What’s an A-ha Moment?
Textbook definition: A moment of sudden insight and discovery.
You know this moment. It is when you read something and something “clicks” in your brain. You connect the dots and your perception changes immediately. Looking back with this new perception, you realize it was always present and obvious. However, you somehow missed it till today.
Why is it important?
I don’t track the number of books I read, it’s not a relevant metric, at all. If you read one book a year that changes your life, that’s all it takes
Naval Ravikanth
Just one book that gives you an “A-ha” moment will change your life for the better. I too fell into the trap of reading as many books as I can and using that as a metric to judge my progress.
But, I quickly realized that one good book has a greater impact than several average ones.
Here are the 7 books that gave me those “A-ha” moments and changed the way I think
1. Sapiens : A brief history of humankind
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is a book about the history of us humans as a species and the author’s perceived future that lies ahead of us.
My “A-ha!!” moment
2. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
This book by Robert Cialdini goes into the depths of 7 weapons of influence i.e tactics used by influencers to make you comply with their wishes.
My “A-ha!!” moment
3. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEAL’s Lead and Win
Written by Jocko Willink, a retired Navy seal, this book is about the battle tested principles that can be applied to leadership in any field.
My “A-ha!!” moment
4. Meditations
This book by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor wasn’t supposed to be a book at all. Its a collection of his personal notes and ideas on stoicism that got into the public domain. He never actually intended to publish it
My “A-ha!!” moment
5. The Black Swan : The Impact of the Highly Improbable
This book by Nassim Taleb talks about black swan events – those rare and extreme events.It explains the impact of those odd events. And how we underestimate their chance of occurrence.
My “A-ha!!” moment
Count the significant events, the technological changes, and the inventions that have taken place in our environment since you were born and compare them to what was expected before their advent. How many of them came on a schedule? Look into your own personal life, to your choice of profession, say, or meeting your mate, your exile from your country of origin, the betrayals you faced, your sudden enrichment or impoverishment. How often did these things occur according to plan?
Nassim Taleb
6. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!
This is an autobiography of late Physicist and Nobel prize winner Mr. Richard Feynman. It is not a conventional biography. We get a glimpse into his curious character, through several funny instances of his life.
My “A-ha!!” moment
7. The Intelligent Investor
This 1949 book by Benjamin Graham (Warren Buffett’s teacher) is considered to be the bible of investing. It lays out his principles of value investing. Despite being more than 50 years old, they are still relevant today.
My “A-ha!!” moment
With every new wave of optimism or pessimism, we are ready to abandon history and time-tested principles, but we cling tenaciously and unquestioningly to our prejudices.
Benjamin Graham
So, these are a few of my eye opening moments. Of course, to find your own moments, you have to read the books in their entirety.
Any other great books that changed you? Do share in the comments below
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