2019 was another productive year. I read 38 books that are included in my best books of 2019. Book categories include General History, Self-Helkp, Entrepreneurship, Psychology, Fiction, and Finance and Investing. Self-Help and Fiancne and Investing were the two book categories in my best books of 2019 where I was the deepest. each of the books in this list helped me to broaden my knowledge of topics important to me like Entrepreneurship and Psychology to name a few book categories.
One of the best parts of best book lists, like my best books of 2019, is the opportunity I have to reflect on the reading year. I continue to have a tough time putting down books. Instead of putting down a book, I grind through it to “hit my book reading goal.” Note that this is not a habit I am proud of and something I continue to work on. With my best books of 2019, my goal is to create a list of books that I can confidently recommend to others. For previous best book lists, check out my best books of 2018 and 2017.
General History
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI was a deviation from negotiation books. After finishing my last negotiation book, Give and Take, I needed a break and went for a book that’s been on my list for a while. David Grann takes you back to the Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s. At the time, these Native Americans were the richest people per capita in the world as a result of oil. The story uncovers how the FBI was created to find who was responsible for killing the Osage in record numbers. Killer of the Floor Moon was a fascinating read. The only downside is that the story could have ended about 50 pages shorter than it did. The back of the book was not as page-gripping as the first two-thirds of the book.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
I kept seeing this book by historian Yuval Noah Harari pop up on Amazon and for whatever reason kept putting it off. What makes Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind interesting is that Harari takes you back 100,000 years to the start of our species, Homo Sapiens. From there, he guides you through our history and what shaped us to become what we are today. The downside with this book is that it doesn’t get going until roughly the 100-page mark. But once it does, it packs a punch and I couldn’t put the book down! To sum up, Sapiens is a fascinating read if you’re interested in learning more about how the Homo Sapien species has evolved.
Self-Help
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
David Goggins shares it all in Can’t Hurt Me. From mental and physical abuse to racism, Goggins endured it all. He used this adversity to complete Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. After his military days, he set several endurance athlete records. The 40% Rule is what Goggins uses to state that we only push ourselves to 40% of our capability. This book is incredible! I loved the motivation Goggins brings. He’s also a great follower on Instagram. Goggins was first introduced to the world in Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet. This is another book you should read. Another complementary book is Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World.
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
How to Read a Book teaches readers the different styles of reading. Elementary reading, inspectional reading, systematic skimming, and speed reading are the types of reading styles you’ll learn. The authors explain how to strategically read to obtain the most information from the book’s message. For me, this book was hard to read. The concepts are straightforward but I found myself skipping huge sections of this book. Some takeaways will help you to read better. However, I would try to find another book on this topic.
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success is a book that I’ve been eyeing for quite a while. It’s been recommended in the different podcasts, blog posts, and books that I read. I was excited when this book fit a category that I wanted to learn more about. Adam Grant, Wharton’s highest-rated professor, makes the case for why we need others to succeed. He uses examples of well-known and under-the-radar people who are successful, and how they leaned on others to get to the top of their field. Give and Take is a well-researched and interesting read that I didn’t want to put it down. This is one of those books that could have been longer. Grant gives you the tools that you can use today to succeed.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In reminded me of Never Split the Difference. The amount of actionable takeaways is the reason why I love this book. In Getting to Yes, Fisher and Ury teach you how to be a better negotiator. The book provides action steps that you can use in your next negotiation. I found the author’s negotiation tools as something that I can use today. If you’re looking to improve your negotiation skills, pick up this book. The downside of Getting to Yes is that the book wasn’t long enough. I found myself wanting even more tools and resources to use when I go into another negotiation.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High was another book that I picked up in search of how to improve my negotiation skills. The book has high reviews on Amazon, however, you should think twice before purchasing it. The authors make the case that you need to have the right tool kit to deal with high-stakes conversations. Crucial Conversations provides a few examples of how to respond when you are working through an important conversation. Crucial Conversations has many drawbacks but the most obvious one to me is that the book isn’t helpful. It was one of the books that I highlighted the least, and for this reason, it’s hard for me to recommend that you spend money on it.
Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind
When I re-read Deep Work this book came on my radar and it was a helpful companion book. Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind provides you with tools to help you achieve the most important items on your daily agenda. The book uses examples of highly productive people like Seth Godin and Cal Newport to show you how to be efficient with your time. The main downside of the book is that I wish the interviews were with people that I follow like Tim Ferriss, Chase Jarvis, and Jocko Willink to name a few. In summary, Manage Your Day-to-Day is a great addition to my best books to read while traveling list.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
I had high hopes for this book as I was looking to use its framework to help me, an executive, at a high level. The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (4DX) discusses how the whirlwind of your daily activity gets in the way of your long-term mission. By implementing the 4DX’s of 1) Focusing on the Wildly Important, 2) Acting on Lead Measures, 3) Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard 4) Creating a Cadence of Accountability, you and your team will be able to accomplish your most important goals. While I enjoyed parts of this book, it simply didn’t do it for me because I couldn’t connect with the examples that were used. To sum up, 4DX didn’t cut my best books to read while traveling list.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
This was my second time reading Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and I came away with even more takeaways this go around. In Deep Work, Newport makes the case that solo-tasking, aka the ability to go deep, will become a rare skill. The world is full of distractions and so he argues that if you can focus on one task, you’ll become valuable. Similar to my comments below on So Good They Can’t Ignore You, the only negative I have is that I wish the book was longer.
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter caught my attention because I recently transitioned into a role at a new company. Watkins, a leadership expert, lays out exactly how best to perform in your job in The First 90 Days. He uses examples to state his case from those starting a new position, receiving a promotion, or being asked to lead for the first time. The book has a mountain of material to absorb, so that’s the one drawback that I have for an otherwise insightful book.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
Cal Newport has slowly become one of my new favorite authors after I recently re-read his book Deep Work. In So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love, Newport makes the case why following your passion is bad advice. He counters that by arguing that you should become a master in your craft. Only then will you be able to find work that you love. It’s difficult for me to find any faults with this book other than I wish it was longer. Is that a negative?!?
Entrepreneurship
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action was another book that I thought would make my best book to read while traveling list, but it also didn’t deliver. In the book, Sinek asks why some people and companies are more inspiring, more influential, and more successful than others. Why do they command the loyalty that they do? The examples include people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers. The book also includes success stories from companies like Apple and Walmart. I found the book repetitive and lacking actionable takeaways for how to inspire others through leadership.
Psychology
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know
Fidel Castro and the CIA. Neville Chamberlain and his misread of Hitler. The arrest of Sandra Bland in Texas. Bernie Madoff and his deception of investors. Amanda Knox’s trial. In Talking to Strangers, Gladwell somehow ties all of these topics tighter. He shows that we have trouble making sense of others and their actions. Gladwell is one of my favorite authors and once again he killed it with Talking to Strangers. If you like Gladwell’s books, this one is no different than his others. It’s simply incredible! The only knock I have is that there’s no recommendation on how to fix this problem.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow explains the 2 systems of the mind. The fast and responsive system that is System 1. System 2 is methodical and logical. Kahneman uses examples such as the stock market and our happiness to explain how these systems work. Our decision-making is driven by Systems 1 and 2. This book received a ton of reviews and high praise. However, I found the topic hard to follow and the material unapproachable. Kahneman is a bright guy, but this book is not one I can get behind.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion was the second to last book that I read within the negotiation category. Robert Cialdini’s book received a high number of reviews and is highly rated on Amazon, however, the book didn’t meet my expectations. The book focuses on how to persuade someone to say “yes”. Cialdini shows you how to convince others through the use of principles. The principles he uses are reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion didn’t do it for me. I found the narrative uninteresting and the examples hard to get behind. The book lacks takeaways that you can use in your next negotiation. Influence is a book that I should have put down after the first 50 pages.
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t was the second Simon Sinek book I read this year. The first book I read was Start With Why. I covered that book in last month’s reading list if you need additional book recommendations. Sinek uses several examples of leadership in the book. One example is how he contrasts the leadership styles of the G.I. Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. Another example is how Richard Nixon’s lack of leadership impacted the U.S. economy. The last example is how GE’s Jack Welch used his employees as an expendable resource. The downside of Leaders Eat Last is that the narrative jumped around too much. Sinek tries to connect the storylines noted above around the topic of leadership. The book was interesting but not interesting enough to recommend.
Fiction
Diamonds Are Forever
Bond travels to Sierra Leone to bust a diamond smuggling operation. Here, he meets gang member Tiffany Case, involved in the operation. Diamonds Are Forever follows Bond to London and then New York where he meets up with his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter. The plot takes Bond, Case, and Leiter to Las Vegas and then back to New York. Bond and Case board the RMS Queen Elizabeth to head back to London. Diamonds Are Forever concludes with Bond killing a diamond smuggling gang member who kidnaps Case on the ship.
From Russia with Love
The Soviet counterintelligence agency, SMERSH, plots to take Bond down once and for all. Tatiana Romanova, a Soviet “defector” in Istanbul who meets up with Bond, claims that she’s fallen in love with him after seeing him in a picture. With the help of Darko Kerim, the British station chief in Turkey, Bond, and Romanov escape on board a train to Paris. SMERSH executioner Donovan “Red” Grant, who’s on board the train, unsuccessfully tries to kill Bond. From Russia with Love ends in Paris with Bond struggling for his life after Rosa Klebb, SMERSH’s head of executions, attempts to kill him.
Dr. No
Bond is sent to investigate the death of the MI6 station chief in Jamaica. The chief was investigating Dr. Julius No, who lives on a nearby island, runs a guano mine, and is rumored to have a dragon. Bond meets up with a friend Quarrel who takes him to Dr. No’s Island. It’s there that Bond meets Honeychile Rider. After Bond and Rider are captured, Bond is forced to navigate an obstacle course, built by Dr. No, that tortures him. Dr. No ends with Bond and Rider escaping back to Jamaica.
Casino Royale
A high-stakes poker game. A French casino. The CIA. A secret Russian agency. Ian Fleming’s first novel Casino Royale has it all. It’s the first fiction book that I’ve ever read and liked. After watching the Daniel Craig film by the same name, I knew this book would be in my wheelhouse. Casino Royale has all of the elements of a Bond plot. A terrorist organization in SMERSH that’s trying to bring evil to the world. A female working undercover by the name of Vesper Lynd helps Bond. And of course, James Bond who comes to save the day in France.
Live and Let Die
Set in New York City and moving to Florida and eventually Jamaica, Bond is forced to confront his nemesis, Mr. Big. This Harlem villain is obsessed with voodoo. Mr. Big uses voodoo to control his gold smuggling operation. The gold is used by Mr. Big to finance his Soviet spy operations in the US. Live and Let Die is a plot that I loved. Mr. Big is this crazy villain that Bond confronts in New York with CIA agent Felix Leiter. It’s there where Bond meets Solitaire, the beautiful fortune-teller who works for Mr. Big. She falls for Bond and the two attempt to take down Mr. Big’s gold coin operation.
Moonraker
M. calls in Bond to investigate a potential card-cheating operation at an exclusive club in England called Blades. War hero Sir Hugo Drax, and his assistant Gala Brand, are the ones suspected of cheating at cards. He’s also the villain Bond must stop with the help of Brand. Bond comes to find out that Drax is building a nuclear warhead not for England’s protection but for evil. Moonraker is an interesting novel but not at the top of my list. I didn’t like the fact that the entire plot is essentially in one location. What I’ve come to love about Bond books and movies is that the story bounces all around the world. That’s not the case with Moonraker.
Finance and Investing
Money Master the Game
Money Master the Game was the second Tony Robbins book that I’ve read. The first one that I read was Unshakeable. In Money Master the Game, Robbins gives readers a 7-step plan on how to achieve financial independence. He does this by tapping the wisdom of famous investors around the world. Investors like Warren Buffett, David Swensen, and Ray Dalio. The recommended portfolio allocations and interviews with these investors are what I found most helpful about Money Master the Game. Reading what Ray Dalio and David Swensen recommend in terms of how to allocate your personal investment portfolio was powerful. I Will Teach You to be Rich Second Edition also has these allocations that I like. I could have done without Section 7 which made up the last 60 pages or so. This part of the book reminded me of the last 40 pages of Robbins’ other book Unshakeable. To me, it would have been more helpful had these pages stuck to the topic of personal finance.
Think and Grow Rich
Dr. Arthur R. Pell walks readers through an updated version originally written by Napoleon Hill. In Think and Growth Rich, you’ll learn the principles that business magnates like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford used to create wealth. There are also principles to learn from the current batch of industry titans like Bill Gates. Any book where I can learn principles from successful people is of interest to me. Think and Grow Rich shows you what the Carnegie of the world did to achieve their success. Think and Grow Rich came up short in that it’s not an actionable personal finance book. Money Master the Game, and I Will Teach You to Be Rich are 2 of the best personal finance books that are actionable.
The Millionaire Next Door
In The Millionaire Next Door, Dr. Thomas J. Stanley walks you through the common traits he’s observed among millionaires. What was a surprise to me was just how frugal this group is. From cars to houses, millionaires interviewed in this book lived within their means. This was one of the main reasons why this group accumulated wealth. The most important takeaway for me was the data. Stanley shows you how the largest expenses in your life eat away at your wealth. Most non-millionaires spend a lot of money on cars and houses. Millionaires on the other hand spend very little, compared to their overall wealth, on these high-ticket items. One of the downsides of The Millionaire Next Door is that it’s not necessarily an actionable book. There is no blueprint or plan for exactly how to obtain wealth other than spending less.
Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing
Rich Dad’s Guide To Investing is one of my favorite Robert Kiyosaki books to date. This book showed me how much of a tax advantage business owners have compared to employees. Instead of paying your taxes first and then your expenses, business owners pay expenses first and then taxes. This book is chock-full of helpful advice. The one that stood out to me was taxes. Being able to invest first, and then pay taxes on your net income blew me away. Now I can see how business owners can get ahead with the way they pay taxes. If you’re not looking to become a business owner, there’s no reason to read Rich Dad’s Guide To Investing. The book is geared solely toward those who are either looking to transition from employee to business owner or to start a side business while employed.
Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant
A second Robert Kiyosaki book that I finished in July was Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant. This book focuses on your income statement, balance sheet, and taxes. He uses pictures to show how money flows to help you understand the difference between an asset and a liability. The main takeaway for me is that your house is a liability, not an asset. When I saw how the cash flows with your mortgage, I realized I had it all wrong. What I was told growing up about your house being an asset simply isn’t true. What I wanted to see more of is the details. For example, Kiyosaki talks about Tax Lien Certificates. However, he provides no details other than you can earn 16% on your money. There are other examples like this throughout Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant. I think going into granular detail on how to make money would make this book even better.
Your Money or Your Life
Vicki Robin’s Your Money or Your Life is a 9-step program to help you change how you think about money. The program focuses on eliminating your debt, increasing your savings, and investing your savings. The book does a nice job showing how important it is to invest in index funds, how to track your spending, and why you should start a side business. It’s helpful to see these topics pop up in yet another personal finance book. Your Money or Your Life falls short in that it’s not actionable. Even when I went back through my highlighted text, there were no takeaways for me. The 9-step program is clear but I wasn’t able to find anything that I didn’t already know.
The Richest Man in Babylon
The Richest Man in Babylon is about the Babylonians thinking about wealth. Clason shows you this thinking through the use of parables. From the stories of merchants and tradesmen, you’ll see how to reduce your debt, earn more, invest, and protect your assets. What I found most helpful was the way the financial message was delivered. It’s completely different than every other personal finance book that I’ve read. The parables will help you to see a different side of finance and investing. I’m sure this will not be a popular opinion, but I couldn’t get into The Richest Man in Babylon. It’s a book that I should have put down 50 pages in. I found it extremely difficult to read (I’m not a strong reader). The messages are good ones, but I had trouble comprehending the text because of the way it’s written.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Rich Dad Poor Dad is the story about Robert growing up with two dads. His friend’s dad is the Rich dad and his dad is the Poor dad. The book explores how each dad teaches Robert about money and how to invest. Kiyosaki does a nice job explaining what an income statement is, why you shouldn’t look at your house as an asset, and the difference between an asset and a liability. Rich Dad Poor Dad falls short in explaining how to create more assets and fewer liabilities as well as how Kiyosaki makes money. The book skims important concepts without providing any depth. In summary, Rich Dad Poor Dad isn’t a book that is actionable like I Will Teach You To Be Rich. The ideas shared are interesting but there’s not enough substance in the book for you to use.
The Total Money Makeover
In Total Money Makeover, Ramsey does a nice job showing you how to primarily pay off your debt. If you’re in debt, this would be an excellent book to put you on the path to becoming debt-free. For those of you who are not in debt, start this book on page 124. From this point in the book, Ramsey provides helpful advice on creating an emergency fund, investing for retirement, funding your children’s education, and paying off your mortgage. The Total Money Makeover is primarily for people who need to get out of debt. It’s a 203-page book that’s 79 pages if you are coming into the book debt-free.
The Intelligent Investor
In The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham simplifies the concept of value investing. Graham is the investing mentor of Warren Buffett so this book provides insight into who Buffett learned investing from. What I appreciated most about this book is how Graham writes. He takes complicated investing topics and helps you to easily understand them. Graham shares why mutual fund managers are overrated as well as how to invest based on the type of investor you are, among other topics. The Intelligent Investor falls short in that you can skip large portions of this book. For those of you looking to get into investing, focus on chapters 3, 4, and 9. These chapters will provide you with the building blocks of value investing.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Ramit Sethi’s first book, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, put me on a path to a financially secure future in 2015. The book is a 6-week personal finance plan teaching you the concepts of saving, budgeting, and investing. I Will Teach You To Be Rich, along with I Will Teach You To Be Rich Second Edition, are the most actionable books I’ve read on personal finance. If you don’t know where to start concerning personal finance, these books will set you up for life in 6 weeks. There’s no downside to I Will Teach You To Be Rich. It takes time to implement the recommended steps, so if you’re looking for a quick solution, this is not your book.
Principles: Life and Work
Ray Dalio’s company Bridgewater Associates is one of the most successful hedge funds in history. So successful that Dalio has been called “the Steve Jobs of Investing.” Principles: Life and Work outlines Dalio’s principles that guide his investing thought process and how meritocracy has helped his team succeed. One of the biggest takeaways from Principles is how Dalio communicates. The lessons he shares are not only applicable to investing but also to life. Dalio shows you how the systems that Bridgewater has built help them to make decisions more efficiently and faster. Principles: Life and Work is not as actionable as I Will Teach You To Be Rich. If you’re looking for tactical advice, I would recommend another book instead.
The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing
The first book that I read on personal finance this month was The Little Book of Common Sense Investing. It was written by Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard and the first index fund. In the book, Bogle recommends that you buy and hold low-cost index funds. According to Bogle, this strategy will build your wealth over the long run. His strategy is backed up in the book by legendary investors including Warren Buffett, Yale’s David Swensen, and many others. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing was incredible. I don’t have any reason why you shouldn’t buy it. For those looking to educate themselves on how to invest, this book is for you.
Unshakeable
Let me start my review of Unshakeable by stating that I was skeptical of this book. Tony Robbins has clearly shown that he can help people, however, the delivery of his material is not something that appeals to me. In Unshakeable, Robbins partners with Peter Mallouk, a financial advisor who has received a ton of financial industry awards. Together, Robbins and Mallouk show you how to maximize your returns by uncovering how to reduce your taxes and fees and also how to invest in low-cost index funds. What I didn’t enjoy about Unshakeable were the last 30-40 pages. The back end of the book focuses less on personal finance and more on what Robbins teaches people with his business. I would have liked for those pages to be focused on personal finance instead. Even with that said, I still recommend checking out the book as it provides valuable information on personal finance and investing.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Second Edition
The first edition of the scammy-sounding book, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, was one that I read in 2015. To date, it’s one of the most impactful books that I’ve ever read. After finishing the second edition of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, I can confidently say that it’s also one of the most important books that I’ve read. Ramit shows you how personal finance should work through the use of automation. What I like most is that the book has action items. You learn how to set up your accounts, automate your finances, and then invest in the long term. The second edition also includes information on how to save for and pay for big expenses like a car, wedding, and house. This book will be your playbook for a financially secure future. I tried to find a downside to reading this book. It doesn’t exist. If you are anything like me and don’t know where to start with your finances, do yourself a favor and pick up this book today. I took immediate action steps after reading the first edition of this book which has helped me automate my finances and save for life events such as moving, getting engaged, and planning a wedding. For those wanting to dive deeper, check out Ramit’s interview on the Tim Ferriss podcast.
