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Every year I set a goal of how many books I want to read. In 2020, I set a goal to read 2 books a month, 24 in total. I didn’t reach this goal but did manage to read 20 excellent books and some I read a few times. I love reading, books fill me with joy and happiness, if there was ever a year we needed to be filled with joy and happiness it was 2020!
The first 8 books make it to my reading list most years as I read these excellent books over and over again and take new learnings form each read. I tend to read books on psychology, personal development, spirituality, business and entrepreneurship and this year tried to read some books from a different category. I’m fascinated by people and so I read a few autobiographical books which I loved and will read more of these in 2021.
Here are my Top 20 Books for 2020.
What did you read in 2020? What is on your reading list for 2021?
The Power Of Now – Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now is my favourite book of all time.
The first time I read this book I didn’t really understand it, however what I did understand was that there was a very powerful message in the book. Each subsequent reading has brought a deeper understanding of the simple principle that Eckhart teaches. There is only the ‘Now’, there never was and never will be anything other than the ‘Now’.
I listen to the audio version of ‘The Power of Now’ every 3 months and it keeps me focused on the ‘Now. Without a doubt, this is the best and most powerful book I have ever read, for those of you who have read to this book you will understand why. For anyone who has not read this book I suggest you buy it, read it, study it, give it the time it deserves and live the teachings, it will transform your life.
A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle
This book expands on the teachings, lessons and message in ‘The Power of Now’. Just like ‘The Power Of Now’, it is a deep book and a book that needs time to study. It is full to the brim with immense learnings and a message so powerful you will have no choice but to be transformed by it.
Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
An absolute classic that in my humble opinion should be studied in school. Viktor Frankl was a holocaust survivor and this book documents his time in Auschwitz concentration camp where he lost everything in every sense of the word. As awful and inhumane as his conditions were, the message from this book isn’t one of fear and loss, it is of hope, gain & finding meaning in all we have.
Viktor, through his personal story and strength of character teaches us that no matter what the situation is, no matter how hard things get, no matter what is taken away for us in this physical world we still have, in Frankl’s own words ‘the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way’.
When our entire world changed in March, reading this book reminded me that things can always be worse and no matter what we lose, we never lose the ability to choose how we feel about and react to our circumstances.
Money Master the Game (7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom) – Tony Robbins
Tony is a master when it comes to finance and in this book he not only shares his own wisdom but also leverages the wisdom of many of the world’s finest financial advisors to share their advice, insights and experience. Tony’s book is written in an easy to understand format for all levels of wealth which is why I liked it so much.
The spectrum of financial guidance goes from the simple advice of ‘spend less, earn more, save more’ to investment advice in stocks & shares and hiring a fiduciary to help you with same. For anyone like me who doesn’t know much about stocks, shares & fiduciaries, the simple steps to assist with ‘spending less, earning more and saving more’ are reason enough to buy and read this book.
In this excellent book, Tony introduces us to the concept of financial freedom which is, in simple terms, having a passive income (one you don’t need to work for) that supports your lifestyle whatever that is. Tony’s step by step process through the levels of financial freedom are so easy to understand and even easier to implement. If you want to improve your financial situation and take steps towards financial freedom, I highly recommend this brilliant book.
The 7 Spiritual Laws Of Success – Deepak Chopra
This is a short yet powerful book that you will want to visit again and again. Deepak’s insights and advice for success are so simple yet so effective. The 7 spiritual laws are easy to understand, however like all good advice, living the 7 laws is the challenging part.
The 7 spiritual laws are – The Law of Pure Potentiality, The Law of Giving, The Law of Karma, The Law of Least Effort, The Law of Intention and Desire, The Law of Detachment and The Law of Dharma
You can read more about these 7 laws here on Deepak’s website.
MindSet (The New Psychology of Success) – Carol Dwecke
This book is an incredible read. A simple yet effective explanation of the two types of mindset – one being a fixed mindset and one being a growth mindset. From decades of research in her field of psychology, Carol explains the different outcomes of having the different types of mindset.
Guy Kawasaki’s review sums this book up “If you manage people or are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset. I agree with Guy, no matter who you are and what you do, if you want to succeed in any area of your life, read and study this book.
Here is an excellent article that gives a summary of the highlights of this book.
The Personal MBA (Master The Art Of Business) – Josh Kaufman
In his remarkable book, Josh outlines everything you need to know to succeed in life and business in an easy to understand, simplistic approach. Josh’s understanding of business, psychology and systems is remarkable and he advises if you want the knowledge of an MBA without the cost and time, this book is for you.
If you’re looking for more books of a similar calibre, here is Josh’s personal recommendation of the best 99 business books.
The Personal MBA Recommended Reading List: The 99 Best Business Books.
Platform (Get Noticed In A Noisy World) – Michael Hyatt
Platform is an extremely well written book on building and sustaining an audience online. Whether you are starting out online or are well established in an online business this book will teach you loads. This book walks you through step by step in great detail what is required to build your very own platform. I highly recommend this book. It’s easy to read and the wisdom shared is easy to implement albeit it sure does take time. I have read Platform many times and with each reading I learn something new and take a few steps forward on my own online platform.
Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn – Katie Anderson
If you are in business or leadership of any kind you need to buy, read and study this book.
I am a Lean practitioner which is really a Lean learner as every day is a school day. What I love most about Lean is it is a people centric way of leading and running a business. No matter what type of business you have or are in, all businesses are built & run by people. If you are not looking after and developing your people to their infinite potential you are not running or developing your business to it’s infinite potential. It’s such a simple concept, yet time and time again I see so many businesses almost ignore the potential of their people in preference to ‘getting things done’!
Every page of this excellent book is a reminder of the importance of people centric leadership & culture in business told through the experiences of Isao Yoshino who worked for Toyota for over 40 years. This book is the story of a life lived with vision, purpose, & intention and a story of, true to the title of the book, learning to lead and leading to learn. Isao Yoshino’s story is eloquently written by Katie through a deep friendship based on shared values & passions with Isao Yoshino.
There are 8 excellent lessons that not only highlight intentional, people centric leadership but also highlight the Lean tools and practices that support this type of leadership.
I was on Katie’s launch team for the launch of ‘Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn’ this year and am very proud to call Katie my friend.
I love everything about this book and it is taking a place on my ‘must read & study again’ list.
The Charge (Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive) – Brendon Burchard
Any book by Brendon Burchard is going to be life changing and ‘The Charge’ is no exception. If you are looking to charge your life and feel more alive, get this book. I felt energised by just reading it! The 10 Human Drives that Brendon writes about are control (of your life, not others!), competence, congruence, caring, connection, change, challenge, creative expression, contribution, conciousness.
Other books by Brendon Burchard that I love and recommend are The Motivation Manifesto, High Performance Habits, The Millionaire Messenger & Life’s Golden Ticket
The Gift – Dr Edith Eger
I first came across Dr Edith Eger when I saw her interview with Marie Forleo. After sharing this interview on social media a friend recommended Dr Eger’s books, The Gift & The Choice. The Gift is a beautiful, easy to read book with 12 lessons on how to treat your life and everything in it as a gift even the challenging times. Dr Edith Eger, like Viktor Frankl is a holocaust survivor and like Viktor Frankl, has a deep understanding that the prison we sometimes find ourselves in is not a physical one but a prison we hold ourselves in within our own minds. A fascinating read which is on my ‘to read again’ list.
Born a Crime – Trevor Noah
I love Trevor Noah, he is hilarious and one of the funniest comedians ever. His ‘Daily Show’ is laugh out loud funny and if I ever want to be picked up by comedy, I go to Trevor Noah. I love Trevor’s humour and so knew I was in for a treat listening to his audiobook ‘Born A Crime’. Trevor was ‘Born A Crime’ in South Africa during apartheid when it was illegal to be born from a mixed race relationship. The son of a Xhosa mother and a Swiss-German father, Trevor was indeed ‘Born a Crime’ but that did not stop his mother, father and Trevor himself from bringing into the world their own way of living and creating the life they wanted for themselves. This is a story of going from the streets of South Africa in the time of apartheid to being named one of “The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media” and ‘one of the 100 most influential people in the world’ according to Wikipedia. More fascinating than this story, is the story of the importance of unconditional love, going against the grain, being who you are, allowing others to be who they are, creativity, resilience, strength of character and the importance of humour. Trevor narrates the audio book which makes it all the more enjoyable as he does all of the character voices highlighting why he such a good comedian and mimic.
I loved every minute of this book and look forward to listining to it again.
This is Going To Hurt (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor) – Adam Kay
If you are looking for a funny, laugh out loud, side splitting book, this is it.
As well as being extremely funny, this book gives us insights into a world most of us don’t occupy on a daily basis but would like to think is being managed and operated to the highest standards – the world of healthcare. Adam’s humour, wit and innate comedic writing skills make this a book of two halves – it is a hugely uplifting book but it is also scary & serious knowing all of the stories Adam tells are true. It’s no surprise Adam is now a comedy writer & comedian. He is naturally hilarious and has a wizardry of wit with words which makes this book a really enjoyable read.
You can read my book review of ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ linked here.
Inside Out – Demi Moore
As an 80’s child, i grew up watching Demi Moore’s movies and watched her become of the most known, admired and successful women in the world.
Throughout this time, even with all her outward success, Demi admits to struggling with self-doubt and insecurity. On the outside she had it all – a movie star husband, three beautiful daughters, a successful movie career, stunning beauty and wealth beyond imagination. In contrast, on the inside she was barely keeping it together. This is a stark reminder that it is inner peace and fulfillment that ultimately brings happiness and not the glitz and glamour of external rewards or perceptions.
Inside Out is a fascinating story of resilience, grit, struggle and ultimate happiness reminding us that the journey of self-love can take a lifetime, but it is the prerequisite to all other relationships.
You can read my book review of ‘Inside Out’ linked here.
Quiet (The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking) – Susan Cain
In this beautiful book, Susan Cain explains what it is to be an introvert, the quiet power introverts possess and how introverts can use this quiet power to succeed in a noisy, extrovert focused world. This book explains what introversion and extroversion are in terms of where both get energy from, it also explains incredibly well the differences between extroversion & introversion. It is through this explanations that an awareness evolves into how extroverts and introverts can understand, work & live harmoniously together utilising each other’s strengths.
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, this is an educational read that brings immense self awareness to both types.
The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
It is brilliant authors like Don Miguel Ruiz that make simple advice so powerful! The Four Agreements is a short read with 4 powerful messages. If these are the only agreements you bring into your life, your life would be transformed.
Agreement 1: Be Impeccable With Your Word
Agreement 2: Don’t Take Anything Personally
Agreement 3: Don’t Make Assumptions
Agreement 4: Always Do Your Best
The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek’s books are a bit like Brendon Burchard’s books – life changing and guaranteed an excellent read. In The Infinite Game, Simon explains what it is to play the Infinite Game in business and life and why those who play the Infinite Game are the most successful & prosperous. Simon outlines the principle of the Infinite Game using excellent examples from the world of business. If you are in business of any kind, I highly recommend this and any of Simon’s excellent books.
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khalid Hosseini
I don’t usually read fiction as you can tell from my top 20 list but this was recommended to me by a great friend and so I listened to it on audible and absolutely loved it. I was totally hooked from the first chapter and loved the story, how it was told and the immersion in the story it provided.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
This classic has been on my bookshelf for years, waiting patiently to be read. So many entrepreneurs recommend this book and I finally got to read it this year. I struggled through the first few chapters as it was written in 1937 and the english/grammar is old and takes time to get used to. After a few chapters I got into my stride and loved every word of this book. It is a bit heavy reading and as Napoleon Hill advises, will take a few readings to fully understand the life changing message. I recently heard this book being described as ‘Think and Grow Wise’ which is a very apt description for this book. It is a classic and is way ahead of it’s time, like all good messages and books, they stand the test of time.
As a Man Thinketh – James Allen
Robin Sharma, whom I admire as an author and though leader recommended this book and I was expecting a large book with immense detail that would take me ages to get through.
As a Man Thinketh is the smallest book I have ever read at just 38 pages however, the size of this book does not reflect the big message that how we think determines our destiny in life. If you want to change you life change your thoughts – thoughts become behaviour and behaviour drives the direction of our lives – simple yet powerful!
As a Man Thinketh was first published in 1903 but the message rings through to this day.
That’s my list of books I loved in 2020, did you read any great books in 2020?
What is on your reading list for 2021?
Wishing you and your loves ones a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous 2021,
Stay safe,
Siobhain
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