Books
„I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.“
I loved reading as a child. I especially loved Enid Blyton's adventures, and it seemed to me that I read all of her books! Research shows that she has written over 700 (!) novels, which leads me to conclude that I probably haven't read all of them ;)
Times changed and Enid Blyton disappeared. Here I would like to share some books that have inspired, motivated or supported me in recent years. Of course, this is absolutely subjective, as everything - even books - has its time.
Atomic Habits (James Clear) - (deutsch: Die 1% Methode):
James Clear describes how to build new habits and to break bad ones. It´s full of insights and pragmatic instructions, and it can help you to become a better version of yourself. Read more: Atomic Habits (James Clear)The Bullet Journal method (Ryder Carroll) - (deutsch: die Bullet-Journal-Methode):
The Bullet Journal (BuJo) is more than a planner: you can use it as a calendar, journal, to-do list, goal tracking tool and mindfulness tool - but it doesn't have to be all of these things. Just choose how your bullet journal can best serve you. But the Bujo method is not just about optimizing productivity. It's also about thinking about WHAT you are doing and WHY you are doing it.Refuse to Choose! Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams (Barbara Sher) - (deutsch: Du musst dich nicht entscheiden, wenn du tausend Träume hast):
What is a scanner? Scanners are multi-interested people, they love to read and write, repair and invent and create and design and learn new things (note: AND, not or!). They are often autodidacts and interested in a wide variety of areas that seem to have nothing to do with each other. Scanners have a lot of ideas, they like to explore and try things out, and are usually enthusiastic. But it could also be difficult for them to stay focused and decide what to do next. Scanners are often overwhelmed by their many ideas and their interest in something can quickly disappear. Often they look for ONE passion until they realize that it is in their nature is to have MANY passions. Barbara Sher describes different types of scanners and gives many motivating insights and tips - which also leads to amazing AHA-moments. Loved it!! Great! Inspiring!
Further Sher recommendations: I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was (Ich könnte alles tun, wenn ich nur wüsste, was ich will.) and
It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now: How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age (Grusel-Übersetzung, bitte auf der Zunge zergehen lassen: Für deine Träume ist es nie zu spät. Durchstarten in der zweiten Lebenshälfte ;)))
The Coaching Habit - Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever (Michael Bungay Stanier) - (deutsch: The coaching habit):
This is about the power of asking questions. Just try it out and start your conversations with the kickstart question “What's on your mind?”. Continue with the AWE question (“And what else?”). Tell less, ask more - so simple, so amazing. Works great.Thinking, fast and slow (Daniel Kahneman) - (deutsch: Schnelles Denken, langsames Denken):
Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman describes two systems that determine our thinking. System 1 works automatically, quickly, unconsciously and without deliberate action. System 2 describes the active, slow and more logical thinking that is activated, for example, when solving a math problem. It turns out that we do not always act rationally because we are prone to cognitive bias and fallacies. Really really really interesting!Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (Greg McKeown) - (deutsch: Essentialismus: Die konsequente Suche nach Weniger. Ein neuer Minimalismus erobert die Welt)
The philosophy of this book can be described as "less but better". The underlying beliefs are that not everything can be important so you need to choose wisely. Essentialists say: "Few things are essential." "You can do anything, but not everything." “I choose". A non-essentialist distributes his energy to a wide variety of tasks. As a result, he makes only tiny progress in these many areas. An essentialist knows that he cannot do everything at once. He chooses his activities intelligently and says no to everything else. He focuses his energy on only a few activities - and will have the satisfying experience of making visible progress.Emotional Agility - Get unstuck, embrace change and thrive in work and life (Susan David) (deutsch: emotionale Beweglichkeit) - Recommendable! Lots of psychological explanations of how we humans function.
Do less, get more (Sháá Wasmund) (deutsch: Do Less, Get More: Warum weniger mehr ist)
Less is more is (also) the call in this book. For the author, it's not about achieving more and more. It's about making sure that we take care of the relevant things that pay off in terms of our personal satisfaction. Does everything really have to be so busy? What is important in the first place? What about multitasking? The book is a guide to create life simpler and more meaningful. An easy-to-read collection of theses and suggestions that is well suited as a refresher for good and already familiar resolutions.Everything is figureoutable (Marie Forleo) - (bisher nicht auf deutsch erschienen):
This is a motivational self-empowerment book that will teach you to build the one belief that everything is figureaoutable. Marie gives lots of pragmatic advice if you are stuck or want to achieve your dream. She also gives insights into her own experiences. The audio book is read by the author with wonderful euphoria. If you are looking for motivation or inspiration, read it!
And also a good source of inspiration: Marie's YouTube channel “Marie TV” with lots of interviews.Big Magic (Elizabeth Gilbert) - (deutsch: Big Magic):
A declaration of love to creativity and an invitation to everyone to be creative. Very touching and motivating passages to get started.
Great audible version that is read by the author herself - loved it!The gifts of imperfection (Brené Brown) - (deutsch: Die Gaben der Unvollkommenheit):
Brené Brown studies human connections and she is also known for her famous TED Talk, with over 15 million (!) views on Youtube, in which she shares her research on shame and vulnerability.Rich Dad Poor Dad (Robert T. Kiyosaki): - (deutsch: Rich dad, poor dad):
It´s a classic among finance books. It´s about the idea NOT to work for money but to let your money work for you.
My favorite parts: “Work to learn, not to earn.” And: “Be bold.”The Winners Laws (Bodo Schäfer) - (deutsch: Die Gesetze der Gewinner):
You want to know what to do to be successful in life? This book offers many approaches to what successful people do. I read this 20 years ago and it´s still great. Very easy to grasp, very motivating and tons of good advice. The individual chapters can be read independently and seem ideal for a (2-minute-) break ;)The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle) - (deutsch: Jetzt!):
Everything has its time and presumably this book is especially worthwhile if you feel ready for it inside. I started it two times before I was ready ;). This book is about achieving inner peace and about being conscious. The audio book version is highly recommended.
Further (similar) recommendation by the same author: A New Earth
What I know fore sure (Oprah Winfrey) - (deutsch: Was ich vom Leben gelernt habe):
"What do you know for sure?" Oprah Winfrey was asked during an interview. This question inspired her to write a column, which in turn serve as the form basis for this book. Oprah shares experiences from her full and successful life, she tells about her struggles and her personal growth. The sections are self-contained and are ideal if you don´t feel like reading a (whole) book. There are many exciting insights of her life, motivating impulses and suggestions for thinking about life.Conquering Fat Logic (Nadja Hermann) - (deutsch: Fettlogik überwinden):
The key massage is: 7000 calories = 1 kg. Almost everything else doesn´t matter. You don´t need to be distracted by further statements, but there is no shortcut either. E.g. if you eat one sandwich less a day, you will lose 1 kg per month (30 x 240 cal. = 7200). After reading this book, I lost 20 pounds.How to take smart notes (Sönke Ahrens) - (deutsch: Das Zettelkasten-Prinzip)
Let Me Tell You A Story: Tales along the road to Happiness (Jorge Bucay) - (deutsch: Komm, ich erzähl dir eine Geschichte):
An amazing collection of (ZEN) short stories. Similar:Füttere den weißen Wolf (Ronald Schwebe, Aljoscha Long; only available in German): also a great collection of wisdom and ZEN stories.
Reaktanz - Blindwiderstand erkennen und umnutzen: 7 Schlüssel für ein besseres Miteinander (Carmen Thomas, Moderatorin, only available in German): Enthält ein paar pragmatische und merkfähige Ansätze. Meine Favoriten: Verwerten statt Bewerten (= sich bei Aussagen des Gegenübers auf die Substanz fokussieren, statt flott zu (über-)reagieren: Welchen (wenn auch noch so kleinen) inhaltlich interessanten Aspekt kann ich mitnehmen? Und: Brillantsätze (Sätze für bestimmte Gelegenheiten in petto haben, z.B. um verunsichernde Situationen besser zu umschiffen).
„A picture is only finished by the viewer. It’s the same with books. No reader reads out more than he reads into it. The same book is another to the other.“