2021 Book List

In 2021 I made several changes to my habits and routines to prioritize reading books. I did this because I’ve come to see books as one of the best investments, both in terms of time and money. For somewhere between free (library) and $30, and a few hours of reading, I can learn directly from someone who has spent years, maybe a lifetime, learning and distilling knowledge about a particular topic or crafting a compelling story.

Some things I did to increase book reading:

• stopped using social media except limited use for business
• drastically cut back on reading news and entertainment websites (like >95% reduction)
• removed most apps other than reading apps (Kindle app, Apple Books, Libby) from my home screen
• tried to read books on my phone instead of the news (mixed success… despite banishing Safari from the home screen I still habitually searched for it before going for a book)
• stopped using a smartphone entirely (this really did it—and had several other benefits as well)
• started reading a book every day at lunch (instead of reading the news)
• read to the kids most evenings
• kept a book (or several) on my desk at all times
• created a daily log which included a tracker for “did you read from a book today?”

All told, I read 21 books in 2021. They were, in chronological order of when I finished them:

1. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
3. The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson
4. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David
5. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss (reread)
6. The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer
7. BE 2.0 by Jim Collins and Bill Lazier
8. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
9. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
10. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, abridged version by Deanna McFadden
11. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
12. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
13. Managing the Professional Service Firm by David Maister
14. The Opposite of Worry by Lawrence Cohen
15. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
16. The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax
17. The One Thing by Gary Keller
18. 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
19. The Hardy Boys – The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin Dixon
20. The Snowball by Alice Schroeder
21. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Going forward, I hope to write a brief post each time I finish a book. I did not write individual posts for the 2021 books. So a “top picks” list will have to suffice:

Everyone Should Read: The 4-Hour Workweek

I first read this book in 2013 or 2014. At the time it opened my eyes to a new way of looking at the world; its message was a major catalyst for our 2014-2015 “big trip” sabbatical in Southeast Asia. I count Tim Ferriss as a key “virtual mentor” (I know the man only through this book and his podcast). I decided to reread the book this year and found it a great use of time. Some specifics are dated but the fundamental mindset of questioning assumptions and taking charge of your life (“lifestyle design” per 4HWW lingo) are just as valid as ever.

Parents Should Read: The Opposite of Worry

One of my first reactions upon finishing this book was “Why the heck have I not been reading more books on parenting?”. I learned so much from reading The Opposite of Worry that I felt like I had reached an entirely new level of parenting awareness by the end of the first chapter. It’s packed with tips and ideas that I found myself trying immediately, with great success.

Small Business Owners Should Read: The E-Myth Revisited

The E-Myth Revisited is one of those books that feels like it was written specifically for me. As the owner of a young small business I’m squarely in the book’s target demographic and I ate up every page. For many of the lonely questions of entrepreneurship, The E-Myth seems to have an answer. I’m currently rereading this one, working through the exercises with a notebook I’ve dedicated to my E-Myth studies.

Others Worth Your Time

Most of the books on my list this year were pretty good. But maybe you don’t want to read 21 books. In that case, in addition to the “top picks” specifically mentioned above, these also stood out:

• The Snowball
• BE 2.0
• The One Thing
• Radical Acceptance

2022 Reading

I’m aiming for 30 books in 2022. I’ve read 2 and have 2 in progress at the moment (mid-January) so I’m on pace so far.

Any suggestions for my 2022 list?