Kieran Drew Profile picture
Sep 3, 2021 24 tweets 11 min read Read on X
A lot of people reached out after my thread on reading like Naval

Asking for life-changing book recommendations

Thankfully, I’ve got a few.

Here're 9 books you need to read, 6 books worthy of a reread, and 3 books that you should be reading - every single year

📗THREAD📗
Before we dive in:

Different books speak to different people.

Depending on our lives and what we’re going through.

So I've left a note about why you might enjoy it.

And I’ve tried to pick a few you may not know.

First off, the 9:
Stumbling on Happiness - @DanTGilbert

It’s crazy.

Happiness is the one universal desire.

Yet, we're terrible at achieving it.

Psychologist Gilbert explains the science of happiness,

Why we fuck it up,

And how to do it right.

(Plus, he’s pretty funny)
The Lessons of History

History is human nature wrapped in a story

The problem?

It can be boring as shit to read

(sorry history buffs)

This book will take 4 hours

And drops incredible wisdom

“Nature has three agents for restoring the balance: famine, pestilence, and war”
Skip the Line - @jaltucher

I can’t say yet, but this book may be the most impactful one

Why?

Because Altucher does something rare

He teaches you how to think laterally

And have unique ideas

Even if you struggle creatively

Online, you're rewarded for your mind

Upgrade it
A Guide to the Good Life - @WIrvineauthor

Hands down the best introduction to Stoic philosophy you'll read.

This book will change your outlook, perspective, and mindset.

And it's well written, light-hearted, and humorous.

Just like a Stoic should be.
Transcend – @sbkaufman

Enjoy psychology?

Enjoy pursuing your potential?

You’ve come to the right book.

Interesting. Informative.

Scott builds on Maslow’s work.

The best bit?

There’s a chapter toward the end on reaching a higher level of life.

I read it every 3-6m.
Same Game, New Rules

The best sales book no one has heard of.

When I started my career, I read everything on sales

Literally.

There’s so much repetition

Then I stumbled on this gem

And it stood out from the crowd.

Everyone is in sales

Everyone should read this book.
Deep Work – Cal Newport

You ‘could’ get by without this

After all, the idea is simple.

Undistracted, highly focused work.

But imo, you need to read it
When you know the why & how you'll never break it.

My output, quality, and productivity has 10x’d since Cal entered my mind
How to Fail - @ScottAdamsSays

If you're not happy with your career, this is for you

Adams shows you how to own failure & put in the work to change your life

I read it a year ago.

I started waking up at 5.30 am every day.

Failed loads

I just quit Dentistry for copywriting.
Sapiens - @harari_yuval

I almost didn’t put this book here.

Everyone recommends it.

But honestly,
This shit should be taught at schools.

Understand where we’ve come from.
Why we do what we do.
Why life is how it is.

And the world makes more sense.

So you can thrive in it.
“Any book not worth rereading isn't worth reading.”- @nntaleb

I’m obsessed with exploring.
So rereading books was never a priority
But recently, it has been.

It’s great because you:
a) pick up on points previously missed, and
b) See the book in action in retrospect

👇
Poor Charlie’s Almanack – P.Kaufman

You don’t need an MBA. You need this book.

You don’t need philosophy. You need this book.

You don’t need a doorstop. You need this book.

This is the inner workings of Munger’s mind.

And it’s glorious.
How Will You Measure Your life – Clayton Christensen

If you disagree with how most of society operates, this book will sing to your soul.

An exploration of what it means to live well

And how to make it happen.

He recently passed away, but his ideas are immortalised.
The Obstacle Is The Way – @RyanHoliday

All life is suffering.

It's up to you to choose how much.

I love perspective.

The ability to change your view on pain.
To overcome challenges.
To lean into struggle.

This is the only ‘self-help’ book society truly needs.
Third Circle Theory

I honestly can’t believe this isn’t more popular.

If you want to live with purpose, this book is for you.

It focuses on living outside of our desires to serve humanity.

Important for fulfilment.

And rewarded exponentially in the digital era.
Seeking Wisdom – P Bevelin

Pound for pound,

This is the most informative book you will ever read.

Every sentence is wisdom.

I highlighted pretty much the entire thing.

And he breaks down complicated topics into perfect prose.

This book will make you significantly smarter.
Principles – @raydalio

Can I tell you a secret?

Don’t tell Dalio.

I skipped part 2.

It’s hardcore cooperate business.

AKA

Way over my head.

I’m a businessman of one.

But part 1?

Life-changing.

No more needs to be said.
Take a breather!

Whoever says reading is for nerds is an idiot.

Here’s a picture of me, getting pussy, with my kindle.

Ignore the haters my bookworming brethren

(and sistren)

Anyway:

Top 3
Yearly reads.

Nearly done!
As a Man Thinketh – James Allen (21st-century edition)

You know every self-help book you’ve ever read?

Take out all the waffle

Go back 118 years
And you have this masterpiece.

1 hour to read
Make a brew & enjoy.

(Buy the updated version. Old one sounds like Shakespeare).
Mans Search for Meaning

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

My 30th. This phrase. Tattooed.

(Hold me to it. May 3rd)

Adversity is just a word in the dictionary.
The Almanac of @naval - @EricJorgenson

AKA

The bible.

For modern fulfilment, success, and happiness.

I haven’t met anyone who’s heard of @naval and hasn’t been impacted

There’s a reason for it.

In this, you’ll find the keys to the life you want.

Have the guts to listen.
Thanks for reading!

I’m a copywriter who’s passionate about living with freedom and pursuing purpose.

So if you're trying to ace your life, give me a follow @itskierandrew.

Let’s boss it together.

P.S If you’ve got one to add – let’s build a library of good shit 💪🧠
TL;DR

… it’s a list of books.

If it’s too long to read, this thread isn’t for you.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Kieran Drew

Kieran Drew Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @ItsKieranDrew

Feb 6
If I were an entrepreneurial writer and wanted to stop selling my time…

Here's how I would build my business to make $100,000/year without ghostwriting.

(In 10 simple steps)
Follow the rule of one.

The mistake most writers make is spreading themselves too thin. Like Jack Butcher says, "Early diversification costs later compounding."

The fastest way to six figures is focus.

Follow the Rule of One:

• One problem
• One solution
• One platform
Pick the right problem.

You are paid in proportion to how much pain you solve. Most people pick the wrong problem.

It must be…

• A bleeding neck (a problem people want to pay for right now)
• Something you're passionate about solving
• For someone with money

Don't guess. Speak to people. Listen to their pain. Before you create, validate.
Read 12 tweets
Nov 5, 2024
Over the past 3 years, I’ve grown my email list to 35,000 readers.

It’s the most important part of my business.

But my biggest mistake? Wasting so much time on a ‘value’ newsletter.

If you want to grow your brand and business in 2024 and beyond, here’s why you need to avoid this trap:
When I started writing online, I spent almost two years sharing a ‘value’ newsletter.

Each week, I’d spend hours crafting an information-dense emails rich in steps, frameworks, and blueprints.

They felt great because they got plenty of compliments.

But they suck for your brand and business.

Why?
Most people think teaching was the best way to become an authority and get paid.

“If you give enough useful information, eventually people whip out their wallet.”

But it doesn’t work like that.

Why?

First, everyone is creating ‘advice’ content. It’s useful but unremarkable. You end up a commodity in a crowded market—a terrible position for business.

But the second point is most important:
Read 7 tweets
Oct 19, 2024
David Olgivy was one of the world’s best copywriters.

He once said:

“I am a lousy copywriter, but I am a good editor.”

The secret to great writing is rewriting. Steal my simple 3 step editing system to do it well: Image
First: never publish a first draft.

2 reasons:

1. Your first draft is never a complete thought
2. Writing is thinking on paper. Your best ideas emerge the more you revisit them

Instead:
First drafts fast

First drafts almost always suck. The key is to get it over with.

Write as fast as you can:

- No judgement
- No editing
- No checking social media
- Use [placeholders] when you get stuck

Think of it like vomiting ideas onto a page. Keep writing until you can say no more.
Read 7 tweets
Sep 3, 2024
Yesterday was the third year anniversary of me quitting the rat race.

When I went all in, I hadn’t made any money and had a tiny audience.

Since then:

- Grossed $875,964
- Attracted 241,000 followers
- Built a 35,000 subscriber email list

Here’s the most important lesson I learned about success:
I’d spent ten years and over 6 figures becoming a dentist.

I was terrified of throwing away all that effort. But it felt like an anchor slowly dragging me down.

Why?

Because I wasn’t happy.

On paper, I was doing well. I specialised in cosmetics and worked 6 days a week to ‘achieve success’.

But I couldn’t shake this feeling I was making a massive mistake.

That I was climbing the wrong mountain.

That there was something more to life.
But it took me years to grow the balls to quit.

Going ‘all in’ was the best decision I made.

Not because things worked out—although I’m glad they did (so is my hairline).

But because it showed me how important it is to bet on yourself.
Read 6 tweets
Jul 25, 2024
My favourite resource on understanding human behaviour:

“The Psychology of Human Misjudgement” by Charlie Munger.

There’s a reason Warren Buffett called his business partner the smartest man he knew.

Here’s a breakdown of the 25 psychological biases he shares: Image
1) Reward and Punishment Superresponse Tendency

Never underestimate the power of incentives. People will do crazy things to avoid pain or achieve gain.

“If you want ants to come, you put sugar on the floor.”
2) Liking/Loving Tendency

People will give you 100x more leeway in business and life if you’re likeable. This is why reputation is so important. It’s like the engine of your car. You can’t see it, but it’s the driving force behind all results.
Read 28 tweets
Jul 18, 2024
A philosophy that changed my life:

Stoicism.

I discovered it when I was diagnosed with a neurological tumour and a broken neck. Since then, every great outcome in my life has stemmed from the Stoic’s ideas.

Here are the 7 most powerful:
Don’t aim for happiness.

Most people are unhappy because they base their happiness on externalities. The Stoics instead for ‘Eudaimonia’—a deep-seated joy when living according to virtue:

• Justice
• Wisdom
• Courage
• Temperance Image
The dichotomy of control.

The more you chase things outside your control, the less control you have. Image
Read 8 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(