Books I've listened to
I share in episode 75 on Time Management that I listen to audiobooks (not podcasts) while getting ready in the morning.
I look forward to this time every day.
Here's a list of what I've listened to and what's in the bathroom queue.
This book is chok full of research based examples of habit formation and reconstruction. The emphasis of this book is on habits, built on The Four Rubin Tendencies: Upholds, Questioners, Rebels and Obligers. More about this framework here. It's a quality and easy read or listen, but I did find myself hungry for more on the motivating factors or underlying needs beneath (behind?) the habit formation and maintenance. Still, a great resource on habit building!
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
I heard some hype about this book so thought I'd give it a listen. When I told a friend I was listening to this book, she said it's used in her high school as part of the Career and Personal Planning curriculum. Thinking of this, I realize how great this content would be for high schoolers and makes for great classroom discussion.
The book is stocked with examples and strategies for how you can respond when you have challenges responding to someone in your universe. But, I'd say if you've got a pretty good pool of responses in your own toolbox, you may not need this resource. However, if you are irked by someone in your world, there may be something in here that you haven't tried yet.
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy Dealing with People You Can't Stand by Rick Kirschner and Rick Brinkman
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
I remember when the book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life first gained popularity. It was the paper courage – for people pleasers especially – to finally draw some lines and create some breathing room in their lives.
Essentialism is like the web 2.0 version of premises in Boundaries.
The era Greg writes in is full of cluttered inboxes, home screens, web browsers…and priorities. His examples definitely have a slant toward the corporate world and entrepreneurship than Boundaries but his message and mission is simple: live and think like an essentialist, not a non-essentialist.
This message is needed now more than ever. Why? There's more distraction but not more time in every day. And I appreciate other books like The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan that are calling us to get back to a focused, intentional and disciplined way of life. Heck, I've even thought of creating an online course on Setting Boundaries with Yourself to join the charge (that course, by the way, is still just in consideration mode).
Anyways, I loved this book. I will listen again when I feel my life is not under my control. I encourage you, even if it's not Essentialism, find a book with a similar message that can be your paper courage to life by design and not by default.
Thorough. That's the word that comes to mind when I think of this book.
Vani, armed with her research and communication skills from being on the debate team, delivers a thorough critique of food companies and popular diets. She then shares her food journey and recommendations for eating The Food Babe Way.
After listening to this book, I realized it would've been easier to understand some of it if I could see the words. Food additives are not easy to remember just by hearing them!
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
I'd file this one under Business instead of Personal Development or Self-Help, but I know some of you are involved in online business or very curious about it.
This book started a bit of a revolution, where wide eyed entrepreneurs are in search of…well, a four hour workweek.
One thing is for sure, it'll take you longer than four hours to read this book. It's pretty long.
But the big thing I'd say is to read this as ONE EXAMPLE of what can happen when you look to build a life where you call the shots of when, where and how you make money. It's not for everyone and it's not going to work for everyone.
This book works best if it inspires you to what could be possible and YOU find out if you're cut out for this kind of life, which definitely isn't built overnight or in four hour chunks. In other words, take the formula and personalize it with your skills, passions, desires and needs.
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting is the perfect solution to my mommy perfectionism syndrome. That's not a real syndrome, I just made it up so there's no need to google it. But if it was a real syndrome, I'd be the poster parent for it.
It's a short read/listen. I actually wish it was longer but I'll take it. Many tips and strategies for approaching parenting which aren't rocket science, but they are inspirational. For those who tend to – even if you don't like to admit it – look at the world in black and white and struggle to allow yourself to be human, this book helps you develop the language and perspective to, as her subtitle says, raise children with courage, compassion and connection.
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ PLUS it's on my Replay List!
Click here to buy The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting by Brené Brown
Unchain Your Brain: 10 Steps to Breaking the Addictions That Steal Your Life by Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. David Smith
This was a short listen and has a nice blend of presenting brain functions and anecdotes as they relate to addiction and recovery. It's more of an overview though, as each chapter could be expanded to a book in itself, given the knowledge and experience of the authors.
Also, it's more descriptive and prescriptive than it is inspirational. Nevertheless, a solid primer for anyone addressing addiction in their life!
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy Unchain Your Brain by Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. David Smith
Wellth: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Résumé by Jason Wachob
You may have heard of the website MindBodyGreen.com Well, this is the story of the man behind MindBodyGreen. You'll hear about Jason's life growing up with his mom and grandma, being one of two white kids on a predominantly black youth basketball team, the closed and open doors of opportunity in the finance world, dating, breakups, how yoga healed him and a lot more.
Josie's Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Click here to buy Wellth by Jason Wachob
In the Queue: Sitting in my iPod for a future listen
Getting to Yes with Yourself: And Other Worthy Opponents by William Ury
Josie's Rating: not yet rated
Click here to buy Getting to Yes with Yourself by William Ury
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
Josie's Rating: not yet rated
Click here to buy The Success Principles(TM) by Jack Canfield