Blinkist’s Top 10 Most Popular Books of 2016
The 10 best songs of the year, the 10 best films of the year, the 10 best cat memes of the year… Sure, top ten lists are usually a lot of fun to scroll through, and every so often they even contain a useful suggestion or two. But how often does a Top 10 list actually improve your life? It’s a pretty big call, but all modesty aside, this book list is mighty enough to do just that.
Each one of the books on this list is here for a reason beyond random editorial selection. These 10 are the books that our community of bright, brainy, mindful, and motivated Blinkist users loved the most this year. The selections run the gamut from sleep (that was big this year) to organization, but they will all help you become a healthier, happier person. Heck, if you were to read all 10, you might turn into an actual superhero (that we can’t fully guarantee, but our suspicion is strong). Happy reading, and here’s to making 2017 the best year yet!
Eat, Move, Sleep
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
1. Eat, Move, Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath
Being healthier needn’t mean revolutionizing your whole way of life. On the contrary, little changes can go a very long way. By making small but important adjustments to your eating, fitness and sleeping habits, you’ll be able to lead a healthier and more prosperous life without having to reinvent yourself entirely – it’s easier than you think and Eat, Move, Sleep will show you how!
The Secret Life of Sleep
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
2. The Secret Life of Sleep: An exploration of what happens after we close our eyes by Kat Duff
Isn’t sleep the greatest? It gives you renewed physical energy, it rejuvenates your mind, it makes you happier, and it just feels so darn good. In The Secret Life of Sleep, Kat Duff examines just why sleep is so fantastic, helping you understand how and why it works, thereby making sure you get the most out of each and every night.
The Sleep Revolution
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
3. The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time by Arianna Huffington
Most of us will be familiar with this vicious cycle: you don’t get enough sleep, so you’re not as efficient and must work longer hours, which in turn results in even less sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. And yet, it’s impossible to overstate how important sleep is to our productivity and well-being. The Sleep Revolution will help you break out of the cycle so that you can face the world well-rested each morning.
Smarter Faster Better
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
4. Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Whether it’s new year’s resolutions or weekly to-do lists, we’re all familiar with the challenges of sticking to the goals we set ourselves—and the disappointment of failing to meet them. Well, relegate all that to the past! Through the techniques outlined in Smarter Faster Better, no goal will seem too ambitious or daunting.
15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
5. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse
This book’s title may be a mouthful, but just look at the number of achievers and breadth of disciplines listed therein! It’s becoming ever harder to fend off the flood of distractions in our everyday lives and remain focused on the work that needs to be done. By surveying the work habits of such a varied group of disciplined and successful people, Kevin Kruse has made a science out of time management – thankfully, it’s not rocket science!
Organize Tomorrow Today
- 18 min reading time
- audio version available
6. Organize Tomorrow Today: Eight Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life by Dr. Jason Selk, Tom Bartow & Matthew Rudy
To be a successful person, you have to think like a successful person. Organize Tomorrow Today</em> reveals the tricks of extremely successful people, showing you that changing your habits and thought processes to become one of them is actually a lot easier than you may think – remember: it’s all in the mind.
18 Minutes
- 10 min reading time
- audio version available
7. 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done by Peter Bregman
Do you find that you spend more time distracted or fending off distractions than doing the things you actually want to do? You’re not alone. In today’s age of ever-increasing interconnectivity, we’re under siege by an onslaught of distractions at all times. Thankfully, there’s the methods elaborated in 18 Minutes to help you reclaim your day and power through to your goals.
The 11 Laws of Likability
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
8. The 11 Laws of Likability by Michelle Tillis Lederman
The axiom offered in the book’s subtitle – “people do business with people they like” – may seem self-evident, and yet, people too often fail to treat business relationships as actual relationships. The 11 Laws of Likability outlines how to form meaningful interpersonal connections with others in a professional context in order to draw the greatest advantages from business interactions.
The Coaching Habit
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
9.The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
Effective coaching in the workplace is an art and, as outlined in The Coaching Habit, one that can – nay, should – be trained into a habit. Know how to fit coaching time into a busy work schedule; have the right questions ready to motivate others; be aware of the difference between coaching and preaching – with these and other easily acquired skills you can genuinely help others empower themselves.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
10. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Pocketbook Guide to Fulfilling Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra
Whether it’s at home, in the workplace, or anywhere else, your quest for success shouldn’t be separated from spirituality. Success is in large part a state of mind, so it follows that a spiritual approach will also result in greater prosperity. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success teaches you how to learn deeper truths about yourself and how to connect with those around you on a more fundamental level as a way of achieving your personal dreams.
