My 2022 Reading List
After achieving my goal of reading 10 books in 2021, I am employing the marginal gains approach and increasing my goal to 11 books in 2022.
I have started reading a couple of books already and have a queue of audiobooks I’m looking forward to starting soon.
Drop a comment below or send me a tweet with what you’re reading - I’m always looking for new and exciting reads to add to my list!
UPDATE - December 31, 2022
With a couple of exceptions, I read a good amount of non-fiction in 2022.
I got close (10/11) to my reading goal for the year, but seeing how I made it partly through a couple of different books; I will call it a success! Putting a book down before it’s complete is challenging for me, but given the limited time I have to read, I was glad I stopped reading books that weren’t resonating with me.
I did learn quite a bit this year as I went heavy on the self-help and spiritual readings. Although for 2023, I plan on reading mostly fiction.
Andre Agassi’s autobiography was an excellent read - one of the best autobiographies I’ve read. My favorite book from the year was The Art of Fielding - I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
I already have a couple of books ready to go on my Kindle - I can’t wait to start The Winners (Beartown 3) - and will be updating my progress in my 2023 Reading List.
I’ll continue with my goal of 11 books, but I plan to focus mainly on fiction, which I’m excited about!
Open: An Autobiography
I loved this book! It provided an in-depth look at the emotional roller coaster that was Andre Agassi’s personal life and professional career. From the early days in a backyard in Las Vegas to traveling the world many times over, every experience was so vividly told that I felt like I was hitting the ball, suffering the pain and celebrating the wins.
Even if you don’t have much of an interest in tennis, the exceptional storytelling and personal struggles Agassi overcomes will pull you in and give you an appreciation for what someone can endure to reach the top of their sport, despite having a passionate dislike for it.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
I hadn’t planned on reading (listening) Rich Dad Poor Dad but after it was recently referenced in a couple of podcasts and articles I thought it might be worthwhile. Overall it was a good listen with a lot of sound personal financial advice.
I couldn’t agree more about the importance of being financially savvy from a young age yet this still doesn’t seem to be something schools teach in any sort of meaningful way.
While much has changed in the 25 years since the book was published, the discussions about entrepreneurship and core investing principles still ring true today. Because of this, I felt it was a valuable read and a good reminder of what’s worth focusing on financially.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
I enjoyed learning more about Elon Musk’s upbringing and the companies he’s built, but the biggest takeaway I had from Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future was the importance of an unwavering belief in yourself and the drive to see your visions come to life.
Musk’s embodiment of this belief can come off as unrealistic and tyrannical to some, passionate and brilliant to others.
Ashlee Vance does a good job of illustrating both sides while taking us personally and professionally behind the scenes to see how some our generation’s most innovative companies were created and managed to succeed despite being on the brink of failure.
With Musk at the helm, and his willingness to risk everything, these companies continue to revolutionize the way we inhabit not only our own world but also what lies beyond.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
I came across Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos while scrolling through the suggestions for books on Audible. The title caught my attention and his name sounded familiar so I queued it up and decided to give it a listen.
I always enjoy it when an author narrates their own book and it was especially so here - Peterson adamantly and enthusiastically hammering home his arguments while his Canadian accent provided a softer, more relatable feel.
In general, I agree with most of the 12 Rules Peterson presents and when followed can help contribute to a happier life. Yet none of them are particularly new and all were belabored to the nth degree. The biblical citing/references throughout were also a turnoff.
If this book was about half the length I think I would have enjoyed it more but it just wasn’t for me.
The Bhagavad Gita (Easwaran's Classics of Indian Spirituality Book 1)
When a certain topic is continuously mentioned it becomes hard to ignore. Recently, this was the case with The Bhagavad Gita as it was referenced in a handful of books, articles, podcasts, and videos I had consumed recently. I’m not usually interested in religious books but after reading the many positive reviews of this particular translation by Eknath Easwaran I decided to give it a shot.
Easwaran does a nice job of providing historical context and concepts to make the original Sanskrit text more digestible and relatable to the modern-day. Each chapter includes an introduction with additional context and notes, helping to set the stage for what is to come.
The story - an overheard dialogue between warrior-prince Arjuna and Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu - includes many life lessons that are as applicable today as they were centuries ago when the Gita was first released.
Maintaining a fluid way of thinking, developing a proper perspective, understanding that change is inevitable, managing your anger, and living a life of service are a handful of the lessons shared throughout the 700-verse Hindu scripture.
I subscribe to all these ideals, firmly believing in the power of each to contribute to a fulfilling and happy life. Yet, where the Gita lost me - and this isn’t a critique so much as an observation - was when Krishna started to reveal his “true” nature as this eternal being that is to be worshipped, has absolute power over the world, and more.
At the end of the day, while I don’t believe there is a god-like being that is to be worshipped, I respect anyone’s choice to do so. That aside, I did find the message and lessons from the Gita to have a practicable application and serve as a good reminder of the things we should look to focus on in life so I was glad I read it.
The Art of Fielding: A Novel
Henry Skrimshander is Westish College’s star shortstop, destined to be a big-league star. But while an errant throw on the field puts Henry’s baseball future in jeopardy, it has a much greater impact off the field where the lives of five others are thrown into a tailspin.
Surprisingly, this is Chad Harbach’s first novel. He does a phenomenal job bringing the scenes and characters to life through vivid descriptions and beautiful writing. I was hesitant to start The Art of Fielding as it’s 512 pages but I was quickly hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book up again the next day.
As the story evolves along the shores of Lake Michigan, the characters are forced to grapple with their own self-doubt and anxieties as they attempt to navigate relationships and love, both old and new.
While baseball serves as the guiding theme throughout, it’s not a book about baseball. Rather, a wonderfully told story about youth, friends, and family.
I highly recommend it!
The Algebra of Happiness: Finding the Equation for a Life Well Lived
Scott Galloway is a professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, an entrepreneur, father, author, and podcast host, amongst other things. I enjoy listening to his podcast, The Prof G Pod, as he is very knowledgeable and provides interesting takes on the latest business trends, so I thought I would enjoy his book, “The Algebra of Happiness.”
Like his podcast, the book follows a familiar theme - interesting topics and a quick read but tailored more to the younger generation. I thought it was well written, blending entertaining short stories and anecdotes from Scott’s personal life with lessons and advice for people can achieve their own success or happiness.
It served as a friendly reminder of the important things to focus on - family, friends, and relationships - while still encouraging hard work and taking calculated risks, which I appreciate. The handful of stories about raising two young boys - his regrets and overall approach - were relatable and another nudge to not take certain things for granted, especially time.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life
I was familiar with the popular Dilbert comic strip but had no idea its creator, Scott Adams, was also an author, let alone an author of a book on career advice.
I came to find How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big from a random recommendation, and I’m glad I did. It was a fun and entertaining read filled with humorous, bordering on unbelievable stories from Adams’ real life, combined with tangible career and life advice.
I don’t recall reading a particular tip that was revolutionary. Still, I did appreciate how Adams reframed most of the ideas, combining them with blunt humor and personal anecdotes to drive home the point. This was a quick read that I would recommend to anyone, even those opposed to the career/life tip type of books.
The Science of Getting Rich
Knowing that The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles would be a quick read, I figured I’d give it a shot after hearing and seeing it referenced many times over the years.
It’s noticeably dated - originally published in 1910 - and there were more God references than I’d like, but I still found some positive takeaways.
Most notably, the distinction between competition and creation (similar to the abundance mindset idea) and the importance of “thinking stuff” - essentially the positive benefits of affirmations.