My Top 5 Recommended Books
“Books are the mirrors of the soul." – Virginia Woolf
A Decent Life
I am a firm believer in communities that focus on doing their best for the most. Todd May beautifully shows “the rest of us” how to live a morally decent life filled with joy and reverence for all who are on this mortal journey.
Goodbye Things
Fumio Sasaki writes about his journey from being an maximalist to a minimalist. He poetically talks about the freeing aspects of letting go of physical possessions and cherishing only the essentials. I read this in preparation for 2025 and I don’t think I am at the place to immediately become a minimalist, but this provided me with a good exercise of simplifying my life to a point that I felt like I was being more intentional with what I am bringing to 2025.
The Moment of Lift
As a Civil Engineer we first learn about lift in Fluid Mechanics. I read this book shortly after learning these principles. Melinda French Gates burst so many of my conservative upbringing bubbles. This book set me on a course and helped me rethink my role in this global community and how I can best serve my fellow people.
Educated
This book presented some interesting challenges as I drew parallels between the experiences of Tara Westover and my own life. Westover definitely grew up in an environment much more radical than mine, however, as someone who also grew up in a conservative Mormon home this book inspired me to rethink the role of religion and faith in society. This touching memoir is a best-seller for good reason.
East of Eden
The book that taught me that I get to make my own decisions, and carve a path not ruled by expectations of others.
As a third year in my engineering program, I believed strongly that I needed to fit into a tidy mold that was predestined for me. But Steinbeck challenged me with his interpretation of the Adam and Eve allegory and his definition of the Hebrew word “timshel”. Thank you, John, for helping me open my eyes to a beautiful world of possibility and adventure.
