6 Books I liked Reading in 2017
Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and it offers a great opportunity to relax and learn at the same time. I have shared below the 6 books I liked reading so far in 2017.
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari – This was a good read. The main thesis is the world is largely less violent and much of the famine, war, plague issues have been addressed. However just this month we heard about the famine in four countries which is depressing to hear. There are three things which stuck out. First is if machines indeed take over all our abilities what would humans do to stay happy. Second is we might be living close to immortality reaching 150 which will not be a distant dream but things like our childhood memories maybe distant dreams if we live too long. Third takeaway is we will have more godlike attributes. Finally the book details about AI, technology and data. For example Alpha Go an AI program developed by Google to play the board game Go. It was the first computer program to beat a human in Go which is apparently tougher than chess. The point is there is not anything which we can surely say machines can't pick up. Also with machine learning machines are able to teach themselves. The future beckons with so much change which we cannot fathom now. Overall it is a very well written book. His other book Sapiens is also an inspiring read.
Stretch by Scott Sonenshein - Most of the time individuals and organizations alike are not happy with existing resources and are always asking for more stuff. However a new refreshing take has been provided by Scott Sonenshein in the book Stretch. The main thesis is “You already have everything you need to succeed in business and life, ready for you to unlock and activate. Stop worrying about what you don’t have, and appreciate what you do have. Think and act as if success is possible, then unleash your creativity to get there.” I loved the chapter which talked about the different strategies to stretch. Open yourself to new experiences, reach out to new neighbors, read different books, and take a different route to work are among many other suggestions to stretch yourself.
Spark by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch and Sean Lynch – This is a great book on personal leadership. It is well written and easy to understand. This is a call for leaders to really define what they stand for in terms of values, vision and also gives practical tips to get accountability from others.
Reach by Andy Molinsky – This is by far one of the best books I have read on dealing with discomfort. There are five key challenges on why we avoid discomfort. They are the authenticity challenge, likability challenge, competence challenge, resentment challenge, and morality challenge. You can overcome these by having the three C’s. Having conviction which is a deep sense of purpose, customization which is the ability to adjust, and finally clarity the ability to deal with the challenges you face.
Unshakeable by Tony Robbins – If you have read Money Master the Game then you will find a lot of repetition here. However it is a good primer on financial management with the main thesis is to invest in index funds and be in it for the long haul. Having read a lot of money books all of them point to the same thing. Spend less than you earn and invest for the long haul. The main purpose of this book is to encourage you to be an investor and be a player. There is also a chapter on mindset. His major advice is "Take Massive Action."
How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton – The Internet of Things term was coined by Kevin. This is a wonderful book which didn't come out this year but is a great read. The main premise is there is a myth about creativity and it happens in a flash. In fact creativity is a lot of hard work and all of us are creative. We all have the same 24 hours but you need to start flexing your creativity muscles. Great examples from Edmond, Wright Brothers, Stephen King (He used to write so much and then discard it if it is not good to start again) and Woody Allen (He didn't have writers block). I really like the premise of this book and it is worth the read to expand your mind. There you have it the 6 books I really enjoyed reading in 2017. Please share your favorite books below. Thanks for reading this post.
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari – This was a good read. The main thesis is the world is largely less violent and much of the famine, war, plague issues have been addressed. However just this month we heard about the famine in four countries which is depressing to hear. There are three things which stuck out. First is if machines indeed take over all our abilities what would humans do to stay happy. Second is we might be living close to immortality reaching 150 which will not be a distant dream but things like our childhood memories maybe distant dreams if we live too long. Third takeaway is we will have more godlike attributes. Finally the book details about AI, technology and data. For example Alpha Go an AI program developed by Google to play the board game Go. It was the first computer program to beat a human in Go which is apparently tougher than chess. The point is there is not anything which we can surely say machines can't pick up. Also with machine learning machines are able to teach themselves. The future beckons with so much change which we cannot fathom now. Overall it is a very well written book. His other book Sapiens is also an inspiring read.
Stretch by Scott Sonenshein - Most of the time individuals and organizations alike are not happy with existing resources and are always asking for more stuff. However a new refreshing take has been provided by Scott Sonenshein in the book Stretch. The main thesis is “You already have everything you need to succeed in business and life, ready for you to unlock and activate. Stop worrying about what you don’t have, and appreciate what you do have. Think and act as if success is possible, then unleash your creativity to get there.” I loved the chapter which talked about the different strategies to stretch. Open yourself to new experiences, reach out to new neighbors, read different books, and take a different route to work are among many other suggestions to stretch yourself.
Spark by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch and Sean Lynch – This is a great book on personal leadership. It is well written and easy to understand. This is a call for leaders to really define what they stand for in terms of values, vision and also gives practical tips to get accountability from others.
Reach by Andy Molinsky – This is by far one of the best books I have read on dealing with discomfort. There are five key challenges on why we avoid discomfort. They are the authenticity challenge, likability challenge, competence challenge, resentment challenge, and morality challenge. You can overcome these by having the three C’s. Having conviction which is a deep sense of purpose, customization which is the ability to adjust, and finally clarity the ability to deal with the challenges you face.
Unshakeable by Tony Robbins – If you have read Money Master the Game then you will find a lot of repetition here. However it is a good primer on financial management with the main thesis is to invest in index funds and be in it for the long haul. Having read a lot of money books all of them point to the same thing. Spend less than you earn and invest for the long haul. The main purpose of this book is to encourage you to be an investor and be a player. There is also a chapter on mindset. His major advice is "Take Massive Action."
How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton – The Internet of Things term was coined by Kevin. This is a wonderful book which didn't come out this year but is a great read. The main premise is there is a myth about creativity and it happens in a flash. In fact creativity is a lot of hard work and all of us are creative. We all have the same 24 hours but you need to start flexing your creativity muscles. Great examples from Edmond, Wright Brothers, Stephen King (He used to write so much and then discard it if it is not good to start again) and Woody Allen (He didn't have writers block). I really like the premise of this book and it is worth the read to expand your mind. There you have it the 6 books I really enjoyed reading in 2017. Please share your favorite books below. Thanks for reading this post.
The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.
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