Read the books successful people read: Your 2020 reading list - Part 2

November 30, 2019

More books recommended by successful people to add to your shelves

In Part 1, we discussed some amazing reads from How to make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie to The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. In Part 2, we continue to explore more titles recommended by some of the best minds around the world that could impact your life in a great way! 


Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton

COO of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org, Sheryl Sandberg claims this book hasn't just personally influenced her, but has been "instrumental" in determining the talent at Facebook. Since its launch in 2001, thousands of people have discovered their strengths through this book. With multiple reports and resources, the guide helps the reader analyze and identify the top five strengths.


The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

The queen of American television, Oprah Winfrey was gifted copies of The Power of Now by Meg Ryan and Ellen DeGeneres. She claims “it’s gotten me through more crises than I can count. It truly helped me discover how to live in the now—to not linger on past mistakes, but to learn from them and then let them go. For me, this is the Mama Jama of super-soulful books. At every moment, it keeps me in a state of awe and amazement.” And we can’t agree more! This book helps you focus on the moment and stay present, without letting the ego and our analytical mind get the better of it. 


The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen

This book is the reason behind apple adopting cloud computing. CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs shared that he made this transformation because of what Clayton Christensen calls "the Innovator's Dilemma," where people who invent something are usually the last ones to see past it, and we certainly don't want to be left behind. Christensen studies top companies, uncovers why they lose their market leadership and shares insights on how they can sidestep the typical issues. 


Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven

Nearly forty percent of the world lives on less that $2 a day and this book examines the stories of families who live that way. Collins uncovers the financial tools, including their use of microfinancing, saving and borrowing techniques that they use.  This book completely impressed Mark Zuckerberg, Co-founder and CEO of Facebook.


Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom

Elon Musk regards this a very interesting read as it studies the impact that Artificial intelligence can have on the world as we know it. Bostrom studies everything from oracles and genies to collective intelligence and biological cognitive enhancement to present how we can navigate a future world of superintelligent machines.

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz

American economist and financial analyst Abby Joseph Cohen rates this book highly. Being Wrong explores the human need to be right about everything and insists that error is “the fundamental human condition and should be celebrated as such.” Celebrating all sorts of screw-ups, this book helps you relook how we perceive ourselves.


Competing Against Time: How Time-Based Competition is Reshaping Global Markets by George Stalk Jr. and Thomas M. Hout

CEO of Apple Inc., Tim Cook recommends this book for your shelf. Stalk Jr. and Hout compare time to money, productivity, innovation and quality. Researching companes like Ford, Sun Microsystems, Walmart and others, they espouse that “reducing elapsed time can make the critical difference between success and failure” and share crucial nuggets of wisdom on how to implement this at the workplace.


The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane

Former CEO of Time Inc. and Digitas, Laura Lang rates this as her favourite tome. The book takes a scientific approach to dissect charisma and lists some basic guidelines as to how it works. With stories, science and practical tools, the book truly helps anyone and everyone to increase one’s personal magnetism. 


Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck 

This seminal book on how one can adopt a growth mindset to achieve success. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO credits this book to have helped him steer the company toward “a culture that allowed us to constantly refresh and renew. Now three years into it, I recognize its power a lot more than I did.” 


The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google is a huge fan of Siddhartha Mukherjee’s books. The Emperor of all maladies is a biography of cancer that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. And the Head of Google also greatly admires his other book, The Gene, an intimate history which combines science, social history and anecdotes to discuss human heredity.

Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman! by Richard Feynman 

Larry Page, CEO of Alphabet is a big fan of American theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Richard Feynman’s autobiography. The physicist is a great storyteller who shares his life story with great wit and energy.


Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler

CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner, rates the Art of Happiness as a great influence on his life. The Tibetan spiritual leader divulges the wisdom of his age and experience to share with us how we can live a life of happiness and inner peace overcoming daily obstacles.

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