📚 My favorite books of 2024, Most popular newsletters, and more.

A&B #222

December 29, 2024

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are my 5 most popular newsletters from 2024:

🙏 Support:

This week’s newsletter was made possible by Shortform.

Shortform is the best book summary app I’ve found–they have 1,000+ book summaries.

They also have Master Guides (they summarize the 5-10 best books on a topic and condense it into 1 easy-to-read guide).

So instead of reading 5 books on small talk or habit change, you can read their Master Guide on those topics and learn the most important lessons in minutes.

PS: I contacted the Shortform team to ask if they can hook up my audience with a bonus discount. They agreed. Use the link above and you’ll get 30% off your annual membership (this is an exclusive discount you won’t find anywhere else).

📚 Book Summary:

I read 55 books in 2024.

Here are my top 10 favorite ones (in no particular order):

📖

1) “Good Energy” by Casey and Calley Means

This was the most mind-blowing book I've read this year.

It's written by an ex-Stanford doctor and ex-food lobbyist who exposes the medical, food, and pharmaceutical industries.

It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to live healthier, longer, and avoid chronic diseases.

2) “Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom

This was an incredibly emotional and heartfelt read.

It’s about the true story of Mitch Albom who reconnects with his favorite college professor Morrie, during the last months of his life.

Mitch visits Morrie every Tuesday, just like he did during college, but this time, Morrie shares profound life lessons about love, happiness, forgiveness, and death–essentially having a final "class" with his old mentor about how to live meaningfully.

If you enjoyed “When Breath Becomes Air” or “The Last Lecture”, you’ll appreciate this book.

3) "Million Dollar Weekend" by Noah Kagan

Think of this book as an updated version of “The 4-Hour Workweek.”

Noah has started 7 different $1M+ businesses so he’s the perfect person to teach you how to start and grow a business.

It’s simple, direct, and actionable. It’s an excellent intro to entrepreneurship book for people of all ages.

4) "Glucose Revolution" by Jessie Inchauspe

This book forever changed the way I eat food.

It will teach you why sugar spikes and carb crashes are bad for your health and how to avoid them. It’s one of the most actionable health books I’ve read.

If you ever felt like a potato after a meal but didn’t know why, this book will help you avoid that feeling.

5) "Never Enough" by Andrew Wilkinson

Think of this book as business therapy.

The author talks about how he went from being broke to becoming a billionaire by age 36, but also talks a lot about the emotional and psychological side of entrepreneurship.

He does share insights on building a successful business but what I found most insightful was the mental game of entrepreneurship and the surprising reality of life as a billionaire and the challenges that come with extreme wealth.

6) "Write A Must-Read" by AJ Harper

If you’ve ever thought about writing a non-fiction book, you need to buy, read, and study this book.

It’s written by a ghostwriter who has worked with 100+ authors including the NYT bestselling author Mike Michalowicz.

If you’re planning on writing a book in 2025, this book will serve as an excellent guide.

7) "Crypto Confidential" by Nat Eliason

If you’re new to the world of crypto, this book is the easiest way to understand it.

It reads like a thriller, but it’s the true story of how Nat made and lost millions of dollars in crypto.

Along the way, he shares lessons on how cryptocurrencies work, how people make money from it, and most importantly, red flags to look out for in crypto projects so you don’t get left holding a worthless coin.

8) “How To Live” by Derek Sivers

After selling his company for millions of dollars and living life on his own terms, Derek Sivers condensed his most important life lessons into one book.

In it, he provides 27 thought-provoking (and often contradictory) answers to life’s biggest question: What’s the best way to live?

For example, he makes a case for being single, but also one for being in a long-term relationship. In another chapter, he argues for the benefits of living in the present, but also preparing for the future.

It’s a short book (only about 100 pages) but it will make you think about your life and reflect on what you really want from it.

9) "Napoleon's Library" by Louis Sarkozy

You should probably only read this book if you’re a fan of Napoleon or enjoy books about books.

It’s a biography of Napoleon but focuses specifically on his relationship with books, his reading habits, and how he used books to become one of the most powerful rulers in history.

10) "Disappointing Affirmations" by Dave Tarnowski

This is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read.

Instead of cliche affirmations about happiness that make you cringe, it's filled with witty, sarcastic affirmations.

It will make you laugh and think at the same time. It’s also a great gag gift to get for friends.

🥳 Giveaway Update:

Thank you to everyone who shared the newsletter and entered the giveaway!

The winner is Tiffany R. (I’ve already emailed you).

If you didn’t win, don’t worry–I’m doing another giveaway in two weeks so keep an eye out for it in a future newsletter.

💎 Weekly Gem:

After listening to Dr. Huberman’s podcast on microplastics earlier this year and learning about how much plastic there is in bottled water and how harmful it is for you, I decided to finally buy a water filter.

I’m not a health expert or a doctor, but you don’t need to go to medical school to understand that excess fluoride or microplastic isn’t good for you.

It uses UV and reverse osmosis to remove 99.99% of harmful contaminants including fluoride, microplastics, lead, chlorine, and much more.

I highly recommend getting it and investing in your health and hydration.

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Happy holidays and Happy New Year to you!

-Alex W.

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