This was the list one of my best friends gave me to choose from and read… two years ago. I'm making this promise to all of you reading this and to myself that I will read every book on this list and truly reflect by the end of 2020, if not this semester.
I genuinely do want to read all these books but I kept pushing it aside because I felt like I never had time (which in hindsight is definitely not true, I just didn't manage the time that I did have properly).
If I consider this a personal homework and gain that momentum, I'll remember that I did once like reading books for fun and perhaps at least I'll learn a couple of things along the way this time.
1. "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan Peterson
A compilation of rules styled as a "self-help" book with notes of "history, religion, science, and philosophy" (Nate Eliason). They're all very thought-provoking rules that can be framed to better fit into your life.
2. "Behave" by Robert M. Sapolsky
This book goes on an in-depth journey into why humans behave the way they do and uses the "backward time-travel" method to do so (The Guardian).
3. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth
This book is all about grit and how you can develop it to achieve your goals. In the book, you learn: "Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another." (Sam T. Davies)
4. "She Has Her Mother's Laugh" by Carl Zimmer
Although this book may seem a bit out of place in this list, it holds high when it comes to capturing an audience. The author talks about genetic heredity and the way it compares in history to how we perceive it now in the age of gene editing and surrogacy (The New York Times).
5. "Brief Answers to the Big Questions" by Stephen Hawking
This is a book of 10 questions in which the author, Stephen Hawking, ultimately talks about how humanity can try and save it from itself using technology that we must develop (Marcelo Gleiser, NPR). All in all, a very fascinating compilation of ideas and theories from one of the most notable theoretical physicists of our time.
6. "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
A memoir by the former first lady of the United States that contains her reflection on her experiences that shaped who she is today. This is a book that'll inspire you to constantly strive to go beyond what is expected of you (Michelle Obama).
7. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson
The basic premise of this book is about giving a fuck about fewer things (more of what really matters) rather than more (James Clear). An unconventional title combined with a straightforward but highly overlooked idea creates this best-seller "self-help" book.
8. "My Own Words" by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This book is a collection of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's essays and statements from throughout her life, organized into five parts. Although there isn't much of the self-help aura as there was in some of the other books in this list, I felt it was important to include this to gain an insight into the life of "the second woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court" (Washington Independent).
9. "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg
"The Power of Habit" is a great book to end this list with because if I had just forced myself to get started on reading this book perhaps I wouldn't have pushed off reading any of these for so long. This is a book on habits and how we can transform them to better our lives (Charles Duhigg).
If you're someone like me who constantly needs inspiration, motivation, or if you just want to learn something, I would highly suggest reading any of the books on this list!
