One-line Summaries of All the Books I Read in 2022
At the start of 2022, I told myself I’d read fewer books so I spend more time on each of them and understand them more in-depth.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice…” — Heraclitus
This means that even when we re-read the same book again, we may no longer be the same person of when we read it the first time, or the time before, therefore, what we take away from the book may be different, depending on where we are in life.
So I tried…
It just wasn’t as exciting as reading a new book, which we could find a completely new idea, concepts, views of the author and territory that we haven’t explored. It’s like going on an adventure rather than training on the same route repeatedly.
If we practice, or read, the same thing over and over again, of course we’ll master it. But why don’t we keep exploring? There are so much more to learn and explore.
And when we learn more, we might also be able to connect the dots, link the concepts from the books, make our own unique interpretations and provide our individual insights based on our view and knowledge of the world. That’s what’s so rewarding about it.
So, although I might not know all the books I have read by depth, if I can only take away one thing, that would already be a win for me. And I know that I can always go back to re-read the book, or my note again when I want to.
Self-improvement
1. Mastery by Robert Greene
The key to a fulfilled life is to master your craft and use it to contribute to the world.
2. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr
Life gets more fun and exciting as a sprint than a marathon. Push yourself, take a well-deserved break, grow and repeat.
3. Trust and Inspire by Stephen M. R. Covey
When we trust, inspire and lead people instead of managing them, we unlock their unlimited potential.
4. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Learn to detach ourselves from our and other people’s ego so we live in contentment and peace.
5. Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
Self-indulgence weakens us, self-discipline gives us strengths.
6. Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi
Habits build your character and show you the path to where you want to go.
7. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
We all play the game of power. Learn how to play or be played.
8. Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker
Before managing anything else, learn to manage yourself first.
9. Hero on a Massion: A Path to a Meaningful Life by Donald Miller
When we can’t find meaning, we distract ourselves with pleasures and deny our mission.
10. How Will You Master Your Life? by Clayton Christensen
Life is more than just money and your career, spend time with your family and other relationships to build memories that last.
11. Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink
Detach your ego before leading others.
12. The Performance Mindset by Anthony J.Klarica
High performers are made, not born.
13. The Courage to Be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
What others people think of us is outside our control, focus on what we think of ourselves and don’t let anyone ruin that.
14. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Modern leadership requires vulnerability through courage.
15. The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
Great story of how Robert Iger in his journey as the CEO of Disney to help get it where it is today.
16. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A touching story of a neurosurgeon who later found himself in the same position as his dying patients, to which he reflected what really matters in life in the face of death before his departure.
17. The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof
A cold shower a day keeps the doctor away.
18. Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Our ability to focus sometimes relies on things outside our control, the best we could do is to be aware of them, put ourselves in the right environment and inspire others to do the same.
19. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson
There’s nothing in this world that could break us, unless we let them to.
Human & Psychology
20. Range: Why Generalist Triumph in a Specialised World by David Epstein
Generalists comebine and utilise all their skills to produce something unique. Specialist can’t.
21. Sapiens: A Brief History o Humandkind by Yuval Noah Harari
We domesticated nature and ended up domesticating ourselves.
22. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The purpose of flow is to keep ‘flowing’ and enjoying the experience.
23. How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett
We are responsible for our own emotions even if others try to define it for us.
24. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Know when to make a quick decision eficiently so we have more brain power to make the major ones. Also be aware of your rationality and emotions.
25. Factfulness by Hans Rosling and his co-authors Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund
The world isn’t as bad as we perceive it to be.
26. The Choice factory by Richard Shotton
We all have our own silly bias.
27. Seducing the Subconscious by Robert Heath
Our subconscious mind is always there listening and working.
28. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Sometimes, taking more time to make a decision doesn’t lead to better outcomes.
29. Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature by Mark Earls
Like it or not, we’re all influenced by others our group.
30. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard Thaler
We can’t force people to do things but we can nudge, put things into places to guide them to the right path.
31. Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Eldar Shafir and Sendhil Mullainathan
Scarcity mindset leads to more scarcity.
32. The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
Having more options isn’t always helpful.
33. The Darwin Economy by Robert H. Frank
Does winning at the expense of others really give us a better outcome?
34. The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
What makes moments so memorable and meaningful? Elevation, insight, pride and connection.
35. The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey
There are many layers of trust but they all begin from trusting ourselves.
36. Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships by Robin Dunbar
There is really a limited number of friends one can have, that last.
37. How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
When talking to someone, pay attention to the other person, not ourselves.
Brand & Marketing
38. How Not to Plan by Les Binet
Planning is about making choice, and sometimes our decisions are better informed by emperical research than a single experience or common sense that one makes up.
39. Eat Your Greens by APG Ltd
Bitter truths about what works and doesn’t work in Marketing.
40. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know by Byron Sharp
Bust all the myths on what makes a brand grows.
41. Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It by Al Ries
A master of everything is a master of none.
42. Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by Alan G. Lafley and Roger Martin
A winning company starts with the customers needs, then determine company’s unique core competence in the battlefield that they can deliver best, determine where to play and break down the steps on how to win.
43. Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard P. Rumelt
Good strategy starts with a diagnosis, guiding steps and coherent actions.
44. The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
A charismatic brand differentiates, collaborates, innovates, validates and cultivates.
45. Zag by by Marty Neumeier
Find your ‘zag’ when everyone else ‘zigs’.
46. The Whole Marketer: How to become a successul and fulfilled marketer by Abigail Dixon
A bible for a Marketer on what skills to develop.
47. Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide by Philip Shelper
Successful examples of loyalty programs.
48. Reel Marketing by Julia Carcamo
Casino marketing.
49. Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It by April Dunford
A framework to define a clear positioning for your product and brand.
50. The Attention Economy and How Media Works by Karen Nelson-Field
Surprise people to grab their attention. Once you have their attention, maximise the opportunity.
51. The Brand Positioning Workbook by Ulli Appelbaum
How to come up with your brand positioning in many different ways.
Finance & Business
52. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Your financial success comes from your relationship with money.
53. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Successful negotiation is when both parties walk away satisfied with the outcome. And it starts by listening.
54.Putting Stories to Work by Shawn Callahan
People don’t want to listen to your point, tell them a story to remember and learn from.
55. Good to Great by Jim Collins
A good company starts from getting the right people on the ship, not the other way around.
56. Great by Choice by Jim Collins
The best way to predict the future is to create it. The traits proposed in the book will help keep you on track.
57. Good Argument by Bo Seo
Good argument helps the team come up with a better and more solid idea or solution, as it would already have considered many contradictions. And so that our arguments (ideas) may live, we need to get them out.
