30 Awesome Books To Expand Your Knowledge And Shift Your Paradigm
Published April 12th, 2021
Are you familiar with the saying “too much TV will rot your brain”? For years, people have watched television for entertainment as it is one of the most commonly used platforms. However, studies have shown that watching too much tv can “rot” your brain. Probably not in the way you picture it, though. Watching too much television reduces your level of intelligence and puts you at high risk of obtaining neurodegenerative brain disorders. Also, television reduces your critical thinking abilities. But we are not here to talk about television. We are here to talk about your brain and what you can do to expand your knowledge and strengthen your brain muscles. How do we do this? With the power of books, of course.
Reading books helps polish your brain and enhances your ability to solve problems and form creative ideas. Knowledge books can sharpen your critical thinking skills as it keeps the creative side of your brain that forms imaginations more active. Everyone can benefit from reading books. Some are avid readers that read for their leisure, and some read for academic or professional purposes. Whatever your purpose for reading is, there is no doubt that you are simultaneously exercising your brain whenever you read books. With that, this article will provide you a list of the 30 best knowledge books there is to strengthen your brain and enhance your thinking.
30 Knowledge Books for Your Brain
Models: Attract Women Through Honesty – Mark Manson
This book deserves more recognition than it is being given. It is a helpful guide for men that will help make their communication with women more meaningful. This book contains dating guidelines that can help men form solid relationships and connect with their partners more efficiently.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life – Jon Kabat – Zinn
This book encourages its readers to live their lives more peacefully. Jon Kabat-Zin discusses in his book the different benefits of meditating and how to do it properly. Many factors cause stress in our lives. Therefore, we should find time each day to practice mindfulness and dedicate time to meditation.
How To Lie With Statistics – Darrell Huff
“How To Lie With Statistics” is a book that you may want to consider reading to understand the basic principles of statistics. While several people are intimidated by the idea of math and statistics, this book will allow you to get a better understanding of the data we use in our jobs and personal lives.
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) – Caroll Travis & Elliot Aronson
This book by Caroll Travis and Elliot Aronson discusses people’s tendency to justify the things they do, whatever the cause and consequences may be. Most of the time, we wish to explain ourselves to let others better understand our behavior and actions. This book will reshape your self-understanding.
Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
“Thinking, Fast And Slow” is a book that explains the different aspects of our ability to analyze situations and make decisions based on those observations. This book will help you understand how your decision-making process unfolds whenever you are faced with different situations and how well you respond and think quicker depending on the situation.
The Game: Penetrating The Secret Society Of Pickup Artists – Neil Strauss
This book was written by a journalist and author names Neila Strauss. Strauss had written this book to share his experience when he was a pick-up artist himself. This book reveals the different obstacles he had to face during his time in the seduction community. He shares his experience with personal grooming, encounters with celebrities, sleeping habits, and such.
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With The Heart Of A Buddha – Tara Brach
Tara Brach, the author of “Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart Of A Buddha,” is a former clinical [sychologist and meditation teacher. Her book is perfect for individuals that have a hard time being more forgiving and caring towards themselves. Tara Brach encourages readers to gain self-compassion by discussing different ways to confide with your own emotions and experiences.
The Power Of Now: A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle
“The Power Of Now” is a book that addresses real-life matters. Eckhart Tolle’s book brings readers along on a journey that brings them closer to self-discovery and personal growth. Tolle enlightens readers by encouraging them to appreciate their true identity. This book is one of our more sophisticated books as it talks about the pains of the natural world and what life can do to an individual.
Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World – Cal Newport
Another book that encourages the enhancement of your brain’s critical thinking is “Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World” by former Georgetown professor Cal Newport. Newport writes about how you can perform adequately in different scenarios and increase your ability to focus more.
The Art Of Possibility: Transforming Professional And Personal Life – Rosamund & Benjamin Zander
This book written by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander encourages their readers to look at life from different perspectives to understand it better. This book discusses twelve different practices you can do to boost creativity from the words and experiences of a former conductor, Benjamin Zander, with psychotherapist Rosamund Zander.
Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It – Chris Voss
Chris Voss talks about the different tactics you can apply in your life that will effectively help you get your way most of the time. You will want to take Voss’s advice when it comes to negotiating your way through life as he is known to be a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI. Although his work was far more dangerous and complex than little things such as bargaining for a lower price for a car, his story and experience will help you efficiently get what you want in life.
Awaken The Giant Within – Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins wrote this book to inspire readers to take control of their lives. “Awaken The Giant Within” pushes you to get to know your mind, body, and heart better through different comprehensive strategies. As a business strategist himself, Tony Robbins encourages his readers to own up to their thoughts and emotions and accept what they have in life and use it to their advantage.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less – Greg McKeown
McKeown’s book on how to live a life of doing only what matters is one of the New York Times’s bestsellers. This book teaches its readers how to focus on things that are important and stray from those that are not. While McKeown does not necessarily teach us to do less, he also teaches us to practice productivity rather than hyperactivity.
Give And Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success – Adam Grant
As the title suggests, this book talks about how life is full of give-and-take opportunities. Adam Grant teaches his readers how a life of giving will eventually result in personal and professional success. Just as Grant’s book, life teaches us that what goes around comes back around, and what you give is what you get. Overall, just continue to give, and life will make way for you to become genuinely satisfied.
The Power Of Habit – Charles Duhigg
“The Power Of Habit” is about the different factors that affect and form people’s habits in life. We all have different habits, and there is a reason for each one of them. Charles Duhigg discusses in his book the reason why habits are formed and how they work. He also discusses how we can alter the bad habits that we currently have to help make our lives just a little bit better.
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Now we all are familiar with the brand Nike, right? This book tells the story of the founder of the famous shoe brand, Nike. “Shoe Dog” talks about the struggles of Phil Knight and what he had to face to claim success. This book inspires readers by sharing the story of how Knight’s hardships and great effort in life despite the many obstacles remain worth it until the end as he journeyed towards building a multi-billion dollar brand.
Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert Pirsig
Robert Pirsig shares a story of a man and his son as they journey through the road on a motorcycle during one summer in his book, “Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” Pirsig’s book allows readers to explore the different aspects of life that make us wonder about life’s value and the vitality of living in modern society.
12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos – Jordan Peterson
What better way to keep our brains active than thinking about what the meaning of life is? Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos” talks about the different aspects of life and discusses why we do things the way we do. This book also explores how we can live our lives better to gain a more fulfilling future.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead And Win – Jocko Willink &Leif Babin
“Extreme Ownership” is written by two Navy SEALs to teach readers the different ways they can enhance their leadership skills. This book shows how you can improve ownership and let go of any ego you may have to be a more effective leader.
When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
A more in-depth story of finding the meaning of life is Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air.” While writing this book, Kalanithi shares his journey towards his life’s end as he battles lung cancer. His book is an inspiring story about how he faces struggles to find what his true meaning in life is.
The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art Of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday’s book is a well-known classic that people have been reading to gain more success in life. Holiday’s book applies the concept of stoicism and explains how this has contributed to the success of multiple individuals in history. This book is perfect for those struggling with life as they are frustrated and confused about what they should be doing as it shows how resilience and perseverance can conquer almost anything.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: Including A Life-Cycle Guide To Personal Investing – Burton Malkiel
This book focuses more on financial struggles and the confusion that comes with adulthood. As we grow, it is no doubt that at some point, we will have to face financial obstacles. This book written by Burton Malkiel will guide you through the different situations you may encounter as you grow older. Malkiel offers several pieces of advice by combining historical and economic knowledge on the matter.
Getting More: How You Can Negotiate To Succeed In Work And Life – Stuart Diamond
Another book that can enhance your negotiation skills is “Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed In Work and Life” by Stuart Diamond. In this book, Diamond discusses the different things you can do to ensure that you are getting the most out of your performance, professionally or personally.
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck – Mark Manson
Despite the lack of refinement in the title, Manson’s famous book is one of the most well-known books covering severe matters in the real world. Manson’s book offers philosophical discussions about how we can live our lives better. In general, as the title suggests, this book brings us on a journey of focusing more on giving priority to ourselves and less on what the world throws at us.
The War Of Art – Steven Pressfield
“The War of Art” is a well-known book that book enthusiasts highly suggest reading. Steven Pressfield shares different ways to conquer the challenges that life offers to create satisfactory output in everything we do.
Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari
Leaning more on factual evidence and historical discussions, another good read to enhance brain activity is Yuval Noah Harari’s “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.” Harari’s book allows you to expand your knowledge and understanding of the historical features of humankind today.
Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
This Greek-written book discusses the different challenges of spiritual reflections and the struggles Marcus Aurelius had to face as he explores the universe and himself. This book is an inspiration to many individuals worldwide of different ages.
Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
Another interesting read is “Man’s Search for Meaning,” written by former Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. Frankl’s book tells the story of his struggles and how they brought him to find meaning behind all the hardships. His story inspires readers to take control of their lives and face every situation with confidence.
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
As the title already implies, Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” is a compilation of several pieces of information gathered worldwide explaining how humankind got to where it is today. This book notes historical facts and evidence and provides an understanding of physics, biology, chemistry, and more.
The Courage to Write – Ralph Keyes
Carl Sagan’s book contains next-level topics that can get deep and expansive. “Cosmos” covers multiple conversation areas, including religion, philosophy, history, culture, and other sciences. This book encourages readers to discuss deeper topics that expand our understanding of what it means to be alive.
There are many books out there that can enhance brain activity. Many benefits come with reading books, so feel free to explore any genre or topic you’d like. Some people can read and finish a whole novel in a few days, and some may take weeks. There will even be times that you won’t feel like reading at all, but don’t let this hold you back from appreciating great works by various authors. Knowledge books are for everyone, do not feel pressured into thinking you need to be a bookworm or a straight-A student to read these books. No one can take away the fun of reading and activating your imagination but yourself. Pick up a book now and exercise your brain to total enhancement!
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About The Author
Krizzia Paolyn is an SEO Specialist and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She started her professional career as a writer for various digital magazines and renowned publications. It has always been her passion to share her voice, and at the same time, to encourage other people to speak up.
