Many books are written and released each year. Most of them are bad, some of them are good, a few are great, and the top .001% are exceptional.
It’s rare that an author is a great writer AND has deep domain expertise. This list of books is by authors who are both.
Who’s this book list for? The creative/visionary/big picture thinker who wants to awaken their inner genius.
4 Books That Will Make You A Genius
Mastery
Mastery was the best book I read in 2015. Certain parts I read 10 times, others 20, a few 30. Each time I open its pages or listen to the audio version, I find myself in a dreamlike state - imprinting the lessons deeper into my subconscious.
If you have decided to find your path, independent of social conditioning, this book is for you. It reads like a collection of 1,000 masters who dominated in their industries and were peak performers. It provides a framework for how they were able to awaken their creative genius and change the course of history.
There’s something in Mastery for everyone.
BOLD
What’s going to happen over the next 10 years? What about the next 30?
As technology changes the way we live at an exponential rate, you can either keep up or get left behind. If you plan on being a leader, this book is a must. It will get you thinking about the future and how the actions you take today can set you apart down the road.
Where Good Ideas Come From
Our society loves to dramatize and turn people into heroes. We like the idea of the lonely genius who has a “eureka” moment and discovers the secret to life.
It never works this way.
Steven Johnson crushes this myth and presents a different case about where good ideas come from. He breaks down our misconceptions and provides us with details about how innovation actually happens.
Essentially it works like this… Good ideas come from a collaboration of historical events or as he calls it “the adjacent possible”- which is a kind of shadow future, hovering on the edges of the present state of things. It's a map of all the ways in which the present can reinvent itself.
He provides the framework to unleash your inner genius. Your job is to allow it to happen through you.
Antifragile
Nassim Taleb radiates the “don’t fuck with me” vibe in his writing. He’s a scary man.
In his most recent release, he’s invented a new word “Antifragile” and describes it like this:
“Fragile” means if you drop me, I break. Like a wine glass falling off the table.
“Robust” means you can beat me until I deform and become unusable. Like a baseball bat repeatedly hitting a hardened concrete wall. The wood from the bat eventually breaks.
“Antifragile” means that the harder you try to break me, the stronger I get. Like the story of the Hydra and her 9 heads. Each one you cut off, two more grow in its place.
Taleb takes the idea of Antifragility and applies it to people, systems, processes, health, economics and personal struggles. The big takeaway is this… embrace chaos, uncertainty, and struggle. These are the situations where you grow the most.
You can’t become a genius without struggle.
Finally
Brian Tracy says that we should invest 3% of our income into ongoing education and personal development. That’s about $25-50 per week for the average earner in the United States. If you are looking to fulfill your weekly personal development quota, look no further than these 4 books (links below).
I didn’t post this to look smart or feed my ego. I did it because each book made me smarter and can help you too.
Invest in yourself and awaken your creative genius.
Get The Audio Versions For Free Through This link!
Right now, if you start a 30-day free trial with Audible, you can get your first 2 audiobooks free. Audible is a great service, that I use every day. BUT here’s the best part: You get to keep the 2 audiobooks, even if you cancel the trial. It’s a no-brainer.