The Best Books I Read in 2020

I was asked a few weeks ago at a wine-tasting evening (remote of course) this question “What is one new habit you have picked up since COV-ID started in March?” (it was one of those truth or lie questions — people had to guess the right answer).‍

Well, my answer was reading for 1 hour per day. I’ve always been a reader but never managed to get real momentum each year. On average I’d achieve 3–5 per annum until the last 10 months. In fact, it wasn’t COV-ID that helped me create this habit—it was from reading the 5am club. A fantastic recommendation from a peer at the start of the year. You can guess it suggests waking up at 5am each morning!

The ability to have an extra 1–2 hours per day can transform any habit / output you want to achieve — mine was wanting to read more often. Once you get momentum in the habit it becomes natural. As a result, I have managed to read 58 books so far in 2020. A range of business, well-being, personal development and more… enjoy the full list and let me know of great ones you have read.

It’s changed my life.

It’s changed my way of thinking.

And remember.

It’s changed my way of thinking.

And remember.

NOTE: My ratings are based on the personal impact to myself. Not quality of writing / story. Was it repitition of something I’ve learnt? Was it new thinking? How did it effect me? How did it make me change the way I think about things? Did it give me actionable ideas? Did it inspire me?

58. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Life: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life — Shakti Gawain (Rating — 8)

57. The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams — Dr Deepak Chopra (Rating — 7)

56. You Can be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life in Perspective (New Ed) — Richard Karlson (Rating — 6)

55. The Content Trap — Bharat Anand (Rating — 7)

54. Seven Stories — Mike Adams (Rating — 6.5)

53. Methods of Persuation — Nick Kolenda (Rating — 7)

52. The Power of Now — Eckhart Tolle (Rating — 9)

51. Sales Secrets — Brandon Bornancin (Rating — 9)

50. Inspired — Marty Cagan (Rating — 8)

49. The Partnership Principle — Matt Bray (Rating — 6.5)

48. Green Lights — Matthew McConaughey (Rating — 8)

47. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — Patrick Lencioni (Rating — 7)

46. The Bullet Journal Method — Ryder Carroll (Rating — 6)

45. Lifes of Stoics — Ryan Holiday (Rating — 6)

44. The Coach’s Casebook — Geoff Watts & Kim Morgan (Rating — 8)

43. Think Like a Rocket Scientist — Ozan Voral (Rating — 6)

42. The Ride of a Lifetime — Bob Iger (Rating — 8)

41. 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Sean Covey, ChrisMcChesney, and Jim Huling (Rating — 7)

40. Legacy — James Kerr (Rating — 9)

39. Edith Eger — The Gift (Rating — 10)

38. Edith Eger — The Choice: A True Story of Hope (Rating — 10)

37. Real Help — Ayodeji Awosika (Rating — 7)

36. Product Led Growth — Wes Bush (Rating — 7)

35. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Rating — 9)

34. No Rules Rules — Reid Hoffman (Rating — 8)

33. The Most Important Thing Illuminated — Howard Marks (Rating — 5)

32. Open with a Close — Matthew Elwell (Rating — 6)

31. Chasing Daylight — Eugene O’Kelley (Rating — 6)

30. Category Creation — Anthony Kennada (Rating — 9)

29. Converted — Matt Sykes (Rating — 7)

28. The Humility Imperative — Andrew Balter (Rating — 6)

27. Anything you Want — Derek Sivers (Rating — 7)

26. Speed of Trust — Stephen Covey (Rating — 7)

25. Ego is the Enemy — Ryan Holiday (Rating — 7)

24. Zero to One — Peter Thiel (Rating — 9)

23. How to find the career you wanted — Jonathan Black (Rating — 5)

22. The Four Agreements — Don Miguel Ruiz (Rating — 9)21. Range — David Epstein (Rating — 6)

20. Ultralearning — Scott Young (Rating — 8)

19. The Connected Company — Dave Gray (Rating — 6)

18. Limitless — Jim Kwik (Rating — 7)

17. The 5am Club — Robin Sharma (Rating — 10)

16. The Art of Learning — Josh Waitzkin (Rating — 6)

15. Reboot — Jerry Colonna (Rating — 7)

14. The Vision Driven Leader — Michael Hyatt (Rating — 7)

13. Remote — Jason Fried (Rating — 7)

12. The Making of a Manager — Julie Zhuo (Rating — 8)

11. Getting Naked — Patrick M. Lencioni (Rating — 8)

10. Why We Sleep — Matthew Walker (Rating — 7)

9. The Miracle Morning — Al Reid (Rating — 7)

8. When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi (Rating — 7)

7. Outliers — Malcolm Gladwell (Rating — 7)

6. Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl (Rating — 10)

5. Everything is f*cked: A story about Hope — Mark Manson (Rating — 7)

4. The Culture Code — Daniel Coyle (Rating — 7)

3. Growth Mindset — Volume 2 — Carol Dweck (Rating — 7)

2. The Leader You Want to Be — Amy Jen Su (Rating — 7.5)

1. Trailblazer — Mark Benioff (Rating — 9)