10 of the Most Useful Books You Will Ever Read

2020 was a year that wasn’t short of troubles, anxieties, and disruption of everyday life. 2021 is already looking up. We hope and plan for a fulfilling year ahead that is characterized by recovery from the previous year, starting new adventures, and rediscovering ourselves. If you’re thinking “what’s the perfect book to rid yourself of the ennui and despair of 2020?” Think no more. I’ve put together a list of 10 books that can help you start 2021 the right way. Whether you’re looking for ways to better manage your time, form new habits, master working from home, strengthen your relationships, or a book to help you escape from the everyday hustle and bustle, this comprehensive list of books has something for you.[/vc_column_text]

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Atomic Habits Book

ATOMIC HABITS

Are you struggling with kicking bad habits and picking up new good ones? Well this book will teach you skills to overcome your lack of motivation, excessive procrastination, and lack of follow through. One of the top reviews for this books says:

“I’ve read a lot of books on changing behavior and building habits and James Clear’s Atomic Habits is my new favorite. This book is different from others in the way it covers an enormous amount of ground in the larger area of self-improvement while seamlessly tying all these ideas back into the central theme of habits. One of the core concepts in Atomic Habits is to focus on the small improvement. The impact a 1% improvement per day can make may appear negligible at first, but Clear makes a compelling argument that in the case of habits, thinking small produces the biggest results over time. “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement,” explains Clear.

This book can help you start your year right by teaching you to form and maintain good habits.

Humankind: A Hopeful History

In an increasingly polarized world dominated by one bad news story to another, perhaps some of us have lost faith in humanity. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all that is wrong in the world right now, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that humans have an immense capacity for good as well.  “Humankind, which offers a bold and extraordinary argument that humans thrive in a crisis and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success on the planet.” This book will revive your faith in humanity and live you feeling more hopeful. I think we all need that.

Lurking: How a Person Became a User

We are all gradually becoming more informed and educated on the negative effects of social media and technology use on our everyday life. We are also learning how media companies collect, share, and sell our data without our consent. Furthermore, these companies use our data to manipulate and control us. The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma exposes some of their tactics.  “In Lurking, Joanne McNeil digs deep and identifies the primary (if sometimes contradictory) concerns of people online: searching, safety, privacy, identity, community, anonymity, and visibility. She charts what it is that brought people online and what keeps us here even as the social equations of digital life–what we’re made to trade, knowingly or otherwise, for the benefits of the internet–have shifted radically beneath us. ” If you want to learn more about this topic then this book is a good place to start.

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura (March 23, 2021)

This is one book I’m very excited about. It comes out on March 23, 2021. Authored by Japanese writer Kikuko Tsumura, it follows a young woman as she searches for an “easy job”. In a time where most millennials and Genz are feeling burnt out and a general lack of fulfillment in their jobs and careers, this fiction book covers a daunting topic in a quirky way.

“Tsumura’s rendering of a millennial besieged by anxious overthinking and coping through deadpan humor and sarcasm rings true. As the monotonous and fantastic collide, Tsumura shows that meaning and real intrigue can be found in the unlikeliest of places.” ―Publishers Weekly

Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

This is another book that could come in handy if you’ve spent the last few months stuck indoors with your partner. Mating in Captivity “examines the paradoxical relationship between domesticity and sexual desire and explains what it takes to bring lust home”. A top review of the book reads:

“Anyone who desires or is in a long-term relationship should read this. This book had me hooked, I whizzed through it in about 2 days. Hugely enlightening and puts words to something I’ve always noticed but could never quite put my finger on. The gist is that love demands closeness, but erotic desire needs space to thrive. For modern American couples, who often have their lives so intertwined, this can lead to problems. Perel explores this seeming contradiction and sheds light on how modern couples can become aware of this and mediate it. This book is packed with wisdom. Enlightening read!”

I Will Teach You to Be Rich

Did the global pandemic leave you financially discombobulated? Well, it’s time you take back control of how you manage your money. Do you save? Budget? Invest? If you’re in your 20s and 30s and you don’t pay adequate attention to these topics and to your finances, then you should. In I Will Teach You To Be Rich, author Ramit Sethi offers pertinent advice on how to save, invest, spend, budget, and how to manage your finances in general. It’s a very practical book that’s worth picking up.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Many people have said that this book does was it says in that it has quite literally changed their lives. We all remember when the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo took the world by storm. This book by renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo can help you reorganize your space and subsequently your life. Studies have shown that having a cluttered space can lead to anxiety and lack of focus. Especially now that most people are either stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions and most of us have to work from home for the same reason. Decluttering your space could go a long way to help you be more in control, increase your productivity, and feel zen.

The Little Book of Big Lies: A Journey into Inner Fitness

This book is a self-help book on self-care. It contains lots of practical advice that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more fulfillment. Unlike some self-help books that come across as very preachy and inundated with humble brags, The Little Book of Big Lies has an authentic take on every topic and will leave you feeling inspired and refreshed.

Your Happiness Toolkit

Be Calm: Proven Techniques to Stop Anxiety Now

This is a self-help book for anyone dealing with anxiety. It’s practical and contains useful tips that you can apply. A top review of the book:

“Fantastic book-easy to read and I felt like the writer completely understood how anxiety feels and how to overcome it. I’ve suffered from anxiety before I knew that was it and it can be debilitating. I started implementing the strategies while reading the book and already feel somewhat better. Highly recommend.”

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Jiji Ugboma

Editor in Chief

Jiji is a writer, entrepreneur, and digital marketing specialist based in New York. She writes about personal development, self-actualization, mental health, and creativity as they relate to the quarter-life crisis experiences of millennials and gen-z. She has a deep love for quirky podcasts, coffee, and chocolate desserts.

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