My Top 10 Books of 2019
By: Michael Bjorn Huseby
Tags: Self Improvement, Self, Books, Readinglist, Reading

After turning the pages to 92 books in 2019, I’ve decided to list ten titles that had the most impact. To be clear, most of these books weren’t all written in 2019 — I just happened to pick them up in this glorious year. The books are in the order I read them.

Antifragile — Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“My idea of a modern stoic sage is someone who transfers fear into prudence, pain into information, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking.”

Antifragile is Taleb’s manifesto on probability, decision-making, and resilience. He describes how we can create lives that are less likely to collapse when improbable events shake society’s foundations. Comfort leads to atrophy, so we should constantly challenge ourselves, growing in the process.

Much of Antifragile consists of Taleb making wild, far-reaching claims and being rather pleased with himself, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Nevertheless, he changed my outlook on the world, and wading through a bit of bragging is definitely worth your trouble.

Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Frankl was a psychiatrist who the Nazis forced into a concentration camp during the Holocaust. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl describes the horrible conditions during his wartime prison.

However, the real beauty of Man’s Search for Meaning lies in Frankl’s ability to find meaning in his suffering. In his oppressive surroundings, he discovers that while we can’t choose our circumstances, we can choose how to respond.

Why We Sleep — Dr. Matthew Walker

“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day.”

Dr. Matthew Walker’s book is a fascinating deep-dive into why we sleep, what happens when we don’t get enough rest, and how we can improve our sleep habits. Why We Sleep has a healthy dose of neuroscience, covering topics like sleep cycles, dreaming, and the effects of alcohol and caffeine.

The 5 Love Languages — The Secret to Love that Lasts — Gary Chapman

“Love doesn’t erase the past, but it makes the future different. When we chose active expressions of love in the primary love language of our spouse, we create an emotional climate where we can deal with our past conflicts and failures.”

The 5 Love Languages explains how each of us receives love differently. Even if we have the best of intentions, if we can’t effectively communicate our love to others in a way they understand, they may feel unappreciated, empty, and resentful.

Whether your partner’s love language is touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, or acts of service, making an effort to show your affection in a way they’ll understand can make all the difference.

Walden — Henry David Thoreau

“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”

Thoreau wanted to experiment with a minimalist lifestyle, so he wandered into the Massachusetts wilderness, built himself a small house, and lived there alone for two years. Walden is half memoir of his time at the pond and half minimalist manifesto.

Placing a premium on leisure, Thoreau argues that most people spend more time working than is necessary for a meaningful life. He laments the fact that many of us toil for hours on end, only so we can live in a slightly bigger and more luxurious box. I was particularly struck by Walden and its prescription to slow down and enjoy the beauty of life.

The Alchemist — Paulo Coelho

“When you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe…and, when you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

The Alchemist is a beautiful tale of a kid from Spain who goes on a remarkable adventure in which he comes face-to-face with love, death, and the gods. Coelho counsels us to follow our dreams, live in the present, and never stop until we’ve achieved our personal legend.

As the main character continues along his quest, we witness his profound spiritual development as he realizes that everything he’s been searching for has always been within himself.

The Paradox of Choice — Barry Schwartz

“We must decide, individually, when choices really matter and focus our energies there, even if it means letting many other opportunities pass us by. The choice of when to be a chooser may be the most important choice we have to make.”

Choice is at the foundation of human happiness, but too many options can lead to decision-fatigue and anxiety. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains the benefits of accepting “good enough” instead of always trying to find the perfect fit.

According to Schwartz, we often think decisions are more important than they really are — we quickly adapt to whatever we choose. By constraining our choices, creating personal rules for decision-making, and adhering to overarching values, we can live a happier and more peaceful life.

Ishmael — Daniel Quinn

“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.”

Ishmael is a cautionary tale regarding excessive consumption, population, and destruction of Earth. Reaching all the way back to the Agricultural Revolution, Daniel Quinn offers a complex thesis of human development. Using a gorilla (yes, a gorilla) as an instructor, Quinn outlines the causes of our planet’s grave situation, as well as a prescription for change.

Covering issues such as religion, anthropology, and agriculture, Ishmael opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the world — a world we are quickly destroying.

Gandhi’s Autobiography

“I have always held that it is only when one sees one’s own mistakes with a convex lens, and does just the reverse in the case of others, that one is able to arrive at a just relative estimate of the two.”

Written by one of the world’s most highly-revered individuals, Gandhi’s autobiography tells the story of a fascinating life that took him from India to London, South Africa, and beyond. Throughout his life, Gandhi administered many experiments in nutrition, compassion, and service, always with himself as the subject.

Gandhi’s unwavering ability to stand firm to his values is admirable. Placing others before himself and his loved ones (sometimes to his family’s dismay), Gandhi is a giant of compassion, honor, and determination.

Hardwiring Happiness — Dr. Rick Hanson

“Neurons that fire together wire together. Mental states become neural traits. Day after day, your mind is building your brain.”

In Hardwiring Happiness, Dr. Rick Hanson covers the areas of the brain responsible for happiness, agitation, and peace. After reviewing the neuroscience, he explains a process by which we can train our minds to respond positively to our experiences. By staying present and soaking up enjoyable experiences, we prime our brains to see the bright side of life.