Bookmarks of 2023

At the beginning of last year, I made a resolution, just like everybody else, to read 12 books by the end of 2023. I degraded my resolution from 2022, which was to read 24 books in a year. This time I thought, let's have a much more achievable target, so twelve it was. It started really well, I was right on track, I had my read list ready, and I was completing one book a month, in fact, I was one book ahead of the schedule. And then marriage preparation started, and I completely forgot about that resolution.

But thanks to my school, I had some curiosity left in me, so I kept on reading things here and there, whenever that curiosity tingled. Long story short, I read 11 books by the 28th of December 2023 (special thanks to Goodreads for asking me my resolution every year and then keeping track of the books that I read). And then I remembered my resolution, I had to complete it! I was too close to miss it. Took a book that I just ordered a week ago, and thanks to the internet, I now get books so fast and easily. And completed the last one by the evening of 31st December 2023. Felt good (although it doesn't really matter how much read or whether you read something at all, but still it felt good).

I personally found it very useful to have a target, it just motivates me to read, it does feel good to achieve the target but even if I don't I end up reading more than I usually do.

2023 was good, I came across some wonderful books, some of which I completed last year, and some are still left to complete. But I would love to share the books that I loved and discovered in 2023. Hope you find something useful here. Here we go:

Phone Detox by The School of Life

If you have read my blogs before, you should know by now that I am a fan of The School of Life, they have created some of the most extraordinary pieces of content, which personally has a substantial influence on the way I think and see things.

It's a very small booklet on the phone and its effects on each area of life, the pros and cons, and things it can and cannot do for us now and in future. It is much more towards psychology but less scientific, and more observatory.

But a superb book to read. A combo of the Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan movie and this book can really make you think about your screen time and inspire you to do something about it (true story).

We might not be injecting illegal substances or sousing ourselves in alcohol, but we are almost all addicts of one kind or another. Addiction is dependence on something, anything, that keeps our real hopes and fears at bay: it is (more broadly) any and every routine we deploy to avoid a fair and frank encounter with our own minds. Because of our phones, we may find ourselves incapable of sitting alone in a room with our own thoughts floating freely in our heads, daring to wander into the past and the future, allowing ourselves to feel pain, desire, regret and excitement.

Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers

I got introduced to this writer by someone's recommendation online, but I am glad that I did. He talks about random but real topics of life, mostly talking about taking action in life, but in a very simple and short format. The maximum length of a topic would be maybe two pages.

But somehow this guy inspired me to write more, I saw his writing and I realised that this is simple and effective, and I could do such things. Although I didn't write much last year, it has changed the way I see writing.

It was helpful to me, it has changed the way I see taking action, and of course, it has inspired me to write more.

One day you ride your bike instead of taking the bus. That day your usual bus gets into a big accident. What does it mean? A black cat crosses your path as you walk under a ladder on Friday the 13th. What does it mean? Nothing at all. Nothing has inherent meaning. It is what it is and that's it. We just choose to project meaning onto things. It feels good to make stories. Even if presented with proof that an event is totally random or neutral, we decide it has meaning anyway. It makes life more poetic and beautiful. And what if you've projected some bad meaning onto something and it's getting you down? Know that none of it is true. You're the one who put the meaning into it. You can just as easily take all the meaning out of it.

Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman

If the name is familiar to you that's because he is the same guy who wrote The Five Love Languages. Last year was my marriage, and knowing that I have no clue about this area of life I really wanted to read more on the topic. While finding books, this was the one that caught my eye.

This book had incredible insights on marriage, what to expect, what is normal yet less talked about, how to express love and what not. I would say that this book should be one of the must-reads for people about to get married. The best time would be during your relationship or courtship period, not before you have a partner.

You are marrying into a family, for better or for worse. Her family does not disappear the day after the wedding. Both of your parents may allow you to have a few days for a honeymoon alone but after that, they will expect to be a part of your lives. Life will be much easier if you can have a positive relationship with this extended family. Your relationship with each of these individuals depends on the opportunities you have to interact with each other.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

A very heavy but impactful book. It is in my reread list, the way he explains how there is always a resistance that stops us from doing the work, what is that resistance, its nature and how it affects work and life, and how to fight and get over it.

If you're struggling with procrastination or the thoughts that are stopping you from really doing what you want to do in life. This is a good book to read. It's a small but heavy book (not literally). There are some of the things I still haven't understood, but even after all of that, it has a significant impact on me.

The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt, and humiliation. The artist must be like that Marine. He has to know how to be miserable. He has to love being miserable. He has to take pride in being more miserable than any soldier or swabbie or jet jockey. Because this is war, baby. And war is hell.

On Confidence by The School of Life

The School of Life strikes again! This book is less like a book, and more like a long essay. It is a small book, with around maybe hundred pages, which talks about confidence.

It talks about how confidence can be something that has roots in childhood, specific things that happened in childhood can have an influence on the way we see the world, and so the confidence too. Apart from childhood, what kind of mindset towards the world, yourself, and life can have an impact on confidence?

The School of Life rarely gives a solution to the problem, but it does make you aware of things, and I think that is the most important first step towards change.

Confidence is a kill, not a gift from gods. And it is a skill founded on a set of ideas about the world and our natural place within it.

Make Something Wonderful by Steve Jobs

This book is not actually written by Steve Jobs, but it is a collection of things that he has said or written over the course of his time at Apple, Pixar and Next.

I would not get into the argument of whether he was a good man or not, but I would definitely say that he had some incredible things to say. If we can be filter instead of a sponge, this guy has a lot to teach.

I loved it thoroughly. The book is a tribute to him and that is why it is freely available online for anyone to read. If you're even slightly interested in the creation of things, Steve Jobs himself, or Apple, then this book is must read.

We [at Apple] feel that, for some crazy reason, we’re in the right place at the right time to put something back. And what I mean by that is, most of us didn’t make the clothes we’re wearing, and we didn’t cook or grow the food that we eat, and we’re speaking a language that was developed by other people, and we use mathematics that was developed by other people. We are constantly taking. And the ability to put something back into the pool of human experience is extremely neat. And some people express their deep appreciation in different ways. But one of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there. And you never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something’s transmitted there. And it’s a way of expressing to the rest of our species our deep appreciation. So we need to be true to who we are and remember what’s really important to us.

Contagious by Jonah Berger

Incredibly important book for anyone who is in the business of marketing or any business in general. He has cracked the code on why things catch on. He has explained step by step why and how things go catch on.

Why there are some products and brands which people love to talk about and why are there some that despite a huge budget of marketing, never get talked about?

It is simple, filled with examples and stories and it makes sense. I just completed a few remaining pages of this book, and I have to reread this again this year. If you want to understand the science behind why some things we naturally tell people and some things we don't really pay attention to, this book is a must-read.

By focusing so much on the messenger, we've neglected a much more obvious driver of sharing: the message.

Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday

I have been following this guy's Twitter for a long time now, but I never would have guessed that he wrote a book on marketing in 2014.

Incredibly powerful book on marketing. This book powerfully yet subtly proves to everyone who is reading that the existing marketing methods do not really work. And there is a much more effective, cheap and simple method in hand, which doesn't require marketers, it requires innovators and engineers. The term is Growth Hacker Marketing, there are plenty of things out there on this topic, but this is a very simple and small book explaining this vague topic with real-life examples from his own life. For anyone into business or marketing, this is a must-read.

The race has changed. The prize and spoils no longer go to the person who makes it to market first. They go to the person who makes it to Product Market Fit (PMF) first.

Hello, My Name Is Awesome by Alexandra Watkins

The author has helped thousands of businesses to have a name, which is unique and simple. The author very generously lays everything, a step-by-step process of how they find a name that is memorable to people. This book talks about the importance of the name of the brand, and how some names just stick to people's minds, they might even proudly wear a t-shirt with that name, and it has less to do with the brand itself, it has more to do with the name.

Very insightful, and I realise that this blog's name and the name Humane (my small start-up), are not really good names that stick. Very helpful book if you're in the world of business or creation.

According to Forrester Research, 50 per cent of every buying decision is driven by emotion. Not only do we buy things that make us feel good, but we are also inclined to buy things with names that make us feel good.

The Dhandho Investor by Mohnish Pabrai

If you're into long-term investing, it is rare to find someone who has not heard this guy's name. He is one of the biggest shameless cloners in this industry, and he has a lot to teach.

In a very simple, story format, he explains the very basic but important fundamentals of business and investing and how to take risks where if the head comes you win, and if tails come, you don't lose much.

It's a good read if you're into investing or business.

The reason we end up with concentrations of ethnic groups in certain professions is because role models play a huge role in how humans pick their vocations. If someone looks like me, has had a similar upbringing, belongs to the same religious order, has attended a similar school, and is making a good living, it naturally has a huge impact when I'm trying to decide my calling in life.

I hope you found something useful. Do share your thoughts, views or comments on any of the books if you have read, and if you do read. Also, if you have any recommendations for me, do let me know, this year's target is the same 12 books, but planning to read more than that. Hope to write more, useful stuff this year.

Also, a recommendation for anyone who is into or meaning to go into reading is to check out Goodreads, it's a wonderful platform to track, connect and even have resolutions for your books. It is like Facebook but for readers, but even if you don't want to be socially active like me, it's a good place to keep track of the books.

With love,

happy reading :)