Books That Shaped My Thinking

These are not the best books I have read. They are the books I still think about. Some changed how I work, some changed how I think, and some simply stayed with me long after I finished reading them.

On the Shortness of Life - Seneca

I first read this many years ago, but its message has become more relevant as I have grown older. The book reminded me that time is finite and that the greatest waste is spending it on things that do not matter.

Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu

This book taught me the value of simplicity. It helped me appreciate that not every problem requires force, and not every opportunity needs to be chased. The older I get, the more I find myself drawn to its wisdom.

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

This is one of those books I expect to keep returning to throughout my life. It reminds me that I cannot control events, other people, or circumstances. I can only control my actions and response.

Managing Oneself - Peter Drucker

This book changed how I think about work. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, it encouraged me to understand my strengths, values, and how I work best. It taught me that effectiveness starts with self-awareness

The One Thing - Gary Keller

This book arrived at the right time in my life. It reinforced something I had always known but often ignored: progress comes from focus. When I am at my best, I am concentrating on one important thing, not ten different things

How to Take Smart Notes - Sönke Ahrens

This book changed how I think about learning and research. It helped me realise that writing is not simply a way to record knowledge. Writing is part of the thinking process itself. It has had a major influence on how I approach my DBA studies and personal knowledge management.

Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson

I read this early in my career, and its lesson stayed with me. Change is inevitable. The sooner you accept that and adapt, the easier life becomes. It is a simple book with a simple message, but one that has proved true again and again.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

This book spoke to the part of me that has always preferred to find my own way. It is a story about mastery, curiosity, and refusing to accept limits simply because others do. I have carried that lesson with me throughout my life

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten - Robert Fulghum

I first read this in the early 1990s and still remember it today. Its message was simple: many of the most important lessons in life are not complicated. Be kind. Be honest. Keep learning. Take responsibility. The longer I live, the more I think Fulghum was right.

Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramahansa Yogananda

This book opened my mind to ideas and perspectives that were outside my usual experience. It encouraged me to think more deeply about spirituality, purpose, and personal growth. It asked questions that I am still exploring toda

The Game of Life and How to Play It - Florence Scovel Shinn

This book made me think about the connection between mindset and life experience. Whether you agree with all of its ideas or not, it challenged me to think about the stories we tell ourselves and how those stories influence our choices

A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles

I came to this book later in life. What stayed with me was the idea that meaning, dignity, and fulfilment are not dependent on circumstances. Some people spend their lives waiting for the perfect situation. This book reminded me that life is happening right now

The Black Company - Glen Cook

This is one of the few novels I have reread multiple times. What keeps bringing me back is not the fantasy setting but the characters. Loyalty, resilience, camaraderie, and the reality that life is rarely black and white. The older I get, the more I appreciate stories that recognise complexity rather than offering easy answers.