Are you seeking book and product recommendations?
Check out those 16 books and 2 products that shaped (and still shape) who I am today.
Note that these are affiliate links.
It means when you buy one of those I will get a little commission which will help me pay the web hosting of WisdomQuotes.
But please keep in mind: they are still my personal recommendations.
Enjoy!
Meditations: A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius
What I like about this book
- It was written by the stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius
- It’s a practical book: you can use the quotes and apply them in your own life
- You can open the book at any page, read a few quotes, find inspiration and close it back
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
What I like about this book
- It shows you the value of the Pareto principle: 80% of your results come from 20% of your actions
- It’s easy to read and contains beautiful graphics that illustrate the points clearly
- It shows you the power of focus, prioritizing and questions: What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?
The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti
What I like about this book
- It’s a shocking book, in a positive way. After reading it, the perspective I had on myself changed drastically
- It makes you realize your conditioning and how your mind truly operates
- It makes you realize how fear controls everything in our lives and why living totally in the present is so hard
Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking
What I like about this book
- It makes you realize that being an introvert is not something to fix
- It makes you realize that being an introvert is actually awesome!
- You will feel “connected” to the author (Susan Cain) since she’s an introvert herself
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
What I like about this book
- This book by Tim Ferriss is about prioritizing your time (and not working 4 hours per week). The title was simply chosen because it was catchy
- It shows you the power of working and focusing on the right things and delegating low value tasks
- It shows you that living on your own terms is possible
Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson
What I like about this book
- It’s a biography of one of the most influential business leaders of our time
- It’s well written and you feel like an insider
- It’s super inspiring and you want to change the world!
A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Selected from the World’s Sacred Texts
What I like about this book
- It’s one of the best quotations book I’ve ever read
- You have a collection of 4-6 quotes for each day of the year
- Most of the topics are interesting (life, love, wisdom, spirituality, friendship, etc.)
- You can find quotes by Leo Tolstoy but lots more from the best minds that ever lived (Thoreau, Cicero, Rousseau, Socrates, Voltaire, Seneca, Plutarch, Montaigne, Luther, Lao Tzu, Erasmus, Epictetus, Emerson, Buddha, Marcus Aurelius, Kant, Confucius, etc.)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
What I like about this book
- It tells the story of us (Homo sapiens) in 400 pages
- You learn many things on evolution and why you are the way you are today
- It’s a history book but a very interesting one: it’s our story!
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
What I like about this book
- Atomic Habits is easy to read and comprehend yet it contains powerful anecdotes and examples to help you remember the lessons
- The subject (habits) are vital in our daily lives and James Clear provides a simple framework on how to build good habits and break bad ones
- It shows you clearly how consistency is more important than intensity to succeed in life
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
What I like about this book
- It explains clearly that most businesses rely on “carrots and stick” to motivate their employees but it’s in fact the wrong approach
- It relies on science to show you that Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose (AMP) are what truly drive people
- It helps you understand yourself a little more (on why you’re motivated for certain things and not for others)
As a Man Thinketh: 21st Century Edition
What I like about this book
- It’s a beautiful tiny book you can read in one sitting
- You can pick the book, read a page or two, find inspiration, and put it back
- It was one of the first books I’ve read on the “power of our thoughts and our minds“
Mastery by Robert Greene
What I like about this book
- This book is packed with examples and anecdotes from historical and lesser-known figures too
- It’s a long book but you can feel that the author put a lot of research and effort into it
- It shows you that mastering something is possible when you are truly committed (and perhaps a little bit obsessed)
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
What I like about this book
- It’s a book about health which is a topic I particularly love (there’s nothing more important than that in life, right?)
- It’s based on science and talks about exercise, stress, our brain, focus, memory, sleep, etc.
- It’s easy and fun to read and contains nice summaries and reminders at the end of each chapter
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition by Robert B. Cialdini
What I like about this book
- I’ve always been interested in psychology, marketing and persuasion and this book tells us in 6 timeless principles on how to influence others
- The author Robert Cialdini knows what he’s talking about. He is a psychologist, Ph.D. and has worked with Barack Obama in 2012 and companies like Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Bayer, Coca Cola, IBM, etc.
- The book is organized simply: it has a chapter for each principle. Reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity. All timeless principles
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
What I like about this book
- Today, when I want to write clear messages, blog posts and emails, I still rely on what I’ve learned in this book
- The authors Chip and Dan Heath give clear examples of their SUCCES framework (Simple, Unexpected, Credible, Concrete, Emotional, Stories)
- Their ideas are easy to apply and based on research
Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World)
What I like about this book
- It shows you the value and importance of being able to focus
- It shows you the unimportance of social media, emails and smartphones if you want to achieve extraordinary results and thrive in the modern world
- It shows you actionable advice on how to focus and that being bored is more awesome than you think
The Bose SoundLink Revolve, the Portable Bluetooth Speaker with 360 Wireless Surround Sound
What I like about this speaker
- It replaces my old, big and heavy speakers
- It’s small (3.30 x 3.30 x 6.00 inches) and weights only 1.46 lbs
- The battery life is up to 12 hrs/charge
- The sound is great and 360˚
Vega All-In-One Nutritional Shake – Plant Based Vegan Protein Powder, Non-Dairy, Gluten Free, Non-GMO
Why I like about this nutritional shake
- It’s an all-in-one option where you find proteins, greens, vitamins and minerals, fibers, omega-3, antioxidants, probiotics
- The taste is great! (I use the French Vanilla)
- It doesn’t cost much for having this all-in-one convenience
My favorite recipe is:
1 cup of almond or oat milk
1 scoop of Vega
1 banana
A handful of frozen berries
A handful of frozen kale and/or avocado
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp of chia seeds
Water to fill the rest
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