February Reading List: 3 Good Books to Read This Month
Welcome to another edition of my reading list.
In addition to the books below, you’re welcome to browse my complete list of the best books I’ve read. As always, I only share books that I’ve actually read and recommend. (I try to avoid sharing books that aren’t worth your time.)
With that said, here’s what I’ve been reading recently.
Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
RATING: 5/5
Into Thin Air is the best nonfiction book I’ve read in the last 5 years—possibly ever. The book is a fast-paced account of the disaster that happened on Mount Everest in 1996. The man who wrote it, Jon Krakauer, is a professional writer who also happens to be an accomplished climber. Additionally, Krakauer also happened to be part of the team that was climbing Mount Everest the day of the disaster.
This incredible combination of events is only part of what makes Into Thin Air so great. It is incredibly well-written and remarkably swift for a nonfiction book. In fact, it reads like fiction, which is probably why it’s so popular. It’s just an incredible story all the way around. Highly recommended.
A Brief History of Time
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
RATING: 5/5
If you love science even a little bit, then this book will blow your mind. I’ll admit that I like to geek out about space and planets and asteroids and other wonders of science and astronomy. That said, I honestly think everyone should read this book—the first half of it especially. As I was reading it, I felt like I was discovering what our world is actually like for the first time. Many of the things that I was taught in high school and college science classes were finally explained in a way that not only made sense, but also seemed incredibly reasonable.
But the first half of the book is just laying the groundwork for the big reveal at the end where Hawking shares his best theory about how the universe began, how it will end, and what it all means. What makes this book so great, in my opinion, is that it is filled with what I’ll call “deep knowledge.” Hawking doesn’t just tell you surface level facts, he tells you how we understand things to be facts. That level of knowledge is really hard to come by in my experience. Even if someone can tell you a true statement, they don’t always understand why it is a true statement. A Brief History of Time is an amazing book for anyone interested in science, God, space, or the origins of the universe.
The Little Prince
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
RATING: 5/5
This book has long been a classic (it is one of the best-selling books of all-time), but I just got around to reading it. The Little Prince is both simultaneously an easy-to-read children’s book and also a deep philosophical book about life. It’s an incredibly short read (it took me about 90 minutes to finish), but each story within the book makes you think through an important part of life. In particular, the book highlights the way our mindset changes as we grow from children to adults and questions whether our hunger for money or power or approval is really worth it.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from The Little Prince:
“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.”
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
I’ve added The Little Prince to my list of the best fiction books, but I can’t quite decide where to put it. It lacks the depth of other great stories like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, but it also accomplishes the remarkable feat of sharing many of life’s most important lessons in just a few words. I’ve placed it at number 5 for now. Regardless, it’s a wonderful read.
More Book Recommendations
Looking for more good books to read? Browse the full reading list, which lists the best books in each category. Also, I want to thank the many readers who offered suggestions on ways to improve my reading list so that it would be more useful for you all.
Here are a few of the changes we’ve made so far…
Breaking the list of book recommendations into multiple pages rather than one overwhelming. (Thanks for suggesting Drew!)
Adding links to the audiobook version when possible. (Thanks Guennael! More audiobook links coming soon.)
Sharing a few books each month in addition to the entire reading list, hence this post. (Thanks Karim!)
If you have other ideas on how to make these reading suggestions more useful for you, I’m all ears.
P.S. The 2015 Habits Seminar
Each year, I conduct a live Habits Seminar. You can think of it as my annual class on the science of behavior change and how to build habits that stick. We’ll talk about what’s working now, what always works, and what to avoid if you want to stick to good habits and break bad ones.
Over 1,000 people attended last year and we’re going to do it even better this time around! There will be a special focus on sharing practical ideas for overcoming the 5 barriers that hold most of us back: 1) Lack of Time and Too Many Commitments, 2) Inconsistency With Taking Action, 3) Procrastination and Laziness, 4) Self-Doubt and Lack of Confidence, and 5) Lack of Focus.
The seminar is going to be on February 18 (audio recording will be available to those who join). I’ll share full details next week, but if you already know that you want to sign up, you can learn more and grab early bird tickets here.
