8 Books in 3 months and How it helped me?
Book Reviews of the books I read and how it helped me.
In 2018 I made a resolution to read 24 books in 12 months. I have completed 8.25 books in 3 months and I thought to share how each book helped me. Current rate of 2.75 books per month. :)
I would keep this post precise.
- Principles by Ray Dalio /// If You’re Looking For: Practical ‘principles’ for success in your personal life, professional life and as an organisation.
How it helped me: The content in this book is useful and provides a framework to achieve small goals to larger milestones. Understanding how radical transparency influence people & culture and better decision making. My favorite quote: ‘Great is better than terrible and terrible is better than mediocre. Terrible atleast gives flavour. Do great things or terrible things. No mediocrity.’
2. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown /// If You’re Looking For: a perfect fiction book based on a true story with heart-pounding suspense and characters that would get you emotionally connect with them.
How It Helped Me: I realised a fiction book can be really interesting and I should read more fiction books this year. My favorite part is an incredible adventure the boys had when they took the coach’s launch out onto the Hudson River on an evening before the national championship Poughkeepsie Regatta. It’s a thrilling book that gave me goosebumps.
3. Product management — Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal and Ryan Hoover /// If You’re Looking For: Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit?
How It Helped Me: Practical insights to create user habits that stick. Hook Model and ‘hook-cycle’ for building products people love.
4. Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter by Dan Ariely , Jeff Kreisler /// If You’re Looking For: Why is paying for things painful? Why is it easy to pay $4 for a soda on vacation, when we wouldn’t spend more than $1 on that same soda at our local grocery store?
How It Helped Me: How some of the decisions our subconscious mind makes while spending money and how to question those in positive ways. The book is hilarious and well researched. Helped me understand How we assess value in ways that have Little to do with that Value.
5. Product Management in Practice: A Real-World Guide to the Key Connective Role of the 21st Century 1st Edition by Matt Lemay /// If You’re Looking For: a book to start with what is it like to be a product manager and strategies to influence through scenarios.
How It Helped Me: The content in the book is useful and made me realise that I can learn more in product management. The product manager stories included in this book are an inspiration.
6. If You Were Me and Lived in… Germany: A Child’s Introduction to Cultures Around the World /// If you are looking for: wasting time and getting bored.
How It Helped Me: How not to choose books by the fancy title of the book. ;)
7. Email Marketing Rules: Checklists, Frameworks, and 150 Best Practices for Business Success Kindle Edition by Chad S. White /// If You’re Looking For: Practical email marketing tips and learn the terminologies better.
How It Helped Me: Think of simple, yet impactful use-cases for my job. I realised that I have to read this book again.
8. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: by Kevin Kruse /// If You’re Looking For: Some practical advice on time management from research done on The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs
How It Helped Me: To schedule tasks into my calendar rather than having a task list. Now when I plan my week, I plan what I want to achieve this week, how long will it take and how can I fit in my calendar. Always keep space for urgent and non planned stuff on your calendar.
