9 Books to Consider Reading Before 2017 is Over

Some of these are fiction. Some are not. All are awesome.

Let’s do this countdown style, shall we?

:)

#9 Leaders Eat Last — Simon Sinek

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

After Sinek’s last book, Start With Why, a few critics on the Internet pointed out that the Golden Circle doesn’t exactly match with the areas of the brain function like as he claimed.

Something tells me Simon read those comments because much of this book strives to point out he does indeed understand science in the human body, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

But I’m nitpicking. This book is a solid read and helped me wrap my mind around how and why leadership works from a biological perspective. It’s also very actionable.

#8 Seconds — Bryan Lee O’Malley

“There are things we can’t change, and we just have to accept that. And maybe that’s some kind of grace”

O’Malley broke on to the graphic novel scene with Scott Pilgrim, a cheeky series which eventually picked up the momentum to grab Michael Cera and make it to the big screen.

This book is better than all 6 of his first attempts.

Seconds is a downright fun romp about the consequences which accompany the ability to change your past. It is GORgeous and will make you think as well.

#7 The Legacy Journey — Dave Ramsey

“Getting out of debt isn’t about solving a math problem; it’s about changing your life — and that requires a change of heart.”

I was raised on Financial Peace by my parents, but this book is actually much more interesting.

The basics of finance are actually pretty simple to understand. You can find them in most books. This effort by Ramsey and team goes beyond simply getting yourself on solid footing and into the “War on Successful People” and what life can look when you are financially free.

#6 One Plus One — Jojo Moyes

“The law of probability combined with the law of large numbers states that to beat the odds, sometimes you have to repeat an event an increasing number of times in order to get you to the outcome you desire. The more you do, the closer you get.

Or… basically, sometimes you just have to keep going.”

One afternoon, with nothing else available, I grabbed this book and couldn’t put it down.

The narrative is exquisite. The characters are interesting. And the juxtaposition of extreme wealth balanced with extreme poverty will make you reconsider the nature of class.

Oh, and it’s a good love story as well :)

#5 The Rich Employee — James Altucher

“Action leaks the panic out of your head.”

Yes, this DID make the list last year, and yes it’s still going on the list.

Although I thought I had gleaned everything from my first read through, I buzzed through it again this year and found it just as compelling and powerful.

If you are an employee, have been an employee, or might be an employee one day, read this book.

#4 Equal Rites — Terry Pratchett

“She was already learning that if you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so that they don’t apply to you.”

This fantasy satire is surprisingly relevant these days…

Pratchett is a master of writing about a significant problem in the real world under the guise of dwarves, elves, warriors and witches. This gem is no exception.

#4 (Tied) The Fault in Our Stars — John Green

“What a slut time is. She screws everybody.”

I know, okay. I KNOW.

And I don’t care.

I am unashamed to have loved this book. In fact I even shed a single manly tear as I reached the last page.

What can I say about John? He’s an expert. I didn’t think this book was as good as Looking for Alaska, but was still an outstanding piece of work.

#3 Good to Great — Jim Collins

“The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline.”

My reading this book in 2017 probably puts me at least 10 years behind the curve, but I quickly found out it didn’t matter.

G2G is a stellar read. Even if you read it on release, it’s worth picking back up again to see what you missed and what is still relevant.

#2 The Buried Giant — Kazuo Ishiguro

“When it was too late for rescue, it was still early enough for revenge.”

This is the kind of book your high school English teacher would be proud you read.

Giant is phenomenal. My wife brought it home to me from our local thrift shop. I read the first couple of sentences, looked at her, and said

“Oooh. This is going to be good.”

Ishiguro made me a prophet. This story is simple on the surface, but reaches incredible depth. It’s a literary masterpiece.

#1 Hooked — Nir Eyal

“All humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, to seek hope and avoid fear, and finally, to seek social acceptance and avoid rejection.”

This book almost didn’t make the list at all for a simple reason:

It’s a product book. For product developers.

Although I don’t build products or intend to anytime soon, Hooked is essentially a manual to human behavior. The more I read, the more I was blown away.

Whether you want to get more people on board with your art, help the people at work implement your ideas better, or simply build better habits within yourself, this book is a must read.

Do you agree with this list? What did you read in 2017 which deserves a shout out? Let me know in the responses below

Oh, and one more thing.

I’m doing a massive book giveaway on my site — over $250 worth of books to 1 lucky winner.

Here’s how you enter:

Much love (and Merry Christmas!)

— TB