In Order of Influence:
1. The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
2. The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
3. Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
4. The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin
5. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
6. The One Thing by Gary Keller
7. How to Be a Billonaire by Martin S. Fridson
8. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter
9. Made In America by Sam Walton
10. Daily Rituals by Mason Curreyals by Mason Currey
1. The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
Masculine and feminine energies create polarization which is the root of attraction between human beings. For masculine men to be in their essence they need to embrace their grounding energies and stay true to their path in life.
2. The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Optimize the way you work to get maximum results. Dedicate your life to pursuing things are truly valuable: time, peace of mind and true positive influence in the world. Why ‘retire’ at the end of life when you’re too old to truly enjoy it. Instead, break your retirement up into ‘mini-retirements’ during your healthy youth. This classic book includes so many tools for optimizing lifestyle design.
3. Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
There is much known about true happiness. Like dieting, however, people tend look for shortcuts (i. e. “5 ways to be happier” social media click-bait), believing every fad happiness hypothesis that enters their newsfeed. Haidt analyses classic works of philosophy as well as cutting edge research to create a beautifully clear manifesto that anyone can use to increase their baseline of happiness.
4. The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin
The author, a chess ‘prodigy’ – whose life is the basis for the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer – has won world championships in Chess, Tai-Chi Push Hands, and (probably) soon Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He clearly explains overlying principles that create elite performances in any skill-set and ways you can apply it to your life.
5. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Travel is essential to growth of the human spirit. Potts explains both the practical steps necessary, as well as the philosophical reasons why you need to get yourself into situations that are unexpected. Travel can be one of the greatest methods to experience the world and find truth.
6. The One Thing by Gary Keller
Multitasking is bad. Discover your own ‘one thing’ and figure out how to obtain success. If you don’t know what your ‘one thing’ is, then your ‘one thing’ is to discover what your ‘one thing’ is.
7. How to Be a Billonaire by Martin S. Fridson
Being extremely wealthy is no picnic. The self-made billionaires of the past and present day have all had similar motives and tools to attain mass amounts of wealth. And despite (mostly) noble ambitions and ideals, it’s not always a pretty ascent.
8. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter
Switching mindset from that of a consumer to that of an investor is essential in order to move from ‘working for money’ to have money ‘work for you’.
9. Made In America by Sam Walton
The creator of Walmart was a surprisingly humble, kind, frugal and passionate character. His prudent advice is universal and makes a lot of sense, both in business and in life.
10. Daily Rituals by Mason Currey
Ever wonder what time Kafka got out of bed in the morning, or to whom he wrote frantic letters in the dark of night? Ever wonder how Picasso found time to create his insane numbers of works, or what his love life was like? Ever wonder what Mozart ate for breakfast, or what his schedule was like? This book is a fascinating look into the everyday lives of extraordinary people. On the surface, apart from unique ways of working, they really were quite normal people.
Honourable Mentions:
A New World by Eckhart Tolle
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama
The Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Easy Way to Quit Smoking (again) by Allen Carr
The Multiorgasmic Man by Mantak Chia & Douglas Abrams