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I don’t remember when reading became a staple in my life but do have fond memories of hiding away in my room with a salty snack getting through library books. Back then, the genre was typically fiction but now most of my books have skewed toward nonfiction. As an adult, I’ve found some books have really made a significant impact on me for various reasons.
If you’re curious about what books have changed my viewpoint, moved me to tears, or I feel some value in revisiting again, here’s that list! [Last updated 3/2024]
When Breath Becomes Air
Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s memoir was probably the first moment that I really acknowledged my own mortality. Even though as a physician, I witness patients’ end-of-life, there was something about the description of medical training and the big questions he asked as he grappled with dying.
In Shock
I worked with Dr. Rana Awdish as an intern at Henry Ford Hospital during my ICU rotation. I distinctly knew that something was different about her when she rounded with us and during her interactions with patients. I couldn’t articulate what made her approach so different from all the other intensivists I worked with, but it became apparent when I read her memoir. If you ever have a chance to see Dr. Awdish speak at a conference or event, I encourage you to watch her. This book was pivotal in my approach to humanism in medicine and as a physician.
Make it Stick
I refer to this book in my “How to study for the ABA BASIC exam” entry. As a physician, my career is based on the premise that I am a lifelong learner. The reality of the profession is that it requires a lot of high-stakes examinations that may or may not test relevant topics for clinical practice. This book helped me understand some of the science-backed approaches to learning material.
The Daily Stoic
While I do not consider myself a staunch follower of Stoic philosophy, I picked up this book in a challenging, tumultuous time in my life and found that each morning when I read a meditation, it helped me start the day off with a more grounded perspective. It’s such a short little daily practice that can really make a big difference.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
This was a funny but also heartwarming book from the perspective of a therapist and patient. I personally have done therapy to get over a big life-stressor and felt that this book came at the right time for me to be able to reflect on my own journey.
Conversations on Love
I stumbled across this at a time when I did not feel loveable [I now know this not to be true]. There are so many iterations and types of love that exist in life and reading through these essays helped me identify where they existed for me and how important they are to my well-being.
How to Know a Person
I remember seeing David Brooks’ name on NYT editorials. Although I associated him with unsatisfying NYT articles, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I did listen to the book rather than read it, but I found it to be an important book for me to think about connecting with people deeply.
How to Win and Influence People
I avoided picking up this book even though it was on the list of many influential people that I admire. I now kind of wish I had picked it up a bit earlier – it’s like the O.G. self-help book for relationships and working with people.
Four Thousand Weeks
When you break it down to the basic concept that we only have four thousand weeks to live our life, it puts things into perspective. With so many things vying for our attention, it is important to learn how to prioritize and decide how you will spend your limited time on this planet. I have always struggled with the definition of productivity. For many years [and probably still], I tied productivity to my self-worth. This book asks important existential questions and wasn’t painful to get through.