If someone had told me I’d have a reading list of 241 books, I wouldn’t have believed them.
That’s how many books I’ve added to this list over the past few years on topics from psychology, neuroscience, coaching, training, business, and marketing. Some I’ve read and made notes about. Some are waiting for their turn.
When I look at my book reading list now and see all 241, I smile.
But it wasn’t always like that. As a child, I wasn’t much of a reader.
I read because I had to. Because I had a list from school, because it was homework.
It felt like an obligation, not an activity that brought me joy, that created flow.
I liked only a few fiction books, because they had to have more action than descriptions for me to enjoy.
Even today, I rarely read fiction. And for a long time, I thought something was wrong with me.
Until I discovered the topic of personal development with books about productivity, communication, how the mind works, about behavior, about why intelligent people doubt themselves, about change.
And then I felt joy and flow as I was reading. I thought “where do I find more like this?”
The problem wasn’t reading itself, it was finding the books that resonated with me.
Over time I learned that I read to understand myself and others, to decode how things work (the brain, the mind, behaviour), so I can improve and help others improve as well.
That’s why now my “to-read” list keeps growing and I’m excited about it.
One book I read recently and recommend is Deep Work by Cal Newport.
It’s about deep focus, deliberate practice and cognitive work in a world seized by distraction, shallow tasks, and constant notifications.
Now I’m curious:
What’s one book that changed the way you think and why?
