I was going to write this post before the end of 2009 but I just ran out of time. Since January 2010 is about to end I thought now was the time to get this post out there. I love reading and have stressed in one of my training tips 56 videos that reading should be an important part of every trainers development plan. If you don’t read, you will struggle to express yourself verbally and in written form in an effective manner. Any type of reading will do. It could be newspapers, comics, novels, non-fiction, horror, blogs etc. I don’t know how many books and other forms of writing that I read last year but here are some of the ones that I really enjoyed and are confident to recommend to others.
A great read, even though quite depressing. The parallels to the current world situation are scary and it does make you think that we haven’t learnt a great deal as a race over the last 50 years.
I read the first edition of this book at the beginning of the year and it changed where I was heading. I haven’t read the second edition yet, which the author promises is much better, but I intend to. I don’t think everything in this book is for everyone but the ideas, the activities it asks you to do and the radical approach to work that Tim Ferris lays out really makes you think about the world of work and what the future may hold if your brave enough.
This is not a book I would normally read. They made a movie of it and I don’t think I want to see it, it couldn’t be as good as the book. A sad and depressing story but one you see all around you. This is one of those books you can’t put down and you don’t really know why it is so good. The author is a real character as well. Look him up on google.
I am a bit of a runner so this may not interest everyone but it is an incredible story even if you never considered putting on some running shoes. If you ever wanted to understand why people want to run 100’s of kilometres and what the human body is capable of this is the book.
This is written by the guy who nobody remembers on the famous Apollo 13 flight to land on the moon. Michael Collins is the one who orbited the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon’s surface. He is a great author and tells this story in such a casual way that you often forget just what a spectacular feat it was.
Another book I thought I would never read. He is an incredible writer and this is a true and frank insight into his early childhood and gradual development into a manhood. He wrote this before becoming President.
This is not the easiest of reads and it was never finished by the author so it ends in a slightly odd way but this is a fascinating book. He is a very clever writer and the style adopted adds to the humour and ridiculousness of the storyline. Many people would not like this book but having worked in the public service I found it to be hilarious, accurate and a clever satire of the stupidity of bureaucracy.
This is the best and easiest book I have read on the topic of Internet marketing. Even more important is that it explains how twitter, Facebook, YouTube and many other social media platforms can be used. It is easy to read, easy to understand and has a checklist at the end of each chapter which really helps you to put knowledge into action. If you ever wanted to know why everyone is talking about social media and marketing this book will definitely help you understand it.
I have provided Amazon links for these books as I find them to be cheap and delivery is fast. I still like to buy books from the bookstore but they often don’t stock the titles I am looking for.
What books did you read last year that you would recommend to others. Let me know.
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