I’m a non-fiction book junkie. I read about a book a week. I’m often asked for book recommendations from clients and readers, which is why today I’m sharing a handful of great titles that earned a spot at the top of my list this year.
While it’s hard to pick only a few favorites, the books below stand out above the rest because (1) the ideas were deeply thought-provoking, or (2) because the concepts transformed some part of my life and business. I limited my selection to books published in 2017 for the purposes of this post to help with narrowing it down.
The topics run the gamut from career and business advice to psychology, productivity and self improvement so my hope is that there’s something for everyone, regardless of where you’re at in your life right now.
Just a heads up, some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will get a commission (at no additional cost to you).
Now in no particular order, my favorite books of 2017.
The Best Books of 2017
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
Are you an Upholder, Obliger, Rebel, or Questioner? The answer to that question will tell you a lot about how you react to both internal and external expectations–and the insights can be life-changing. Gretchen Rubin, a habits and human behavior writer, is one of my favorite authors and her latest book shares an indispensable personality framework that’s really impacted my life. Finding out I’m an Upholder has helped me know my strengths and weaknesses better, including how to deal with change, criticism, and even setting goals more productively. You can take a quiz here to find out your tendency. The book goes into great detail about each tendency, providing specific advice about how to optimize your life, work, and relationships in a way that suits your style.
The Net and the Butterfly: The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking by Olivia Fox Cabane and Judah Pollack
Breakthrough thinking isn’t magic, it’s a science. This book will arm you with plenty of tactics to generate great ideas and creative epiphanies even when you’re tired. While there’s no guarantee the methods shared will transform you into the next Elon Musk, they do provide helpful frameworks for getting out of a mental rut.
How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up by Emilie Wapnick
Are you multi-passionate or someone who feels lost and confused about what to do with your life? I hear from a lot of people who say they struggle to tie their many passions together into a cohesive career path. Based on her popular TED talk about why some of us don’t have one true calling, author Emilie Wapnick explores how to thrive as a multipotentialite and why it could be your greatest strength. I loved that the book is equal parts inspiration and application. Emilie breaks down how to deal with common insecurities like Impostor Syndrome and also provides practical frameworks to help you design a life and work structure based around your many interests.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
This is perfect if you’re someone who is into personal development, but hates the sappiness and empty positivity of typical self-help advice. Mark Manson gives it to you straight, sharing timeless principles about how to stop caring about what other people think of you and how to deliberately choose happiness every day. I found his take on overcoming fear and developing confidence to be utterly refreshing.
Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark
For anyone looking to start a business or side hustle, Dorie Clark gives you a roadmap to becoming an entrepreneur in today’s world. She covers everything from how to find an idea that’ll make you money to advanced strategies for landing speaking gigs and client referrals. I’m grateful to have learned from Dorie directly, and even I ended up with pages and pages of notes after reading Entrepreneurial You. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, I highly recommend it.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker
Valedictorians are less successful later in life. Trying to increase confidence often backfires. These are just a few of the surprising insights Eric Barker shares in Barking Up The Wrong Tree. He explores the counterintuitive ways successful people achieve results through captivating, well-researched stories.
Remember, filling your brain with ideas and implementing them are two different things. Develop a system to take action on what you read. Start small, but choose to catalyze and creating over passive consumption.
Happy holidays, and happy reading!
