ways to achieve long-term recovery and three: how it is possible to manage your shi**y thoughts and start thinking your way to a better mental balance.
It’s the type of book that you will read often, and when you slip or need a hand, you’ll go back to the wise, and humorous words of Kelsey Darragh.
2
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg is an award-winning New York Times business reporter, and he delves deeper into how powerful our habits are.
From the simple example of a woman who had fundamentally changed the patterns in her brain over the course of two years, by quitting smoking, running a marathon, and getting a promotion at work, to far more influential changes like Febreze who was nearly discontinued but became a billion-dollar earner.
The crux of the book is that habits are not destiny. As explained by Good Reads, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.”
The sooner you can get your hands on this book, the better Aluxers.
3
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
Scott Adams is the creator of the comic strip, Dilbert, and he has released many books in his lifetime. We featured him in a video not too long ago titled, 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Scott Adams… where we pointed that Adams believes that “goals are for losers, passion is bullsh*t, and mediocre skills can make you valuable.”
The book highlights the cons of certain expected ideas about work and self. For example, we’re led to believe that being selfish is not a good thing, but he argues that being selfish is essential to being able to help others when you’re in a better place yourself.
This book will have you second-guessing what you’ve been taught is normal and have you thinking a whole lot more critically over several pertinent subjects.
4
The Strength in Our Scars by Bianca Sparacino
Every single one of us has been through traumatic experiences – a bad break-up, losing a loved one, being the victim of sexual assault – and we all wear our scars differently.
This book is testament to the fact that regardless of where you are on your healing journey, you are strong.
As reviewed by one reader, Natalie Romano, “This is the book I didn’t know I needed. Reading it is like getting a hug from a friend…”
Remember Aluxers, that all of these books are available on Audible – and we’ve got a free download waiting just for you. Head to alux.com/freebook.
This book is beautifully narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs and is a 2-hour 10-minute listen.
5
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Look, you’re either going to love this book or you’re going to hate it – but the reason we’re including it is that it’s exactly what a book is meant to evoke. There’s no point just reading a bland book that leaves you sitting on the fence, going “meh”. You want to be challenged, you want to think critically, and you want to hash it out with others.
The focus is on 12-year-old Jonas who lives in what appears to be an ideal world, but it’s colourless, encourages conformity and simple contentment. When he becomes the “Receiver of Memory” he realizes just how fragile his community is.
Before you rush out and watch the movie version of the book, we implore you to read the novel first. As well done as what the movie is, there are certain aspects that don’t come across as clearly.
6
Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson
In our video, 15 Most VALUABLE Books You Can Read For Free, we suggested this book by Jordan Peterson.
As we said, “in every culture, there are myths and legends and if you had to compare them, you would find that there are similar threads of thought involving morality, the mind, and the structure of the world.” Now, if you’d like to find out how and why, then this one needs to be part of your collection ASAP.
7
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest
You might have seen her name before, but never read any of her books – but now it’s time you do. Brianna Wiest is an author, poet and writer and is best known for her writing on mindfulness, EQ and spirituality.
One thing we do well, is self-sabotage. We all want to be happy, to be at peace and have better, purer thoughts – but we put up mountains that inhibit us from achieving those goals.
As one reviewer on BookTok said, “this book would have changed my life if I read it in my 20s”.
The truth about self-help books though, is that you might just not be at the right time in your life to receive the help the book aims to provide. And that’s ok too. Bookmark it, and try again in a few months or even years, because you’ll be in a different space when you try again.
8
The Social Animal by David Brooks
In this non-fiction novel by David Brooks, you will meet Erica and Harold. You follow their lives from infancy to adulthood, and how their conscious and subconscious minds work.
The crux of the story that Brooks is trying to get across is that there are two levels of the mind: unconscious and the other conscious and that the unconscious is far more important.
As reported by the New York Times, “Brooks is out to expose the superficiality of an overly rational view of human nature, but there is more than one kind of superficiality.”
There are plenty of gender stereotypes throughout the book, but read it with an open mind to fully take on why Brooks has written it that way… And only then will you understand why we’ve included it in this list.
9
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is probably one of the most well-known books on our list, and despite being published in October 1936, is still as relevant today as it was then.
Publishers have kept the book relevant by updating the language and anecdotes and chopping a few sections out that were deemed irrelevant for today’s readers. It’s often listed as one of the most influential books of all time and it’s one that you’ll derive so much value from especially after the 2nd and 3rd read.
Here are just a few areas that the book will help you with:
– Motivate you to get out of your mental rut
– Help you make friends a little quicker and easier
– Give you ideas to you earn more
– Help you become a better speaker
So, as you can hear, all absolutely relatable.
We love this quote from Carnegie: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
It’s true that a great book is a man’s best friend. But sometimes, all a man needs is a friend, and that too for all the right reasons! Check out 10 Reasons Friends Are Worth More than Money.
10
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
This was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and it’s easy to see why. Author, Jen Sincero, is not afraid to tell it like it is. She swears, calls a spade a f*cking spade and makes you realize why you’re the way you are.
As summed up by Good Reads, “By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.”
Question:
On that note Aluxers, what book do you wish you had read when you were younger? We’d love your suggestions.
