7 BOOKS you should get yourself as a gift this Christmas!

Over the past year, due to my long commuting hours between Italy and Austria, I have had the chance to finally get some reading done. I have had a long list of books I wanted to read for some time. The need to improve some aspects of my daily life pushed me towards choices regarding personal development, finances, management, etc. The list below represents the books which I highly recommend reading. Even if you don't agree entirely with the authors, each one of them has ideas, techniques, tips and tricks, which filtered through our own needs and experiences, can be very useful.

So here we go:

"Getting Things Done" by David Allen. David Allen has created a method which he applies to all spheres of his life, both professionally and privately. His book is packed with ideas, tips and suggestions on how to organize a work space, manage tasks, make decisions and reduce procrastination. You can get his book on Amazon in paper cover version and as an ebook.
"Never split the difference. Negotiating as if your life depended on it" by Chris Voss. After a successful career as the lead hostage negotiator for the FBI, Chris Voss decided to put all his knowledge and experience gathered over the years into a book. Each technique he describes in the book is backed by a story from his career which made him develop them. I found some of the techniques very useful and have successfully employed them in concert negotiations over the past year. Here is the paper cover book and the ebook version.
"Get good with money" by Tiffany Aliche. An easy, fun and very informative read on everything regarding personal finances. The author doesn't talk about becoming rich, but about financial wholeness. And she takes the reader on a 10-chapter journey into savings, different types of accounts, insurance, investing and much more. Some of the chapters are more relevant to North America, but the rest of the world can also learn a lot from her examples and suggestions. Highly recommended, especially for musicians who feel anxiety creeping in when they hear the word MONEY. Find the paper cover here and the ebook here.
"Be Your Own Manager" by Bernhard Kerres and Bettina Mehne. I actually didn't read this book, but I took the Be Your Own Manager course for musicians with Bernhard Kerres in 2020. The course was based on the book and covered all the different topics in it. If you are not sure whether you should take the course (which you should!) trying reading the book first. You can find the paper cover version here and the ebook here. Keep an eye on the BYOM website for the next available courses.
"The 4-hour work week" by Tim Ferriss. This book introduced me to the concept of passive income for the very first time. There are tons of tips and technological solutions to problems like distraction, automation, tons of emails and more. I don't agree with the author on some aspects of managing ones tasks and time, but his unconventional view made me think more than once "Huh, never thought about it that way". Here is the paper cover version of the book and the ebook version.
"Atomic habits" by James Clear. This book is probably the most known from the list. The author claims that by making small changes in our daily habits we can improve our lives and achieve much more. By improving 1% each day, an amount which is not only difficult to perceive but might also seem meaningless in itself, we can transform our lives in just a bit over 3 months! Packed with tips and strategies for breaking bad habits and developing new "good" ones, this book will surely help musicians put systems in place where they can continue practicing, sending emails, selling their projects and staying consistent even though they sometimes don't feel like it or feel unmotivated. You can buy the paper cover book here and the ebook version here.
"The 80/20 principle" by Richard Koch. The book focuses on the multiple applications of something known as the "Pareto's Law". It states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In the case of musicians we might argue that 80% of our concerts or revenue come from 20% of our contacts. Or that 20% of our time accounts for the 80% of the work we accomplish (like writing applications, making calls and meeting people). The trick is to understand which one is the 20% which can make us achieve the 80% of the results and eliminate/reduce whatever activity occupies 80% of our time and accounts for just 20% of the results. You can find the paper cover version here and the ebook version here.

If you have a Kindle and like reading ebooks, most of the above are also available on Kindle Unlimited. By using this link, you get a 30-days free trial period. You can read as many books as you want from the ones available on Kindle Unlimited. After the trial period, the subscription fee is 9.99 per month.

I admit that sometimes, when I was too tired to actually hold a book and read, I listened to the audio book versions on Audible. If you are new to audio books and would like to give it a try, use this link to get a free 30-days trial period when you sign up. Likewise, after the trial period ends, the subscription fee is 9.99 per month.

Comment below which books you read and cannot recommend enough!

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