Grit by Angela DuckworthMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A well-written book about passion and perseverance. Everyone always thinks that it takes talent to accomplish most things, but Angela Duckworth proved in this book that it takes effort and grit to succeed. That talent plays a little role in our success
The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control by Walter Mischel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the few books that I have read that let the reader come to their own conclusion. Walter presented two sides of the bone of contention in the discussion of whether it’s nature or nurture.
There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very narrative story about the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. A war that started because of a pogrom to the people from South-East Nigeria and because of the egos of two leaders. It showed how the world was watching while a lot of children died from starvation and kwashiorkor. The worst thing was that the British and Russian government picked a side to supply ammunition because of their selfish reasons. Being Nigerian and growing up there, nobody talked about the war not outside and not even in schools as part of history class. What happened is a shame
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I would have given this book a 5 star if the book is only made of just his biography (where am coming from) and Life principles. Although the work principles section is not a bad read, it’s mainly a guideline to people who own/run a company and maybe managers which is about 10-20% of the population(You will learn to use probabilities in life principles). It is one of the books I have read in a long time that emphasizes being radically open-minded and understanding that people are wired differently. Ray did a great job approaching his principles from different perspectives; from the five-step process to second and third-order consequences and more
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you don’t believe in miracles, the last chapter of this book will make you think again. I re-lived my childhood in the pages of this book. It’s interesting the similarities of the culture in Nigeria and South Africa. The book got confusing at times since the stories and narrations weren’t in chronological order.
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A clear expansion of her TED talk. The first chapter started out a little slow and not engaging enough, making the book seem like a meditation book or something close to it of which it is not. I have practiced the poses on and off since I heard her TED talk in college and can notice my confidence level when I do. Overall, its a pretty good read and a lot of takeaways
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I totally agree with Bill Gates sentiments about the book… “One of the most important books I’ve read —an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” With so much negativity in the media and how each one is vying for our attention by feeding our fears. This book is a must read. The only downside is that I do not agree with his view that Cuba is a level 3 country. The country is progressing but to me, they are stuck in time because of the lack of assistance from the United States government.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s a fantastic read. The author showed everything about Steve Job, both the genius and madness. A chronological story of a man who is at the intersection of liberal arts and technology in the modern era. It helped set most of the stories about Jobs life straight, especially the one about him getting fired at Apple. He left. I used to not be a big fan of Apple products, but after reading about the passion and determination of Steve Jobs in the pages of this book. I have come to love the company and what it stands for. One of my favorite parts in the book is Bill Gates’ analogy when Steve Jobs was furious that Microsoft stole their GUI design.
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aziz caught my attention right on the get-go and also a lot of witty banter throughout the book. Although some of the findings presented in this book to me are common sense, it is good to see them in statistical form. I also enjoyed how He talked about dating life in America compared to places such as Argentina, France, and Japan. Many authors these days write books with what’s going on in America and forget that there is another world outside the United States. Overall, its a nice research on what romance looks like in the digital age.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s an interesting novel with a lot of wisdom nuggets from Mr. Finch to Scout and Jem. However, the first few pages and chapters were hard to follow. This book shows that nobody is born a racist. And most of our prejudices as children came from learning to people in our environment. I wish this novel had ended quite differently though. For instance, I want to know what happened to Mayella, did she finally tell the truth of what happened to her?
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Being an immigrant myself, I could relate with most things with regards to Ifemelu’s character. How she felt when she came to the United States and also when she moved back home. I think Chimamanda wrote about herself and journey to some extent in the character and mixed it up with fiction. The book also zooms in and out of the characters and the reader gets to know more about them and can connect with them. I definitely will recommend it.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book showed how Biafra emerged and what happened to Biafrans during the Nigerian Civil war between 1967-1970. It is really an interesting and enlightening read. The author portrayed history using fictional characters. Some parts of the books were overly detailed and making it boring to read at times. However, the history behind the novel is very captivating, especially since I was born in the part of Nigeria formerly known as Biafra and I didn’t know the story of the war.
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very detailed, captivating, informing, emotional and inspirational book. One of the best autobiographies that I have read. Nelson sacrificed everything for the freedom of the blacks in South Africa. Many people want to send the white man into the sea or back home, he called for a united nation. He is one man I wish I could have dinner with at my house
Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very quick and easy read. Every word and sentence has a message for the reader. It is a better and simpler version of Lao Tsu’s Art of War.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The author is all over the place. It took a long time and so many chapters before the author was able to capture my attention. The book is like going through Shonda’s head/journal, which is all over the place. One of the best lines that I got from the book also happened in the TV series, Scandal. Which also happen to be what she wrote. It goes like this. You have to be what? Twice as good to get half of what they have…
God Wants You to Be Rich: How and Why Everyone Can Enjoy Material and Spiritual Wealth in Our Abundant World by Paul Zane Pilzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The author took a deep dive into economics, psychology and a little sprinkle of Christianity. It is good to learn what has happened in the US economy since the 1900s and the false economic predictions. Although the book was written in the late 1990s, some of the predictions have come into existence and it’s still relevant today as it was 20 years ago.
Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart by Kyle Idleman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s interesting how there are so many things that we idolize in our lives without knowing it. We think that only when we as Christians worship a golden calf or something related to that, is only then that we are idol worshippers. The author shows different things in our daily lives that we put ahead of God and let it control us too. The book showed and explained what idols might look like in our lives today but I also think that the author didn’t do a good job to balance that those things in of itself are not bad.
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Its a good read with a lot of example of how people have changed their situations by changing how they think. I see this book as a more elaborate version of James Allen’s book – As a Man Thinketh. The author also brought a different perspective to some of the teachings in the bible
The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed the read, however, I think some part of the journey was overly detailed, which made it lose focus on what the book is all about. The travel to different countries was inefficient in my opinion (this is my analytical self talking here). The lessons from the talisman letters show the way we each ought to live our lives and each gatekeeper of the talisman lived it to the core.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An amazing fiction book that encapsulates’, travel, adventure, love, self-help, curiosity, life lessons and more. I am not a big fan of fiction books but this is one of the exceptions. When I started reading it, I was always curious about what will happen next, that whenever I took it down to do something else, I couldn’t wait to come back to it.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very fascinating and enlightening book. The author went into great details on the weapon on influence used to manipulate us into buying or doing what we wouldn’t do in a normal circumstance. The author did a lot of experiments and data from other social psychology researchers to back up his own data. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand some human behaviors.
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This a seriously funny book that weaves humor and real-life, take charge advice together to make you awesome! Overall, the book is witty, blunt and honest and offers some great ways to improve your life. While the humor and anecdotes make it unique and easy to read, much of the advice is the same stuff we have all heard over and over. It’s just presented in a much more fun and interesting way.
The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very quick read. I like how the author used the seasons of the year to analyze what happens to each of us called life. Spring is the time to plant. Summer is the time to protect the crops from weed and busy bugs. Fall is the time to harvest and prepare for the winters of life. One of the most important lessons from the book comes from the favor line in the Bible, “As you sow, so shall you reap”
You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life in Perspective by Richard Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is a good read. The author offers a different perspective on how our thoughts affect our happiness. I will say that the five principles outlined in this book are dependent on thoughts with the exception of the principle of separate realities.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very quick read with a lot of practicality to it. All the seven laws offer a gives a profound outline for conducting one’s life at the highest and most integrated way possible
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I think the author is so biased. The big picture of what the book is talking about is good but some details in the book are based on the author’s assumption(I think). The author talked about Apple and Southwest airline throughout the book. He praised Southwest Airline for putting their employees first before their customers, which I also think it’s a good business model, whereas Apple does the opposite. The author also said that people buy Apple products because they believed in Apple’s WHY, I think that’s wrong because I don’t think anybody using Apple products know the company’s vision and mission statement. I believe, also based on inquiries from my friends that use Apple product, that people buy Apple product because Apple makes the best one in the market and they may have used other products and had issues with the batteries or the phone hanging on them. People also buy Apple products because they can seamlessly sink all their devices in the same platform. The author cannot be making the assumption that he made and how he also criticized other companies as if Apple and Southwest airlines are Saints
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Like the author’s other book, How to Win Friends and Influence People; It was written with simple English, easy to comprehend and follow. A lot of people are worrying about the future and not living the present moment. It is not one of the typical self-help books that don’t have stories to illustrate the point that is been made. There are a lot of examples and stories on how different people conquered worry.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
With so much negativity, depression, suicide, anxiety, and turmoil in the world. This is a great inspiring book to read. It gives a lot of insights into the power of meditation and mindfulness. Consciousness, reflection, surrender, positivity, and enlightenment of Being are few of the talking points in this book. It is not based on any religion, the author used mostly teachings from Jesus Christ and Buddha. Highly Recommended!!!
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
This is a good book that shows why people should try to be themselves especially introverts. However, an extrovert can argue about some of the facts and analysis presented in this book. I think people should try to put themselves outside of their comfort zone and at the same time should have the desire for solitude.
Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
You will hear a lot of great ideas for things that you can start doing on the side. It’s really great to hear people that will get you thinking about ways to make money and stop complaining about the economy. Chris Guillebeau has a side hustle story embedded in each chapter. Even if you do not have any idea of what you want to do as a side hustle, there are many examples and ideas that you can copy and model it to your own