12 Books that Will Make You Healthier, Happier and More Productive This Summer
Summer—time for catchy pop jams, days on the beach, and thick triangles of watermelon dripping onto the grass. It’s ripe for vacations, for rest and for relaxation. It’s also the perfect time to get away from work and do a quick check-in with yourself. Are you happy? Are you as productive as you could be? Are you fulfilling your potential?
If you’d like to improve any of these areas, why not take advantage of the longer, lazier days of summer and get started? Crack one of these 12 books from the Blinkist library that’ll do good for your body and mind.
The Blinkist app transforms nonfiction reads into powerful packs of key insights that can be read or listened to in just 15 minutes. With Blinkist, you can dig into these must-reads, and then when vacation’s over and it’s time to get back to work, you’ll be able to bring your A-game.
1. Be more content and joyful
A Guide to the Good Life
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
For the Stoics, the prescription for peace of mind and freedom from pain was straightforward: live a life of moderation and self-control and you’re good to go.
If you’re not an ancient Greek philosopher, however, this is no easy task, so A Guide to the Good Life shows you how to harness the mindset to deal with the things we can control and reckon calmly with the things we can’t.
You’ll learn about why being stuck in traffic actually isn’t so bad, what cold showers have to do with full lives, and, next time you lose a tennis match, how to do it gracefully.
2. Master your habits
Better Than Before
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” If that’s not reason enough to better your habits, then nothing is.
NYT bestseller Gretchen Rubin starts with helping you understand what kind of person you are, and then suggests specific, simple strategies that you can use right here, right now to nix your bad patterns and stick with the good ones.
Gretchen Rubin was also an early guest on Blinkist’s podcast, Simplify. So if you are interested in learning more after reading Better than Before, check out what she has to say there.
3. Eat healthier
In Defense of Food
- 19 min reading time
- audio version available
Much of today’s dietary advice is based on little more than hypotheses. Hypotheses that, unfortunately, are swaddled in thick layers of pseudoscience. In Defense of Food is a close examination of the rise of nutritionism and a historical account of the industrialization of food.
An expert in food ecology, Michael Pollan lays out the ways in which the food industry shifted modern man’s dietary focus from “food” to “nutrients,” and thus narrowed the objective of eating to one of maintaining physical health—an objective it completely fails to fulfill.
Here, you’ll learn that it’s possible to escape the dominant dietary approach that nutritionism has become and develop a healthier, more traditional way of eating that even great-grandma would love.
4. Be happier
The Happiness Advantage
- 18 min reading time
- audio version available
We’re taught to believe that if we perform well professionally, we’ll eventually arrive at a point at which our accomplishments and wealth make us feel happy. Bad news: this isn’t at all how it works. In fact, happiness—far from being the result of all your hard work—is actually one of the tools you can use to increase your performance and your quality of life.
In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor looks into the origins of happiness and the positive effects that happiness has on productivity. Based on 12 years’ research in positive psychology, the book offers concrete tips on how to increase your own happiness and your chances for success.
5. Be more mindful
The Untethered Soul
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
Your mind is amazing, but it can also be a big, negative pain in the neck. The human consciousness is potent, and often it’s all that stands between you and the positive energy you need to meet all of your goals.
The Untethered Soul explores how you can overcome the thoughts and emotions that are holding you back. Michael A. Singer draws on different spiritual practices to explain how you can navigate your own mind, get in touch with yourself and become master of your own mind.
6. Declutter your life
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
- 14 min reading time
- audio version available
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up isn’t just a guide to decluttering, it’s a bestseller—and now a Netflix series—that’s changed lives in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The Wall Street Journal even called Marie Kondo’s Shinto-inspired “KoMari” technique “the cult of tidying up.”
Kondo explains in detail the many ways in which your living space affects all aspects of your life and how you can ensure that each item in it has powerful personal significance. By following this simple yet resonant advice, you can move closer to achieving your dreams (and cleaning out your closet).
7. Be more productive
59 Seconds
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Jerry’s boiler is broken and he spends weeks trying to fix it. When he finally calls an engineer, the pro walks in, taps it on the side and boom! it’s fixed. Upon receiving the bill, Jerry grouses that he shouldn’t have to pay for a fix that took the engineer a few seconds. “Well,” says the engineer, “you’re not paying for the fix, but for the years of training it took to know exactly where to tap.”
What does this prove? That you don’t have to spend tens of years or thousands of dollars to fix most problems. Thanks to huge advances in psychological research and technology, we’re now able to “fix our boilers” in exceedingly simple ways. In fact, Wiseman’s book shows that we can often change things for the advantageous in less than a minute. These are the top psychological tricks to improve yourself in all sorts of ways, from being more creative to spotting a liar.
8. Learn to ask for backup
The Art of Asking
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Once you’ve heard of controversy queen Amanda Palmer, you always want to know what she’s up to. Her tweets, shows and interactions have reached millions of people—and most of them are now fans and supporters.
In her book, she explains how building a successful career as an artist and performer has just as much to do with knowing how to ask for things, network, and treat people right as it does with talent and tweets. Palmer’s journey from street performer to world-renowned artist teach how you too can achieve what you desire.
9. Improve your memory
Moonwalking with Einstein
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
What does it take to become a USA Memory Champion? Follow Joshua Foer’s footsteps and you’ll find out.
In Moonwalking with Einstein, Foer explains how memory works, why we’re worse at remembering than our ancestors, and why an extraordinary memory isn’t just available to a select few people but to all of us.
The best part: he walks you through specific techniques for improving your own memory—including how to squirrel away recollections in your childhood home.
10. Use your time better
If you ever feel like you simply don’t have enough hours in your day, then Laura Vanderkam’s latest release is for you.
Off The Clock focuses on how you can make more of every minute by first, figuring out where you spend your time, and second, learning to prioritize the stuff that truly matters.
If you put your relationships first and properly focus on work that moves you forward rather than just keeps you busy, you’ll suddenly discover that you might actually have enough time for everything, after all!
Vanderkam also spoke with the hosts of Simplify, providing more insights about how we spend the time we have. If you liked the book, it’s definitely worth the listen!
11. Make the most of your vacation
The Art of Travel
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
No matter how far-flung your vacation, it can be hard to properly kick back and enjoy real time off — especially if you’ve struggled through airports or busy highways just to get where you’re going.
So, this summer, whether you travel abroad or have yourself a little staycation, The Art of Travel is an essential read that will help you look at places a little differently, whether near or far.
12. Truly enjoy your summer lovin’
Better Sex Through Mindfulness
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Whether you’re in a long-term relationship, seeing someone new, or on the lookout for a torrid summer romance, learning how to have better sex is always a good idea.
Dr. Lori Brotto is a frequent guest on Dan Savage’s podcast, Savage Love, and much beloved by sex-positive authors like Emily Nagoski. She also appeared on an episode of Blinkist’s Simplify podcast.
Better Sex Through Mindfulness teaches how to use mindfulness in order to be fully present during sex, and in life generally. It’s a life-affirming, empathetic read that explores how by minimizing our distractions, we can be more fulfilled both in and out of the bedroom.
All of these titles are available on Blinkist as powerful packs of key insights that you can read or listen to in 15 minutes or fewer. Why not check them out now and make this summer matter.
