You’re a student, and you have to read. And if you’re like me, then you hate reading. It’s part of the deal.
But books don’t have to be boring! Books can help you grow as a student and as a person. They can teach you new skills, expose you to new ideas, and open your mind to new possibilities.
Reading books can enable growth – it can help you develop a better understanding of others’ lives and thoughts, which will help you grow as a person. Reading books also helps us learn from other people’s mistakes to don’t repeat them ourselves.
Therefore, students need to read books regularly because it helps them improve their knowledge about various subjects, including science, history, literature, etc., taught at school or college/university level. It also increases their vocabulary skills and improves their listening skills which are very important when writing essays or taking exams like the GRE or GMAT later in life.
Here is a summary of a few books that we recommend to help students grow. These books for students cover various themes, from business to culture, but they all have a common central theme – growth.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
In this fascinating book, Yuval Noah Harari looks at the evolution of humankind from the point of view of Sapiens. In particular, he focuses on how our ability to cooperate effectively with one another has given us a massive advantage over other species and enabled us to dominate the planet.
Key Themes are covered in this book.
The evolution of Sapiens and their rise to dominance; how culture and technology helped them achieve this; how we are similar to other animals yet different in many ways; how we use language to understand ourselves.
Why this book will appeal to students
If you’re looking for a book that will change your perspective on everything, this is worth reading. It’s also straightforward to read and understand, making it an appealing choice for students who want something more than just words on a page but aren’t ready for something too challenging yet.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
This is the story of Nike and how Phil Knight started the company. It is an inspiring tale of how one person can make a difference in the world, even if they are not rich or famous. It is one of the best books for students who may want to be entrepreneurs later in their life.
The author describes his childhood as a middle-class boy growing up in Oregon during the 1950s and 1960s. He then relates how he came up with creating his own sports shoe company while attending Stanford University in California in 1962. He tells of how he raised money and set up shop with his first employee Jeff Johnson, who became his lifelong friend. The first few years were tough for them as they struggled to find their feet, but eventually, their determination paid off when they began selling their shoes to athletes at track meets around America.
The book gives insight into what it takes to succeed in business and shows that anyone can become successful if they work hard enough.
Why students may like this book
The story of Nike’s rise to prominence is an inspiration for any student wanting to start their own business. Knight’s charisma and positive attitude are evident in his writing style, making for a short read. ‘Shoe Dog’ is also the story of how he built one of the most recognisable brands in the world from scratch.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
In ‘Zero to One’, Peter Thiel argues that startups should focus on producing new things rather than improving existing products and services. He believes that there are only two ways for a business to succeed: creating new things or doing something better than anyone else. The critical question for entrepreneurs is how to create value when we live in an age where everything has been done before.
The book’s central theme is that startups should strive to be at least one step ahead of their competitors. Thiel says that if you want a better future, you must build it yourself rather than wait for others to do it. He believes that we need more people willing to take risks and be bold enough to think differently from others if we hope to move forward as a society.
Zero to One is a book that will appeal to students because it shows how innovation can change the world. It’s written in a very easy-to-read style and includes many anecdotes from Thiel’s career, which helps you understand his views on entrepreneurship.
Linchpin, Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
Seth Godin is best known for his marketing books and blog. It was written to help people find their calling and make their mark on the world, among one of the few books that focus on attitude and motivating the reader to be the best in what they do. Linchpin is one of his best-selling titles. The book looks at how we can all be more indispensable in our chosen field.
The idea of being an indispensable employee is the central theme of this book. The author Seth Godin wants to show that thoughts are what matter in the workplace and that we all need to become linchpins – people who are indispensable at their job.
The book uses anecdotes and examples to illustrate its points, making it easy to read. The author also includes exercises at the end of each chapter so you can apply what you’ve learned in your daily life.
The book encourages you to be yourself, be different and be indispensable. It is a call to action for those who want to make their mark on the world and stand out from the crowd.
How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg
Google has changed the world. Its search engine is one of the most used websites globally, and its Android operating system powers more than 80% of smartphones globally. In How Google Works, Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg explain how it all happened.
The book is a combination of autobiography and management advice. It tells how two PhD students from Stanford University founded Google as an academic project in 1996. It then describes how they built it into a technology company that revolutionised the internet with their critical insights.
The book is packed with insights relevant to any business – whether you’re a student or not. Here are some reasons why it will appeal to students:
- It’s easy to read – the book has a conversational style that makes it easy to digest the information.
- It’s packed with practical advice – there are lots of tips on succeeding in business and life in general.
- You’ll learn about Google’s culture – if you want to work at Google or another fast-growing tech company someday, this book will give you an insight into what it’s like inside these organisations.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a self-help book published in 1989 by Stephen Covey. The book became an international bestseller and was included on the “Wall Street Journal’s list of top-selling nonfiction books for twelve consecutive years. It has sold over 25 million copies and has been translated into 35 languages.
Covey’s book is designed to help people become more effective in their lives by following seven basic principles:
- Be proactive
- Begin with the end in mind
- Put first things first
- Think win-win
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood
- Synergise
- Sharpen the saw
Through this classic, students can learn a lot about how to be organised, purposeful, and collaborative, three qualities that will serve them well in the professional world.
The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
The Courage to be Disliked is an unusual book that tells us how important it is to be disliked by others. It is written by two Japanese psychiatrists who have spent their professional lives studying the effects of being liked or disliked on human behaviour. Their research has led them to conclude that it is better to be disliked than liked because it leads to greater self-esteem, greater happiness, better health and longer life expectancy.
The authors explain that we humans have an innate need for social approval, and this can lead us to make bad choices in our lives. For example, we might choose not to speak out against injustice because we fear rejection by our peers or even ostracism from society. We might also decide not to pursue what we want in life for fear of rejection or ridicule from others, but this can lead us to depression or anxiety disorders later on in life if we cannot achieve what we want most in life (such as finding true love).
The key themes of The Courage to be Disliked are authenticity and self-acceptance. The book argues that we should all strive to live our lives in a way that is true to ourselves and not worry about what others think.
Drive by Daniel Pink
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink, is a book that will be useful to any student interested in motivation and how it can be harnessed to achieve better results.
The central concept behind the book is that traditional methods of motivating people are not as effective as they once were. For example, rewarding employees with financial incentives often leads them to focus on meeting their goals rather than doing an excellent job for its own sake. In contrast, offering them more autonomy and control over their work can lead to greater satisfaction and productivity.
Pink explores this idea through numerous case studies and experiments, and interviews with leading psychologists and business leaders such as Richard Branson, Gary Hamel and Tom Peters.
The book will appeal to students interested in psychology or business who want to learn more about how they can motivate themselves or others effectively at work or school.
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