Bigger Things #55 - 16 Books That Shaped My Life
I tried to make it a Top 5 list but it turned into 16 🤦♂️🤣... hey, I love books!
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Doesn’t the sunshine 🌞 and warmth feel amazing!
Last week I enjoyed a round of golf with my one son, who is 6’ 3” and on his high school golf team.
So much for out-driving and beating the boys at golf!
Maybe it’s because he stopped wearing flip flops to play! 🤣
This week I’ve been reflecting on some of the books that have made the most impact on my life over the years.
Books that have helped me pursue and achieve my Bigger Things.
I love books and so every morning I always read something spiritual or inspirational in hard copy and then read on my Kindle or audiobooks on Audible at other times of the day, when driving or in the evenings.
I always have 5 to 10 books on the go at any given time. People tell me that’s weird.
As well, I now give myself permission to not finish books or to skip around in books if I’m finding parts not interesting or relevant.
I find that you can always tell a lot about someone by the books they read.
Whenever I go to some else’s house, I always love to see the books they have out and are on their book shelves.
Below are my absolute favourites and top book recommendations.
I tried to make this a “top 5” but as I looked at my physical library and reviewed my Kindle and Audible history, I realized this list was going to be a bit long… there are just so many great books out there!
Here goes… my Top 16 Favourite Books!
Lifestyle & Mindset
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss - This book helped transform my mindset on many things, in particular on his concept of “lifestyle design”. Tim encourages us to stop living a deferred life plan and waiting until retirement to enjoy life and instead to setup our work and lifestyle in more fulfilling ways now.
The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma - Robin Sharma has written a ton of great books but this one is my favourite. It’s a self-help fable about character Jonathan Landry who is overwhelmed with work, career and personal life challenges and embarks on a transformative journey. The relatability Jonathan’s challenges and juggling it all struck a chord with me.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen - Published over a hundred years ago and still true and powerful.
“Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
Money & Business
The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking by Saifedean Ammous - This book is by far, hands down, the best book on the history of money and Bitcoin. If nothing else, the first 72 pages on the history of money is mind blowing and is a must read for everyone.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert Kiyosaki - I specifically remember getting this as a Christmas gift in 1999. The lessons are even more true today than 25 years ago. The book teaches that wealth is not achieved through high income but from developing financial intelligence and by owning income producing hard, scarce assets. 🎯
It’s no wonder that today Robert still owns a significant amount real estate and is advocating for investment in Gold, Silver and Bitcoin. I made my boys read this one when they were 13 years old… hey I let them go golfing too!
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - The self-help and personal success book was first published in 1937 based on his 25 years of study of the mindsets and practices of Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison. The book highlights the power of thought, belief and persistence.
I made the boys read this one too… LOL
How the Best Get Better Books 1 & 2: The Art & Science of Entrepreneurial Success by Dan Sullivan - Dan is arguably the world’s most sought after coach to the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. These two books are a short summary of Dan’s best coaching and every concept is great, but successful entrepreneurship requires the two Entrepreneurial Decisions (Book 1, Concept 4):
“The first decision is to depend entirely on my own abilities for economic security.
The second entrepreneurial decision is to expect opportunity in life only after creating value for others.”
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino - I discovered this book entirely by chance. We were in North Carolina at a hockey tournament for my boys because Justin Williams, then Captain of the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team, is from our small town in Ontario and our coach was good friends with him.
Between games we went into a book store and this book was lying totally misplaced, all by itself in a random spot in the store. I took the randomness to be a sign and I bought it. I’m so glad I did, the core principles from the “ten scrolls” resonate with my value system and I’ve gone on to read every other Og Mandino book written.
The Go Getter by Peter B. Kyne - It is the story of initiative, no-excuse attitude, resourcefulness and persistence to ultimately finding and delivering the Blue Vase. The book fits perfectly with our corporate culture and values which is why we have every new employee start by reading this book.
Sports & Adventure
Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr. - An absolute must read for every runner. The book is a coming of age tale of grit, pain, obsession, and beauty of pushing the human body in athletic endeavour.
“What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.”
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall - Another great book about ultra running, adventure, the barefoot running movement. Born to Run is the story of a recluse American ultrarunner who goes by Caballo Blanco (The White Horse) and lives among the Tarahumara people of Mexico’s Copper Canyon. This booked spurred the barefoot running movement and was the reason I stopped buying new running shoes and would run in the same pair for thousands of kilometers, without injury. 🤣
Spiritual
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Heart by John Elderedge - A Christian book on the three core desires of man’s heart:
A Battle and Mission to Fight - Men need a mission and purpose to dedicate their life to.
An Adventure to Live - Life is meant to be uncertain and full of risk.
A Beauty to Pursue and Cherish - Men pursue, cherish and fight for love and intimacy.
This book really help me understand the emotional wounds I was carrying around, the ways I was holding myself back and helped me to move forward and live a more full out life.
Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure by James Redfield - The first time I ever read this I was camping on the beach on the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras on a windsurfing trip with my best friend Dave. The perfect place, considering this is a book about adventure, spirituality, energy and connecting with the divine. There is certainly something spiritual about windsurfing (and surfing, kiteboarding and wing foiling) out on the ocean with the wind and waves. I’ve probably read this 10 more times since.
Fiction
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - I remember when my business partner first recommended this book to me. I was like “Ah, no thanks. I don’t think I want to read a book about the building of a church in the 12th century”. The book turned out to be outstanding and I’ve since read every other book Follett has written.
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand - A fictional tale of Howard Roark and the core tenets of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism, particularly the moral value of individualism and creative integrity through Roark’s work as an Architect.
My Overall Favourite Book
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho - This is a fable about pursuing your dreams and Personal Legend, the purpose you are meant to fulfill during your life.
Books are one of the cheapest and most accessible ways to help us on our journey and achieve our Bigger Things.
While I have quite a few books on the go at the moment, I’m finding these two to be really valuable:
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara
Please share what you’re reading and some of your favourite books in the Comments below👇.
To Your Bigger Things,
Brad 💕👊
You are receiving The Bigger Things Letter because you either signed up or you attended one of the events that I spoke at. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable. Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial, accounting or legal advice. Do your own research, come to your own conclusions and make your own decisions.
Great list! Thanks for sharing. I will check out a few of these that I haven’t read.
Loved this, Brad. Thinking in Bets and The ONE Thing have both punched above their weight in my world too. You’ve got a knack for pulling together ideas that actually move people. I’m walking away with a few new reads—and a reminder of why the right book at the right time can be a game-changer. Keep this stuff coming.