Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 12.4.23
This week, I finished five books by some amazing authors. There are a few great books on this list if you’re looking to improve your mental health. We also have a phenomenal book about the problems with higher education. Then, we also have the new amazing book from Morgan Housel. Enjoy!
Each of the links to the books are affiliate links, so if you use my link to purchase any of these books, some comes back to support what I do (and it also helps fund my reading habit).
It's On Me: Accept Hard Truths, Discover Your Self, and Change Your Life by Sara Kuburic
This was a fantastic book, and I instantly wanted to read it again once I finished it. Sara Kuburic specializes in existential therapy, which is one I haven’t heard of, but this book was just what I needed. Sara seems like a great therapist who is somehow able to offer tough love while also being extremely compassionate. She also gets vulnerable and shares some of her personal stories as well. This book will help you with personal accountability, taking control, and also recognizing and honoring your feelings and emotions.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
Geeze. What an overrated book. I’ve heard so much about this book over the years and have been meaning to read it. Finally, my therapist recommended it, so I decided to give it a shot. The good news is that this is a short book, and I was able to finish it pretty quick. The bad news is that there are far better books out there than this one. This book isn’t bad, but I just think that if you’re looking for a self-help book, there are so many others that are better than this one.
This book studies residents within a Japanese village. They’re super happy and live a long time. Basically, the advice in this book comes down to living a life of purpose, helping others, eating well, and staying physically active. I read a ton of books like this and many at least offer something that I hadn’t considered before. This book just basically has a lot of standard happiness advice in it and uses Japanese villagers for credibility.
Again, the book isn’t bad, but for all the hype, I was expecting a lot more.
The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us by Paul Tough
This is hands down the best book I’ve read about the issues of inequality when it comes to higher education. I hate how good this book is because it points out what we all know is true but often refuse to talk about. Paul Tough has done years of research for this book by collecting data and actually interviewing low-income kids who are being left behind by the way higher education is set up.
This book covers so many topics about how low-achieving, high-income kids are much more likely to get into good schools and succeed compared to high-achieving, low-income kids. As you listen to some of the stories of these low-income kids who work their asses off, your heart will break for them as you learn how they’re fighting this losing battle despite being told they can just “work hard” to get out of their situation.
I don’t even have time to discuss everything in this book, but I’ll end with saying that Paul Tough does an excellent job explaining how colleges fudge their numbers to make it appear like they’re diverse with their admissions. There are many systemic issues perpetuating these issues, and I don’t know when or if they’ll ever get fixed. But this book does a great job explaining how the Obama administration was close to resolving this issue and then just kind of abandoned it for no good reason.
Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes by Morgan Housel
I don’t know how Morgan Housel does it, but this is easily one of the best books of the year, and I’m sure it’ll be as popular as his previous book The Psychology of Money. In this book, Housel hits the nail right on the head. His overall thesis is that you don’t need to be a mastermind super forecaster to predict the future. Instead, you just need to understand human nature to know what’s going to happen in the future and what you can do to become a better decision-maker with this knowledge.
This is a fantastic book, and I’ll be reading it again in the future.
You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh
I used to be big into mindfulness, and I’m trying to get back into it. One of the best meditation teachers and writers on the topic is Thich Nhat Hanh, so I’ll be reading a bunch of his books in the coming weeks and months. This is one of his most popular books, so I finally decided to read it. This book is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about mindfulness and meditation to better deal with the stresses of everyday life.
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