5 Books That Changed My Life

Published 2024-02-02
Here are five non-fiction books (plus some honourable mentions) that have had a real impact on my life - changing the way I think and act in a positive way. Hopefully they will benefit you, too!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intro 00:00
A book about focus and attention 00:45
A book about communication 04:40
A book about science and skepticism 06:14
A book about the reality of success 07:35
A book about sleep 08:36
Honourable mentions 11:17
Bloopers 13:20

THINGS MENTIONED

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown
Happy by Derren Brown
A Little Happier by Derren Brown

CREDITS

Music by Daniel Hines
www.danielhines.co.uk

CONTACT JESS

Follow me on instagram if you’d like: @squirrellynerdyjess
Want to get in touch?: [email protected]

I am currently reading:

- Emma by Jane Austen
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (audiobook)
- Current Research for Future Videos:
- Penguin by Design: A Cover Story 1935-2005 by Phil Baines
- Gremlin Trouble!: The Cursed Roald Dahl Film Disney Never Made by Jim Korkis

Number of subscribers when this video was published: 5,918

All Comments (13)
  • This was great. And Demon Haunted should also be mandatory reading in school.
  • @BookishChas
    Just recently found your channel. Great list here. Stolen Focus has been on my TBR for a while. Why We Sleep is one of my favorites. I highly recommend Change Your Thoughts, Change your Life by Wayne Dyer (life changing for me), and also Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. I’m going to check out Darrin Brown too.
  • @GenWivern2
    While watching this I had my attention hijacked by a red kite which decided to eat its lunch in the tree across the road. Well, they don't often settle for long and there are worse things to be distracted by. Anyway, thank you Jess, and duly noted. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein didn't so much change my thinking as reorder it, so that would be my recommendation especially for anyone who is allergic to economics, like me.
  • @relativehero
    Think Again by Adam Grant might be right up your alley
  • @999minimal
    I'm not sure how I was guided here, except by algorithms, of course, but enjoyed the content. I have read "Outliers", and took from it the notion of "people skills° being more important than monstrously high IQ scores in making success more likely. One nonfiction book that changed my thinking? "Why love matters" by Sue Gerhardt: the effects of the baby's environment in moulding both it's physical and mental development. A real eye-opener for me.
  • @AshtheViking
    I loved Stolen Focus-- if you want a counter to your claim of your "brain being geared for efficiency", try Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. You won't (and shouldn't) get everything done.
  • @Cobropta
    I think the algorithm actually got it right this time. I knew I had to give this a like when you mentioned American Capitalism and Carl Sagan.
  • @_WOLAND_
    Choosing a book is an incredibly subjective process, influenced by a myriad of factors. Cultural elements, personal interests, and the influences of the surrounding lifestyle can all play a significant role. You pleasantly surprised me (in a positive way, the beauty of the list you provided lies precisely in its unpredictability). I won't linger on giving you a list of books that I think you should read, but at the same time, I'm curious about what, in your opinion, are the timeless classics that one should read at least once in a lifetime.
  • Think & Grow Rich- Napoleon Hill See You at the Top- Zig Ziglar ... I'm 66 now, read those when I was 25. TOTALLY Improved My Life in ways I can't count ...