True growth happens outside our comfort zones—and while this can and does happen in real life, our perspectives can also expand through reading. The five books showcased below weren’t just pages turned last year; they are insightful readings that expanded my understanding of creativity, performance, and life itself in small but important ways.
1. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Rubin’s work invited me to slow down and to savor each chapter. As a legendary music producer, he offers guidance on how to make art a consistent practice, informed by mindfulness and playfulness. Throughout the book, he encourages readers to view creativity as a way of being rather than a skill to be acquired. After all, creativity is universal.
2. Breath by James Nestor
In Breath, James Nestor turns one of our most critical but unconscious functions into a fascinating exploration of science, the history of breathing, and our own potential. Nestor’s research delves into how breathing techniques can impact everything from athletic performance to mental health. It was captivating how something we do in every moment, and often take for granted, can be used as a powerful tool for personal transformation.
3. Deep Work by Cal NewPort
Serving as a blueprint for cognitive excellence, Deep Work proposes that we have lost our ability to focus deeply and work on complex tasks. In order to regain this ability, he outlines practical suggestions to relearn how to cultivate intense, uninterrupted focus in an era of constant digital interruption. The book includes actionable insights that can help professionals maximize cognitive performance and achieve extraordinary results—one of my favorite topics.
4. Art of the Impossible by Steven Kotler
Art of the Impossible explores the science of peak performance through the lens of flow states—those moments of complete absorption where action and awareness merge. Kotler breaks down the neurological and psychological mechanisms behind achievement, zeroing in on motivation, learning, creativity, and flow. Understanding how our brains operate during moments of focus wasn’t just intellectually stimulating for me—it also provided an actionable roadmap for pushing beyond perceived limitations.
5. Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
Die with Zero is an important reminder to break free from autopilot mode, and shift our focus to living our best life possible. The book’s core philosophy presents a provocative argument for living a life rich in experiences rather than accumulating wealth for its own sake. For a professional in the financial sector, this perspective offers a refreshing and holistic view of wealth and personal success.
Reflecting Off the Page
Each of these books became a conversation—with the author, with myself, and with the broader world of ideas. They reminded me that true growth is continuous and that there are always ways to expand the lens through which we can understand ourselves, optimize our potential, and live more intentionally.
Here’s to the new reads to come this year.