Book Notes & Summaries

A collection of book notes, summaries, and highlights from books on productivity, psychology, business, and personal development by Cody McLain.

• The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence: Ideas from Philosophy That Change the Way You Think by Robert Pantano
• Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday
• Master Your Motivation: A Practical Guide to Unstick Yourself, Build Momentum and Sustain Long-Term Motivation by Thibaut Meurisse
• Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization by Scott Barry Kaufman
• When I Say No, I Feel Guilty by MANUEL J. SMITH
• The More You Do The Better You Feel: How to Overcome Procrastination and Live a Happier Life by David Parker
• The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks by Dr. Mike Dow
• Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price
• The Heart to Start: Stop Procrastinating & Start Creating by David Kadavy
• Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings by Thibaut Meurisse
• Play Anything: The Pleasure of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games by Ian Bogost
• How to Listen with Intention: The Foundation of True Connection, Communication, and Relationships by Patrick King
• The Mental Toughness Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Facing Life's Challenges, Managing Negative Emotions, and Overcoming Adversity with Courage and Poise by Damon Zahariades
• Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday
• The Myth of Doing: Managing guilt, shame, anxiety, regret and self-judgment by Jill Eng
• Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
• The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron Phd
• Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long by David Rock
• Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body by Michael Matthews
• Stop Asking Questions: How to Lead High-Impact Interviews and Learn Anything from Anyone by Andrew Warner
• Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation by Ayelet Fishbach
• Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee
• A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport
• Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind by Judson Brewer
• Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza
• The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin
• The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance by Dr. Nate Zinsser
• How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo
• Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind by Judson Brewer
• Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD
• The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds-Not Crushes-Your Soul by Brad Stulberg
• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
• Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns MD
• Thrilled to Death: How the Endless Pursuit of Pleasure Is Leaving Us Numb by Archibald Hart
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik
• Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach by Evelyn Tribole
• The Second Mountain by David Brooks
• Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holliday
• Hooked: How to build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal with Ryan Hoover
• Indistractable by Nir Eyal
• The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.
• The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking by Meik Wiking
• Smartcuts: The Breakthrough Power of Lateral Thinking by SHANE SNOW
• How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by LEIL LOWNDES
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by PATRICK LENCIONI
• 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics: How Manipulators Take Control In Personal Relationships by ADELYN BIRCH
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by SEAN COVEY & JIM HULING
• Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
• The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood
• The Four Agreements by DON MIGUEL RUIZ
• Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into A Sales Machine With The $100 Million Best Practices Of Salesforce.com by AARON ROSS & MARYLOU TYLER
• Get A Grip: An Entrepreneurial Fable by GINO WICKMAN & MIKE PATON
• Atomic Habits by JAMES CLEAR
• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by GINO WICKMAN
• Personal Wisdom: Making Sense of You, Others and the Meaning of Life Updated Edition, Advanced Life Skills by Robert Brown
• Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations by Dan Ariely
• The 50th Law by 50 CENT & ROBERT GREENE
• The Motivation Hacker by NICK WINTER
• The Book in the Box Method by TUCKER MAX & ZACH OBRONT
• Captivate : The Science of Succeeding with People by VANESSA VAN EDWARDS
• Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by ALEX SOOJUNG-KIM PANG
• The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Stoic Philosophy as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy by DONALD ROBERTSON
• The War of Art by STEVEN PRESSFIELD
• Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by MASON CURREY
• The Power of Self-Confidence by BRIAN TRACY
• On the Shortness of Life by SENECA
• Mistakes Were Made but Not by Me by CAROL TAVRIS & ELLIOT ARONSON
• The New One Minute Manager by KEN BLANCHARD & SPENCER JOHNSON
• Eat That Frog! : 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by BRIAN TRACY
• How Emotions Are Made by LISA FELDMAN BARRET
• The Amphetamine Debate by ELAINE MOORE
• The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do by JEFF GOINS
• How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
• The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by NEIL FIORE
• Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts by RYAN HOLIDAY
• What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School by MARK MCCORMACK
• Creating a Kaizen Culture by ON MILLER MIKE WROBLEWSKI & JAIME VILLAFUERTE
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by ERIC BARKER
• Hot Seat: The Startup CEO Guidebook by DAN SHAPIRO
• The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD by DR. LIDIA ZYLOWSKA
• Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change by JOSEPH GRENNY & KERRY PATTERSON ET AL
• Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth by GABRIEL WEINBERG & JUSTIN MARES
• Evolve Your Brain by JOE DISPENZA
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap And Others Don't by JIM COLLINS
• Trust Me, I’m Lying by RYAN HOLIDAY
• Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work by STEVEN KOTLER & JAMIE WHEAL
• The 4-Hour Workweek by TIMOTHY FERRISS
• When Breath Becomes Air by PAUL KALANITHI
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by DANIEL KAHNEMAN
• How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age by DALE CARNEGIE
• The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms (Incerto Book 4) by NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB
• The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone by BRAD STONE
• How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by MICHAEL POLLAN
• Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by NEIL STRAUSS
• The Laws of Human Nature by ROBERT GREENE
• When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by DANIEL H. PINK
• 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari