Five Books To Read Now That Withstand the Test of Time
From a shipwreck in the Arctic, an Alchemist in Egypt, to Leonardo da Vinci himself.
Books are guides through different periods of our lives. They are teachers and add years to our own lives. You’ll want to add these to your Goodreads or your intricate book-tracking spreadsheet. Here’s what they are and why:
Current
Snow Leopard by the Category Pirates
It’s a helpful perspective for a generation that is radically different than what they taught us in school. It’s the book we needed when we (Millennials / Gen Z) were 18. What does it mean to be a creator in 2023 and onward? How do you establish a category that defines you as a writer, creator, or thought leader? How do you monetize it? The world of content is divided into non-obvious and obvious. Content that makes you think and content that makes you agreeable and passive. One drives success in the short term and one sets you up for the long run. Skate to where the puck is going to be, now where it’s been. The authors of this book are known as the “Category Pirates” and the book is extremely helpful if you like to create things in this day in age. This is the newest book on this list. Looking forward to seeing how it does over the years, but I think it’s super relevant today.
PS: They self-published so it’s only available on Amazon. HIGHLY worth it though.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
It had been in my “to read one day pile” for years. When traveling in Colombia last year I met a stranger online from Yes Theory community who I ended up going paragliding with, and we became good friends. He recommended I bump this book up to the front of my reading queue and I’m glad I did. It’s timeless wisdom with practical implementation for the now. Behavioral science makes the psychology of us humans and our habits more palatable. If you’re trying to better yourself, or if you’re in the people business (if you work, then you’re in the people business)— read this. Get into the inner workings of the human mind. It’s not boring behavioral science. It’s stuff you can understand and use to make tweaks in your own life.
Book info here and his weekly Thursday newsletter here.
Timeless
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
In 1914, a ship named “Endurance” sailed from London on the exact day World War I started. It embarked on a mission to carry its crew to the Arctic continent so they could be the first in known humanity to cross it by foot. The expedition was led by a man, now legend, Ernest Shackleton. The expedition failed, but what the crew endured, their valor, their grit, and their love for living to the brink demonstrated the lengths people can go and still keep their spirits high. The expedition failed, but what happened next was more successful in exposing human courage, attitude, leadership, and love.
The story of the Endurance and its crew us an exemplification of humans always wanting to explore their limits and explore the edges of the unknown, knowing very well that that often leads to suffering and sacrifice. Several times I had to remind myself I was reading a non-fiction book. What the crew goes through is a chaotic nightmare where nothing is in their control, yet it goes to prove the power of the mind is the one thing we have control over. Their attitude stood out to me— the joy despite the incredible suffering and chaos.
If you want a reminder that we humans can endure more than we think, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Endurance by Alfred Lansing. While the ship may not have excelled at endurance, its crew certainly did. I wrote a longer piece about this book you can read it here.
“Their legs from knees down were chafed and raw…And all of them were afflicted with saltwater boils on their wrists, ankles, and buttocks. But had someone unexpectedly come upon this bizarre scene, undoubtedly the most striking thing would have been the attitude of the men…relaxed, even faintly jovial--almost as if they were on an outing of some sort.”
For a modern example of someone attempting (and succeeding) at another Arctic-related event, read this article about the first person to do an Ironman distance triathlon in Antarctica in 2020.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
They say you can’t step into the same river twice. The same is with reading and re-reading this book. I first read it 11 years ago and I’ve re-read it at least a half dozen times. Each time different sentences catch my eye. The stuff I highlighted before takes on a different meaning. As the years pass and we change as people, so does our interpretation of the text.
If I had to choose one book to bring with me throughout my entire life journey, it would be this one. Read it if you can. Re-read it if you haven’t.
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." —Paulo Coelho
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
We tend to think of people like Leonardo as superhuman, when in fact the characteristics that made him so special, aren’t superpowers at all. Curiosity and observation were products of his own efforts. Most people over the age of 10 no longer puzzle at questions like, “why is the sky blue” or “what is yawning”. But Leonardo did. And he didn’t even have Google, so he had to investigate and observe himself!
Perhaps my biggest actionable takeaway from the book is what I call a “curiosity journal” based on a habit of Leonardo’s— he carried with him a pocket notebook where he’d write down any random question that came to his mind. His most famous: “describe the tongue of a woodpecker.” We CAN push ourselves to look at the world with more curiosity and with a keen eye.
For example, a question of mine was, “Observe my dog to see if he has a dominant paw.” So one day I played fetch with him and set up my phone at ground level to record slow-motion video. I learned his left front paw is dominant and his back right paw is dominant when he ran. When he plays with a toy, he uses his left front paw.
Some little-known facts about Leonardo that reminds us of his humanness:
Left-handed
Illegitimate
Gay
Vegetarian
He wasn’t just an artist, he was a multi-hyphenate. He had an intuitive feel for the unity of nature that pulled together many disciplines and formed connections across them.
Court Entertainer - producing pageants and plays
Aviation - observations in the anatomy of birds and physics prompted him to devise contraptions of winged machines (ie: early airplane design)
Scientist - performed anatomical dissections on humans to understand our muscles and nerves to draw them better. He wrote down questions like what muscles cause smiles or what is the cause of sneezing.
Hydraulic and Mechanical Engineer
Mathematician - squaring the circle
The list goes on….
This book is a beast, and it took me over a year to read it. But there’s a reason it’s on this short list. It contains seeds to make us live more robust lives with more curiosity and awe. It’s worth every second and goes wayyyy beyond the Mona Lisa. Read it. It’s quite mind-blowing.
If you’ve read these, have any thoughts about them, or want to share your book recommendations, comment below. Liked this post? Give it a like!