13 Books That Changed My Life

I read.  A lot.

I read at night before I go to sleep, it helps me to unwind from the day and rest my mind from the clutter.  (And I read physical books – I know, I know but I love the feel of a book and I love the look of a jam packed bookcase).  But I don’t read just anything, and in the last two years I stopped reading fiction.  Not really on purpose, it just turned out I enjoy books that help to shape my mind and business more.

Here’s my pick of favourites from the last two years.  I’ve read more than these, but these have ignited passion and driven me further in my goals.

Think and grow rich – Napoleon Hill

I’ll be giving this to my sons to read when they turn 16. Discover the programme to wealth and success from the minds of many of the most affluent people of all time.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert T Kiyosaki

Compelling reading that turns the notion of exchanging time for money on its head. This book sparked a transformation in how I think about money, and was the catalyst to my reading many of the books that follow.

The Secret – Rhonda Byrne

“Thoughts become things” is what springs to mind about The Secret, which I read five years ago. This quote by Bob Proctor has stirred powerful changes in the way I think.

The 4-hour Work Week – Timothy Ferris

The ultimate blueprint for efficient life management, one I keep flicking through time and time again, full of amazing resources and ideas.

The Icarus Deception – Seth Godin

We’ve been trained to avoid initiating a project but the way forward in this era is to be an artist and contribute authentically – thought provoking, and kept me pondering long after finishing it.

Delivering Happiness – Tony Hsish

Case study about Zappos who’ve taken the saying ‘the customer is king’ to another level with a unique corporate culture, fascinating read about how to serve our customers best.

The eMyth Revisited – Michael E. Gerber

Taught me the principles of working ON my business more than working IN my business. I loved the story telling format and highly recommend this to anyone who is just starting out with a small service business

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

How to get rid of self limiting beliefs by using the simple four agreements.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

When I doubted where my passion was, this book helped me find it again

The Spirit of Kaizen – Robert Maurer

I love the principle of ‘the 80-mile march’ and this book delves into the powerful lesson of taking consistent small incremental steps to make big impact overall

The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg

Once you understand the science of habit it makes it so much easier to put good ones in place, golly our brains are complex bits of kit!

Influence, the psychology of persuasion- Robert B. Cialdini

Its all a mind trick! This is an absolute must for anyone in their own business – amazing lessons about how to persuade others.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind – T. Harv Eker

This stuck with me and I’ll be re-reading this one soon – an amazing perspective on wealth and how to create it:

‘Rich people Be – Do – Have’

‘Poor people Have – Do – Be’