22 non-fiction books that shaped my thinking (Day 21 - being grateful for BOOKS)
This article is part of my December 2020 Gratitude series that help me end this year on a more positive and inspiring note.
I used to read fiction books when I was younger. I always wanted to finish a book in one day, which resulted in a lot of miserable school days. This was my pre-teen years. Then I stopped for a while after getting bored with friendships, travelling pants and first kisses and there is only so many Harry Potter books. The spark came back for my preparation to Architecture studies as I first discovered non-fiction books. Unfortunately, I was choosing them myself and my English was not very good, so I ended up reading very mediocre books with concepts I could not understand.
Luckily, in the first year of architecture, we were given a reading list and I fell in love with books again. From that point, I started reading regularly. Having so many different interests, it resulted in this list being super random. I think this might be a good insight into who I am and what excites me. In case you were ever wondering.
1. Awareness by Anthony De Mello
- If you need to turn inwards
- Shop here
2. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
- If you think that sleep is overrated, productivity is the measure of success and commit to every opportunity
- Shop here
3. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- If you want to spot your biases and rationally analyze the decisions of others
- Shop here
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
- If you think Sapiens was a good book and wish to read something even better on the history of human societies
- Shop here
5. Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
- If you want to understand why "fake news" are so easy to believe and how to create great stories
- Shop here
6. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- If you want to know if you have a chance to be successful
- Shop here
7. The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard
- If you want to know why experience is much more important than numbers (in design)
- Shop here
8. The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
- If you want to know why the block of flats are not suitable for living
- Shop here
9. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
- If you want to guide your students or employees to reach their full potential
- Shop here
10. The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli
- If you don't understand physics, but still want to learn about the complexity of our perception of time
- Shop here
11. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
- If you want to make better choices in your life
- Shop here
12. Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang
- If you are interested in the origin of Hip Hop culture
- Shop here
13. The Four Noble Truths by Dalai Lama
- If you need the essence of Buddha's teachings
- Shop here
14. Women Who Run With the Wolfs by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
- If you feel that society dictates to you what it means to be a woman and you need to get in touch with your intuition and instincts
- Shop here
15. The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
- If you are interested in politics, corruption and the history of New York City
- Shop here
16. Thinking about Architecture by Colin Davies
- If you want to understands the concepts that make architecture and design so good
- Shop here
17. The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich
- If you only want to read one book and understand art and its importance
- Shop here
18. The Robert Collier Letter Book
- If you already are or just planning to produce anything in written word
- Shop here
19. A brief history of Time by Stephen Hawking
- If you want to understand the universe, but you need it in simple language
- Shop here
20. Start With Why
- If you want to understand the importance of purpose in everything you do
- Shop here
Anything else you would recommend? Which books have changed your mind about something?
