Looking back at this post from last year with the best 3 books from 2015 makes me so happy. Those 3 books still influence my life on a daily basis.
I feel like I read a little less than usual in 2016. Or it might just be that I didn’t review as many books on the blog. Some of the books I read and liked but didn’t get to review on here were “Rising Strong”, “Why Not Me?”, “Present Over Perfect”, and “Start with Why”. All big-hitters and best-sellers in their own categories. Definitely books I will recommend in the future. Yet still, the three books listed below lingered with me the longest.
These were the standouts from my 2016 reads:
Best 3 Books I Read in 2016
“Mindset” by Carol Dweck
This book was such an eye-opener for me. I still talk about it on a regular basis. Dweck brings to light the differences between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset believes that we are born with finite or pre-determined abilities. A growth mindset believes that our abilities can be developed through time and practice. Through many examples and experiments, she shows how impactful having either of these mindsets can be. This is a book that would help any parent, teacher, coach or child who wants to free themselves from comparison & low self-esteem. The picture about mindset painted by Dweck is a very motivating because mindsets can change. When I think back on the year and which books have stuck with me the most, Mindset by Carol Dweck is definitely #1 on my list. See my full review HERE.
“The Gift of Failure” by Jessica Lahey
Intuitively, I understand letting your kids stumble and struggle is good for their growth and independence. In practice, this is much harder. I really enjoyed Jessica Lahey’s voice and her credibility as a mother to a middle schooler and a middle school teacher. Gift of Failure also provides many examples of the negative impact dependence can have on a child. She outlines many ways that the reader can begin to shift the responsibility from parent to child. I especially loved her chapters on how to proactively approach teachers and your child’s school, letting them know you support and respect them from the very first day. Much like Mindset, once I read this book, I wanted everyone I know to read it so we could discuss. In fact, we did gather a small group for a study on this one because the content is so relevant. See my full review HERE.
“The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday
This little book was so much fun to read. Made up of short chapters, “Obstacle” paints a new perspective for the reader. Weaving in stories of real historical figures and aligning them with Stoic principles, Holiday then brings it back to current day and the takeaways for us. One of the viewpoints of Stoic philosophy is to look at your hardships in a different light. Instead of taking a “why me?” approach, how could you use that negative to your advantage? How might that suffering eventually lead to wisdom and invaluable experience? It certainly seems like a more productive way of channeling your energy in times of stress. Kudos to Ryan Holiday for making Stoicism hip and relevant in 2016. See my full review HERE.
Have you read any of these? What were your favorite books from 2016?
