10 Great Books in the Pursuit of Self and Health
After leaving my job in 2019 I went on a spiritual journey. I wanted to learn as much about myself as I could. I felt like during my decade of work I had lost who I was. So I set out on a path to rediscovering the person I lost.
Health and self improvement were always big parts of my life, so it’s not surprising that those are two topics that I dove heavily into. It started with endurance racing and travel, but I also quickly developed a new love for reading (something I didn’t make time to do while I was working).
Over the past 4 years I’ve discovered many really great and informative books that have helped me to transform myself and improve. Of all the books I’ve read, these 10 stand out to me as the most impactful.
Each one of these books awakened something new in me or set a new foundation of understanding that I didn’t have before.
Essentialism gave me the permission to focus only on the things in life that I found important, and to stop giving energy to things with little purpose in my life.
Thinking, Fast and Slow gave me insights into systems 1 and 2 and how to be better at utilizing each.
Food Fix and The Omnivores Dilemma taught me things about the food system and food policy that completely re-shaped how I view food and its importance in this country.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Lifespan, and The Body all gave me new insights into health, the body and the factors that impact them.
This is the order in which I read them, and while I think the order makes sense and that in some ways each one led me to the next, they by no means need to be digested in this order. Each speaks to a different point, but each one comes to the same conclusion. Understanding yourself and the situation is key to being successful.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and In Business, Charles Duhigg
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson
The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, Michael Pollan
The Lion Trackers Guide to Life, Boyd Varty
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Robert M Sapolsky
Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To, David A Sinclair, PhD