15 Books To Read In 2022
Yeah — it’s that time of the year. Reflecting over what has happened in the current year and making promises on things we will change on the upcoming one.
Although New Year Resolutions may sound a bit cliché, I believe that being thoughtful about who we want to become and achieve is essential. However, I also believe that the switch happens mentally and that anywhere, at any point in our lives, we are able to change things if we decide to.
If the beginning of a new year gives you an additional push — then go for it. I hope this article helps!
What I read in 2021
I planned to read 12 books this year, but unfortunately it was not possible. However, I managed to read 5 really amazing ones:
- Pitch for Life by Walid O. El Cheikh
- The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon (I wrote my own review of this one here)
Unlike in the past, for the upcoming year I defined one topic for each quarter. This, I believe, will help me to stay focused, grow in different areas and not be pushed around by the hype some books have.
A great portion of every content I consumed this year was about investing and personal finance and this is because some of my main priorities for next year is to start other forms of investing, namely: index funds, stocks and crypto. Therefore, for the first quarter, every book will be on Finance.
Then, as you may expect, the second quarter will be on Startups and Business Development. I work in Operations and I’m not sure how is it for the rest of you but to avoid being in the loop of routine and problem solving — I have to intentionally keep my peripherals open and continuously groom my strategy side.
In the third quarter of the year, I will focus on Personal Development. I’ll read books which I believe will help me to become more effective and live a simpler, structured and less stressful life — despite the obligations and responsibilities.
Last but not least, for the last quarter of 2022, I will slow down and focus on books that help me to feel more fulfilled with the work I do and the relationships that I have.
Whether building the habit of reading is part of your New Year Resolutions or you’re just looking for recommendations to add to your own list, here they go:
January
1. Investimentos Inteligentes by Gustavo Cerbasi
Gustavo Cerbasi is one of the most influential leaders in financial literacy and author of 16 books. In this book, which can be directly translated to “Smart Invests” he specifically talks about how investing and achieving financial freedom always involves giving-up on something and taking risks. However, it doesn’t need to be a painful process. He shares different strategies and forms of investing.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find translated versions of his books.
2. Como Organizar Sua Vida Financeira by Gustavo Cerbasi
“How to organise your financial life.” Managing our own money is not an easy task, especially if we are unaware of the power of planning and organisation. In this book, Gustavo shares tips for those who want to make more informed decisions about their money, achieve some balance and plan for a more prosperous future.
February
3. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
“By now, you’ve heard all the nutty get-rich-quick schemes, the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of kooky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. Hey, if you’re tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this — it’s the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. And it’s based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies.”
March
4. Do Mil ao Milhão. Sem Cortar o Cafezinho by Thiago Nigro
Another amazing Brazilian book which unfortunately I couldn’t find an English version. In his first book, Thiago Nigro, founder of the “O Primo Rico,” a youtube channel on financial education, teaches readers the three pillars to achieve financial independence: spending well, investing better and earning more. Through data and his own experience as an investor and advisor, Thiago shows that achieving wealth is possible for anyone — as long as they are dedicated and willing to learn.
April
5. Rework by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
The author defends that to start and run a successful company we actually need less than we have been told.
“You don’t need to be a workaholic. You don’t need to staff up. You don’t need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don’t even need an office. Those are all just excuses. What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You’ll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.”
6. Winning by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch
“With Winning, Jack Welch delivers a wide-ranging, in-depth, no-holds-barred management guidebook about the tough strategic, organisational, and personal challenges that face people at every stage of their careers. Loaded with candid personal anecdotes, hard-hitting advice, and invaluable dos and don’ts, Jack explains his theory of business, by laying out the four most important principles that form the foundation of his success.”
May
7. Blue Ocean Strategy by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim
“Written by the business world’s new gurus, Blue Ocean Strategy continues to challenge everything you thought you knew about competing in today’s crowded market place. Based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than a hundred years and thirty industries, authors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne argue that lasting success comes from creating ‘blue oceans’: untapped new market spaces ripe from growth.”
8. Blitzscaling by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman
“What entrepreneur or founder doesn’t aspire to build the next Amazon, Facebook, or Airbnb? Yet those who actually manage to do so are exceedingly rare. So what separates the startups that get disrupted and disappear from the ones who grow to become global giants?
The secret is blitzscaling: a set of techniques for scaling up at a dizzying pace that blows competitors out of the water. The objective of Blitzscaling is not to go from zero to one, but from one to one billion –as quickly as possible.”
June
9. Hacking Growth by Morgan Brown and Sean Ellis
“An accessible and practical toolkit that teams and companies in all industries can use to increase their customer base and market share, this book walks readers through the process of creating and executing their own custom-made growth hacking strategy. It is a must read for any marketer, entrepreneur, innovator or manger looking to replace wasteful big bets and “spaghetti-on-the-wall” approaches with more consistent, replicable, cost-effective, and data-driven results.”
July
10. A Riqueza da Vida Simples by Gustavo Cerbasi
“In this book, Gustavo Cerbasi uses all the experience acquired over 20 years dedicated to financial education to propose a new model for building wealth, based on sustainable choices.
Instead of giving up quality of life to maintain a standard that is incompatible with your reality, the author suggested that you reduce fixed costs, adopt minimalism and have only what is genuinely important to you. The focus is on reducing inefficiencies related to the standard of living. It’s not about saving pennies, it’s about making structural changes that will make your financial life less rigid.”
August
11. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
“In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity — principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.”
September
12. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
“Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, or earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.”
October
13. Start With Why by Simon Sinek
“START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way — and it’s the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organisations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY”
November
14. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
“A motivational and inspiring guide to wholehearted living, rather than just the average self-help book, with this groundbreaking work Brené Brown, Ph.D., bolsters the self-esteem and personal development process through her characteristic heartfelt, honest storytelling. With original research and plenty of encouragement, she explores the psychology of releasing our definitions of an “imperfect” life and embracing living authentically. Brown’s “ten guideposts” are benchmarks for authenticity that can help anyone establish a practice for a life of honest beauty — a perfectly imperfect life.”
December
15. Love Is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
“Are you wondering what the next killer app will be? Do you want to know how you can maintain and add to your value during these rapidly changing times? Are you wondering how the word love can even be used in the context of business? Instead of wondering, read this book and find out how to become a lovecat — a nice, smart person who succeeds in business and in life.”
Usually I get my books from local bookstores, the library, friends (PDF) or on Audible. Yes — I also listen to books.
Audible is an Amazon subsidiary, known as the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling and largest producer of audiobooks in the world. I have been on Audible since 2016 and some of the best books I heard are: The Millionaire Next Door, The Intelligent Investor and the Five Love Languages.
As a thank you for making it this far, through this link you will be able to try Audible for 30-days and get 1 of the 15 books I just shared for FREE. Let me know how the experience goes!
