Outlive
Probably the most famous book about longevity. So many details and interesting stories. Prioritize: muscle mass, VO2 max, stability, sleep, mental health. What also surprised me: how little we know about nutrition so far.
Digital Bookshelf
Books I want to remember because they shaped my life and my way of thinking. Whenever I find some spare time to flip through them again, I might add some in-depth posts about a few.
Favorite books
The Power of Now
A book I read twice in one year. I heard a lot about mindfulness before and tried regular meditation myself, but this book is a real eye-opener. 100% recommendation if you are at least somewhat open to the topic. You are not your mind! (currently at a friend's house)
Leider geil, fett & faul
A refreshing take on body, mind and discipline. So fun to read, but unfortunately only available in German (printed and audio). It gives you a sense of our innate biological instincts and how important it is to cultivate them and put them to use in our modern society. (currently at a friend's house)
Dopamine Nation
I think everyone living in our modern environment should understand the effects of dopamine. I now notice more quickly when I am overstimulated. I am more careful about which dopamine spikes are worth having. I would have preferred some other examples in the book, but it is still really good.
The Way of the Superior Man
A book about presence, purpose, relationships, and masculine energy. I liked the spiritual angle and the way Deida puts certain inner tensions into words. Read it in English!
Die Zürich Axiome
If you have mastered a regular stock savings plan over years without gambling and have fear and greed under control, this might be worth reading: if you don't worry, you're not taking enough risks.
Die Macht der Geographie
Geopolitics through maps. I somehow got into geopolitics through the stock market. With the stock market, you mostly get an overview of things that change often. This book is different. It is about hard facts and how geography defines politics and conflicts.
The Gambler
A biography of Kirk Kerkorian. You might never have heard of him, but he owned half of Las Vegas. I read this book during a road trip along the West Coast of the United States. It's inspiring how this man reinvented himself time and time again.
Also worth reading
Sapiens
I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain deeper insight into our species. It's crazy to think how old our species and the planet are, and how much the world has changed in just the last 500 years: from about 500 million people in 1500 to over 8 billion. Technology that Christopher Columbus could never have imagined in his lifetime.
Attached
Relationships are not my strength. If you feel the same, it is probably worth knowing about the different attachment types and their specific characteristics: secure, anxious, or avoidant. Not all combinations match well in a relationship. I am somewhere between anxious and avoidant.
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
I read this book at a time when I completely changed my drinking habits. I went from regularly drinking (too much) at parties on the weekends and frequently drinking beer during the week in my social circle to drinking almost no alcohol at all. That was three years ago. I should read it again now.
The Daily Stoic
This is the only collection about Stoic philosophy in my bookshelf, although I was heavily into the topic for some months. "Happiness in life depends on the quality of our thoughts. Focus on what you can control." These are the phrases that stick with me. I would not read it from beginning to end. It is better for flipping through a few pages now and then.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The first book I read when I became interested in self-help books. It's been so long, I should read it again. Stephen Covey introduced me to the wonderful concept of interdependence at a time when independence was all the rage. "Begin with the end in mind" and "First things first" are the habits I constantly remind myself of, as they still don't come naturally to me.
Atomic Habits
I do not remember much from the book, but while reading it, I cultivated some really good habits in my life. Today I mainly remember that it is important to have some triggers for your habits, e.g. directly after waking up, directly after work, lunch, whatever. If you struggle with consistency, it's probably worth spending some time with the book.
Bring den Müll raus
Probably a bit different from other books about minimalism. It is not only about physical belongings. The author is a really inspiring person. "Manifest plainness. Embrace simplicity. Reduce selfishness. Have few desires." I still have too many unnecessary things in my flat, but at least I know what I really need for a living.
Das große Buch vom Schlaf
A deep dive into sleep by a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Berkeley. Surprisingly easy and fun to read. I now know everything I should know about sleep and probably even more. Good sleep is a high priority for me, and I know how to improve my sleep quality, although I am naturally not (yet) a good sleeper.
12 Rules for Life
Each rule is one chapter, so you can easily check the index to remind yourself of the rules or read individual chapters again. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping. Make friends with people who want the best for you. These two stick with me.
Der große Kostolany
A collection of multiple books by Kostolany. His books are must-reads for everyone who is interested in the stock market. I realized that today's stories about the Fed, interest rates, and the labor market are still the same as in the last century.
Can't Hurt Me
I got it as a gift while preparing for my first marathon. It really is a great biography about someone who took the concept of willpower to a whole new level. If I really want to, I can run an ultramarathon in Death Valley with broken shins.
Über die Psychologie des Geldes
One of the classics I read when I had a steady income for the first time in my life and was thinking about what role money should play in my life. "Savings can be created by spending less. You can spend less if you desire less. And you will desire less if you care less about what others think of you."
No More Mr. Nice Guy
I read it because it is cited in so many books and online, and I was just interested. Might help some people who really struggle with saying no. I am probably still a nice guy. I learned to understand better what I really want, but not because of the book.