Books

Books are a necessary part of life! They expose us to new ideas/methods, they help us improve ourselves as well as our understanding of the world and how to best adapt to it. They can also help us reduce stress, improve our imagination and are a great way to be entertained while helping us developing life skills.

Here are some of the books that have influenced our finance, health, lifestyle, relationship and general outlook on life.

Important Notes:

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• Pro-tip: check with your local library as it might let borrow you these books for free #savings

Finance

Quit like a Millionaire

Quit Like A Millionaire: No Gimmicks, Lock or Trust Fund Required (by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung) – This is my current go-to book for people that want an introduction to the concept of financial independence. Whether you want to become a nomadic traveler or simply want to live your passion without having to worry about the financial aspect of life, this book will be life-changing. (You can read our in-depth review of the book here).

Your money or your life

Your Money Or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence (by Vicki Robin) – Whether you are a fresh graduate ready to take on the next chapter in life haven’t yet begun to master money or are ready to make a change to improve to your current lifestyle, you should learn a lot from this book.

The Simple Path to Wealth

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life (by JL Collins) – This is the book I always recommend to people that want to get started with investment. It is written by the Godfather of Personal Finance, JL Collins. (You can read our in-depth review here).

Health

The Paleovedic Diet

The Paleovedic Diet: A Complete Program to Burn Fat, Increase Energy, and Reverse Disease (by Akil Palanisamy) – This is a great book if you want to understand why most of the modern/chronic diseases of today’s world start with what people put in their body. This book is more than a diet book. It is a guide to finding your unique path to health.

The Plant Paradox

The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain (by Dr. Steven R Gundry M.D) – My wife picked up this book because of her autoimmune condition and the concept of lectins was groundbreaking to her. If you think that putting the right balance of carbs/fat/protein in your body is what matters then pick up this book. I like that this book is looking at how the process of the food we eat/cook has changed over time and how this has affected our health.

The Longevity Paradox

The Longevity Paradox: How to die at a Ripe Old Age (by Dr. Steven R Gundry M.D) – This is a natural follow up on the Plant Paradox where the focus is on longevity. The books explain why longevity has to do with supporting the health of the “oldest” parts of us: our gut bugs. These guys are in the driver’s seat and if we don’t take good care of them we won’t age well. The book outline both a nutrition and lifestyle plan to support gut health and live well for decades to come based on the latest science of aging.

Lifestyle

Sapiens

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Yuval Noah Harari) – This book truly changed my understanding of human existence and for that reason, you should read it. It is no surprise that this book was on the reading list of Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg for good reason!

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (by Marie Kondō) – This book inspired us to become aspiring minimalists. The author is a Japanese tidying up consultant. The book explains how to organize your stuff and provide a philosophy on how only keeping what is really bringing you joy/value in your life.

The 4-Hour Workweek

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (by Tim Ferriss) – Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint!

Personal Development

Design your life

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life (by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans) – Are you part of the 2/3 of US workers that are unhappy or feel lost at work? Then this book is for you! The authors are teaching a class at Stanford to students that want to find their dream job. This book unbunked the idea that there is just one call we need to find and follow to live a fulfilled life. They provide techniques (inspired by designers) on how to discover your multiple lives and let you experience with each of them before you can commit to the one that is the best for you.

Die With Zero

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins is one of the top few books that has had a profound effect on how we approach our lives. This book offers a different perspective on personal finance and life optimization that really made us rethink our retirement planning and our approach to spending. (You can read our in-depth review here).

Drive

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (by Daniel H. Pink) – A must-read book for parents & anyone in management! This book explains what “upgrades” are needed to keep people engaged as we evolved from basic survival to today’s complex world. The book explains why rewards, policies, and money aren’t motivating people and keeping them satisfied in what they do. It is rather autonomy, mastery, and purpose that are intrinsic motivators that are needed. But unfortunately, most parents/organizations tend to ignore them.

Start with Why

Start with Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action (by Simon Sinek) – I read this book after seeing the must-see TED Talk from Simon Sinek called The Golden Circle. The book focuses on what some leaders are able to inspire and some aren’t and how this impacts how companies can be more significantly more successful than others. By codifying his discovery as The Golden Circle, Simon explains why most people don’t buy what you do, but instead, people will buy why you are doing it. It’s a powerful concept that is very relevant for people looking to hire great talent or want to become better leaders.

Relationship

The 5 Love Languages

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts (by Gary Chapman) – This is a must-read for anyone that wants to have a successful relationship. The book defines what the 5 love languages are and let you find what are your primary and secondary love languages. This is something I used quite often when I was dating to better understand my partners and this can make for some great conversation as you decide to move forward into your relationship to help overall couple communication.

The Female Brain

The Female Brain (by Louann Brizendine) – This book was a revelation to me as a husband to understand some of the major differences between men and women. The book explains the major changes going through the female brain from birth to childhood, young adulthood and then mature adulthood and how these changes affect female’s behaviors, communications, and emotions.

Travel

Vagabonding

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel (by Rolf Potts) – This book was recommended by Tim Ferris and inspired me to travel the world and live a nomadic lifestyle so be careful as you might get inspired too!