Designing Your Life
Bill Burnett
"Designing Your Life" brings the innovative principles of Design Thinking—the same methodology used to create the iPhone and other breakthrough technologies—to the most important project of all: your life. Written by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, silicon valley veterans and founders of the Stanford Life Design Lab, this book translates their popular university course into a practical manual for everyone. The authors reject the dysfunctional belief that you should simply "find your passion." Instead, they argue that a well-lived life is a creative work in progress, built through experimentation. They introduce tools like the "Odyssey Plan", which asks readers to map out three completely different five-year futures to visualize possibilities beyond their current trajectory. Central to their philosophy is "Prototyping"—the art of trying small, low-risk experiments (like informational interviews or shadowing) to test a career path before committing to it. By reframing failure as part of the process and focusing on "building your way forward," Designing Your Life provides a structured, optimistic framework for navigating transition at any age, regardless of where you’ve been or where you hope to go.
Option B
Sheryl Sandberg
After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt like she was going to spend the rest of her life resting her head on his shoulder. Option B is her story of facing adversity, building resilience, and rediscovering joy with the help of psychologist Adam Grant. Together, they explore what we can do when life pulls us under.
How to Think More Effectively
The School of Life
This book serves as a practical guide to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of one's thoughts. It challenges the passive view of thinking, proposing that good ideas are not merely spontaneous gifts but can be cultivated through deliberate 'mental manoeuvres'. Drawing on philosophical insights, historical examples, and psychological observations, the book offers strategies to overcome common mental biases, foster strategic thinking, embrace iterative idea development, and capture elusive insights, ultimately leading to greater clarity, creativity, and purpose in daily life.
The Joy of Saying No
Natalie Lue
Discover how to reclaim yourself from the cycle of people pleasing and supercharge your relationships and experiences by discovering the healing and transformative power of no. Learn to say no with confidence and improve your well-being.
Mastery
Robert Greene
Unlock the secrets to achieving mastery in any field with this insightful guide. Delve into the lives of historical and contemporary masters, and discover the hidden forces that drive their success. Learn how to tap into your inner potential, cultivate your skills, and transform yourself into a true master of your craft.
How to Break Up with Your Phone
Catherine Price
Discover how your smartphone may be negatively impacting your life and learn a 30-day plan to establish a healthier relationship with technology. Reclaim your focus, reduce anxiety, and reconnect with the world around you.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff
Richard Carlson
Discover simple yet powerful strategies to keep the little things in life from taking over. Learn to respond to life with more ease, develop new habits of perspective, and create a more peaceful and loving you.
59 Seconds
Richard Wiseman
Discover scientifically proven techniques from the field of psychology that can help you improve your life in under a minute. From boosting happiness to increasing motivation and creativity, this book offers quick and effective strategies for positive change.