The 11 Best Books I Read This Year
Every year, I try to read more than the year before. Of course, that rarely happens, but I always read at least 20 books. This year I read over that number and ranked my favorites. Here are my top books from 2022. These books can help you be a better leader, spouse, friend, colleague, and human being, for that matter. As a two-time author myself, I appreciate how engaging these books are and how well the authors were able to teach me things I would have never thought possible. Consider reading some of these in 2023.
In case you want to read new selections along with me in 2023, I do have a book club you can join. Just let me know your name and email, and each month I will tell you which book I am featuring and invite you to a discussion with other business professionals. That’s all there is to it. You don’t have to read it, show up, or do anything else. But if you want to know the book or even participate, I would love to have you. We meet via zoom, typically on the last Wednesday of every month.
Now to my favorites from 2022:
11# Plays Well with Others by Eric Barker
The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong
Quick Summary: In Plays Well with Others, Eric Barker teaches us how to build better friendships, reignite love, and get closer to others. He uses stories and science to help us understand how to make stronger connections with the people in our lives.
#10 Friendship by Lydia Denworth
The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond
Quick Summary: Friendship is a special bond that can make us feel better and help us stay healthy. Many scientists have studied friendship and have found that it is an important part of life. Friendship explains how it works and how it can make us happy.
#9 Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine
Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
Quick Summary: Shirzad Chamine teaches people how to reach their full potential and be successful. He has studied mental Saboteurs, which are like invisible enemies that stop us from achieving our goals. He’s created a way to measure the power of these Saboteurs, so we can learn how to defeat them. He provides tools and techniques that help us become more successful and fulfilled.
#8 Essentialism by Greg McKeown
The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Quick Summary: Essentialism is a way of thinking that helps you focus on the most important things in life and get rid of all the extra stuff that takes up your time and energy. It helps you make better choices about how to spend your time so you can be more productive. 
#7 The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Dr. Paul White
Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People
Quick Summary: This book is about how to show your coworkers that you appreciate them. It teaches you how to use different ways of communicating to make them feel special and valued. It has helped many different kinds of organizations make their workplaces better. If you understand the different ways to show appreciation, you can help make your workplace more positive and successful.
#6 No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler
(And Other Truths I Need to Hear)
Quick Summary: Kate Bowler wrote a book about how hard it can be when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. She talks about how it helps to ask for help from our friends and family when things don’t go as planned. Her amazing story of recovery was truly inspiring.
#5 Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Quick Summary: Brené Brown’s book is about how we can better understand and connect with one another. She offers us tools to tell our stories and listen to others so that we can build meaningful relationships.
#4 Chatter by Ethan Kross
The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
Quick Summary: Talking to ourselves is normal, and it can help us do better. But if we talk to ourselves in a negative way, it can make us feel worse. Ethan Kross is a psychologist who has studied how talking to ourselves affects us, which he details in his book Chatter. He explains how we can use our inner voice to help us succeed. 
#3 The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink
How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward
Quick Summary: Daniel H. Pink has written a book about regret. He explains how regret can be a good thing and help us make better decisions, do better in school and work, and give our lives more meaning. He talks about research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology and shares stories of people’s regrets. The book helps us understand regret and think of it in a positive way.
#2 Imaginable by Jane McGonigal
How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything – Even Things That Seem Impossible Today
Quick Summary: In Imaginable, Jane McGonigal teaches us how to be brave and think of creative solutions to problems even when the future is uncertain. She helps us learn how to imagine our lives better and how to make decisions that will help us create the future we want.
#1 Quit by Annie Duke
The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away
Quick Summary: In Quit, Duke teaches you how to make better decisions by knowing when to walk away. You’ll learn strategies that will help you save time, energy, and money. You’ll also learn how to think in expected value and how to set goals in a flexible way.
Better Books for Better Business
Some of these books are about business and productivity, and some are about interpersonal relationships. But all of these can provide insights into how we can do better by others and by ourselves.
If you’ve jotted down a few of these titles to read later, consider joining my book club to learn what I, and other business professionals, read in 2023. Send me your name, email, and why you’re reaching out to join today.
