What Books Changed Your *Life*?! Here's My Top 5 📚
I wanna know what books you STILL find yourself thinking about years later?! They're dog-eared and highlighted, frequently referenced and lent out to friends. Tell me what books changed your LIFE!
I’ve read a lot of great books in my thirty-seven years on this spinning rock…and after much contemplation, I’ve managed to (somehow 😅) round up the five books that have changed my *life*. These are the books that instantly shifted the way I thought about a topic, motivated me to take immediate action, or altered the way I move through the world. They’re the ones I pull off the shelf regularly to reference or reread, and would be my top recommendations if you are looking for a non-fiction book to dive into.
What book changed the way I view hydration? Gonna tell ya.
The book to transform your relationship with food — to focus on nutrition instead of dieting? I’ve got the best rec.
Or maybe the #1 book I’d suggest giving to a conservative family member who think you’re a woke commie? Got a pick for that, too.
Here they are…but be sure to scroll down to the comments and tell me about at least ONE book that has changed YOUR life, too! I absolutely love book recommendations.
1. They Knew by Sarah Kendzior - BUY THE BOOK
Woof. Where to even begin with this one? Sarah Kendzior is an expert on authoritarianism, and in They Knew, she examines our current situation with excruciating clarity — from politics to covid, climate change, and global unrest. I think this book helped me zoom out and see the bigger picture in a way that was oddly comforting and offered clarity beyond the typical “us versus them” narrative. The book made me feel like I can see more clearly through the bullsh*t, and I now view all politics (US or international) through a much broader lens.
2. The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris - BUY THE BOOK
Dr. Burke Harris is the former Surgeon General of California, and in The Deepest Well, she explains the impact that ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) have on our entire lives…including our short and long-term health. This book changed the way I look at childhood (including my own), race, education, and socio-economics — and made me passionate about the ways we care for and advocate for children.
3. Gentle Nutrition By Rachael Hartley, RD - BUY THE BOOK
If there is one book you read about nutrition, let it be this one! Rachael summarizes everything you need to know about fueling yourself with nutrient-dense meals and makes it EASY to understand. I love her focus on eating for energy and vitality instead of weight loss. The first 1/2 of the book contains simple information about nutrition (with lots of illustrations!), and the second 1/2 contains simple recipes to get you started. I reference this book ALL the time and love the recipes!
4. The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen - BUY THE BOOK
I loved this book so much, and not just because it provides a really interesting look at life in the Nordic countries — but because it does a great job of explaining what makes a society healthy and happy. Partanen does a great job of being bipartisan (from an American sense), and I think this is one of the best books you could give a conservative-minded person to help them think more progressively about things like health insurance and education.
5. How Minds Change by David McRaney - BUY THE BOOK
Full disclosure: I’m currently reading this book, but I can already tell that it has had a massive impact on my life. Specifically, it has changed the way I view people who disagree with me. McRaney does a brilliant job simplifying how the brain works so that we understand what happens in the brain when we form beliefs and, potentially, how we can actually help people change those beliefs. Spoiler: arguing with them over facts rarely works. But he’ll tell you what does!
5 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Okay, I know I said *Top 5*, but I had SUCH a hard time cutting my list down…so here are a few that almost made the cut.
6. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - BUY THE BOOK
I first read this book a decade or so ago, and it’s one I still think about frequently. Being Mortal explains the ways modern medicine has improved our lives but also leaves room to critique how medicine has complicated end-of-life care. It helped me clarify what a “good life” means to me, how I want my life to look as I age, and what it would mean to die with dignity. I bought a copy for my parents and in-laws immediately, and it’s truly a book I wish everyone would read.
7. Quarterlife by Satya Doyle Byock - BUY THE BOOK
The author identifies “Quarterlife” as the age from roughly 16 until 36. For most people, this is the stage of life where the most “life” happens. You make friends, fall in and out of love, go to college, potentially find a partner, start families, watch your parents age, get and lose pets + so much more — and this is also the stage of life where many people falter. I loved the way this book described this life stage, how she broke down the steps people need to succeed through it (usually avoiding a mid-life crisis), and also that she didn’t shy away from discussing the ways society (particularly American society) fails this age group with insufficient social support.
8. Quench by Dr. Dana Cohen and Gina Bria - BUY THE BOOK
I’ve been passionate about hydration for a long time, and this book took my understanding to a new level while helping dispel some of the “wellness culture myths” surrounding it. Understanding how water hydrates our tissues and that those tissues help deliver our brain’s signals throughout our body was a *turning point* for me. I think about that visual whenever I take a sip.
9. The Death and Life of The Great Lakes by Dan Egan - BUY THE BOOK
As a native Minnesotan, The Great Lakes always have (and always will!) hold a special place in my heart. What I love about this book is that it takes a big topic like climate change and makes it feel personal by telling it as a story from the perspective of just one body of water. Egan leads the reader through narratives that wrap around history, environmental science, climate change, social justice, economics, human failings, and much more.
10. The Baby Decision by Merle E. Bombardieri - BUY THE BOOK
Admittedly I read this book rather recently (Spring 2023), so I can’t say that it played a huge role in the conversations my partner and I have had about parenthood previously or our decisions — which very closely align with everything the author discusses. But reading this book felt so validating, and it’s a book I wish would have existed when I was 25. I think it’s a vital read for young people and young couples before they start a family, but would also be helpful for people considering adding a second (or third! or fourth! etc) child to their crew.
Books are truly something I could talk about for houuuuursss, and a “top 100” list might need to exist. If you want to see more books I love, you can check out my Bookshop.org page. Purchases from there or via the links in this post help support independent bookstores.
💬 So, now tell me. What books have changed YOUR life?!
Okay you said ONE, and if I had to pick only one it would probably be this one (because it’s been impactful for me personally and professional):
📚 emergent strategy by adrienne maree brown: how social change can happen - though working on the self and in relationships, expanding up scales
But honorable mention to these three:
📚How to do nothing by Jenny Odell: why paying attention to the world around you is important not only to your individual wellbeing but also to bigger political/economic forces
📚4,000 weeks: Time management for mortals by Oliver Burkman: similar to your Annie Dillard quote - reframing your perspective on “productivity”
📚Braiding sweet grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: what if humans were an integral part of “nature”? And just so many mind-expanding aspects of indigenous worldviews
I loved the Death and Life of the Great Lakes which was a rec from you. I also really liked Braiding Sweetgrass and the Deepest Well. It's very academic but Power and Powerlessness by John Gaventa really changed how I see power structures.
I also believe that books don't have to be nonfiction to change your life. I am still thinking about Vanishing Half several years later. My husband and I both love the Golden Compass series so much we named our daughter after the main character. I am also currently obsessed with the Legendborn series which is a YA fantasy series that integrates Arthurian legend with the history of American slavery and is frankly brilliant. I've gifted Firekeeper's Daughter to several friends, a coming of age story that is romance, crime novel, and fascinating look into modern Native American culture. These are all books that really opened my mind and are subversive while also great reads because a book doesn't need to be nonfiction to demonstrate ideas and make you think critically. There is lots of good nonfiction but over the years I have really changed my mind about the idea that you can't be a series reader if you read fiction.