This month’s books on Amazon list is focused on US history. This is a book category I tend to gravitate towards. I can’t seem to get enough of history-related books, in particular those with a focus on the US.

If you’re new to this series, you can check out all of my books on Amazon book review lists. With respect to my June book list, The Wright Brothers was a book recommendation I pulled from Farnam Street. I liked that book so much that I bought David McCullough’s other book 1776. In short, both are fantastic!

Best Credit Cards to Use to Buy Books on Amazon

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Generally speaking, 2x points or 2% cash back is the highest earn rate you will find for your books on Amazon spending. With that said, the American Express Blue Business Plus and Citi Double Cash are the two best cards to use. You earn 2x AmeEx points on Amazon with the Blue Business Plus. Double Cash cardmembers earn 2% cash back on Amazon purchases.

With the coronavirus shifting travel partners, card issuers like Chase are offering interesting bonus earning categories on some of its cards. The Chase Freedom is an example of this change. Cardmembers earn 5% cashback on Amazon purchases in Q3 2020. This is unheard and great for cardmembers!

It’s important to note that both the Citi Double Cash and Chase Freedom earn cashback. If you want to convert cash back into points to book award travel, you need additional cards. You can convert cash back into Citi ThankYou points by also holding the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige. Chase cashback can be converted into points if you hold the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred.

2 Best Books to Read While Traveling

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

David McCullough tells the incredible story of Wilbur and Orville Wright, otherwise known as The Wright Brothers, and their journey in teaching the world how to fly. From their bicycle mechanic days in Dayton, Ohio to the first flight in the early 1900s in Kitt Hawk, North Carolina, you are taken on a wild ride that is their history of flight.

What I loved about these guys is how relentless they were. Both overcame incredible chal\lenges not only in learning to fly at Kitty Hawk but eventually in trying to sell their airplane to the Americans, British, and French. With each flight, both risked their lives to see what was possible.

Recommend: Yes

1776 by David McCullough

Another David McCullough book I read this month was 1776. It’s the story of the year of the birth of the US. The east coast battles on US soil and the back and forth between King George III and the Americans. The struggles George Washington overcame not only with the Continental Army but with Congress in Philadelphia. The story culminates with the Declaration of Independence and Britain’s ultimate defeat leading to the Treaty of Paris.

McCullough is my kind of storyteller. He keeps me engaged by telling an interesting story that I can learn from. I thought 1776 was another fantastic read and is a book I plan to read again.

Recommend: Yes

Other Ideas for Best Books to Read While Traveling

I like to keep a running list of books on Amazon every month. That way, I can easily reference books that I want to read in the future. Many of these books come from Ramit Sethi’s book list. I recently found Blinklist, Farnam Street, and Pulitzer Prize Winners can’t wait to dive into their book list.

Finance/Investing Books on Amazon

• Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
• Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street
• Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice
• Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life
• A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market
• When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
• Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

Psychology Books on Amazon

• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
• Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
• The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
• Choose Yourself!
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
• How to Win Friends & Influence People
• Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
• Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
• Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great
• Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

History Books on Amazon

• 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
• Cleopatra: A Life
• Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
• Leonardo da Vinci
• A History of the World in 6 Glasses
• The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
• A Brief History of Time
• The Order of Time

Miscellaneous Books on Amazon

• The Mamba Mentality: How I Play
• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
• Tiger Woods
• Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable…About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
• One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
• The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America’s Deadliest Marksmen
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
• Einstein: His Life and Universe
• Steve Jobs

Entrepreneurship Books on Amazon

• The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
• Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Conclusion on the Best Books to Read While Traveling:

Reading is a skill that I’ve continued to work on by focusing on books that pique my interest at the time. Hopefully, my best books to read while traveling list includes books that you’ll find interesting and enjoy too.

What about you? Which Amazon books did you read last month? Please let me know in the comments or by sending me an email on my contact page.

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