01 / Habits2018
Atomic Habits
My viewThe power is not simply that habits matter. It is the practical system for making small actions repeatable. I return to it whenever motivation becomes unreliable.
F / Selected books
Read widely. Think for yourself.
Twenty books that shaped how I think about habits, ambition, strategy, money, leadership and the limited time we have.
20 books / My view
The reading list
Books worth a conversation.
Not a ranking and not a substitute for reading them. These are the ideas I carried away.
02 / Achievement1937
Think and Grow Rich
My viewSome language belongs to its time, but the core remains powerful: define the goal, organise the plan and act with persistence. Desire without action is only a wish.
03 / Meaning1946
Man's Search for Meaning
My viewA short, difficult book that makes ambition feel secondary to meaning. We cannot always control events, but we can still choose our response.
04 / Effectiveness1989
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
My viewNot a book to rush. Its real value is the move away from quick techniques and towards character, responsibility and long-term trust.
05 / People1936
How to Win Friends and Influence People
My viewThe title sounds transactional; the best lesson is the opposite. Genuine interest, careful listening and respect are what make people feel seen.
06 / Decisions2011
Thinking, Fast and Slow
My viewNot a manual for eliminating bias, but a warning that confidence and accuracy are not the same thing. It encourages me to slow down when the stakes are high.
07 / Money2020
The Psychology of Money
My viewFinancial intelligence is behaviour before mathematics. The chapters on enough, compounding and leaving room for error are worth rereading.
08 / Focus2016
Deep Work
My viewFocus has become a competitive advantage. The book is most useful when its rules are adapted to real life rather than copied mechanically.
09 / Time2021
Four Thousand Weeks
My viewTime management is not about squeezing in more. It is about choosing what deserves a limited life. A necessary counterweight to productivity obsession.
10 / Perspective2016
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
My viewThe language gets attention, but the idea lasts: choose what deserves your concern. It is not about caring less; it is about caring deliberately.
11 / Presence1997
The Power of Now
My viewHarder to practise than to read. Its value is the reminder that future goals cannot become a permanent excuse for missing the life happening now.
12 / Purpose2009
Start With Why
My viewPurpose matters only when it changes decisions, not when it becomes a sentence on a wall. I value the question, but it must be followed by execution.
13 / Leadership2001
Good to Great
My viewSome examples have aged, yet disciplined people, disciplined thought and disciplined action remain useful. Read it critically, not as a formula.
14 / Startups2011
The Lean Startup
My viewAn essential antidote to building in isolation. Test assumptions early and learn quickly, but remember that vision cannot be reduced entirely to metrics.
15 / Innovation2014
Zero to One
My viewProvocative, opinionated and useful. It makes me ask whether an idea is genuinely different or merely competing for a little more of the same space.
16 / Principles2017
Principles
My viewThe value is not in copying somebody else's rules. It is in writing your own, testing them against reality and having the humility to update them.
17 / Negotiation2016
Never Split the Difference
My viewA practical book that turns negotiation from argument into listening. Tactical empathy is useful in a boardroom, a difficult conversation and everyday life.
18 / Learning2006
Mindset
My viewA simple idea that is often oversimplified. Growth does not mean endless optimism; it means ability is not fixed and honest effort still matters.
19 / StrategyAncient
The Art of War
My viewIt is not a handbook for aggression. I read it as a study of preparation, positioning, self-knowledge and understanding when not to fight.
20 / CharacterAncient
Meditations
My viewPrivate notes that became a timeless guide to leadership and character. I return to them when ego, frustration or noise threaten clarity.