By Ben Kissam
December 27, 2018
I've always enjoyed reading but didn’t make it a priority until 2017. Last year, I set a goal to read 12 books (about one per month).
Like my annual “3-Word Memoir“, the point of this post is to shorten each book down to one big takeaway, quote or lesson. This way I can look back years from now and remember where (or from whom) I learned things.
I hope you enjoy and also learn something! And if you use it, follow me on GoodReads.
Ben Kissam’s 2018 Reading List
In 2018, I read 36 books divided up into categories like psychology/mind (7), personal development (7), coaching (3), business (4), science (3), history (1), biography (1),comedy (1), and other (9).
Each book is listed below. At the bottom, you’ll find my top five books for 2018.
Psychology/Mind
Mindset by Carol Dweck- “In short, when people believe in fixed traits, they are always in danger of being measured by a failure.”
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink- The age that most people run their first marathon at usually ends in a “9” (29, 39, etc.). A reminder that even when we don’t think about it, we’re keeping track of time. Endings to things naturally motivate us to do stuff we wouldn’t normally do.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink- The core of this book is what I’ll remember most–humans are naturally motivated to do good work. When you believe this, motivation becomes more about the environment you cultivate for yourself or others to do their work in.
He: Understanding Masculine Psychology by Robert A. Johnson- Every man suffers from a “Fisher King Wound”. Most men, according to Jungian psychology, spend their lives trying to fix this wound by searching for external remedies to heal it. According to Jung, though, the solution is inside of each man, in the same way that a fish does not need to search for water because it is already in water. We already have what we need.
Two other gems:
- “If one thinks that something or somebody will fill the Grail hunger (read: void) in him, no cost is too high.”
- “A man creates out of his restlessness; a woman creates by knowing what always was.”
Games People Play by Eric Berne- I created my own crude psychology model for theHaters article from this book. Like Newton’s third law, human behavior has an opposite and equal reaction to the amount of vitriol you hold onto.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki- “And we should not hoard knowledge; we should be free from our knowledge. If you collect various pieces of knowledge, as a collection it may be very good, but this is not our way. We should not try to surprise people by our wonderful treasures. We should not be interested in something special. If you want to appreciate something fully, you should forget yourself. You should accept it like lightning flashing in the utter darkness of the sky.”
Example: Rich Froning describes how he got serious about CrossFit when he started serving Christ and stopped doing it for himself. I’ve come across many other examples. It’s interesting how high-performing people almost exclusively drive from a place that exists outside of themselves.
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey- Self 1 and Self 2. Self 1 instructs, Self 2 acts. When we shut off the waterfall of Self 1 and trust in Self 2’s abilities, we become more capable of learning and performing. I’ve read this book three times and take more from it each subsequent time through. If you coach or instruct, I can’t recommend it enough.
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