Big bowls of pasta, op shops, my husband and a comfy pair of pants.
But one of my great loves is books. I love reading books, particularly nonfiction books.
As a kid, I wasn’t much of a bookworm though.
When it came to reading out loud in front of the class, I absolutely hated doing this. My anxiety levels would skyrocket. Reading circles (where you’d pass the book around and take turns reading) felt like a form of torture.
I thought . . .
“I suck at this. This is not fun!”
So for many years, I avoided books like the plague.
But people can change. And thankfully, I changed. And my relationship to books and reading changed, too.
In my first year of university, I discovered the life changing work of Dr Leo Buscaglia. And I was hooked.
Leo was this larger than life university professor who wrote about topics such as love, connection, empathy, change and learning. He came from a migrant Italian family and he loved food, life and learning. He had been labelled a ‘slow learner’ as a child, so I felt like Leo and I had a few things in common.
I couldn’t get enough of Leo’s ideas and work. I tracked down every resource that was published by Leo, including a set of 8 audio cassette tapes of public talks Leo had delivered (audiobooks and podcasts weren’t a thing back then).
Leo’s books kick-started my reading habit and changed the way I thought about life and learning.
Fast forward to 15 years later . . .
My library card is currently maxed out. I have several books on various topics on the go at any one time.
My goal is to knock off one book a week (although I often don’t achieve this) and integrate at least one new idea/strategy into my life from each book.
As Derek Sivers says:
“Learning without doing is wasted. If I don’t use what I learn, then it was pointless! How horrible to waste those hundreds of hours I spent learning, and not turn it into action. Like throwing good food in the trash: it’s morally wrong.”
So over the past year, I’ve read and mind mapped out a lot of books. Here are 10 books that changed my life and thinking in some way this year . . .
Written in a sarcastic, tongue in cheek, punchy tone, ‘How to fail fantastically’ is a refreshing read compared to most books on failure that dish out stock standard advice such as “failure is how we learn and grow”.
There are plenty of great lessons in this book about how to live a successful life (whatever success may look like to you). One idea I took from this book is if you don’t take any action at all towards your goals and dreams, you can bypass failure and head straight to regret. Life is too short for regrets, so read this book!
We assume that having lots of money, the latest shiny object and the perfect body will make us happy. But research shows this is not the case. The things we think will make us happy often fail to deliver. Intellectually, I understood this (I’d read the research studies). But as someone who grew up in a working class family, I still felt this desire to make money.
It wasn’t until I saw Lauren Greenfield’s book of photos and stories of the super rich that I really got how misguided we are as a society. The pictures clearly show that beyond a certain point, money and stuff doesn’t make you happy. The more you have, the more you want more.
This book is the perfect go-to guide on how to live an inwardly rich and fulfilling life on a budget. Forget eating out at fancy restaurants, buying a luxury car, going shopping, etc. This book is the ultimate reframe on how to be truly rich and happy. It’s about living life fully and making the most of your precious resources (time, energy, money and possessions).
The authors explore topics such as how to discover your ‘sweet spot’ (your enough point), how to reinvent Christmas (vanquishing ‘Christmas consumption mania’), and relishing free and cheap things (e.g. afternoon naps). It’s a fun and easy read. Implementing the simple ideas will make your life richer in so many ways.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world (e.g. the climate crisis, mass species extinction, an epidemic of anxiety and depression). It’s even easier to switch off from these massive issues and distract ourselves with novelty and instant gratification. But in this book Sarah Wilson gives us the pep talk we all need to step up and go out and create a better world for ourselves and future generations.
Essential reading for anyone who is concerned about the state of the world.
We live in a culture that is obsessed with money. We sacrifice our time to make more money, thinking if we have more money we will be happier. However, research shows people who are more time affluent and value time over money tend to be happier.
This book taught me that I need to priorities my time over making money. So what does this look like in practical terms? I have started to say no to taking on too much work. I have also hired a friend’s teenage daughter to help out with household chores, which frees me up to spend time on activities I enjoy (e.g. reading and writing).
If you want to change your behaviour, you need to start small. Go tiny. Too many of us go too big (too early) and we give up. I’ve read a lot of books on habit formation but in Tiny Habits Professor BJ Fogg offers a new and fresh perspective on how to wire in new behaviours.
Since reading the book, I’ve implemented a range of tiny habits around exercise, healthy eating, positive thinking and mindfulness meditation.
This book shows you how to take care of your most precious asset: your brain.
Team Sherzai lay out the evidence that shows Alzheimer’s is predominantly a lifestyle disease that can be prevented through their NEURO plan: Nutrition (plant-based wholefood lifestyle), Exercise, Unwind (stress reduction), Rest (sleep) and Optimise (challenging your brain with complex tasks).
This book is one of the main reasons why I adopted a whole-food plant-based lifestyle and no longer eat processed junk foods.
Period preacher Lucy Peach has created the ultimate self-care manual. Peach invites us to think about periods as a female superpower.
She presents four phases females go through (Dream, Do, Give, and Take) and shows what we can do in each phase to harness this superpower. It’s a fun and empowering read, especially for young women.
If you’re feeling increasingly uncomfortable about using social media, this book is one to read.
Author Jaron Lanier refer to social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, as ‘behaviour modification empires’. He lays out how “we’re being hypnotized little by little by technicians we can’t see, for purposes we don’t know”.
After reading this book I hit delete on my Facebook account. This small action is the most effective thing I have done this year to improve my life and happiness.
Every now and then I feel a need to revamp my systems and the way I work. So in this book, I enjoyed Jessie Kwak sharing how she organises her work, clears her mind, deals with distractions and gets stuff done. This book is packed full of ideas and strategies to help you feel more control of your life and make time for creative projects.
All of the above books are fabulous reads but if I was to choose my top three books, they would be as follows:
So there you have it – 10 books that changed my life and thinking in some way this year. Most of these books I got from my local library, so I think it’s fair to say I engaged in some fairly thrifty personal development this year.
So why not visit your local library and choose a book that will expand your world?
It’s up to you what book you choose. You get to choose your own adventure. And trust me, there are plenty of wonderful adventures to be experienced through books.
Share This:
As someone who loves to read, I always look for great books to add to my shelves and the growing pile of books next to my bed. Over the past year, I’ve stumbled upon some amazing books that I’m excited to share with you.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your thinking, organise your life, create new habits, or get absorbed in an inspiring story, this list has something for everyone.
Here are nine standout books from my 2024 reading list that are well worth your time.
Let me know which ones you’re excited to pick up—and don’t forget to share your recommendations with me. Let’s go!
“We use our brains entirely too much – to the detriment of our ability to think intelligently. What we need to do is think outside the brain.”
There’s an old assumption that thinking happens inside the brain. But this book blows that assumption apart. Annie Murphy Paul presents compelling research that shows there are many ways we can use the world around us to improve our ability to think, learn, and unleash creative ideas.
This book changed my behaviour in several ways:
I’ve been able to “extend my intelligence” using my body, physical space, and relationships. If you’re curious about the science behind these behaviours, I recommend reading this book.
“Avoid all exercise”, “Maximise screen time”, and “Can’t afford it? Get it anyway”.
These are just three of the 40 behaviours and habits psychologist Dr Randy Paterson encourages us to engage in to guarantee a lifetime of misery.
This book takes advice we all need to hear, flips it, and presents it in a way that cuts through.
I was surprised by how motivating this book was. It made me want to move my body, stay off screens, and engage in self-care acts way more than your usual self-help book. It also helped that it was laugh-out-loud funny.
How to be Miserable was such a delight to read that I purchased Paterson’s other book for young adults (How to be Miserable in Your Twenties). Both books I highly recommend.
“A restaurant is a promise: walk in and we’ll be ready. Select anything on our menu and we’ll cook it for you quickly and well.”
Chefs can’t wing it. They need to be organised and have a plan. We can learn a lot about how to organise ourselves and manage our commitments from the culinary world.
This book outlines the philosophy and strategies of running a successful commercial kitchen and shows how to apply these ideas to navigate our lives with power and ease.
Dan Charnas discusses ideas such as slowing down to speed up, knolling, rearranging spaces to remove resistance and making first moves. As someone who loves cooking and being organised, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
“As Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world, what we do over the next handful of years really, really matters. The time for standing on the sidelines has passed.”
Joelle Gergis is a climate scientist who gave up a prestigious academic position to sound the alarm on the climate emergency. In this Quarterly Essay, she lays out the latest climate science in a clear and compelling way and shows readers what is at stake if we continue business as usual (e.g., approving new fossil fuel projects).
This essay is a heavy but essential read for all Australians who want a liveable future.
This book is a collection of nuggets of wisdom that Kevin Kelly wrote for his adult children. This is life advice he wishes he had known earlier.
At first glance, this looks like just another standard book of uplifting quotes. But don’t be mistaken. This is no ordinary book of quotes.
Kelly could have easily written entire waffly chapters on each quote, but I’m so glad he restrained himself. Each quote is small but mighty, providing plenty of food for thought and practical advice.
Here is a small selection of Kelly’s life advice that resonated with me:
“Be frugal in all things except in your passions. Select a few interests that you gleefully splurge on. In fact, be all-round thrifty so that you can splurge on your passions.”
“The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic.”
“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can achieve in a decade. Miraculous things can be accomplished if you give it 10 years.”
The Australian government recently passed legislation to ban social media use by teenagers. Some have cited this book as the reason for the ban. If that’s true, I can certainly see why.
Social psychologist Dr Jonathan Haidt argues that we are overprotecting our children in the real world while underprotecting them online. This has led to disastrous consequences for young people’s mental health and development.
Before reading this book, I didn’t like social media companies and the manipulative strategies they use to hijack people’s time and attention. Over the years, I had read a lot of books outlining the harms of social media. What’s unique about this book is that Haidt presents a plan for cleaning up the mess these Big Tech companies have created and ensuring children develop in a healthy way.
Haidt’s plan involves keeping children off social media for as long as possible. Whether you’re a child or an adult, I firmly believe that everyone can benefit from some time away from these platforms. As Haidt succinctly puts it:
“The Anxious Generation is a book about how to reclaim human life for human beings in all generations.”
This book argues that we’ve been brainwashed to measure whether we are winning at life by the size of our possessions and the amount of money we have. However, according to author Robin Sharma, this definition of success is far too narrow and limiting.
Sharma expands the definition of wealth and what it means to “live abundantly and beautifully” by sharing other forms of wealth often overlooked by capitalist culture.
If we invested more time in personal growth, building connections and community, and cultivating good health, we would feel deeply alive rather than exhausted from the hedonic treadmill.
I’ll leave you with this quote that struck a chord with me (written in the chapter on Health):
“If you don’t feel good physically, mentally and spiritually, all the money, possessions and fame in the world mean nothing. Lose your wellness (which I pray you never will) and I promise you that you’ll spend the rest of your days trying to get it back.”
This delightful children’s book starts with Jim Panzee waking up feeling grumpy.
“The sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, and the bananas were too sweet”.
Have you ever woken up feeling a little bit off?
This book is a fun way for everyone (not just little kids) to understand human emotions. It’s okay to be grumpy! It’s okay to wake up feeling a bit off. Allow yourself to experience these emotions. In time, they shall pass.
One of my relatives is obsessed with The Wiggles (an Australian children’s performance group). After reading Anthony Field’s memoir (the Blue Wiggle), I finally understand all the fuss. The Wiggles are amazing!
Field’s memoir takes a deep dive into how the band started, how they managed to stay true to their values and mission, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Field is honest about his difficult time in school, media blunders, and his struggles with physical and mental health issues over the years. What can I say? Out of the Blue is a refreshing, wholesome read.
“I’ve been thrilled to become the major on-stage instrumentalist playing guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, bouzouki, and anything else a curious child might want to explore musically. It turns out that the maintenance of a child-like wonder about the world isn’t so hard to retain, even after you turn 60.”
There you have it! Nine books that shifted my perspective and changed my behaviour in some way. Now, it’s over to you – what books helped to shape your year? Are there any you’d recommend?
I’d love to hear your recommendations.
If so, you could be suffering from decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue occurs when you have to repeatedly make decisions. Every decision you make takes effort and depletes some of your mental resources. By the end of the day – after making hundreds of decisions – you feel mentally drained.
You struggle to make simple decisions (e.g., “What will I have for dinner?”) and the quality of your decisions deteriorates too (“I’ll get Uber eats”).
In the book The Gap and The Gain, Dr Benjamin Hardy describes decision fatigue as follows:
“Decision fatigue happens when you’re not sure what you’re going to do. It’s when you’re torn between options and, due to your indecisiveness, you often cave to the tempting worse option.”
Sound familiar?
Instead of studying, you go on social media.
Instead of cooking a healthy meal for dinner, you order greasy fish and chips.
Instead of getting to bed at a reasonable hour, you watch another episode on Netflix.
Unless you have the self-discipline and mental clarity of a Zen master, decision fatigue is something we have all experienced.
Research has found even people who are expert decision makers (i.e., judges) suffer from decision fatigue.
In one study researchers examined 1,112 judicial parole decisions by eight experienced judges at different times throughout the day.
The researchers found if prisoners appeared before the judges at the very beginning of the day or after a food break (morning tea or lunch), they were more likely to get granted parole than prisoners who appeared later in the sequence of cases in a session.
In fact, they found the probability of a favourable decision dropped from 65% to almost 0% from the first ruling to the last ruling with each sitting session.
What was going on?
When the judges started their work day, they had a lot of mental resources available. One would assume these judges had slept well and had some breakfast.
But as each sitting session progressed, each decision they made depleted their mental resources and executive function. Just before morning tea or lunch, their mental resources would have been running low.
The researchers argued that when the judges had limited mental resources they became increasingly punitive. They simplified their judicial decisions and went with the status quo which was to deny parole requests.
This phenomenon is known as the Irrational hungry judge effect.
What do you do with a hangry judge?
Give them plenty of breaks and food.
In this study, the judges’ mental resources seemed to be replenished and their decision making ability restored after morning tea and lunch breaks.
What does this research on hangry judges have to do with your studies and work?
Here’s how it relates . . .
For optimal brainpower, you have to schedule in rest breaks. If you don’t schedule in regular rest breaks, they often don’t happen. You also need to take care of yourself with healthy food and healthy lifestyle practices and eliminate trivial decisions wherever you can.
Here are some simple and practical things you can do to overcome decision fatigue and keep your mental resources topped up:
I like to have a digital timer within arms reach at all times when I’m working. At the start of a work session, I’ll set the timer for 20-30 minutes. When the timer goes off that’s my cue to get up and move.
The timer reminds me that:
1) I’m not a robot; and
2) I need to take breaks to replenish my mental resources.
Clicking and scrolling through your social media feed can rapidly deplete your mental resources. Jumping around the Internet from one random post or video to another can erode your attention and willpower. As the Center for Humane Technology states:
“When endless content creates an overwhelming amount of want, we can end up addicted to seeking satisfaction, clicking and scrolling, mindlessly consuming content, often with minimal oversight from cognitive control regions of the brain. Ultimately, this behavior drains our energy.”
Social media algorithms also promote content that provoke angry reactions over neutral and positive reactions. When you see posts that fill you with anger and other negative emotions (e.g., fear, envy, and anxiety), this can also leave you feeling drained.
So, be intentional about your social media use. Ask yourself, “Why am I going on here? What’s the point?” If it’s for fun and/or entertainment, that’s fine. But it’s a good idea to have your digital timer nearby and set a time limit. When the timer goes off, say out loud “That’s enough. I’m getting off!”.
Your brain needs energy to function at an optimal level. Where does it get that energy from?
Simple answer: food.
Author of The Willpower Instinct Dr Kelly McGonigal recommends fuelling your body with foods that give you lasting energy. She states:
“Most psychologists and nutritionists recommend a low-glycemic diet- that is, one that helps you keep your blood sugar steady. Low-glycemic foods include lean proteins, nuts and beans, high-fiber grains and cereals, and most fruits and vegetables-basically, food that looks like its natural state and doesn’t have a ton of added sugar, fat, and chemicals.”
Establishing habits, pre-planned responses, and checklists reduces the number of decisions you need to make, subsequently preventing decision fatigue.
I’m a big fan of tiny habits and implementation intentions to help streamline the day. I also have a folder of checklists to help me pack equipment for various trips, work jobs, and community events.
These checklists make all the difference, especially when packing for trips away. The night before I go away, I grab my packing list and start throwing items into my bag. Very little mental effort and/or decision making is required! I get to start my holiday full of energy rather than feeling mentally depleted and grumpy.
If you’re feeling overworked and mentally frazzled, head outside for a good dose of nature. Research by Hartig shows nature can restore deficits in attention and make people think and feel better.
I understand when you’re feeling tired, the last thing you want to do is get up and move. But research shows a five minute walk can do your brain the world of good.
One study found taking six regular five minute walking breaks every hour left people feeling more energised and less fatigued than people who just took one 30 minute walking break and sat for the rest of the day.
Can you lay out your clothes the night before? Pack your lunch and bag before you go to bed? Write a short to-do list for the next day? If you can knock off a few trivial decisions the night before, this is going to lighten your mental load the next day.
I love the energising effect of taking a post-lunch/afternoon siesta. I started taking power naps when I was an exchange student in Italy. My Italian host mother insisted I take a nap after lunch (it’s what everyone in the village did). So, when in Rome . . .
I grew to love taking naps. In fact, I’ve continued the practice for the past 20 years.
I recommend limiting your naps to 15-30 minutes in duration (any longer and you risk waking up feeling groggy). To avoid messing with your sleep at night, make sure you take your nap before 5pm.
We can all learn a thing or two from the example of the punitive behaviour of the hangry judges. To avoid the Irrational hungry judge effect you need to take care of yourself.
The good news is there’s a lot you can do to replenish your mental resources. If you take a few minutes here and there to engage in tiny self care practices, not only will you feel better but you’ll more likely make better decisions.
I read some absolute gems.
I’m a firm believer that a good book can change your life. This is why I make time to read every day.
As Australian actor Francis Greenslade advises in his book How I Learnt to Act:
“Read novels and plays and poetry. Read everything. I can’t stress this enough. Reading gives you so, so much. The more you read, the more new ideas you absorb, and the more new situations you experience . . .
The more you read, the greater your powers of concentration. What’s even more beautiful about reading is that it puts you into the head of someone else. It forces you to abandon your view of the world and take on anothers. In other words reading gives you empathy . . .
And it’s never too late to start. Read a book and you’ll become a better actor. But Snapchat and glossy magazines and online games – they don’t give you anything.”
1. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Dr Anna Lembke
In Dopamine Nation Psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke argues that in the modern world most of us are running from pain. Whether we’re numbing ourselves with drugs, bingeing on Netflix, gambling, or compulsively shopping online, we’re “distracting ourselves from ourselves”. Lembke states:
“The reason we’re all so miserable may be because we’re working so hard to avoid being miserable.”
Dr Lembke shows readers a path to living a more authentic and fulfilling life.
Spoiler alert: the good life isn’t about having whatever you want, whenever you want. It’s about embracing the discomfort of the present moment and giving our dopamine receptors a chance to regenerate.
2. Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy by James Williams
Ex-Google strategist turned philosopher James Williams has written a brilliant book on the importance of reclaiming your attention and fighting back against the persuasive techniques used by the attention economy (i.e., big tech companies).
This book helped me to clearly see that the goals of big tech companies are not aligned with my personal goals. These companies do not have our best interests at heart. Williams argues if you want to be truly free and reclaim your capacity to think, you need to extract yourself from these machines of industrialised persuasion.
3. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
Johann Hari deserves an honorary doctorate for this literary masterpiece. In Stolen Focus, Hari travels the world interviewing experts to understand why our ability to focus has degraded and what can be done about it.
This is a complex, multipronged problem. Hari argues that we need systemic change to solve this crisis of attention (individual action won’t cut it). And this crisis of attention desperately needs our attention. If we stand any chance of solving the major issues we currently face (e.g., climate change), we need to build a social movement to reclaim our attention.
4. Mindful Self-Discipline: Living with Purpose and Achieving Your Goals in a World of Distractions by Giovanni Dienstmann
Being self-disciplined is the key to achieving your goals. But with just one click, you can get sucked into a world of instant gratification. How can you cultivate greater self-discipline in the age of distraction?
Giovanni Dienstmann has thought deeply about this question. In Mindful Self-Discipline he explores the many aspects to cultivating self-discipline. Topics include avoiding the trap of easy dopamine, creating a focus-friendly environment, letting go of unfair comparisons, and cultivating time awareness. This is the best self-help book I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it.
5. Time Wise: Powerful Habits, More Time, Greater Joy by Dr Amantha Imber
I’m a little sceptical of most productivity and time management books, but I enjoyed reading this book by Dr Amantha Imber. It’s a collection of strategies gathered from her popular podcast ‘How I work’.
I particularly liked the strategies presented to deal with addictive technology.
Some of my favourite strategies included:
• Putting rubber bands horizontally across your phone screen: this acts as a physical barrier to checking your phone.
• Solitude deprivation: Having time to be alone with your thoughts (no inputs from technology). This involves planning when you want to receive inputs from your phone and other devices.
• Creating stopping cues: Social media companies use strategies to keep you scrolling and clicking. To combat features like the infinite scroll, you can create your own stopping cues (e.g., having a set time to log off).
6. Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep by Dr Jennifer Heisz by Dr Jennifer Heisz
Over the years I’ve read a lot of books on the benefits of exercise but this book tops the list!
Neuroscientist Dr Jennifer Hiesz does a superb job presenting the science behind what exercise does for brain health, mental health, and preventing dementia.
Reading this book was like having a light bulb go off in my head. It gave me a deeper appreciation of exercise and how it has helped me to reduce anxiety, keep depression at bay, enhance my focus, and get through challenging times.
7. Disconnect: Why We Get Pushed to Extremes Online and How to Stop it by Jordan Guiao
This year I have had more conversations with people who believe in conspiracy theories than in the previous 10 years of my life. It’s alarming. How did we get here?
If you know someone who has fallen down conspiracy theory rabbit holes, this book will help you understand how this happens and what you can do to help your loved ones. Guiao also explores a number of other Internet related issues including social media narcissists, naïve futurists, hateful trolls, and dating app pests.
So, there you have it! Those are my favourite nonfiction books for 2022. They were packed full of life changing strategies and wisdom. I’m grateful to these authors for sharing their ideas with the world.
What books did you enjoy reading this year?
I’d love to hear your recommendations.
Dr Jane Genovese delivers interactive and engaging study skills sessions for Australian secondary schools. She has worked with thousands of secondary students, parents, teachers and lifelong learners over the past 15 years.
Get FREE study and life strategies by signing up to Dr Jane’s newsletter:
© 2025 Learning Fundamentals
