I’m not the first, and certainly not the last, to make this observation, but 2020 was a strange year (to put it lightly). Everything about it was unpredictable. It surprised me in so many ways and it’ll be a year I’ll never forget. History books won’t forget it either.
Speaking of books, this year was the first year that I felt like I actually accomplished some of my reading and writing goals. These weren’t goals or resolutions I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year, but instead were some that I acquired over the past several months. I wasn’t sure how my work load would be impacted given all that was going on with COVID-19 so I decided to use my new found time to achieve one simple goal: to learn. And no topic was off limits. I naturally gravitated towards reading books, writing in my blog and creating motion design pieces in order to broaden my knowledge of anything and everything, and surprisingly enough, I feel like I met this goal and then some.
Every year I try to do some amount of reading just for fun and to learn a little more about the business of creativity. With this year’s goal to simply learn, my traditional approach to reading turned into a quest to challenge my mind. The genres I explored ranged from business, branding, psychology, science, cinematography, storytelling and fictional/non-fictional stories. And every single book was enticing and memorable, adding value in their own unique way. Below is what I was able to read over the past twelve months (not pictured is the audio version of In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero). Of the books pictured below there were five that I consider to be my Top 5 of 2020 that stood out the most:
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
It saddens me that as I’m writing this Tony is no longer with us. I read Delivering Happiness in the spring and as soon as I finished it I made it a personal goal of mine to meet him one day. Although I sadly won’t get that opportunity now, he has become a huge influence on my career and his book serves as my professional guiding compass. Delivering Happiness was by far my favorite book of the year. You can read my review of it here.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
I had never heard of Elizabeth Holmes or the Theranos scandal until I read this book and, wow, talk about a thriller! This book went everywhere with me and I couldn’t put it down. It also inspired some of the creative in my client and personal work this year too. Carreyrou’s immersive writing style made me feel like I was watching the events unfold right before my eyes and it was truly captivating.
The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber
The E-Myth was one of the first books I read this year and if there was any book that taught me to learn this was it. From the very first pages Gerber states that “you have to become a student of the art and science of business” in order to run a successful business, and this book teaches just that. But there’s one important distinction between The E-Myth and other entrepreneurial books out there. This one forces you to understand your business idea by recognizing the connection between the idea and the person behind it. It is this special relationship where businesses truly flourish. How do you get to that understanding? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. Anyone who wants to start a business, has just started a business or is looking for guidance in their growing business should give this book a read.
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John David Mann
This was a short yet timeless read. If I could paraphrase this book it would be a variation on Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan titled “Just Do Good.” And with the current state of affairs, doing good has never been more appropriate than ever. We’ve been bombarded with information regarding COVID-19 this year, and it’s impacted people in more ways than one. I hope we continue to overcome the adversities of COVID-19 through the lessons that this book teaches. I hope we continue to hear more stories about community, hope and resilience instead of the negativity and finger-pointing that so often makes its way to the mainstream media. If you’re looking for a heart warming parable, this is your book. You can also read a formal review of it here.
The One Thing by Gary Keller
The One Thing had so many productivity tips it would be impossible to list them all here. Plus, I wouldn’t want to do that because it would give the whole book away! The link between one’s productivity and success is only a portion of what puts one on the path to extreme measures of success. Timing, consistency, dedication and resilience with respect to productivity are just a few attributes that put people on that path. If you want to discover your true potential then you’ll have to give this book a read because it’s amazing what a person can do when they put their dreams and passion to work. You can read a more in depth review of the book here as well.
It’s been a great year of reads and I’m already looking forward to the titles I have lined up for next year. Are there any books that you read this year that you felt were noteworthy? Share your recommendations below! I’m always looking for new books to add to my wish list.
Interested in what I’m currently reading or what’s on deck too? Feel free to follow me on Goodreads.