📚 15 Book Recommendations from 2021

Hi,

I hope you had a happy Christmas. I hope you had a relaxing break, and you’re getting all the time you need to disconnect and recharge.

As the end of the year approaches, I wanted to do one more thing. Reading has been an essential habit for me and I would like to share this passion with you. That is why I collected 15 books I loved to read from 2021.

In the list, you will find mainly non-fiction books: biographies, business topics, psychology, or philosophy. The topics are quite diverse. To each book, I also added a couple of thoughts. Impressions, learnings, or whatever that stuck. Of these 15, I am confident you will find one (or several) you'll like.

And with that, I would like to wish you a happy new year!

PS. If you have read any of the ones on the list, please feel free to reach out. I love to discuss them.

Best regards,
Toto Nguyen

1. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster 🌎
(by Bill Gates)

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we are facing, and we are the only generation who can do something about it. But how can we achieve net-zero by 2050? In this book, Bill Gates sets his optimistic vision to get there. He addresses the questions around climate change: what do we have to achieve, what happens if we don’t, what are the key causes, and what are the innovations we need to solve them. The book covers everything from electric cars, to cows burps, or to how to cool buildings. Bill Gates lets his intellectual skills shine, writing scientifically and concisely. I enjoyed it a lot, and it helped me understand the climate crisis. I hope it will do it for you too.

2. Steve Jobs 👓
(by Walter Isaacson)

A captivating book on a visionary who shaped how we live today. Steve Jobs shaped several fields that we use on a day-to-day basis. The personal computer industry with the Mac. The music industry with the iPod. The movie industry with Pixar. The phone industry with the iPhone. E-commerce with iTunes and the App Store, or laying the foundations of the cloud business. What an incredible legacy. However, behind this legacy, Walter Isaacson does an excellent job of painting a balanced picture such as the failures later led successes. I found it fascinating how the flaws of Job's personality were linked to the same qualities that made him revolutionary. I learnt so much about innovation, collaboration, and sacrifices. I hope you will too.

3. A Promised Land 🗽
(by Barack Obama)

This book made me realise how accessible information is. Today, with a few clicks, I can hear from the former President of the US. Incredible. His memoir includes various lessons on leadership, analytical thinking, or the nature of politics. He demonstrated leadership in crisis in matters such as the 2008 Financial Collapse, introducing Obamacare, or handling the US-Russia relationship. It was stunning how structured and analytical his thinking was, as he described the uncertainty around the order to capture Bin Laden. The book was also a lesson on how fragile democracy is. Getting the majority of the votes, handling different stakeholders, or getting people from the other party to collaborate with…. Insightful questions, the book covers. I think the book got a bit technical sometimes, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. I loved it, nevertheless, and can’t wait for the second book to be released.

4. Becoming ⤴️
(by Michelle Obama)

After President Obama’s book, I wanted to read about Michelle Obama’s perspective. Because 8 years of presidency is certainly not an individual success. It’s a mutual effort with the former First Lady being a critical player in the team. In Becoming, Michelle Obama opens up about her journey from Chicago to the White House and afterward. In contrast with Barack’s analytical language, Michelle Obama’s writing is easy to read and captivating. She takes the courage to become vulnerable. She describes her struggles with finding her own identity, losing her father, or making sacrifices for her husband. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times. A wonderful person fighting for politics, global health initiatives, or parenthood… I hope you will find something to your liking.

5. The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day 🧘‍♂️
(by Addy Puddicombe)

I have been struggling with practicing mindfulness in the last 2-3 years, meditating on and off. I could not build a consistent meditation routine despite knowing the potential benefit. I did not feel better, my attention was scattered, and I struggled with the basic concepts. But this book helped. Andy Puddecombe is the mastermind behind Headspace, one of the most popular apps in the world. Here, he opens up about his life and his journey with mindfulness. In a relatable way, he describes his struggles being a monk in the Himalayas. He collects all his experiences into captivating stories. Andy helped me understand the fundamentals of mindfulness which led to a consistent meditation routine. And I could not be grateful enough for this. A fantastic read, that I recommend to anyone curious about mindfulness.

6. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia 💰
(by Mohsin Hamid)

Despite wanting to keep the list non-fiction and in contrast with what the title suggests, Hamid’s book is actually fiction. However, because of its impact on me, I just could not keep it off from this list. This book has one of the most interesting styles I have ever read. Disguising itself as a self-help book, it takes a 2nd person narrative to tell a beautiful story on business, politics, family, and love. As a second-generation immigrant, growing up with Vietnamese parents, I could relate deeply relate to the story. While the plot takes place in India, I’m sure you’ll get a deeper understanding and appreciation for the rapidly evolving Asia in general. It certainly made me proud of my heritage.

7. How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be 🦢
(by Katy Milkman)

Behavioural change is one of the most fascinating questions to me. How can we change? The question started on an individual level, but since I started to work, I also became curious about how to drive change on an organisational level. Katy Milkman breaks these questions down elegantly with the experience of an engineer. The book is structured around the 6 key villains who she identifies to be barriers to change: getting started, impulsivity, procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness, and lack of confidence. Milkman breaks down their psychology and offers hands-on solutions on how to drive change. There is nothing that can stop us now?

8. Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope 🙏
(by Mark Manson)

Mark Manson is one of the most creative writers of our generation. He uses humour and explicit language to bring important ideas in an easy and engaging way. Behind the comedian, however, there is a well-read person with tremendous knowledge. After his first bestseller, he delivers again. In Everything is F*cked, Manson brings the transformative ideas from philosophy and puts them in a modern context. He collects ideas from Nietzsche, Kant, or Plato, wraps them into funny stories that are easy to read. It was an introduction for me into philosophy. An impactful read on religion, ethics, pain, or growing up. If you are into these, it is a must-read.

9. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success 🤝
(by Adam Grant)

Adam Grant is an organisational psychologist and one of my favourite thinkers. Nothing demonstrates this more than the fact that I read 3 of his books in 2021. The first one is Give and Take. Here, Grant explores the ways to collaborate with each other. He brings three categories on how we interact: we can be takers, matchers, and givers. Takers focus on their own gain, matchers seek even trades in interaction whereas givers tend to help others without expecting anything in return. Grant breaks down how each correlates with success. Through examples from business, sport, or movies, he demonstrates why giving first is the way to become successful and fulfilled. He also advises how to avoid getting “stepped over”. It completely changed the way I approached leadership, networking, or collaboration. I hope it will show you the way to become a giver as well.

10. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know 🧠
(by Adam Grant)

As our world is rapidly evolving. Being able to continuously learn is critical. This requires constantly challenging our assumptions, testing a new hypothesis, or asking novel questions. With the expertise of a psychologist, Adam Grant creates a blueprint on how to “think again” on an individual and on a collective level. Step-by-step he breaks down how to think like a scientist and what steps we can take to incorporate it into everyday life. The book completely changed how I approach critical thinking, learning, and conflicts of perspectives. I hope it will do the same for you.

11. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness 📕
(by Eric Jorgenson)

Naval Ravikant is one of the most influential entrepreneurs and investors with a strong track like AngelList, Twitter, Yammer, or Uber. But he is so much more than that. In the last decade, he became a philosopher of the 21st century to me. In this book, he collects his principles and ideas. First, he talks about business and building wealth. He argues that building relationships and knowledge is more important than seeking profit. Then, he walks us through his mental models and frameworks to improve his decision-making. And lastly, he talks about fulfillment. Taking old ideas from Buddhism or Hinduism, he shares his thoughts on the meaning of life, meditation, and happiness. The book is consisted of short snippets so you don't need to read it cover to cover. Feel free to pick it up and browse it through whenever you can!

12. Show your Work 🖼️
(by Austin Kleon)

Without this blog, you would most likely not read this blog post. Austin Kleon is an “author who draws”. His work consisted of concise writing and captivating art to illustrate his ideas. This leaves us with books that are funny, pretty, and easy to read. In only a handful of pages, Austin Kleon managed to demolish my self-doubt when it comes to sharing my work online. It helped me understand that you don’t have to be a genius to teach others, and sharing your work (let it be writing, art, or anything in between) can actually bring value to other people’s lives. Voila, this blog! I would recommend this to anyone who has a creative pursuit. Don’t be afraid to share, and Show Your Work will show you how!

13. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants 🤼
(by Malcolm Gladwell)

I was reading David and Goliath during the European Football Championship this summer. My favourite games were where the underdogs won (you remember the game Switzerland against France?). I loved those. Reading the book was perfect timing because it dug deep exactly into this phenomenon. How did David win against Goliath? How can underdogs win against the giants? What are the hidden advantages of the underdogs against the giants in the world? Malcolm Gladwell ponders exactly on these questions. He’s also an author I’m a big fan of. He can bring true stories or case studies to wrap them into psychological analysis and captivating narrative. He demonstrates the power of the underdogs and provides actionable steps on how all of us can challenge our Goliaths. And surely, what can be more inspiring than that?

14. Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman! 🤣
(by Richard P. Feynman)

If you enjoy reading about geniuses, this one is for you. However, Richard Feynman is not one of the “traditional geniuses”. Through stories told by Professor Feynman himself, we learn about his different faces. We hear about the Noble-Prize-winning astrophysicist who contributed to the Manhattan Project at the age of 24. We hear about the biologist who contributed to the decoding of DNA. We hear about the teacher who touched so many people’s lives. We hear about the adventurer, the comedian, the rebel, the prankster. And I have to admit, I never thought that there is anything wrong with a little mischievousness. I’m glad to get positive feedback from Professor Feynman. A fun read on curiosity, science, and how to enjoy life.

15. Bad Science 🥼
(by Ben Goldacre)

This book has been on my reading list for a very long time. However, not until the COVID pandemic did I actually pick it up. With all the misinformation and vaccine hesitancy (not necessarily denial), I wanted to understand these trends a little more. Despite being published 10 years ago, Bad Science stays incredibly relevant on these topics. He digs deep into the importance of understanding clinical trials, the spread of misinformation, or skepticism to evidence-based medicines. Through examples like the HIV epidemic, he shows how resistance to public health measures arises and how it can cost lives. The book helped me put the current events into a greater picture, and made me realise: these trends are not new and we have actually made progress compared to the past. Besides the important lessons, it is fun read with edgy humour!

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