The 15 Best Things I Read in 2015

Photo Credit: Daniel Y. Go via Compfight cc

If you ask me how 2015 has been like for me, I’ll give you one simple answer: deliberate. 2015 has been a deliberate year for me. I came into this year with the intention to learn and grow on purpose, and that is what I have done.

Reading has been a vital part of my growth this year; I set out to read at least 40 books this year and I’m two shy of that target. I read a lot, but there are things I read that made more impact on my life than others.

Here are 15 of the best things I read in 2015, plus one honorable mention. This list includes books, articles, a quote and a Bible verse.

1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

This list is not in any particular order, but this book sits atop it. Reading Outliers made me realize how achievable success is for anybody. It also made me realize the importance of opportunities and good fortune. Luck plays a big part in success and that’s just the truth.

2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist represents everything my writing stands for. From the simplicity of the language to the message in the book. I guess the most important lesson I learned from this book is that life will give us what we most determinedly demand from it, but not without its challenges.

3. Living as a Christian by A.W. Tozer (Ed. by James Snyder)

In a world where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to live as a true Christian, this book did a lot to remind me of some of the basics of my faith. It is an in depth study of one of the two letters of Apostle Peter to the church (1st Peter).

The book was so good, I gave it away as a gift. I’m getting a new copy soon.

4. George Orwell’s 5 Rules for Effective Writing

Writing is an art and language is the writer’s sculpting chisel. This article draws from George Orwell’s 1946 essay on Politics and the English Language to provide guidelines for writers to follow that will distinguish them from others.

I try to apply those rules as often as I can.

5. You’re only 23. Stop Rushing Life. by Susie Pan

The summary of this article is this: I have been rushing my life, getting anxious unnecessarily, reading it made me understand why I need to calm down. I’m still young and I have time. I know that may sound counterproductive, but it isn’t.

6. How to Get Startup Ideas by Paul Graham

Paul Graham’s essay on getting startup ideas is one of the best I have ever read. At a time when entrepreneurship and startups are the new buzzwords, it will make a lot of sense for people to consider what constitutes a good idea before jumping into the river.

The main thing I learned from that article was that, instead of thinking of startup ideas, it’s best to look for a problem that can be fixed with a commercially viable solution, marry the solution with tech, and you have yourself a promising startup idea.

7. Purple Cow by Seth Godin

You must have seen a lot of white, brown and black cows in your life. But have you ever seen a purple cow? If you have, there is no way you can ever forget except the CIA come to wipe your memory.

Reading this book kindled the desire and determination in me to be different. It made me start asking this question more often: what can I do to make my work different in a good way?

8. The Pitfalls of Life Hacking Culture

In a world with a plethora of good advice and productivity hacks, it’s important to find yourself. Find yourself and find what works for you. That was my main takeaway from reading that article.

But really, what this article taught me is that it is wise to avoid shortcuts and go for the long but lesson-full process of doing things. In the end, the results may not matter as much as the lessons you draw from the process.

9. The Psychology of Self Motivation

I wrote this article. But when I was writing it, I wrote not from the perspective of an expert or authority, I wrote from the perspective of a student. Most of the people in the world, like me, struggle with procrastination and have problems motivating themselves when they need to.

I go back to that article from time to time so I can relearn some of the things I have learned about motivating myself and overcoming procrastination. You should read it if you haven’t already.

10. This George Bernard Shaw Quote

This is the quote that set me on a whole new path. I read this quote and it turned me into a complete non-conformist. Now, my first reaction to everything is not to accept it, but to challenge it. Because that is what helps me find answers.

11. Romans 1:20

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (NIV)

I am a firm believer that science and faith are brothers, while science and religion are not.

Religion believes there is only one way to know God (whichever way a particular religion posits), but I believe that God is present in all things and He is constantly revealing Himself to us. This is not to say I believe God is a tree or a porcelain statue. I’m saying that God reveals Himself to us through many physical things and we can only learn if we are paying attention.

I have a lot to write about this subject and I will do that in due time. Until then, look at that Bible verse again and think about what I have said.

12. Untitled by Osarumen Osamuyi

This year, I ran a project on my blog called #100DaysOfGrowth. This article was one of the best of the lot. It’s about how to come up with creative ideas.

In it, Osas shares his methods with us, and hopes at the end we will be able to see if they work for us or not.

13. Sam Walton: Made in America by Sam Walton and John Huey

In this book, Sam Walton shares the story about how Wal-Mart was built from scratch and how it became the titan that it is today. He also shares the principles he embraced that made it happen. Those principles meant more to me than his success story itself.

14. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

The media likes to glamorize entrepreneurship. And the truth is, even some entrepreneurs like to glamorize and over-embellish entrepreneurship. In this book, Ben Horowitz tells it like it really is. No bullshit, no embellishments [that I’m aware of].

15. The Brutal Simplicity of Thought by Maurice Nathan Saatchi

Simplicity is the ultimate driver of change. It is the best way to make a statement.

Honourable Mention

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I was skeptical about this book before reading it, mainly because of the title. But after reading it, my life changed. Most of the motivational materials we read nowadays are mere shadows or derivatives of this book.

These are the 15+1 best things I read this year. Would you mind sharing some of yours with me in the comments below?