My 3 Favorite Books on 3 Topics……
Posted on 10 March 2009
I am going to round up 3 topics and give you 5 of my favorite books from each. Recently I have been reading quite a lot and hope to share with you some hidden gems that have had a profound effect on me and those around me.
Training
- Laird Hamilton, Force of Nature. This surprisingly enough is a great book it’s full of great tips on diet, health and training techniques so it really encompasses all three topics. The reason I have stuck it in the training section is that it gives a comprehensive guide on good exercises to focus on in the gym if you want to spend your time effectively. On top of this it is written in a very calm manner and laid out well. Don’t expect anything ground breaking, but if you want an enjoyable read and some new tips this is a great resource.
- Paul Chek, How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! Another comprehensive guide to mind body and soul. This is a great gift for someone looking to get into health and fitness, and is useful to everyone interested in the topic. The layout is beautiful and its filled with great animation and drawings which are a refreshing change!
- Play As If Your Life Depends On It. This is a superb book on the importance of getting moving and how play should feature in our lives. It shows the side to exersise that is sorely missed in today’s culture. We should see activity as fun and try to make it as palyful as possible. Going for things like run’s or long walks can become so much more. A great thought provoking perspective on training!
Diet/Nutrition
- Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories. This book was a game changer, for the first time the “low fat, high carb” generation have been hit with a book full of unprecedented evidence on why we should be sticking to natural foods. It also proves how many of our societies modern illness are result of the horrible diet pushed to the average person. Its a long read but if you have an interest in the topic its a must!
- Loren Cordain, The Paleo Diet. This book is a staple and is full of great info on the advantages of eating a diet high in meat, vegetables, fruit and nuts. If you need any reason to eat a whole food diet then this is a must read. Its easy to get through and contains some great recipes.
- Lights Out, T.S Wiley. This book is a huge if you want to learn about the truth when it comes to sleep, diet and lifestyle. Some of it can be fairly scary but the take home point is just how important sleep is for the human body. A lack of sleep can cause a cascade of negative effects. This is not only a worthwhile read but a great reference guide.
Self Development
- A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle. If you are looking to be more present or shut down the spoilt child of the human ego this book is a great introduction. It wasn’t until I read this that a lot of things made sense to me and I still refer to it from time to time for pointers when the going gets tough…
- Happiness, Matthieu Ricard. A book from one of te happiest people on earth. Matthieu is a very smart man with a PHD in Molecular Genetics. He gave it all up to bencome a Buddhist and currently resides in Nepal, Happiness is a superb book for those looking to enrich there lives. I suggest watching his Google campus talk here for an idea of that to expect from the book. You won’t be dissapointed!
- The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Although its not anything new I really liked the way this was written and how wide a variety of topics it covered. I reccemend this to anyone who is getting started in the field of self development. If you want something more advanced and based on science I love Psycho-Cybernetics which for me is one of the best books written on the topic and you can see many of todays books on psychologhy draw much influence from it.
Comment by David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts.com
10 March 2009
This looks like a great list. You’ve been reading a lot of books! The Paleo diet book looks very interesting to me. I think I’ll check it out. Thanks!
- Dave
Comment by Brett
10 March 2009
Cool list. I have read a bunch of them, but there are a few that I need to check out. Hamilton’s book was surprisingly good. He’s a beast!
Comment by Terry
11 March 2009
“Play As If Your Life Depends On It,” sounds like my kind of book.
Yes, play is something that got lost in the “Puritan Translation Of Life.”
When I was a child I lived to move, run, skate, dance….
Play is good and it helps to make up for the not-so-good things life hands you on a rather tarnished silver platter.
Another great post. Thanks. I’m going to check out this book.
Comment by Lindsay
11 March 2009
Thank you for this post! I subscribe to your blog. Found it on a whim. I enjoy it very much so keep writing. Cheers, L
Comment by Anne
11 March 2009
For self development, I’d also include “The Art of Exceptional Living” by Jim Rohn – although a little “over the top” some times, it has some great advice and really gave me a great start in 2009.
Comment by Trish (girlatgym)
12 March 2009
I love books recommendations. I will have to check these out – thanks!
Comment by Mike OD - Life Spotlight
18 March 2009
Great list Chris!
The Chek book is a good one…could fall under fitness and nutrition. Another less known but very interesting read on health is a book called “Never Be Sick Again”. Really was an eye opener for me long ago. Also my favorite personal development author is Anthony DeMello and his “Awareness” book, strong and too the point….but who ever said “waking up” was easy to do right?