Reading is one of the best ways to open our minds to different ideas and perspectives. there is so much knowledge that exists in the world. people have dedicated their entire lives to particular experiences or types of work.
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We cannot capture all of their learnings from a few hundred pages, but we can gain significant insight from what they learned and experienced. It is for reasons like this that there is a high correlation between success (personal and financial) and reading.
You are reading: Books that millionaires read
That said, there is a culture that has developed around reading for reading’s sake. people brag about how many books they have read. it makes us look more cultured and intelligent. this has also led people to try to read books that our role models have read.
if steve jobs read a book and took value from it, there’s a good chance we will too. That said, each book speaks to a person in a different way. Using the recommendations of others can be important, but there are endless books with good reviews. that means exploring your own intellectual curiosities and creating a perspective that is unique to you is most valuable.
With that in mind, there’s a reason some books have been read and reviewed more often by successful people than other books. those can be beneficial and create strong roots for anyone. Here are seven of the most common of these books read by millionaires:
1. how to win friends and influence people
The title turns off some people because it feels like an offer and a deal. however, this book is a pivot in creating productive relationships. we’re so preoccupied with what’s going on in our own world that we often forget to think about other people, even when we’re around them.
how to win friends and influence people is a refreshing reminder of how to build strong professional relationships with others. the vision of this book can be immediately applied to life with substantial impact.
Related: 9 Habits of Deeply Influential People
2. sapiens
Knowing how past survival goals have influenced our current genes and tendencies helps us understand how people act. that idea can be found and explored in many places. sapiens dives into that a bit, but what makes this book so unique is the larger context in which it discusses human evolution and development.
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sapiens delves into the revolutions that have advanced societies, talks about some of the great empires that have existed and how we got to where we are today.
This book is invaluable when thinking about what will happen in the future. yuval noah hurrari makes you realize that much of what has happened in the past has had factors of luck.
hurrari also makes you wonder how much “better off” society is today than it was a few hundred or thousand years ago. this perspective is a must when we think about how we should spend our lives, especially if you want to play a big role in what the future will look like.
Related: This successful businesswoman shares the trick that helps her tell the difference between being productive and being busy
3. thinking fast and slow
For a long time, economists have assumed that humans are rational. It doesn’t take long to think of countless examples where that’s not the case. Thinking fast and slow, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman explores many of the ways people are influenced by situational context.
He helped promote behavioral economics and the idea that humans are highly irrational when weighing benefits against costs.
This book paints the way we think about our decisions in a different light. Being aware of our own biases and what might influence our decisions will help you make more rational and sensible decisions when they count the most.
related: how to increase willpower
4. influence: the psychology of persuasion
As a bit of an adjunct to Thinking Fast and Slow (even though it came out many years earlier), Robert Cialdini wrote a masterpiece of a book on Influencing With Your Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. He takes many of Kahneman’s ideas and puts them into practice. this comes from our friends, vendors, and ads.
There may be a negative connotation of influencing others. Some people misuse these ideas and principles, but it doesn’t have to be that way. when you work for a company or talk to your friends, you often need to convince them to support your choice.
You may have good reasons for your proposed action, but that doesn’t mean your company or your friends will agree. recognizing subtle changes in the way you present information or speak and how they can influence the decision making of others is invaluable.
Related: 3 Surprising Conclusions From Robert Cialdini’s ‘Presuasion’
5. originals, how nonconformists move the world
One of life’s greatest challenges is thinking independently. there are countless external influences that push us to try to adapt to how others think. In Originals, How Mavericks Move the World, Adam Grant looks at some of the most original people to ever walk this earth.
grant shows that anyone can achieve such a life, and provides tangible ways to do so. it’s more about approach to life, taking risks and stimulating creativity than genetic makeup. originals is an entertaining and empowering read to live a fuller and more successful life.
Related: 3 Ways to Get Stronger in the Broken Places
6. the power of habit why we do what we do in life and in business
everyone has bad habits. A huge differentiator for successful people is the ability to recognize and change these negative tendencies. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg provides tangible ways to kick our vices and live a life where these bad habits don’t get in our way. provides great examples, tactical advice, and makes the book relatable for everyone.
Related: 4 Ways to Break the Most Powerful Bad Habits
7. the alchemist
We have the power to seek the best version of our life. the alchemist is a classic book that talks about this journey. For anyone trying to find his passions and cut through the noise, The Alchemist is a powerful book. it is a simple story of a child from which we can draw innumerable lessons. It serves as a great motivation to pursue our “personal legend” and listen to our hearts.
Looking for more books, here are my best business books to read in 2018.
See Also: New Dr. Seuss-inspired books will feature diverse writers and illustrators : NPR