Thread by @berkey11

I was asked today for some book recs on @audible_com & ended up taking a deep dive into my library from this past year. In this thread I'll go through some of the more interesting reads I finished this year.

1st up is easily the most quotable book I read this year. This novel tales the tell of the highs, lows, trials and tribulations of navigating all the phases of love gracefully through the expectations of a long term relationship.

Next up are two books by @DavidEpstein, a former investigative journalist who has recently set his sites on what creates greatness in the athletic arena. Sports Gene is largely an attempt at isolating nature from nurture to determine what genes, if any, create athletic excellence

Range presents the case against specialization in sport in favor of generalization. These two books go hand in hand as Sports Gene hints at some proof that certain athletes are better suited for specific sports that they may never participate in if fall into specialization.

Huge fan of @rustyrockets's ability to articulate so eloquently the acceptance of knowing nothing. Revelation is a cross between a real time existential crisis and a reflection upon a life full of growth and triumph. This book is the perfect guide to finding calm amidst chaos.

The 2nd autobiography, Greenlights, was one of the more fun & charismatic life stories I've read. @McConaughey is an impeccable story teller & his narration brings the stories to life in a way that feels real, as if he's holding court to entertain all those who care to listen.

The next autobiography is Can't Hurt Me by @davidgoggins. Love him or hate him one thing is certain, you can't ignore him. The audible version includes a podcast at the end of each chapter where he goes into greater detail of the path to becoming the hardest motherfucker around

Seems fitting to put @mrjasonowilson's Cry Like a Man directly after the cold & hardened Goggin's tale. This book really speaks to the weight the emotionally suppressed, specifically men, tend to carry & how critical it is to strike a balance between strength & vulnerability.

I absolutely LOVE this book. Shoutout to @Liv_Boeree for recommending it quite some time ago. @annakaharris does a great job of asking all the right questions while exploring the tiny sliver of understanding (scientifically) that we have over what it is to be conscious.

As a poker player I'm obv biased w/regard to how riveting I found @mkonnikova's story telling to be. The ability to interweave her anecdotal experience with theory & psychology really made for a complete vision of her journey. Her narrating the audible only adds to the experience

I may have listened to this last year, but in any event @simonsinek's The Infinite Game is a must read for anyone who needs to be reminded of the importance of process over results-- specifically investing in positive sum games over gaming the system in zero/neg sum environments

Another book that emphasizes the benefits of process oriented thinking over goal oriented mindsets. Atomic Habits, by @JamesClear, speaks to the psychology behind creating habits & routines(processes) that aren't attached to tangible goals, but rather anchored to our value system

These final two books are both books that I read for the 2nd time this year. @attachedthebook has been the book I've gifted the most. It speaks to attachment psychology & the characteristics that allow us to find security, dependency, or resistance in a partner.

The Happiness Hypothesis by @JonHaidt is an exploration of where happiness is derived & how we utilize the ego, super ego & id to continually pursue that which yields pleasure & pain.
you can find excerpts in a previous thread I compiled.

https://twitter.com/berkey11/status/1407888160512692228?s=20

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Currently I'm reading Wanting by @lukeburgis. So far it's making a strong case for us having little to no free will over our wants and desires. Very compelling after only a few chapters, I feel confident recommending it.

I hope this thread has proven useful. I would love some recs that you feel are must reads.

*Side Note: I may have read some of these books toward the end of 2020.