Continuing with my Buddhism thread, the first book I read in July was…
Why Buddhism Is True - Robert Wright
Wright modernizes much of what Thich Nhat Hahn says in Heart and makes it more accessible to a modern audience interested in cultivating a Buddhist practice.
Almost completely antithetical to Pillars but also written 60 years later.
Why was my favorite book this year because it did reduce my newly formed conceptions of what Buddhist practice is supposed to be per Pillars into something much more attainable and practical.
My meditation practice stabilized in many ways after reading Why.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind - Shunryu Suzuki
Mind(s) is more of a handbook than anything, but a very dense handbook.
Suzuki is credited with bringing Zen Buddhism to the west so there are some elements of formality in his brand of Buddhism, but also - as the name would suggest - simplicity of practice stripping away any ideas of “nirvana” to bring practitioners back to their real, present lives.
Suzuki really drove home the “the goal is the practice” concept for me.
Wherever You Go, There You Are - John Kabat-Zinn
Wherever is an interesting transitional piece written in the 1990s as a tool for patients dealing with chronic disease by a medical school professor.
With that context, it might be the most applicable book on Buddhist practice written for a secular audience.
Short, dense chapters on what Zinn’s own practice looks like and examples of how his practice has improved his life and the lives of others.
The title alone should be evocative enough to pick it up if you have ever wondered if you’re running from yourself.
The Practice of Groundedness - Brad Stulberg
Reading Stulberg’s writing is like reading my own thoughts much more articulately. I really enjoy his writing.
Groundedness is a guidebook on how to bring more emotional stability to your life with more practice than theory.
Drawing on ancient wisdom, primarily Buddhism and Stoicism - but not the hyper-masculine brand of stoicism that has been co-opted by Ryan Holiday fans who are one-dimensional neanderthals - and pairing that wisdom with modern psychology a la Jonathan Haidt.
Stulberg talks about his own mental health challenges and walks readers through his exploratory studies of Buddhism, his meditation practice, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He feels that every living human can benefit from having a therapist reflect back him/herself to him/herself and I am in firm agreement.
Groundedness is not a book for everyone in the sense that you really have to be ready to take practical steps to benefit from it and many people will only consume the book, as opposed to trying to apply it.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Naval is a 7th century CE Buddhist monk living in the 21st century as an angel investor.
With that as a foundation, Almanack reframed my entire relationship with time, money, and “work.”
Naval definitely has luck and MENSA-level intelligence on his side, but his philosophy on life is timeless and not contingent on how wealthy or “successful” he has been.
If you’re an entrepreneur, Naval is required reading. Period.
To Sell is Human - Daniel Pink
Pink is very easy to read writer and makes topics that are uncomfortable for some - like selling - much more accessible.
Sell is based on 3 principles of human interaction - the ABCs - that help the seller connect better with the buyer so that both parties feel like they benefitted from the exchange. Instead of “always be closing,” Pink’s ABCs are attunement, buoyancy, and clarity.
Attunement: the cornerstone of empathy, if you are not attuned to what someone is feeling, you can’t know what they’re thinking and it’s really hard to connect with them. Paying very close attention to the other party’s words, non-verbals, and inflections can help you understand their needs better.
Buoyancy: so many interactions - even non-sales related - leave one party feeling disconnected and hesitant to re-engage in a future, similar interaction. Buoyancy is the ability to work with what is given - floating - instead of resisting and wishing things were different/for a specific outcome.
Clarity - being clear and specific in your communication of what you bring to each interaction. Also, being transparent about the cost while reducing feelings of shame for charging what for a product/service. Clarity reduces the cloak-and-dagger aspect of selling.
Sell was a really beneficial follow-up to Almanack for me as it clarified how I can more effectively help others and myself.
Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman
I usually follow Ralph Waldo Emerson’s rule of not reading books less than a year old, but I broke that rule twice this year with Groundedness and 4000 Weeks.
Another paradigm-shifting book that attempts to reframe our relationship with time by building on Martin Heidegger’s concept of “we are time.”
Burkeman basically tries to redefine the boundaries of the fourth dimension as something we cannot detach from yet that we are simultaneously bound to.
My biggest takeaway from 4000 Weeks is that no one has the right to dictate to me how to use my time because that is the moral equivalent to telling someone how they can/can’t live essentially.
Strong words, I know, but as Burkeman notes since the advent of industry, the vast majority of people worldwide have existed at the expense of themselves for those who are rich enough to tell them what to do.
So that, friends is my 2021 reading list. I left out a few books that were unremarkable so that these newsletters would be more palatable and hopefully provide some reading inspiration.