Reading has given me insight far beyond my imagination. It allows me to process thoughts, learn new ideas, and most importantly challenges my day to day assumptions. Starting a collection of some of the books & articles I’ve read that I really enjoyed, and some thoughts I had. I find recapping main takeaways helps me reinforce learnings, far beyond when the book ends. Drop me a line if you’ve read any and want to discuss, or if you any recommendations you think I would like!

My process: I read with my iPad mini on the Kindle app. I love the versatility of the iPad, and when I’m on the go and in transit, I will read on the Kindle app via iPhone. My favorite part about the app is that I can highlight everything, and access all highlights here.

Books

Atomic habits by james clear

End of 2019 was honestly all about books and bod (haha). But the biggest takeaway for me that year is that I needed to create a system that passed the test of time; it’s not just about setting goals anymore but living a life that can help build towards my future. Atomic Habits is all about creating a system > goal. This is probably my (2nd) most highlighted book and cheesy~ but reinforces that it’s about the journey and not the destination. There are SO many learnings I have from this book, I wouldn’t be doing it justice with a bullet point recap…. but

Find motivation for your habit, not just an ending goal.
Set your habit up for success; habits thrive when it doesn’t feel like work. (duh)
Life is a continuous process. There is no fish line. Lifestyle > Goal

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

Written by the reporter who broke the case on Theranos, Bad Blood focuses on the rise and fall of Theranos, a once billion dollar tech company that as of September 2018 is now defunct. Theranos found its rise around the time I started my journey into tech, and found it super interesting how a lot of coffee shops / meeting points were areas I had once revered when I first moved to the Bay Area. I listened to her talk once in Philadelphia in 2015, and while I understand the hype around her I never found her super captivating. Either way, she was named the youngest female billionaire (whose title now belongs to Kylie Jenner…) Recommend for those in the Bay Area bubble or interested in tech.

How the hell did such a high profile company spin out of control so badly?
Don’t be afraid to question things that seem wrong. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype (especially when you’re in the tech bubble) but that “gut check” where something feels wrong is something that should be listened to.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Recommended to me because Eddy wouldn’t shut up about it. Comedians are natural born story tellers. (Re: Hasan Minhaj, Aziz Ansari…) Trevor Noah is no different, and he has a captivating way of stringing together short stories about growing up in South Africa. No huge plot line, but nonetheless, all the stories strong together make for a compelling narrative of the sacrifices parents make, the beauty of languages, and the hustle that persists throughout the world.

Such a fast read, I finished it in a weekend. When I finished it on my Kindle, I didn’t even know it was the ending.
Trevor Noah is clever, funny, and has a great mix of sentimental and comedy.

Dear girls by ali wong

Dear Girls is a series of letters written to her two daughters, and features various topics ranging from how she meet her now husband Justin, her “wild past” and her rise as a comedian. Famous for her Netflix comedy specials (both performed pregnant), Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, Ali Wong is raunchy and funny but manages to connect with the reader on such a deep level by talking about her immigrant parents, her supportive and forward thinking husband, and her struggle as a mom.

Wow, I always say I love books written by comedians and Ali Wong’s is no exception. The book made me like Ali Wong way more than I thought I did… and I found myself excited for the back half of my twenties in hopes it’d be as adventurous as hers.

The Defining Decade by Meg Jay

Check out Meg Jay’s Ted Talk “Why 30 is Not the New 20” for a glimpse into the book. It’s inspiring to read through a lot of feelings I had been thinking. Get ready to feel slightly anxious (and perhaps even behind). Reading this book gave me that extra push to step on the gas pedal .(I actually ended up applying to business school a few weeks after I read the book!)

Life can move really quickly. Be intentional with your time in all areas… professional, romantic, health, relationships, etc.
I always thought of being intentional with my professional career (making sure I hit key professional milestones… grad school, promotions) but never thought of being intentional with my relationships. This was a really interesting idea for me, especially as I started the book when I moved abroad to Argentina.
Don’t be afraid to “draw out your life” and plan ahead. I used to be afraid to map out things I wanted to happen out / was planning for on paper out of fear for “jinxing” it. Writing what I wanted to happen actually felt liberating, and empowered me to think ahead.
Finding compatibility in The Big Five: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism.
Edit: Jan 2020, after sending this book to Michelle as a birthday present, she put the gears in motion and applied to her dream job and full-filled her goal to move to SF! We made a pact to read this book every year, because I think it is a great reminder to keep moving towards your dreams, and that these “wild crazy dreams” we view as unobtainable really is within our grasp.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I was inspired to read this after co-worker turned travel buddy Blake mentioned this as his favorite book. (If a guy thinks a chick-flick novel is his favorite book, I must be missing out if I haven’t read it!) Elizabeth is funny and down to earth. Never watched the movie, but the entire time I was imagining Elizabeth Gilbert as Julia Roberts. Bittersweet ending… the love she finds at the end of the book (spoiler alert!) doesn’t last. She falls in love later with her female companion whom she later loses to cancer in 2018.

Take time to indulge. When you need a reset, don’t be afraid to take it.
Cheesy but — love happens when you’re least looking for it and when you have taken care of yourself.
Does going to India really count if you spent the whole time in a meditation retreat? Does going to Bali really count if you spent it in Seminyak one of the most touristy places ever? Finding this “one year, three places” a bit of a gimmick, but I appreciate the sentiment behind the book.

Mamba Mentality: How I play by Kobe Bryant

No secret, every LA kid grew up loving (or at least respecting) Kobe. When I was at a Super Bowl Party, I saw that Chris Wang (an east bay kid!!!) had set his wallpaper to Kobe and when he told me it was one of his favorite books I had to read it.

Written in 2018, Mamba Mentality was hauntingly nostalgic in that it felt like Kobe’s manifesto before his death in 2020. It starts off with a forward from Pau Gasol, an intro from Phil Jackson, and then goes through Kobe’s philosophy on “Mamba Mentality”, and has an inside glance into his playing style. My favorite parts include his section on some of my favorite players: Lamar’s charisma on and off the court, James Harden’s raw talent, and Draymond Green’s zest (and how each team needs a confrontational player or coach). Usually I try to steer clear from celebrity books because it feels ghost-written, but Kobe’s lends true to his authentic voice. It’s an easy read and just when I thought I couldn’t like basketball more, Kobe’s book brought me back to middle school when I would wake up early to watch NBA Nation.

“Work hard in the dark to shine in the light.” Practice and grind when nobody’s watching.
“Yah, basketball took me everywhere. Now, I’m taking the game everywhere.” One of last parts of Mamba Mentality, I’m remorsed we won’t get to see Kobe live out his dream, or Gigi contribute to the WNBA. RIP

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Isaacson had previously penned the biographies of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo Da Vinci. It feels only appropriate that he also pen the novel about Steve Jobs. Jobs gave Isaacson “unprecedented” access to his life, waived the right to read the book before it was published, and had no control over the content except for cover. The book isn’t always flattering, but it’s a great portrayal into the one of the most brilliant minds of our generation. The book was released in 2011, 19 days after Jobs death.

Need to Read

Help me grow this list!

Shoedog by Phil Knight written by creator of Nike
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson (the body is SO cool) how could I not want to learn more about it?
SuperPumped by Mike Isaac (for obvious reasons…)

Articles

Collection of articles I’ve read that I’ve truly found very thought provoking. Want to

Keep a collection of them for my own personal reasons (and to share!)
More often times than not, I’m SO engrained in this article I’m DM’ing all my friends writing out all my thoughts and sending them THOUSANDS of messages about it.. so to also spare their inboxes…

Thirty Rules for Living Well by Dan Moore

I really loved Moore’s sentiment on writing your own “self-development” lists as a type of self-reflection: using the opportunity to own and think of your own core values (see “25 Thoughts at 25”, I wrote this before I even read Moore’s!) I am 100% a sucker for making lists and I agree with all of his points. As always it feels refreshing to read thoughts I’ve been having reaffirmed. Some in particular that hit super close to home for me… 1, 15, 17, 18 (no surprise), and 30.

This is for Boston by Isaiah Thomas

Written in Fall 2017 when IT found out through he was being traded from Celtics to Cavs. Say what you will about his playing style, but IT definitely has a soft place in my heart. Finished 2nd in votes for 6th Man of the Year in 2014, played in 2016 Playoffs right after he lost his sister Chyna to a car accident, this man really was committed to Boston Celtics. It’s a reminder that even though a lot of these players are millionaires / celebrities, these trades still have huge repercussions on their family and personal life. And yes, I know this article is SUPER outdated considering at the end he was once again switched to the Lakers before playoffs even hit for the Cavs, and then traded to the Nuggets after Lebron went to the Lakers. #life

Side tangent, if you ever want to fall into a huge philosophical debate between playing for the love of basketball vs playing for the love of the NBA, talk to me about KD’s team history.

How to Pick Your Life Partner by Tim Urban

I always encourage friends to skip Pt 1 (I’ve tried many times, and still am not 100% sure what he’s trying to say) but couldn’t agree more with his three things to look for in your relationship with your life partner. It’s a realistic take on love: it’s not the shiny, over the top things that make a relationship great, it’s the “epic friendship”, chemistry that is a mix of comfort and cozy, and (what IMO often gets overlooked) a determination to work hard at the relationship.

No More Zero Days by u/ryans01

If you know me, you know I am obsessed with Reddit. Favorite sub-threads include r/nba (best memes + hot takes), r/thebachelor (guilty pleasure), and r/askreddit (really good thought provoking questions). I love Reddit for its authentic answers and ability for me to dive really deep into topics I know my friends don’t want to talk to me about. Haha This was linked in a post on r/askreddit about “Rules to Live a Happy Life” and I think it’s fucking bomb.

No more zero days. Incremental change compounds.
Be grateful to the three you’s. Do favors for future you, and thank past you for them. Not just in terms of physical health, but feeling grateful / thankful builds gratitude and productivity.
Forgive yourself. Ya, some days you will have a zero day. Forgive yourself and move on.
Exercise and books. Ugh, legit my mantra for the back half of 2019 and future 2020.

Dear Basketball by Kobe Bryant

It is no secret how much I love basketball. I grew up watching Kobe and the Lakers. While my own personal feelings had a love / hate relationship with the Lakers, my parents loved Kobe to the core. My first men’s basketball game was with the Lakers, watching Kobe. (First professional game ever was with the WNBA Sparks to show me female athleticism. #LOL) I remember watching all the Laker NBA Finals in the 2000’s with my parents and learning true “hard work” from Kobe’s early morning free throw sessions, to doing my middle school report on Phil Jackson, to my parents getting me a basketball hoop in my backyard to practice even though I’m still a #noob, to wearing my 24 Sparks jersey in one of his last games at the end of 2015.

My parents never fell short of giving me role models, and Kobe was on the top of the list for ambition, drive, and loving competition so much it became the very core of who you are. May his legacy continue to show baller girls everywhere how much can be accomplished from working hard, believing in your dreams, and practicing the fundamentals of free throws. RIP Kobe and Gigi.

What I learned from 100 days of rejection BY JIA JIANG

Ted Talk about a man who sought to seek rejection. Probably one of my favorite TedTalks, and super funny as well. Three main takeaways

Ask “why?” when faced with a no. You can learn the other party’s view and maybe even change their mind.
Vocalize their doubts. When you do, you can earn their trust.
My favorite quote: “And then, I learned I could fulfill my life dream by asking.” It’s a stark reminder of what can happen when you go after what you want.