People frequently ask me what books I’m reading. While that’s a good question, it doesn’t yield exactly the answer they’re looking for. They really want to know what books they should look out for and try reading. Many of the books I read are risks or merely enjoyment for me. So I thought I’d put together a list of books that have truly changed the way I think.
I generally read fiction books, because I read so much between editing for my projects and writing for my books. So when I do read, I do it more for enjoyment than for knowledge—with a few exceptions. Here are the ones I’d gladly make exceptions for.
- Rework – This book will change the way you look at business. You might find out the things you feel guilty about doing, are actually things you need to embrace to be successful.
- Flatland – While this book is actually a silly story to help you comprehend the concept of dimensions, it’s actually helped me change the way I think about many things.
- Speaker for the Dead – This is a fiction book. And yes, it’s the sequel to Ender’s Game. But this book brilliantly made me think differently about the way we look at the dead and at cultures.
- Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness – This is an old book, but I think many of us forget what’s written inside it.
- The Screwtape Letters – I love the way this book uses rhetoric to teach you about how Satan works.
- The Fountainhead – This Ayn Rand novel is lesser known than Atlas Shrugged…fortunately it’s also shorter. It’s a beautiful mixture of art, architecture, and a “screw the critic” rhetoric. Plus it’ll probably turn you into a Ron Paul fan.
- How to Think Like Einstein – This changed the way I solve problems.
- The Road Less Traveled – If you want counseling but are afraid to tell someone your problems, this might be the next best thing.
- Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads – This’ll change the way you think about how our brains process advertisements.
- Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature – It’s a Photoshop book. But I learned more from a few pages of this book than I did from 6 years with the software.
That’s my list. What books have changed the way you think? I’d love to read them.
The Road Less Traveled. I read it every year just to be reminded. I need to read that photoshop book I think.
“Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug was a recent read that completely changed my thought process and approach to creativity. I concur with Joel on the Photoshop book.