What feels like absolute ages ago, I promised to write a part 2 of my favorite non-fictional books (click here for part 1). You know how it is though, so much to do, so little time. But at long last, here we are! This post is all about my favorite non-fictional audio books, but obviously you could just as well read the paper version. My platform of choice is Audible, but once again, whatever works for you. I think I just got a got deal and that’s why I went with it. But anyhow, let’s get into the best non-fictional books in my collection – part 2!
Think Again: The Power Of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Think Again is the book I finished most recently, and it has also already made an appearance in my January 2023 favorites. I loved listening to this book because, as the title suggests, it made me think again. We’re all guilty of getting stuck in our own ways and mindsets – for better or for worse. This book taught me 3 amazing lessons:
- You can never know what you don’t know, so stay humble!
- Everybody’s mind can be changed, if you go about it the right way.
- Asking people open ended questions can be better at “persuading” them than actively trying to.
As for the first lesson: Amazing, 100% agree. It also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: “The more you know, the more you know, what you don’t know”. I don’t know about you, but that quote is basically what I felt throughout the entire time that I was in university. Because I would learn something, but that would just open up a whole new can of worms of things that I didn’t know. And it would never stop. And of course, with science, it is ever-evolving. What was “true” for the past decade might not be true for the next – for example, there’s no longer morphine in cough meds. You don’t what you don’t know, and sometimes that something changes everything. So stay open to learning and new ideas.
Lesson #2: in his book, Grant gives an amazing example of a black musician who changed the mind of a lot of KKK-members on white supremacy. While that is a pretty big and daunting task, it doesn’t have to be that big a deal in everyday life. It could just as well be to change the mind of someone that says “working out isn’t healthy”. Instead of belittling them, or talking down to them, ask them why exactly they think that way. Then ask them, what other points of view there could be and why they think those aren’t valid. (And also do the same thing for yours as well.) You might be surprised how easy it is to change someones, or your own, mind on something. Which brings me nicely onto lesson #3.
Instead of trying to win someone over with arguments, try to understand their point of view. Ask open ended questions, to make the person investigate their own thoughts and feelings on the topic. Sometimes we hold a belief simply because we were raised that way. Take the example of fans of two opposing football teams – something you’re easily “born into”. Had you been born in another part of town, you might be a fan of the other team. The fans of the other team aren’t no different than you, they just root for another team.
My takeaway from this book: It’s not just okay to change your mind, it’s 100% necessary to grow and evolve. In business, as a person, as a member of society. Change your mind whenever you see fit. Or, as Adenauer put it: “What do I care about my chitchat from yesterday?”
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers is one of the first audio books I ever listened to. And what a great choice that was! This book talks all about stress: What it is (on a biological level), why we feel stress, how to avoid it and what consequences to expect should we fail to do so. I think this one is a great book for literally everybody, because we all feel stressed one way or the other at some point in our lives. And to be sure, every creature on this planet feels stressed sometimes. The problem we as humans have is how we cope with it.
Going back to the title of the book, I think it’s widely known that chronic stress affects your health in a negative way. Ulcers being a very popular consequence. The reason why zebras (or any other animal) don’t get ulcers/other physical responses is because they are never chronically stressed. That’s the key phrase – chronically.
Of course they are stressing when they see some type of predator near them. It wouldn’t be great for their life expectancy were they not stressed – i.e. afraid of the lion – and run off. But as soon as they successfully got away from it, the stress is over. They don’t think “Oh my gosh, that was so close! I need to make sure I run faster next time, I absolutely have to! What about my kids when the lion gets me? Who’s going to take care of them? And who’s paying off my mortgage?” Instead, they just go about their day, doing what zebras do.
Now picture yourself in the same situation. Say you had a stressful event at work. How much time do you spend thinking about it? What you should’ve done differently, or about a good comeback? Mulling things over and over in your head keeps the stress response of your body up for an extended period of time. No wonder we get unwell, dwelling on problems or being in constant fight-or-flight-mode.
Luckily, the book also offers some strategies on how to cope with or control your stress response. Not only is leading a less stressful life going to make you feel happier and better all around, but it’s also super beneficial for your health and physical well-being. And in a competitive world like ours, I think that’s pretty important for each and everyone of us.
The Sweet Spot: How To Find Your Grove At Work & At Home by Christine Carter
Next up on my list of the best non-fictional books: The Sweet Spot by the happiness and productivity expert Christine Carter. It is helping you to find the magical sweet spot by telling you how to put in minimum effort, but maximizing your results. Sounds absolutely heavenly in our day and age, right? But Christine isn’t doing that so you get more and more work done every day. She does it so you can get the most out of your day – and finish work early. The Sweet Spot is exactly the book you need if you find yourself constantly working extra hours, just to finish basic tasks. It tells you how to:
- Say “no” and prioritize
- Set up routines to free brain capacity for more important things
- Stop multitasking to improve efficiency (because guess what, it doesn’t work!)
- Take strategic breaks to boost your productivity
- Reduce negative or stressful emotions and swap them out for happiness
Just as I said in the beginning of this blogpost, so much to do, so little time. Reading this book has really helped me to improve my day to day life by implementing good habits/routines. In return, I get to focus my attention and energy on other things, things that I actually enjoy doing (like writing this post). To put it in her words: “To achieve more by doing less”. It’s going to take some time to form new habits, and breaking with some old ones, but it is so worth it!
… the list is only going to grow from here
Those are the three best non-fictional audio books I have listened to thus far. Since I’m always on the lookout for new ones, I’m sure the list is just going to grow and grow. In the meantime, do make sure to let me know your favorite books! And as always, thank you so much for reading (it was another rather long one).
Lots of Love,
Lena
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.