In 2016, I set a target to read 25 books in a year.
I did it. It was a good goal at that time, as it forced me to read more for a period. Since then, I don’t do it anymore. As Naval said, “Number of books is a vanity metric.”
But reviewing the books that have impacted me in 2020, I did a quick count. It’s so easy now with Amazon, and I was surprised to discover that more than 40 books went into my hands this year.
Reading is now a natural habit for me. Counting or not counting, I spend time with books, and I’m happy.
Most of what I know comes from books. There is nothing I feel I can’t learn from a book. I even learn to swim freestyle with reading to prepare for an Iron Man.
Out of the 46 books that passed in my hands, I read 32; 14 are still ongoing.
I start multiple books; some of them will never be finished. For others, there might be a time when I come back to them.
A year in reading. My 5 books to implement new ideas in real life.
Photo by Laura Kapfer on Unsplash
In 2020, I did a lot of technical reading.
As my laser target was to learn German in 2020, I even read 8 books in German. I may have to reread some of them in English, as I don’t always grab all the meaning.
I dig mostly into three main topics:
- How to learn a language: Link to my German experience.
- How to build a digital platform: I’ve been thinking about launching a blog for years. I did it on Sept 26, 2020, with the blog you are reading 😀.
- How to become financially independent: Since I’m young, I’m interested in the concept of not being obligated to work. These last years with the FIRE movement, there is a lot of new literature around the topic. (So books lead to decisions. I’ve since taken the plunge. And if you’re curious then read Financial Independence. I’m Retiring From Corporate Life At 46.)
And other books: Anything I was interested in…
In the end, 5 books really impacted me.
Warning. I judge a book not on its writing quality. I read most of them in English, and I’m not a native. So, I might not be the most qualified to assess these criteria. As I read nonfiction books, what I’m more interested in is the learning path.
Here are the 5 books that helped me to implement new ideas in real life:
The Simple Path to Wealth by J. L. Collins. Read the full review here.
I’ve been an investor for more than 20 years but JL Collins gave me trust and confidence to simplify my investment strategy. I see investment as a long-term vehicle, but the changes I made already brought significant results in 2020, despite the pandemic.
The Life‑Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
I didn’t know Marie Kondo before. Applying her methodology helped me empty my house and change my view on materials.
I became much more selective regarding what comes into my house. Again, as for the investment methodology above, simplicity has become a central criterion for me.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson. Read the full review here.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win by Scott Adams. Read the full review here.
These two books above are on happiness, success, and wealth. They approach the same topics but from different angles. Naval shares general wisdom principles and Scott shares his story and what he has learned from it.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger. Read the full review here.
I’ve been in corporate life for more than 20 years. I loved reading the story of Disney from the inside, the career of Robert, the governance model, the decision process…
It gave a good understanding of what is behind success in business.
In 2020, I also tested the Kindle Unlimited offer from Amazon. After a few months, I stopped.
It influenced what I select to read, as I could choose only from the available titles. Books are an investment for me, so I’m happy to spend a few euros and select a book I’ve chosen. It also goes with my simplicity concept. I don’t need another abo in my life…
What were your best books in 2020?
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