2023 Book Reviews and Ratings

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The 22 books I finished in 2023 lightning review and /5 scores. 👇 5/5 = I loved it, will re-read, and you should definitely read it too. 4/5 = I'm glad I read it. Great one-time read. 3/5 = pretty good 2/5 = nah 1/5 = under no circumstances should you read this

Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel 3/5 I think if I was a new Christian and wasn't well-read on psychology it would have been great, but this covered a lot of basics if you're a Christian that wants to start learning about taking care of your mental health.

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield 5/5 Incredible historic fiction. Listened to audio book and narrator Guidall really brings it to life. Graphic and intense and somehow education. Felt like I lived through it. Highly recommend.

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke 4/5 As a casual poker player, this was pretty cool learning how to apply poker lessons and thinking to everyday life decision making. Good stuff.

The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon 4/5 Cute little parable that reminds you of the basics of how to win at life and be a good person. Might read again when I need a little pick-me-up. Definitely want my kids to read this.

Snow Leopard by Category Pirates 2/5 Some good takeaways about how to be original and stand out to own your category as a creator, but a bit too self-serving by the authors and discounts tactics they don't like that clearly work with a bit of a sneering broad brush.

A Man at Arms by Steven Pressfield 4/5 Had to do another Pressfield after how much I like Gates of Fire. This was a little shorter and almost as good. Super glad I read it but now that I know how it ends I probably won't read again.

The End of the World is Just Beginning by Peter Zeihan 4.5/5 So many interesting geographical, economic, and geopolitical lessons. Learned a lot. Enjoyable reading combined with depth of info. And left me feeling optimistic despite the doomsday sounding title.

Deep Work by Cal Newport 5/5 A message we all need to hear today. Carve out time to achieve focused, deep work without distractions and you can go 10X further than people that don't and have a modern superpower. Practical strategies to do so.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 3/5 I think this is an excellent book for many but was kind of preaching to the choir for me. No new big revelations for me as an experienced reader of personal development / success books. Don't remember much from it.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 4.5/5 Everyone should read this once, at least. Incredible first-hand account of surviving the concentration camps, and important psychology lessons in the 2nd half derived from the experiences. Enlightening and Impactful.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. 3.5/5 Don't get me wrong, it's a great book, but I think it just fell short of the hype for me since it was so highly recommended so many times I thought it would be more life-changing. Good at describing mental traps to look out for

Unoffendable by Brant Hansen 3/5 I wish I could give this book to sooooo many people and make them read it. But for me... preaching to the choir. How to not go around offended all the time like everyone's trying to be nowadays.

The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof 4/5 Challenged me in a lot of ways. Learned a lot about what the human body and spirit is capable of. Perfect pre-Kilimanjaro trek read. Used some of his breathing techniques and they work. Love his vibe.

The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan 5/5 Will re-read every year for awhile until I start living it. Learning to measure yourself from where you've come from versus where you want to be = the key to happiness. Great concept.

Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre 5/5 2nd time through it and highly recommend. Just full of incredible stories of the heroes of the SAS from WW2 and their brutal fights and shenanigans across Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. Harrowing Tales.

Breath by James Nestor 4/5 A deep dive into breathing and how it affects our health, how and why we struggle with it, and practical things we can do to get better at it. Worth the read and an under-studied part of health and fitness.

Discovering the Mind of a Woman by Ken Nair 3.5/5 A good read for husbands. Somewhat deceptive title as the whole thing is just dudes getting absolutely bodyslammed by the Bible and how they need to behave like Christ and not be selfish a-holes to win at marriage.

Never Finished by David Goggins 4/5 A well-done sequel to Can't Hurt Me. Goggins always challenges and inspires with his life story. Love how honest and transparent he is and how he takes you on his journeys to extremes of pain and willpower.

The Self-Managing Company by Dan Sullivan 3/5 Had some good stuff but really kind of an introductory workbook to the strategic coach tools and systems. Not super good as a standalone. You'd probably get 1-2 things that would make it worth reading. Quick and short read.

The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen 4/5 The life story of Sam Zemurray. Absolutely fascinating tale of the Jewish Russian immigrant that became the Banana King of the Americas, including toppling Central American governments and breaking a monopoly. Great read.

Indistractable by Nir Eyal 5/5 Another one we should all read. Will re-visit and drill its lessons into me. Practical ways to control your attention in a world of distraction and take proactive control of your life.

Benjamin Franklin - An American Life by Walter Isaacson 4.5/5 I really loved it but it's a little on the long side. Franklin lived an incredible life and truly shaped the course of history and American culture. So many ways we can respect and learn from his example.

Have you read any of these? What was your favorite book of the year? I'm building my next year's list now and would love your feedback and suggestions.