Who Do You Trust With Your To-Read List?
Why I’m Following This Book List (and Maybe You Should Too)
“A good book is an event in my life.”
― Stendhal
To Read or Not to Read
Let’s say you just got a book recommendation. How do you decide whether or not to take it?
Sometimes you question the book. Here are a few questions I ask myself.
- Does this topic interest me?
- How many pages is it?
- Do I have time and the mental bandwidth for it right now?
- Could it help me with something?
- Would it be entertaining?
- Does my library have it?
Other times, you question the recommender.
- Are they a reader themselves?
- Do we have the same taste?
- Can I trust their values or expertise on this subject?
- How well do they know me?
- Have they recommended books in the past that I’ve liked?
So last week I saw a list recommending 21 books. That’s too many. I almost didn’t even look at it.
Until I saw who it was from: Daniel Pink.
And why he recommended these books: they changed his life.
Daniel Pink is one of my trusted guides. Through the years, I’ve read many books at his suggestion, and never regretted any of them. He is also an author himself of seven New York Times best sellers (I’ve read five and I highly recommend them).
- A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Copyright 2005. One of my top 10 books I read in 2013
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Copyright 2009.
- To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Copyright 2012. One of my top 5 social sciences book I read in 2015
- When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Copyright 2018. One of my top 10 books I read in 2018
- The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Copyright 2022. One of 5 books that changed me in 2022
So I made a decision: look at his list and watch his video.
A Little Headstart
Of the 21 books in this list that changed his life, I’d already read 9 of them. I wonder if some were because of his recommendation?
This gives me a lot of confidence in the remaining 12 books, which I now plan to read over the next 12 months, aiming for 1 book per month, along with other books I’ll also be reading.
His list of books is good enough for me to pass along to you, too—especially my fellow book lovers— for your own journey of learning, growing, and maybe even reshaping the way we see the world.
Some of the books are recent. Some are decades old, but they’ve aged well. Reading them now—wherever you are—will still feel relevant.
I created my own pdf to check off the 21 books (well, I politely asked AI to set it up for me, and it did, of course, then I tweaked it). You can download the pdf at the bottom of this post if you’d like your own checklist, too.
Why You Should Watch the Video (Even If You Don’t Read the Books)
However, maybe you’re not a big reader. The list has zero appeal to you.
Nonetheless, I encourage you to watch his video anyway. Put it on double speed if you don’t have 18 minutes.
Why? Because Pink doesn’t just name-drop titles here. He explains why each book matters, how it shifted his thinking, and what kind of ripple effect it had on his life and work.
So even if you never pick up a single book from the list, you’ll pick up insights and aha moments just from the video itself.
The List
Here are 9 books from the list I’ve already read, so I can join Pink in highly recommending each of these myself.
1. Grit by Angela Duckworth, 2016. Read 2017.
3. Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1990. Read ???.
4. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, 2002. Read 2014.
5. The Stoic Challenge by William Irvine, 2019. Read 2020.
14. The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, 2012. Read 2017.
17. Scarcity by by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir, 2013. Read 2021.
18. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont, 1994. Read 2008.
20. Moneyball by Michael Lewis, 2003. Read 2007.
21. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, 1946. Read 2006.
And here are the 12 books I plan to read over the next year. Some are on my to-read list already. I’m starting this month with The Sports Gene since my library has it available both as an ebook and hardcopy.
2. Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke, 2018.
6. The Sports Gene by David Epstein, 2013.
7. Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt, 2019.
8. Give and Take by Adam Grant, 2013.
9. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, 2018.
10. Unfair by Adam Benforado, 2015.
11. Influence by Robert Cialdini, 2013.
12. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers by Michele Gelfand, 2018.
13. The Genetic Lottery by Kathryn Paige Harden, 2021.
15. Uncivil Agreement by Lilliana Mason, 2018.
16. Mindset by Carol Dweck, 2006, 2016.
19. Nonzero by Robert Wright, 1999.
I’ll share reflections along the way—maybe a quote, a new thought, or if anything creates a mindset shift in me—because that’s what these kind of books do. They nudge us to become more aware of ourselves and our world, and then hopefully make the world just a little better.
Daniel Pink ends his video by saying,
“When we read books like these we change our minds, and when we change our minds we change the world.”
I couldn’t agree more.
How do you decide about book recommendations? Have you read any on Pink’s list? Which would you most like to read? If you read one, let me know and we’ll talk about it together.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Want the full list of all 21 books? I created a printable for you here, “21 Books Recommended by Daniel Pink.”
The only book I’ve read from Pink’s list is Man’s Search for Meaning. It was absolutely profound! If that’s on his list, I can probably trust the others, too. Love it when you recommend books, Lisa! Blessings!
Thanks, Martha. It’s been awhile since I’ve read Man’s Search for Meaning; I could probably use a reread. I remember it being a remarkable book.
I like the criteria you listed at the top of this post. I’ve read 5 of the books on Pink’s but not a single one by Pink himself. I’m too scattered to focus on a single source of recommendations so I look to fellow bloggers, podcasts, authors and friends for them. I usually check Bill Gates’ summer and holiday reading lists too. https://www.gatesnotes.com/books/reading-lists/reader/summer-books-2025.
BTW I think every book changes your life, some more than others of course.
I’m looking forward to your reviews as your go through this list.
I love your line that “every book changes your life, some more than others” – so true! Thanks for sharing Bill Gates’ list. I like to see what he’s reading too. I’m adding a few right now from his list.
Hi Lisa.
I read “The War of Art” a long time ago, and it is the only title I recognize on the list.
Great coffee post. Thanks for sharing.
The War of Art is definitely a good one! I had copied this down from its last paragraph: “Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”
well YOU are a trusted guide for me. and I giggled at this. Does my library have it? That is one sure sign for me to read it. Thanks for the challenge and how much you helped us along in taking up this challenge, even the PDF – you outdid yourself!! way to go, girl
ps, had to add: I just watch that video. so worth my time. Love his summaries. thanks for the encouragement to take the time to watch how he covers his books
Glad to hear you got something from the video too! I may peak back at it myself for each book as I check them off the list.
Ha, yes: Your local library!!! I own sooo many books (and spend so much $ on them), and have run out of storage room), that I am taking far more of my library lately. THEN they all come at once. Oh my! But often I am glad I read a book, but woudln’t nec. want to own it.
I have that problem too, Lynn. It seems the holds will be quiet for a long while, then all of a sudden everything becomes available at the same time. I borrow mostly ebooks now from my library, and when they become available, they give me the option of delaying delivery until I’m for sure ready, keeping me first in line for the next available copy. That has been a wonderful thing! 🙂
Thanks, Jean! I love seeing what you are reading as well. It’s fun to collect friends along the way who have similar tastes. And yes to the library. I tease my husband that I’ve saved us thousands and thousands of dollars by using the library for the bulk of my reading material. 🙂
Really good point. I know there are some people who link up each month where I literally read the post with my library app open. You get to know who has similar tastes to you.
Exactly. It’s always fun when we see someone that we trust publish another book recommendation post. Except that my to-read list grows even longer and more uncontrollable. ha.
Interesting video and post. Lisa. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
You’re welcome, Natalie. Talking about books is one of my favorite things.
I used to be a purist and refused to read any book that I didn’t have a physical copy of, but these days, most of the books I read are of the electronic kind. I like the ease and portability of having books on my phone or Kindle. I listen to books on my commute and read others during my lunch break. There are seven books in the “Currently Reading” section on my Goodreads profile – some fiction and some non-fiction. As a book reviewer, my TBR list is largely controlled by the deadlines of the author or publisher of said books. But I do find time to squeeze in books that are just for my own pleasure or knowledge.
I still love physical copies of books too. It’s just hard to beat the convenience of the electronic versions, so most of my reading is there as well. And yes to audio books too. I’ve been known to have all three mediums going at the same time with a single book when my library has them available. 🙂 It doesn’t happen very often but it’s fun when it does.
Hi Lisa – Although I consider myself a long-time reader (I was an English major many, many moons ago), this is the week where I am discovering how many other people’s favourite books and authors I have never read. I haven’t read any of Pink’s books, nor have I read anything on his list. I think I keep my head in too much Classic fiction. 😀
Well, Classic fiction is a beautiful category to stay in, Donna! As an adult I’ve gone back to read some of those classics I missed from school days, and they rarely disappoint. I just have to remember that the pacing is slower in the older novels because I get impatient otherwise. ha. It’s amazing how writing has changed over the years as we’ve grown into such a hurry-hurry culture.
♡
Great take on Pink’s list. I haven’t read them all but I agree that #11, Influence will change how you communicate.
Glad to hear your take on Influence, Susan. I’m not familiar with that one at all, so I’ll look forward to reading it in the upcoming months!
wow, Lisa, I’ve actually read three of these: Bird by Bird (great for authors), Man’s Search for Meaning (wonderful, sobering, hopeful for times such as these), and the War of Art (a brilliant book on resistance and how it sabotages all creatives). Need to read that again! The Art of War is also good in light of war today. Haven’ read that in ages. I applied it more to personal, spiritual warfare. I scanned Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, and it’s powerful, especially for parents. I don’t have time to read all you suggest, but those of your recommendations I’ve read have greatly benefitted me. I trust your judgment. I am loving The Clowns of God by Morris West (from the ’70s) and it has an uncanny relevance to today. Keep reading. Keep thinking. Keep writing!
xo
Lynn
I love our frequent exchange of book titles, Lynn! I haven’t heard of The Clowns of God so I looked it up. It says it’s the second in a trilogy. Did you read the first book, The Shoes of the Fisherman? I assume that would be the place for me to start?
You just taught *me* something!!! Actually, I read C of G (now a 2nd time some 20 yr later—it’s fresh and relevant. I literally just ordered the Shoes of the Fisherman dVD from the library. It stars Anthoy Quinn and is about a Pope (I’m not Catholic). So I’ll read that next. Didn’t now about a 3rd, but yes, I’d presume start w/ #1. But my not knowing that (or reading it), has not jeopardized whatevr my really enjoying Clowns! Enjoy.
xo
L
Sleepy. Took a Benadryl for a headache, and it’s made me a bit loopy. Hope the above is sensical.
Good to know, Lynn! I may just start directly with The Clowns of God then. Thanks!
Just have a bit more to read, and now I’m going to the first, thanks to you: Shoes of the Fisherman, which, while I didn’t know was part of a triology, I’d bought used b/c I loved West so much! 🙂 So I’ll be reading out of order, and I’ve reserved Lazarus at the library. Also have reserved the Anthony Quinn movie. Can’t recall if I told you, but we though Netflix Conclave was interesting. We’re not Catholic, though most of Mike’s family is, but it’s interesting reading. Enjoy.
xo
L
Sounds like a great project. I have only read Man’s Search for Meaning. Interesting that it’s the only book earlier than 1990. I also find it rather interesting that so many of the books have one-word titles – seems to indicate “I want to grab your attention with this one concept”. (I imagine most have more extensive explanatory subtitles.) Without even checking out the video, I’m intrigued!
Interesting observation on the one-word titles; I hadn’t noticed that. Yes, most do have longer subtitles, but I find that many of the truly older books don’t necessarily have one. I guess marketing has changed through the years? 🙂 Nowadays it’s rare to see a book without a definitive subtitle to explain what the book is really about.
That final quote about changing the world is so true Lisa, great post!!
I agree with you about that quote, Deb! I was glad Pink ended with that because it left a big impression on me.
Lisa, I love this post. You’ve given us so many great questions to consider. How do I decide what to read?
A title will just jump out at me. It calls my name, it grabs my attention.
There’s people who I trust. Like you. I’ll always look at your recommendations and usually find something that’ll fit where I am in this particular season. So this is a good opportunity to thank you for all the good books you’ve sent my way and for how you’ve enlarged my borders in the process.
I feel the same appreciation for you, Linda! I immediately zoom in on your book recommendation posts. One of my favorite things to do when I visit someone’s house is to see what books are on their shelves. I’m glad we can do that virtually as well. 🙂
He likes a book with a single-word title! I will take recommendations from a good few bloggers and friends – anything Halfman Halfbook recommends in nonfiction I will probably like and i have a big overlap with HeavenAli (no longer blogging but I see her every other week or so!) Kaggsysbookishramblings and Stuck-in-a-Book. Others go away from what I like but when I see something I might like I know I will.
I probably need to look up Halfman Halfbook too because if you like their recommendations, I might also since I like *your* recommendations, Liz! 🙂 Round and round we go. So many books. ❤️