I Read 52 Non-Fiction Books in 2022. Here are the 10 Books That Made the Biggest Impact...
đReading for self-development and growth
I havenât always enjoyed reading.Â
There was a time when the very thought of picking up a non-fiction book would fill me with dread.
It wasnât that I didnât want to read. I once struggled with words and letters.
Growing up Iâd confuse my Bs with Ps. Words would seem to âjumpâ about the page. Causing me physical sickness, headaches and distress.Â
Jump forward a couple of decadesâŚÂ
My favourite pastime is reading and listening to audiobooks. I tend to read 52 to 100+ books every year.Â
Pre-pandemic I created a face-to-face non-fiction book club. This helped members to hold each other accountable for applying the key learnings from non-fiction books to life and work.
The book club moved online when we went into lockdown and we now have thousands of members worldwide. At the end of 2022, we decided to create this Substack group for the bookish who like to read for self-development, growth and enjoyment.
So, what changed when it came to me and reading?
Increased awareness of dyslexia, and the accessibility tools now available such as coloured overlays, dyslexia-friendly fonts and the ability to listen to audiobooks during my âbadâ dyslexic days.
The 52 Non-Fiction Books in 52 Weeks Challenge
âRead 500 pages every day⌠Thatâs how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you willââââWarren Buffett
Pre-pandemic I set a goal to read at least 52 books in a yearâââthe pandemic hit and I found myself with a little more reading time than normal.
During the lockdown period(s), I was reading 100+ books a year. With each new book, I applied a key takeaway to invest in personal growth. Now, as life slowly gets back to some form of normal Iâve gone back to 52 books per year again.Â
What I discovered doing the challenge was that a majority of self-development books are just reworkings of the classics. You can save yourself some time, by heading straight to the cult classics.
That said there are still some contemporary books that offer value. Here are my top 10 books that have had a positive influence on me in 2022âŚ
10 Books That Had The Biggest Impact in 2022
In 2022, I read to learn and apply. The following books have all had a significant impact on my productivity, finances and mindset.
10. Get Together, by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer.
âKindred spirits operating in silos arenât a communityâŚyetââââGet Together, Richardson et al.
You can build a community about anything you are passionate about. If you are thinking of setting up an online or face-to-face community. Be it a book club, something work-related or improving engagement for a more established group that you want to level up. Then this is the book for you.
There were several key takeaways I got from this book, but the point that resonated with me the most was to build your community with people, not for them.
How can this book help youâŚ
Gain a structured blueprint on how to build an engaged community by actively involving the people you want to reach.Â
9. The Coffee Bean, By Jon Gordon and Damon West
ââŚFailure is not a definition. Itâs just an event. Just because you fail doesnât mean you are a failure. Itâs just a situation to overcome and transform. And it will make you stronger if you are willing to learn and grow from it.ââââJon Gordon
The Coffee Bean is a modern-day fable and only a short read. We canât always control what happens to us in life, but we can choose what we want to be⌠a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean.
This book served as a great reminder in 2022 of the power of transformation that exists in all of us. We could continue to dwell upon the cards we are drawn in life or we can choose a better response to them.
How can this book help youâŚ
Increase your awareness of how you currently handle situations, i.e. are you a carrot, egg or coffee bean?Â
The perfect reminder that you canât always change a situation, but what you can change is how you decide to respond to it.Â
8. Eat That Frog, By Brian Tracy
âEveryone procrastinates⌠The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on.â Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog!
Whilst Eat That Frog is best known for its namesake advice, the book itself offers 21 simple principles to follow to boost productivity. This book coupled with Save an Hour a Day increased productivity during 2022.
I currently work in a fast-paced environment, so improving my productivity and organisation skills was vital for me. As someone with ADHD and dyslexia, these skills do not come naturally to me, but are proof they can be learned and improved upon with some practice.
How can this book help youâŚ
If you can do something in a few minutes do it straight away. If it takes longer, plan for it.Â
The task you want to put off or maybe leave till the end of the dayâââdo it first!Â
7. How to Save an Hour Every Day, by Michael Heppell
âAt the end of each day write down the five most important things to do tomorrowââââMichael Heppell, How to Save an Hour Everyday.
Read in conjunction with Tracyâs Eat the Frog this book ended up saving me 2.5 hours every working day! I started with a 28-day working time audit. I couldnât believe how much time was wasted, especially when it came to emails. This book showed me a better system to deal with emails and reminded me about this old thing called a telephone.
If something is read (urgent) then call donât email. I used to think in hour time blocks, but this book also reminded me that the true value is our time. Instead of thinking in hour blocks, I think in 15-minute time slots, which improved my productivity considerably.
Thanks to Tracy and Heppell I gained 20+ hours to my working week
How can this book help youâŚ
Help you build awareness and do a time audit of your current working or home life habits, i.e. how much time do you really spend watching TV? Or responding to emails?Â
6. The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy
âYou will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.ââ Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect
The teachings within this book can be applied not just to finance, but to life and work. The book is all about the power of consistency, which is arguably one of the most important keys to success.
Hardy highlights the importance of your daily habits, choices and setting goals. He also draws upon the circle of influence and how this can impact you.
The âcompound effectâ is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. It is a simple yet life-changing process with real long-term consequences.
This book reminded me that I needed to shift my focus from the big quick wins, which can be short-lived to the smaller, more long-term gains. Thanks to this book I devote 10â15 minutes per day to investing in knowledge building.
How can this book help youâŚ
A shift in mindset with the importance and advantage of the smaller steps. We are too quick to think big and short-term. Rather than plan smaller, think long-term.Â
5. On Writing Well, by William Zinsser
âSimplify, simplify.â â William Zinsser
There has been a recent rise in AI technology. The thing is⌠AI has failed to grasp âZinsserismâ. AI produces long-worded text, full of overused sayings that lack human emotions and creativity.Â
Itâs dry, robotically and error-free. Zinsser on the other hand believes in âSimplify, simplifyâ If something can be said in a handful of words. Use a hand full of words - cut out all the waffles.
Within a month of reading and applying what I learned from this book, I noticed my audience reads had increased. I became a top writer in multiple categories across different platforms.
How can this book help youâŚ
Clear out the clutter in your writing, embrace the space between text, and donât be afraid to use your unique voice.Â
4. The 4 Minute Millionaire, by Niklas GÜke
âAt the end of the day, all change is in your hands. Whether you want to be rich, get fit, or find love, no one can do the work but you.ââââNiklas GĂśke
Pushed for time, but want to improve your financial knowledge? Then I highly recommend GĂśkeâs summary of some of the greatest finance books ever written. Within the summary, Niklas GĂśke provides you with 44 actionable lessons to help you rethink money, invest wisely, and grow your money in just 4 Minutes per day.
How can this book help youâŚ
Help you build awareness and do an audit of your current money habits.
The importance of setting up an emergency saving bucket before you even think of having an investment bucket!
Timeless money strategies and information with the realities of investing. It pulls together all the most important lessons from some of the best financial books ever written.
3. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
âYou have power over your mindââânot outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.ââ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
This is one of my all-time favourite reads and continues to have an impact on life a decade after first reading it. Having lived through a pandemic and the daily threat of world war 3 and weird weather patterns this book is just as relevant as it was during the time of ancient Rome and Greece. Reading has given me a more stoic approach to life and all its challenges.
How can this book help youâŚ
This book can be rather subjective and ther is so much value to be had. What you get out of this book may not be the same for another, but it will help you to better regulate emotions rather than be controlled by them. One of the hardest things we can do in life is to learn how to let go of what we can not control.Â
2. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Canât Stop Talking by Susan Cain
âThereâs zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.ââ Susan Cain.
Sadly extroversion tends to be more valued than introversion in society, but just because someone isnât talking in a meeting doesnât mean they are not contributing. Equally just because someone likes their voice to be heard doesnât mean the waffle from their mouths adds value. If you are over-talking are you listening to the room? Remember a fart can be loud, but itâs just full of hot air and gas.Â
This book helped me to make peace with and see the value of being more introverted. I will not talk just for the sake of talking I like to listen and âreadâ the room. As a dyslexic, I am great at connecting the dots and seeing patterns emerge, but for me to work most effectively I need space.
How can this book help youâŚ
To recognise your value and key skill sets as someone that is more introverted.Â
If you manage someone who is introverted or you work in HR and want to learn how to get the best from the quieter members of the team. Introverted team members often get overlooked, but often have the most value to give.Â
Learn how to change your communication style as a leader so the whole team and organisation can benefit from different personality types.Â
1. Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
âDo I need this? Or is it really about ego?ââ Ryan Holiday.
Whenever I make a decision I ask âDo I need this? Or is it really about ego?â If itâs likely to be ego related and of no real benefit I drop it! The person I always try to be better than, is myself. I use Stoicism as a way of building upon my character.
Itâs not an easy thing to do to tame your ego, but with this book, you will get tangible ancient and modern-day wisdom to support you on your journey to becoming a better less ego-driven person.
How can this book help youâŚ
Ego can often be the roadblock to many goals, but it isnât something you have to fight. Become aware of your ego and keep it in check to excel in life.Â
Ego is a weakness, not a strengthâââalthough itâs a sense of oneâs own worth donât confuse ego with confidence. You can have a big ego, but little internal confidence. Equally, you could be very confident and humble. Appreciating the self-worth of others over your own
Key Takeaway
Donât just read non-fiction actively start to apply what you are learning. Take notes or make post-its of key points or quotes that inspire you to take action.
đWhat have been your influential reads of 2022? How many non-fiction books do you plan to read in 2023?
Here is the full list of books I read in 2022 đÂ
2022: 52 Non-Fiction Books in 52 Weeks
A list of the non-fiction books I read in 2022. In order. trishadunbar.medium.com