Read or not to read? This is the real question. It has been said that the person you will be in 5 years depends on the books you read and the people you surround yourself with. I can’t help you with the last one but I have something for you to read. A new semester is coming and it is a perfect time to get ahead and read some incredible books which will help you become not only a better and more effective student but also a wiser person. Let’s dive in.
Best Books to Read for Someone Who Is Getting Ready for College
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
I am sure you have heard about the possibility to completely change your way of life for 21 days, but this book goes beyond that.
Habits are one of the core things which form your ability to become a successful student and then a successful person. The habits and the patterns that are ingrained up in your head are largely what define what you do on a day to day basis. As time goes by, the accumulations of those actions really define whether you achieve your goals or not.
The reason you need to read the book is to understand how habits are formed. It goes over what they call “habit loop” and shows how routines are formed in your head. They are triggered by certain things and they end up leading to certain rewards. It also shows you how you can start changing your habits with the knowledge of the habit loop, how you can break bad ones or start building good habits that you do not have yet. This book is definitely in the list of 100 books to read in your lifetime.
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
It is the author’s attempt at building an education in a book that can replace actually going back to graduate school for an MBA. What he wants you to realize is that there are certain foundational concepts in each aspect of the business, such as accounting, working with others, sales, marketing, value creation, etc. All of these aspects of the business are useful to know no matter what your major is.
If you do not know what books to read in your free time, believe me, it is the best option.
Debt-free U by Zac Bissonnette
It is the most essential book for anyone looking to go to college. Let me just say, this read can save you thousands and thousands of dollars. The book contains a wealth of information about student loans, the cost of debt and how hard it might actually to be paid off and most importantly, whether or not you actually need to take debt to get a good education.
The author breaks down a lot of the flaws in the college rankings which drive a lot of student’s college decisions and shows how you can get a great education at an in-state public university or even a community college. He also explains in actual detail how you can afford it without taking on debt. Why do you need to read it? Because if you want to become a perfect job candidate and the financially stable person in a few years, the first step is to stay out of student debt or to pay it off as quickly as possible. If you want to read something more useful than “50 Shades of Grey”, it is a perfect choice.
Top Books to Read in College
If you are tired of struggling with tons of assignments, there are essay writing service to help you and a few great books to survive math, chemistry and biology classes.
The Code Book by Simon Singh
The best book for understanding the history and the ins and outs of cryptography, the science of encoding and decoding messages. It gives you a comprehensive overview of the topic, and it starts all the way back in Roman times and goes over Caesar ciphers and monoalphabetic substitution ciphers, moves onto polyalphabetic one and then goes into the modern day. This book an absolutely fascinating read and you won’t put it down once you started reading it.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
It is a great overview of the reasons of the financial crisis in 2008. More importantly, this book is made of easy explanation and great metaphors. No strange words and unknown terms. If you have an interest in the history of economics, if you want to know an exact answer on why all the markets crashed that year and how corrupt system really works, you definitely need to read it. By the way, it is an excellent example of how a book about economics can be really fun, though it will probably also make you mad.
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
As you have already known, you are going to read a book about math. But before you close the page, I need to say it is not about equations and Venn Diagrams. It is about thinking like a mathematician and applying this knowledge in everyday life. Moreover, the second section of this book is going to teach you calculus just in one page.
So, even if you did not choose a math minor in college or study the concepts further, it will give you a deeper understanding of statistics. Moreover, you are going to be able to accurately interpret the ones you see in everyday life and will not to be deceived by shocking statistics.
The War Art by Steven Pressfield
If you are faced with procrastination, it is a mandatory book to read. The War Art is basically a meditation on the work of an artist, the daily work put in over years. It deals a lot with such term as a resistance and explains how to defeat it. Just start to read and after 5 pages you will understand the brilliance of the book I am talking about.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
It is all about how companies go from good or to great ones. The author of the book did a deep research, looked at data from hundreds of different companies, and identified corporations that spent years in the mediocre zone and had a transition point to great success.
The thing you definitely need to read is a chapter called “Level 5 leadership”. It explains that you will definitely achieve the highest level of leadership by combing only two main characteristics – modesty and will to work. I am not going to reveal all the secrets, so make yourself comfortable and read it.
Books to Read 2018
Winter is coming as well as the new semester, so it is time to fill in the blanks in your reading list. And in case you have not even read the books below, you need to fix it now. Let’s jump right into it. Here are some interesting books to read while you are traveling, drinking coffee or enjoying the sunset.
What Everybody Is Saying by Joe Navarro
First of all, it is what I call a catchy title. This is a book covering human body language because most of our communication is nonverbal. The author is ex FBI agent and he talks about all these unique tips that you can use to read people from across the room. Even the smallest body parts like eyelids, cheeks, a finger can tell you a lot. After reading this book you will love watching people, you will understand what is going on in each situation without even needing to hear what people are saying. Joe Navarro even goes as far as to give you simple tips to change your posture to allow you to express authority, to build trust with somebody else.
Just a little example, if you put your hands completely in your pockets that is a very passive submissive pose. If you want to exemplify a little bit of confidence, all you have to do is take your thumbs out.
Public Speaking for Success by Dale Carnegie
We all need to improve how we speak in public. To be an effective communicator, to influence people you need to be able to be a better public speaker. Dale Carnegie gives you some really simple steps that anyone can follow. One of those steps I take too hard and use all the time is the idea of verbalizing your speech before even doing it. That way your brain can recite information, get used to saying it. You will probably stumble, but it is okay because you are practicing.
Flow the Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Relax, the book is not as complicated as the author’s surname.
Even though this book is called “The psychology”, it is basically a book about happiness. This is an evolving field called “positive psychology”. I need to say I became obsessed. In medicine we always look at the negative symptoms like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, but positive psychology focuses on the positive aspect of life.
What is the flow? It is the feeling you feel when you are playing basketball, when you are rock climbing or when you are playing an instrument. It is very self-fulfilling authentic happiness. Flow explains that in order to feel happiness, to get that intrinsic joy in life you constantly need to set these little achievable and meaningful goals for yourself.
I agree that books let you travel without moving your feet, but most importantly, they let you get an education without going to university. Take advantage of it.
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