While I read quite a few books in any given year, I almost never reread old books. It’s a tricky idea, as I can see the value in rereading books that impacted me, but I also have a “want to read” list that I will never finish (currently at 192 books and growing).
However, two things have me leaning toward adding some old books back into the mix:
- When Moira Vetter joined me on the Stacking Knowledge podcast last year, we discussed her tattered copy of “The Art of War“. She’s read it many times and plans to reread it many more.
- In reading “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant“, he convincingly advocates for the same thing, saying:
These days, I find myself rereading as much (or more) as I do reading. A tweet from @illacertus said, “I don’t want to read everything. I just want to read the 100 great books over and over again.” I think there’s a lot to that idea. It’s really more about identifying the great books for you because different books speak to different people. Then, you can really absorb those.
So, I think I’m going to give it a shot.
Which books? How often?
This leads to a few big questions. How many books will be in this list? What books are they? How often should I reread them?
My general thought for now is to reread them every three years or so and see how it goes. If I do one per quarter, that would mean I could keep 12 books in rotation among all of the new books that I’m reading. I’m still working on my list, but here are the initial 12 that are likely to make the cut.
Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller
This book impacts so much of what we do at GreenMellen. The lessons are fairly simple, but it’s good to be reminded of the full process.
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
I think this part of the book sums it up well:
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.
I Never Thought of It That Way, by Monica Guzman
Being able to understand alternative points of view was important when I read this book a few years ago, and I feel the importance of that has skyrocketed since then. There are a lot of good tips and reminders in here.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack, by Charlie Munger
This book is packed with wisdom from one of the smartest men who ever lived.
Seeking Wisdom, by Peter Bevelin
This book sums up one of my life goals (gaining wisdom, which has no clear target), but reading it helps bring me closer to that goal. It features tons of great insights from people like Somerset Maugham, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Warren Buffett and many others.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, by Eric Jorgenson
Many life lessons from a very successful man who most would say is a great human.
The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker
As GreenMellen is hosting more and more events, the ability to hold truly great events is something we’re striving for, and this book gives a lot of great advice. This line sums it up well:
Because so much gathering advice comes from experts in food and decor rather than from facilitators, that advice almost invariably focuses on preparing things instead of preparing people.
The Business of Expertise, by David C. Baker
I love most everything that David C. Baker (and his cohost on 2Bobs, Blair Enns) puts out, but this is at the top of the list. The book seeks to “elevate the impact of advisors who well insight as entrepreneurs“.
The Human Brand, by Chris Malone and Susan T. Fiske
This book shares how companies can perform better when they treat humans as humans.
The Personal MBA, by Josh Kaufman
The sheer volume of business lessons in this book is fantastic, and they are approached with quotes and anecdotes that make them easy to digest.
Thinking In Bets, by Annie Duke
Annie’s approach to thinking has shaped me quite a lot in recent years, and this is my favorite book of hers. She kicks it off by defending the Seattle Seahawks’ decision to pass the ball at the end of Super Bowl XLIX — many have called it a bad decision, whereas she says it was a good decision that merely had a bad outcome. The difference between those is huge, and understanding that has changed how I see the world.
Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara
This book is likely to make any list like this one, and it’s fantastic. The title alone tells you what you’ll learn from it, including things like this:
It may not be possible to do everything perfectly, but it is possible to do many things perfectly. That’s the very definition of excellence: getting as many details right as you can.
How about you?
Do you ever reread books? If so, which ones are on your list?
I get most of my books from the library. If they resonate with me or make a meaningful impact on me, then I will purchase them in order to reread. The ones that get reread most frequently:
– Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport) – this book completely changed my relationship with technology and social media and led me to be way more productive in my analog hobbies
– The Goal (Eliyahu M. Goldratt) / The Phoenix Project (Kim, Spafford, Behr) – these are essentially the same book and both are great reads on operations management
– Freakonomics / Superfreakonomics (Dubner, Levitt) – challenges you to look at and think about things differently
I’m surprised your list doesn’t include Getting Things Done.
I considered Digital Minimalism and Freakonomics, but tried to keep the list tidy.
Getting Things Done is a good call, as it’s one that I’ve already reread a few times.
The other two (The Goal and The Phoenix Project) are still on my “to read” list, so we’ll see what happens after I get to them.