I enjoy reading and in 2021, I spent a lot of my free time reading various books. Here are the 5 books that I really loved reading and hope my list may be helpful for you to select a book for your next reading journey.
1. Educated by Tara Westover
Educated is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read this year. In this brilliantly written memoir, Westover describes her journey growing up with a conservative family in Idaho’s rural and isolated part to getting a Ph.D. degree from the University of Cambridge. Her father was against the schooling system, and she did not have any formal education. Working in her father’s junkyard and stewing herbs with her mother, Westover taught herself mathematics and grammar. Stepping into a classroom for the first time when she was 17 years old, her desire to learn and gain knowledge transformed her, leading her to Harvard University and Cambridge. This is a truly inspiring book, and I highly suggest this book to everyone.
2. The Body by Bill Bryson
The Body by Bill Bryson was one of the most fascinating books I’ve read this year. Bryson goes through the nitty-gritty details of the human body, explaining the functions of each body part and its remarkable abilities. This book is full of amazing facts and incredible stories about the human body, written with an often amusing and alluring narrative, and serves as a guide to understanding the physical and neurological makeup of the human body. This book makes you contemplate how magnificent our body is and appreciate this critical association of various proteins, enzymes, and cells that make up the entire human body.
3. Think Again by Adam Grant
Think Again by Adam Grant is a book about how creating a mindset open to unknowns and admitting being wrong could be a great asset for being more innovative and productive. A lot of people usually overestimate their knowledge on a topic and are unwilling to change their own beliefs when necessary. With such a mindset, working hard alone may not be much productive, and rethinking your own position might be helpful to see things from a different perspective. The mindset of rethinking can be learned and this book explores how one can develop the necessary qualities for it.
4. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the history of present-day humans and how sapiens marveled at earth. Full of facts and explanations, this book explains such a complex topic of how the cultures, religions, and economies developed to what we see today in simple terms. From how homo sapiens became the dominant species on the earth and their migration destroyed/limited the plants and animals in different parts of the world to how currencies, science, religions, and capitalism came into existence, reading this book leaves you in awe. Not limited only to history, the book also goes through the possible future of human kinds.
5. Deep Work by Cal Newport
Deep work is one of the most noteworthy books I’ve read this year. In this book, Newport talks about the importance of working without distraction and getting the best out of your work schedule. It is extremely difficult to put away distractions and completely focus on your work especially in this technological era with emails, texts, and social media all trying to grab your attention. Productivity gets hit by this and we spend a lot of time working without fruitful results. This book provides practical guidelines to achieve a focused state of mind and be productive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to achieve more and get the most out of the work they do.
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