My Favorite Books of 2022

I read every day! Reading is vital if you want to increase your odds of success. With that in mind here is a quick rundown of the books. Here is a quick summary of my top books and then the list of the others I managed to read.

Clearer, Closer, Better by Emily Balcetis
Without question, this is my favorite new book from 2023. The focus is really simple. How do high performers really think about achieving big things? The answer is they focus on achieving a lot of small things quickly.

Never Finished by David Goggins
This book is a visceral application of the ideas of Emily Balcetis. David Goggins is a unique example of what is possible when you decide what you want to achieve is more important than what it takes to achieve. My recommendation is to read everything he has written.

Getting to Neutral by Trevor Moawad
It’s easy to be positive when everything is coming up roses. But what happens when life goes sideways? Many of us lapse into a self-defeating negative spiral that makes it hard to accomplish anything. This book is a step-by-step guide to ignoring negativity and thriving.

Quit by Annie Duke
This book explains why quitting is integral to success, as well as strategies for determining when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em, which will save you time, energy, and money. If you like games and enjoy learning how to make better decisions this is a great guide.

How Dante Can Save Your Life by Rod Dreher
I read this book as a recommendation from my parish priest. I had read Dante in college and really got very little from it. This book changed that. It is a good read for both religious and secular people, who find themselves searching for meaning and healing. Dante told his patron that he wrote his poem to bring readers from misery to happiness. Without this guide, I would not have seen that as possible.

The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink
Everybody has regrets, they are a naturally powerful motivator for change. They’re a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives.

Survival Is Not Enough by Seth Godin
This is a book released in 2002, the technology examples are dated the ideas involved are not. Whether the market is up or down, whether technology is hot or not, in all industries, from retail to tech to restaurants, the organic approach to organizations described in this book will consistently outperform the competition. As long as our world is unstable, evolving businesses will win.

Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil by Kenneth Cukier
To frame is to make a mental model that enables us to make sense of new situations. Frames guide the decisions we make and the results we attain. People have long focused on traits like memory and reasoning, leaving framing all but ignored. This is a book that makes it easier to come up with great questions and understand the picture your prospects and clients are looking at.

Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
Here is a simple premise. When we want something done, we've been trained to ask ourselves: "How can I do this?" Well, there is a better question to ask. One that unlocks a whole new world of ease and accomplishment. Expert coach Dan Sullivan knows the question we should ask instead: "Who can do this for me?" It is a good book with a great idea and solid advice.

Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
The title says it all but the book makes good points as a reminder of what simple things done consistently over time will produce in our lives.

Tech-Powered Sales by Justin Michael
Adding technology to a flawed process is not helpful and this book lays out the ideas behind using tech to grow revenue as part of a process rather than using tech to be the process. A little dry, but this is essential reading for any salesperson in today's workplace.

Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio
This was my least favorite book, not because of the content which is good but because the style of writing was tough for me to follow. Having said that this is well worth the time to read as the points made connect history to the present and are a valuable lens to see today's events as part of a larger whole.

I also went back and reread a book that I feel is an overlooked classic. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. This is my favorite book, I read it every year and every year I learn something new. This year I was reminded that I can choose to go along to get along or I can make the hard choice to do what I believe is right. And doing what is right is always the right choice.