9 Months Into 2024, These Are My 3 Favorite Books
They’re not as predictable as you may think
Keeping track of the books you read is a good idea. It’s so satisfying to go back to reread your favourites.
You’ll always find some new nuggets of wisdom.
As some people would say, you’re a different person each time you read a book. When you change, the lessons you gather will be new.
I’ve had so many people ask me for book recommendations over the past couple of year that I started to keep notes on all of them and post ratings.
It’s the only way to ensure I recommend the right book to each person. Everyone is different and so, books will speak differently to them.
Today, I want to give you my top 3 books (for me personally) so far this year and tell you why they stood out to me.
The goal was to be well-rounded with these recommendations.
1. Order Of Time by Carlo Rovelli
This book is a healthy combination of physics and philosophy.
As Carlo Rovelli teaches you about time, he teaches you how he approaches life with these teachings and how physics has affected him.
Carlo is currently my favourite author.
Every time I read a book by him I am mind blown at how he can write about physics so beautifully.
I need to be honest though… I have a secret love for physics so his work may speak more to me than it does to you.
With that being said, most people have a desire to understand the world on some level. In search for this understanding, they turn to astrology, theology, spirituality or science.
If you are someone who seeks to understand the universe on a scientific level, I recommend you read Carlo’s work.
This book is my favourite book by him. It sent me on a trip reading it and I can’t wait to read it again.
2. The Founders by Jimmy Soni
This year I’ve been on a little bit of a biography kick. It’s likely because I started listening to The Founders podcast heavily (yes, I’m aware this book has the same name).
The Founders (book) is written about the PayPal mafia.
If you don’t know who they are, the PayPal mafia is what people call the original group of employees and founders of PayPal.
These people are extraordinary.
Between the PayPal mafia, they have gone on to start some of the most incredible businesses in the world. Aside from PayPal that is.
Yelp
Tesla
SpaceX
Palantir
YouTube
Yammer
LinkedIn
Neuralink
The Boring Company
On top of that, Peter Thiel (one of the founders), was the first investor in Facebook.
Remember in the movie, “The Social Network” when they meet with a rich guy who gives them a $500,000 check? Yeah, that’s him.
Anyway, this book is the PayPal story and the founders’ stories leading up to PayPal.
The number of hurdles they had to overcome to get to where they are and to see PayPal through the bursting of the Dot-Com bubble is nothing short of inspirational.
If you’re a business owner or someone who’s inspired by entrepreneurs, this book should be at the top of your list.
3. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
I rarely read fiction. In fact, I’ve only read 3 in the last 2 years.
I made a special exception for this book because Elon Musk has referred to it so many times.
This book is incredible.
Now, it is a kids' book, kind of.
But, there is a lot of deeper meaning in it.
The main characters in the book are on a search supercomputer which can tell them what the meaning of life is.
I don’t want to spoil the ending by telling you what the computer tells them, so I won’t, but I will tell you the significance behind it.
By the end, you learn that sometimes asking the right question is more important than getting the answer.
And often the answer you get will not be what you are expecting.
A good life is when you ask the right questions and work on problems you enjoy solving.
When I read this book, it reinforced that thought for me.
I would also recommend listening to Elon Musk talking about the book. It’s pretty awesome.
Closing Thoughts
You still have a quarter of the year left to get through some good books. Whether these books speak to you or not, I recommend finding the time to sit down and read.
Reading is one of the best habits I’ve picked up. It’s helped me learn and helps keep me entertained without looking at a screen.
If you need more book recommendations, feel free to comment or email me and I’ll be happy to help out!
Thanks for reading!