The Books That Moved Me
The Search for Truth, The Body Keeps the Score, Deep Work, On Writing, Oh! The Places You’ll Go
In no particular order, here are five books I read in 2023 that most moved me — shaping my thoughts, influencing my actions, and inspiring me to embrace new perspectives.
I.
The Search for Truth by Michael Singer
Genre: Science & Religion, Philosophy Metaphysics
For starters, tackling this obscure 1974 book is no small feat. I found myself dozing off (in broad daylight) at least seven times while attempting to read it. However, my drowsiness wasn’t born out of boredom; rather, I was actively forging new neural connections, striving to perceive the world through Michael’s profound perspective.
That’s because this book attempts to explain that the universe harbors a singular underlying truth, and that humanity’s various branches of knowledge merely offer diverse perspectives on this one truth. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Delving into physics, biology, psychology, and religion, Singer poses the question, “Could all these diverse schools of thought be attempting to convey the same message?”
As an academic and (former) spirituality skeptic, this book served as the precise antidote - albeit a challenging one - to allay my suspicions. But it also left me with more questions than answers.
How It Moved Me: It helped me discern spirituality from various scientific lenses and made me realize how limited our knowledge is.
II.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Genre: Neuropsychology, Psychiatry
Prologue (first paragraph):
“One in five Americans was sexually molested as a child; one in four was beaten by a parent to the point of a mark being left on their body; and one in three couples engages in physical violence. A quarter of us grew up with alcoholic relatives, and one out of eight witnessed their mother being beaten or hit.” (Source: CDC)
What the [bleeeep]? Why has nobody told me this before? Why don’t we teach this in schools?
I grew up in an alcoholic, physically abusive household and felt so isolated. I felt so abnormal. I felt so hurt. I was traumatized. But why did it take me reading this book in my late twenties to realize that trauma is actually (and sadly) normal?
The Body Keeps the Score is a dense read. In this 385-page book (with the tiniest page margins ever), Bessel distills forty years of experience as a psychiatrist, researcher, and educator on post-traumatic stress. The book contains five parts: the first four explain all the bad shit trauma does to your body and mind (using data, anecdotes, etc.), while the last part shares practical methods on what you can do about it.
How It Moved Me: This book inspired me to explore beneficial activities like yoga, improv, and therapy. It helped me realize the prevalence of trauma and shed light on the reasons behind people’s neurotic behaviors.
III.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Genre: Productivity, Career/Business
Unlike the last two books, I took notes on this one. If you’re interested, you can check them out.
The core of this book revolves around a brief yet profound statement:
The ability to perform deep work is becoming both increasingly rare and increasingly valuable in our economy. Because of this, the few who can cultivate this skill within the core of their working life will thrive.
While our lives have only become increasingly more digitalized since this book’s 2016 publication (see: Zoom, Slack, Chat-GPT, smartphone apps for Everything), it still offers the most effective remedy for digital distraction: Deep Work. It debunks common myths like “busyness equals productivity,” “multi-tasking is beneficial,” and “working at night is a good idea.”
After reading this book, I started organizing my days using the time-blocking method, significantly reduced my time spent on social media, and finished my first book… a deep work success story!
How It Moved Me: It helped me develop routines, schedules, and habits that nurture deep work. Additionally, it reinforced the rarity and importance of the work I now engage in. While anyone can spend their day in their inbox, not everyone can sustain the focus to transform a mere thought into a book.
IV.
On Writing by Stephen King
Genre: Biography, Authorship
This year, I read several memoirs on the craft of writing. My favorite by far has been Stephen King’s On Writing. King presents his memoir as less of a self-promoting autobiography and more of a pragmatic curriculum vitae (C.V.). Through his narrative, he aims to convey the essential elements of a good writer.
Here are some nuggets of wisdom from King:
Don’t search for a goldmine of good ideas; it doesn’t exist. Good ideas can emerge from anywhere or nowhere. Your job is to recognize them when they appear.
Rejection was no stranger to King; he collected all his rejection letters by nailing them in a stack on the wall. By age 14, his pile grew so large that the nail couldn’t support the weight of all the rejections.
King wrestled with shame about his writing for decades. He advises writers and creatives that while external criticism is inevitable, internal judgment is unnecessary. In other words, get over yourself.
King oscillated between periods of idleness and workaholic frenzies (more on this in Oh, The Places You’ll Go!)
“When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story… when you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”
King crumpled up and threw away his initial, unfinished draft of Carrie. His wife later found the discarded pages, read them, and told him she wanted to know how the story ended. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a huge difference.
“Fear is at the root of most bad writing.” (I’m convinced it’s also at the root of most bad decisions)
How it Moved Me: King’s insights reminded me of the value of hard work and the necessity to remain hopeful despite unavoidable rejection. His narrative affirmed that no straight and easy path exists for any worthwhile endeavor.
V.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
Genre: Children’s Classics, Jobs and Careers Reference
This unassuming children’s book is actually a remarkably wise and succinct graduation speech by Seuss. The narrative portrays life as a “Great Balancing Act,” an inevitable roller coaster of soaring highs and plummeting lows.
Here’s the TL;DR:
You’re headed to great places; you’ll decide where to go. If you see no good options, you’ll change your environment, surrounding yourself with people doing great things. Soon enough, you’ll end up doing great things, too. You might even lead the way! But your victory won’t last long, as you’re bound to be left behind.
Being left behind hurts; it leads to disorientation and puts you in a slump. You’ll end up waiting around for things to happen. Yuck! You’ll soon realize that isn’t for you! Off you’ll go again to make things happen. You’ll open yourself to many opportunities, reaching the pinnacle of fortune and fame. You’ll accumulate lots of stuff, but you’ll also be lonely. To escape your loneliness, you’ll have to confront your biggest problems head-on.
You’ll get all sorts of mixed up on this journey called life, reaching the highest highs and lowest lows, but you’ll succeed anyhow. So get on your way; today is your day!
We have all traversed the landscapes Seuss vividly described – leading, being left behind, waiting around, and realizing our power to shape our destinies. But at the end of this Great Balancing Act, we will succeed – we’ll end up in the very destination of our choosing.
How it Moved Me: It instilled hope during times of despair by helping me recognize that such moments are an inherent part of the journey. It also suggests that we must face our biggest problems (which are all mind-made, btw) before we get to where we want to go.
Honorable Mention: The Search for Purpose by Yours Truly
My first book is now available! If your New Year’s resolution involves finding greater purpose and meaning in life and work, check out The Search for Purpose!
Happiest of holidays!
Let me know what books moved you this year in the comments below 🤗
The Body Keeps the Score should be required reading before one can become a licensed human being.
“...biggest problems (which are all mind-made, btw)” love this!