I read non-stop. Here’s a list of many of the books I’ve read, sorted by rating.
I will update this page as I read, so bookmark it if you want to check in.
I also add older books occasionally. When I have time to transfer some of my notes on them.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Josh’s Rating:
10
A book on Existentialism and Buddhism. How to pick your own values instead of society picking them for you. How to figure out what’s worth doing, embracing the suck, and living a fulfilled life.
Derek Sivers’ Collection
Josh’s Rating:
10
Derek Sivers is one of my favorite humans. His writing is succinct and direct. Every sentence packs a punch. These books will change how you think of business and success.
The Gap and The Gain
Josh’s Rating:
10
A nuanced approach to appreciation for success — you can be a high achiever and still be incredibly happy.
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
Josh’s Rating:
9
There are countless adjectives that could describe this book. David Eagleman compiled forty short essays on what the afterlife could be, and each one had me going “Huh…”
The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life
Josh’s Rating:
9
I picked this book up and read it in one sitting. It actually brought me to tears at its close.
It’s a wonderful call-to-action to live more authentically.
The Relationship Handbook
Josh’s Rating:
9
An essential book if you’re in a romantic relationship. Great for interpersonal communication skills.
This book completely changed (and improved) how I see my marriage and how I live as a husband.
The Great Mental Models: Vol. 1
Josh’s Rating:
9
Mental models are the latticework of thought processes that help us think more clearly and effectively. Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien have compiled some of the best general thinking concepts into the first volume of The Great Mental Models.
The Art of Impossible
Josh’s Rating:
9
Where most authors or teachers try to motivate with hyperbole and aspirations, Kotler lays out the specific, practical steps that you can take to achieve the Impossible (with an uppercase I).
Dune
Josh’s Rating:
9
If you were to take Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power, then combined them into a sci-fi novel, you would get Dune.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Josh’s Rating:
9
THE classic on interpersonal communication skills. How to Win Friends and Influence People may be dated, but the principles are timeless.
Who Not How
Josh’s Rating:
9
Let’s start working together, building a network of Whos, and accomplishing more together than we ever could alone.
Creative Calling
Josh’s Rating:
9
Chase Jarvis has built an empire on creativity, and he knows what he’s talking about. This book is packed with gems for the closet creator (or the creator who is losing their way).
On Writing Well
Josh’s Rating:
8
The classic guide on writing with simplicity and clarity. Simple and clear writing is easier to understand.
Nonviolent Communication
Josh’s Rating:
8
This is a phenomenal read on improving our language, our thinking, and our communication skills to connect with others more clearly.
This Is Marketing
Josh’s Rating:
8
This Is Marketing is the field guide for how to execute marketing that matters to the people who care in an ethical way.
The Practice
Josh’s Rating:
8
The Practice reminds me of a more practical, less crotchety The War of Art.
The core message of The Practice?
Show up every day and work on whatever you want to do to change your audience. Be generous. Be of service. Don’t hide behind “authenticity.”
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids
Josh’s Rating:
8
This is not an easy way to parent. It’s incredibly challenging and requires that you face your own emotions head-on. The only way to teach your children to take responsibility for their feelings is for you to take responsibility for your own.
How to Take Smart Notes
Josh’s Rating:
8
Think more clearly, learn better. Interact with your reading. Turn into a writer by reading the best of what others have shared.
Storyworthy
Josh’s Rating:
7
Matthew Dicks, storytelling extraordinaire, shares his views on good stories and good storytelling.
Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings
Josh’s Rating:
6
I had a much harder time reading this than I did Happy Kids. I feel like most of the book was summarized with the action steps sprinkled throughout, which are the pieces of information I prefer, anyway. Actionable!
How to Raise Successful People
Josh’s Rating:
6
Should parents understand TRICK? Definitely. Is this book the best resource to deliver that message? I don’t think so.
One Million Followers
Josh’s Rating:
6
When looking for first principles in this book, there were a few amazing insights, but the “substance” is easily condensed in the summaries at the end of each chapter.
Several Short Sentences About Writing
Josh’s Rating:
5
Short sentences have simple meanings. Sentences make an impact when they are carefully constructed.
How Fascism Works
Josh’s Rating:
5
A one-sided political commentary on fascism.
It could have been written as an essay, but it raises valid concerns with the current state of political unrest in the United States.