Thread by @AliAbdaal

Last year, I read over 50 books. Here are my Top 15 recommendations from that list 👇

🎥 A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by @donaldmiller - really, really good book that made me cry (a lot) and also made me reconsider how I’m living my life. It’s about changing one’s story and embracing risk, change, and challenge.

💌 How to Think More About Sex by @alaindebotton - very insightful book that, I honestly believe, should be read by everyone. On the surface it’s a book about sex but, in reality, it’s about things like human connection, intimacy, and authenticity.

⚖️ The Righteous Mind by @JonHaidt - helped me understand and appreciate the people that are on the other side of the political spectrum. I really liked the explanation through ‘moral taste buds’ and how people with different political views respond to them in different ways.

🤑 The Psychology of Money by @morganhousel - a deep dive into how and why we often act irrationally yet reasonably with money. Changed my perspective on things like savings, investing, and salaries. And since we can’t escape the money game, why not master it?

📢 Storyworthy by @MatthewDicks - likely the single best (and most engaging) non-fiction book I read in 2020. On the surface, it’s about how to become a better storyteller but, in fact, it shows how that can lead to us becoming better listeners, partners, and communicators. 10/10

📝 How To Take Smart Notes by @soenke_ahrens - this book has transformed my relationship with note-taking. If you read a lot and take lots of notes, this book can help you get much more out of it. Read the summary here: aliabdaal.com/book-notes/how…

🎢 The Ride of a Lifetime by @RobertIger - an autobiography of the CEO of @Disney. Lots of engaging stories and insights into the life of an entrepreneur from how he got started to when he became a CEO and acquired companies like @Marvel, @20thcentury, and Lucas Films.

🐘 The Elephant in the Brain by @KevinSimler & @robinhanson - lots of our behaviours are just about signalling and status. This book uncovers all these motives and has made me reflect on the Why behind many of the things I do. Watch:

🩺 War Doctor by @NottFoundation - really engaging stories from David Nott who’s a vascular surgeon based in London and who’s been in loads of different war zones throughout the last 30 years.

🇬🇧 Natives by @akalamusic - deep insights into what it’s like to be black and/or working-class in Britain. Helped me shape my view of the world and somewhat experience the side of life that I didn’t know that much about.

🕰️ Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan - a 14-book series that I’ve been reading since mid-2019 and finished it in March 2020. During that time I was genuinely looking forward to driving each morning to work because I could just listen to more Wheel of Time.

🥷 Six of Crows by @LBardugo - it’s about a gang of thieves that live in slums and they each have some unique skills. The main plot is about them trying to break into a super-heavily guarded fortress to rescue a scientist. Awesome story with a little bit of magic and romance.

🤴 Elantris by @BrandSanderson - another one from my favourite fantasy author. This one is a little bit slower paced but still offers a great story. Yet, if you’re new to the world of fantasy books, start with another series from @BrandSanderson - The Mistborn Series.

🫂 Normal People by Sally Rooney - the story follows two high-school teenagers who’re on a different spectrum of social popularity which changes as they both go to university. A great love story with very real aspects of trauma, mental health, and insecurities.

🤖 The Original by @BrandSanderson & @MaryRobinette - not really a book but an @audible_com original. It’s got background music, sound effects and is narrated by the authors. An amazing story, more on a sci-fi spectrum, of a world where people have their own clones.

📚 For a full list of books to read in 2021 with my very own description of each, take a look at this video 👇

TL;DR

1/3

🎥 A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by @donaldmiller
💌 How to Think More About Sex by @alaindebotton
⚖️ The Righteous Mind by @JonHaidt
🤑 The Psychology of Money by @morganhousel
📢 Storyworthy by @MatthewDicks

2/3

📝 How To Take Smart Notes by @soenke_ahrens
🎢 The Ride of a Lifetime by @RobertIger
🐘 The Elephant in the Brain by @KevinSimler & @robinhanson
🩺 War Doctor by @NottFoundation
🇬🇧 Natives by @akalamusic

3/3

🕰️ Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
🥷 Six of Crows by @LBardugo
🤴 Elantris by @BrandSanderson
🫂 Normal People by Sally Rooney
🤖 The Original by @BrandSanderson & @MaryRobinette