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This year I’ve undertaken my most ambitious reading challenge yet – sixty books over the course of a year. Maybe it’s too many or not enough (that’s still to be seen), but whatever the case, it’s allowed me to experience a wide range of topics within a short period of time. With nineteen books read so far this year, I figured it was time to share five of my favorites:
Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir
“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”
Spoiler-Free Premise: Earth is threatened with an extinction-level issue, and Project Hail Mary is the planet’s final hope for survival.
Just like with The Martian, Andy Weir creates a story wrought with science, suspense, and space. Even better, he does so in an accessible way to those of us who aren’t scientifically inclined (speaking for a friend of course).
Part of me wondered if this book would feel too similar to The Martian, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well it differentiated itself. Not only is it a joy to read but it makes you feel smarter and prompts important real-life questions.
Rework – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
“The real world isn’t a place, it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying. It has nothing to do with you.”
In a very similar way to Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative and Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, Rework takes a direct, cut-the-bullshit approach to entrepreneurship. Instead of the predictable advice you can expect from most business books, the authors tackle misconceptions about the process of owning and running a business. They also do so in a short form, bloggish fashion – maybe I’m just a sucker for this style of book, but the pacing feels so engaging and fun.
Even if you’re not looking to start a business anytime soon, Rework is a motivational kick in the pants that many of us need.
How to Be Idle: A Loafer’s Manifesto – Tom Hodgkinson
“Governments do not like the idle. The idle worry them. They do not manufacture useless objects and they do not consume the useless products of labour. They cannot be monitored. They are out of control. They do not want to live like their leaders. They do not want to be helped.”
Written by Tom Hodgkinson, the British writer, editor, and co-founder of The Idler magazine, How to Be Idle was a switch-flipping book for me. What makes it so captivating is how it challenges the core beliefs of hustle/productivity culture.
What’s the point of working more? Does waking up at 5 am automatically mean you’re a better person? Is the hyper-capitalist society we live in good for us? How does working harder improve our lives?
Tom Hodgkinson writes this book to the beat of his own drum, and it’s both informative and belief-challenging. You may not identify as a bona fide loafer after the read, but it will likely still leave marks of change in your life.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know – Adam Grant
“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”
What if your worldview isn’t rock-solid? Is it possible that you’re wrong? Could the premise you relied upon be flawed?
Especially in today’s world, where culture has become a game of extremes, the ability to rethink, unlearn, and change our minds can be more valuable than having a high IQ. Although the message is simple, this book came at the right time for me. It was not only a great reminder to challenge my rigid beliefs, but it set me up well to listen to and absorb the information from the book below.
Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit – Mary-Frances Winters
“I ask white people to read this book not only to be educated on the history of racism but to also be motivated to become an anti-racist, an ally and a power broker for systemic change.”
As a white male who was born into privilege, the permeating racism of American culture wasn’t readily apparent to me in my youth. Even with the presence of the BLM movement over the past few years, nothing has struck a chord with me quite like this book. It has been instrumental to the growth of my mindset toward this topic and has surfaced questions I’ve never truly wrestled with before.
What is it like to live as a black individual in America? How have my own actions perpetuated the issue of racism? In what ways do I need to adjust my thinking, speech, and efforts in the sphere of supporting those who often aren’t given the same opportunities I’ve experienced?
If the idea of this book makes you nervous, that’s probably an indication you should give it a read – but maybe give Think Again a skim first.
Final thoughts
When I went about making this list, I was shocked by how impactful many of the nineteen books I read were. Typically I go into a read with a preconception about what I’ll learn or how good it will be, so it’s exciting when my expectations are exceeded or completely wrong.
Whether you choose to read any of these five books or not, I hope this post continues to energize you on your reading journey – also, if you have any favorites from 2022, let me know in the comments below!
P.S. If you’re interested, here are my favorite books from 2021.