Books that changed my perspective:
- About self-reflection: Sapiens by Yuval Harari
- About adversity: The Push by Tommy Caldwell
- About mortality: Sum by David Eagleman
- About getting what you want: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
- About racial equality: A Dry White Season by Andre Brink
- About romantic relationships: Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
- About money and freedom: Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin
10 of 10

The State of Affairs by Esther Perel
I love the way Esther Perel writes. She’s very clear with her points and her writing style is very smooth. She is a therapist (as opposed to a psychologist) so this book reads more like a friend with relationship experiences as opposed to a lecture. She explored the topic of infidelity (cheating) and why it is so prevalent in human history. I feel like there isn’t enough books/knowledge on romantic relationships that go this deep into the core of the problem. Esther does not judge at all, yet she goes straight to the source of the issues when she meets the couples and try to untangle the mess.

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
Scott Adams’ book about how to win at life is pretty hilarious. Maybe it is because he is the creator of Dilbert and have mastered sarcasm. It was a page-turner. He had a lot of lessons learned through his life and career.

This is such a great summary of human history from the start. At the same time, Yuval addresses some of THE BIGGEST problems we face today: religion, war, consumerism, nationalism, and so much more.

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin
Your Money or Your Life details the entire course of resetting your relationship with money in 9 steps. Personally, I feel the last few chapters kind of blended in together. Here are my simpler version of the steps; let’s see how many steps I can make after drinking Mr. CodeJunkie’s homemade ginger mead.

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
This book makes me think of creativity differently. I always struggles to share my crafts, writing, climbing, reading, pottery, everything I do creatively while wanting to make money (to be self-sustainable hobbies). This book shows me that 1) it is totally possible, 2) it takes time, 3) how to not be a car-salesman about your crafts.
9 out of 10
- Being Mortal by Atul Gawande This book makes me realize that a lot of the times doctors don’t have all the answers, and diseases are part of human life & aging. We are all headed in the same direction, but to make the journey not a painful one, it has to be consciously thought-out, and deliberately discussed choice.
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness. What you should invest in and why, how the US consumers think and why. What you should do with money.
- The Alchemist A story about a young shepherd going after his Personal Legend. A book about dreams, adventure, and commitment.
- Notes on A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
- How to Stay in Love by James Sexton
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
- A Dry White Season by Andre Brink
- Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
8 out of 10
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
- This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
- A Curious Mind by Brian Grazier
- Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini
- Building Wealth One House at a Time by John Schaub