Let me start this list by saying I’m a chapter hopper when it comes to reading.

I think Naval mentioned one time how he believes you should follow your curiosity as a reader. If you lose interest in one book, and you see another you want to read, then put the first one down and pick up the second. That’s me. That’s how I read.

THE AWARDS AHEAD

• BEST SELF-HELP BOOK

• BEST BUSINESS BOOK

• BEST BIOGRAPHY

• BEST NOVEL

• BEST POOL READ

• BEST MEMOIR

LIVING A LITTLE requires embracing curiosity as a way of life—and few things feed that hunger better than a good book.

So without further ado, I present THE 2024 LIVE A LITTLE BOOK AWARDS.

BEST SELF-HELP BOOK: SLOW PRODUCTIVITY BY CAL NEWPORT

Up until reading Slow Productivity, I never believed I had full agency on how to handle work burnout. (I’ve had it pretty bad a couple of times so far in my career.) Managing burnout starts with how you interact with your work, your boss, your peers—the entire world.

Some career positions are difficult to get out of, and the truth is not everyone can escape their jobs at the snap of a thumb. But Cal talks about small, tiny actions you can take while you start making bigger plans for the future, whether that’s a change you make inside the company, or a change you make in leaving your company.

It’s a book that gave me powerful tools and a deep reminder that I am always in control of how I interact with my work.

BEST BUSINESS BOOK: NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BY CHRIS VOSS

As a Kansas City native, I’ve always loved the fact that Chris Voss started his career in law enforcement working for the KCPD. He’d go on to become a lead hostage negotiator for the FBI, only to then apply everything he’d learned into the world of business.

Never Split the Difference is my go-to book on how to negotiate. It taught me how to frame a negotiation, how to come to the table knowing exactly what I want, and how to persuade and negotiate without being an asshole. I love how Chris points out that negotiations are not about strong-arming the other side, but rather about an outcome where both parties feel like they gained something and were respected.

This book has helped me a lot when advocating for myself at work and in life.

BEST BIOGRAPHY: THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT BY EDMUND MORRIS

Most agree Edmund Morris has the best biography about Teddy. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is the first book of a three-book series. I’ve only read the first book so far, and I’m not sure I’ll do the second and the third.

But learning about how Teddy became the “man in the arena” was fascinating enough. I never knew he was born into money—Teddy was basically in the highest echelon of New York high society. Based on how he’s portrayed in history, you’d never know he was of the elite class.

This leads me to point out Teddy was a smart marketer when it came to his own brand, especially when he was positioning himself for public office. He played a lot on his outdoorsman side and military service with the Rough Riders.

I’m not going to say Teddy did everything right. But Teddy’s best qualities are worth remembering: his perseverance, his determination, and his will to push boundaries and never let up.

After reading this book, I realized that even if I applied just 10% of Teddy’s own drive and vigor to life, I’d probably see some solid results.

BEST NOVEL: FOREVER BY PETE HAMILL

Fiction is my category weakness in reading. But when I find a fiction book I like, I usually read it fast. I blazed through Forever earlier this summer when I was still living in NYC.

Forever is a story of a man who achieves immortality during the early settlement of New York City—so long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan. The man then lives all the way up to the American Revolution, through the Great Fire of New York, and then into the 21st Century.

Then, 9/11 happens. He also meets a woman he falls madly in love with—more in love with her than any of the women he’d ever been with in his several hundred years of living.

Pete Hamill is an awesome author. How many years would you stay on the island of Manhattan if it meant you’d never die?

BEST POOL READ: SALT BY MURK KURLANSKY

One of the first books I read after moving to Austin, Salt is a history of the simple ingredient.

I came across it while listening to a podcast. One of the guests mentioned Anthony Bourdain recommended this book. Being the Boudain fan I am, I knew I needed to check it out.

Ancient philosophers have waxed poetic about salt, blood has been spent over salt, and nations have grown rich and powerful over salt. It was truly a fascinating read. I consumed most of it while chilling at Barton Springs pool.

BEST MEMOIR: EDUCATION OF A WANDERING MAN BY LOUIS L’AMOUR

This fall, about a few months in living in Austin, I took a day trip to visit Ryan Holiday’s bookstore in Bastrop, Texas. I scanned the bookstore looking for a book that was small and under $15. In the memoir section, I spotted Education of a Wandering Man.

L’Amour’s memoir shows what can happen if you commit yourself to becoming a lifelong learner. L’Amour never went to college. He grew up during the Great Depression, spending much of his young adult years traveling the U.S. and the world looking for work, collecting experiences, and reading.

He was a voracious reader, and he documented a lot of what he read and could recall much of what each book was about. The fascinating thing about L’Amour’s memoir is that it was published posthumously—about a year after he passed away in the late 1980s.

My takeaway from this book was to continue to live life with a curious soul, and to remember the impact that reading and travel can have on the mind. Basically, do more reading and traveling.

MY READING GOAL FOR 2025

The biggest task I’ve set for 2025 is to create a more efficient reading log. I only sometimes jot down notes about the books I’m reading, and I realize I could get much better insights if I write fresh after taking in pages.

Sometimes I can go 1-2 weeks without picking up a book. A reading log will keep me honest about how much I’m consuming, and hopefully make those 1-2 week time gaps shorter.

LIVE A LITTLE

THANKS FOR READING

I’m always looking for new books and ways to optimize how I read.

Drop me a comment and share with me your best tips. I dig speaking with like-minded people.