Winter is over and while we had some fun indoors, the magic of spring and summer is here and a few thrills won’t hurt. Reading for me is number one on my summer bucket list and while there is no limit to what I can read, I tend to be very picky. I look for something that is intelligently written, a book backed by science, and yes, I also want to have a laugh and get inspired when I read it. It’s rare you’d get a book that fits all these qualities. I mean a book that makes you happier? It’s not as rare as you’d suspect. As much as I get your skepticism, I would love to suggest a few reads that would make a difference in your life. Here they are some of them:
Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong
The book is written by blogger Eric Barker. He has over 300,000 followers on his blog and I can tell you it’s a great highly entertaining and well-researched read. It’s funny, creative but above all, very informative. It’s about giving you practical how-to’s to ensure you make the best out of your life. The book also features interviews with amazing leaders as well as Navy SEALS, con artists, and Kung Fu masters.
The Compassionate Achiever: How Helping Others Fuels Success
It’s a dog eat dog society that we live in, right? Well here’s a book that seeks to turn that idiom on its head. A lot of us have been raised thinking that success is all about beating everyone else. It’s survival of the fittest. But this book takes a different approach. It tries to show that people who take the time to help others are far happier than people who just focus on themselves. It takes the view that compassion and kindness are the keys to unlocking our potential. You should give it a read, it’s simply amazing.
Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection
The book is written by meditation expert Sharon Salzberg and as you rightfully guessed, it’s all about meditation. It takes you through various techniques and shows you how meditation on a regular basis can be a source of unending happiness. It also teaches you how to connect with people and how to have meaningful and fulfilling relationships.
Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations
The book revolves around the application of human values of compassion and kindness at work. It tries to show how promoting human values at the workplace can lead to happier employees, better performances, and increased productivity. The book throws out the notion that the only way to get loyal, good employees is to attract them with lofty perks. It doesn’t work that way, instilling human values and compassion instead will win over everyone.
The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters
What I really loved about this book is how it breaks through the concept of success. While most of us are driven by material things, status, and achievement, in the end, even if we achieve everything, we still find that we are lacking something. The author of this book tries to show us how to find ourselves and those things that really matter to us. It’s about finding purpose in life because it’s only when you find your purpose that you are able to live happily.
There you go, these are 5 of the best books you need to read this summer. You will love them!