Here is a review of a few self-help, writing, task management, personal management or inspirational books that I have read over time:

Getting things done I read this book around 2011. I remember the main idea of not letting tasks be in memory. Instead, dump them efficienctly into various lists. Like bullet journal it is a “one person method” book that happen to be very good. It inspired me to use taskwarrior back in the day. https://gettingthingsdone.com/

Thinking fast and slow I read this around 2013. Back then I thought it was an ok read. The 2 systems ideas go on to the mindful side of self help “thinking about thinking”. The rest of the book is a bit on the thinking bias that I barely remember. I think nowadays people think of these in a mixed way, and I am sure I would feel the same way if I read it today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking%2C_Fast_and_Slow

The feeling of what happens I read it in 2015, recommended by my therapist. I don’t think it was intended as a self help book, but it has an interesting theory on what consciousness is (a feeling), and also a good separation of feeling vs emotions. Which is helpful in the processing emotions part of things. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damasio%27s_theory_of_consciousness

Stumbling on happiness I got it in 2016. From what I remember it is an account of what makes people happy vs what they believe. Not much of it stayed with me, but I don’t remember it being as opinionated as thinking fast and slow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stumbling_on_Happiness

The element Also in 2016. By Ken Robinson. I tried reading this book twice, but I didn’t connect with it. It is a collection of stories of people trying hard or overcoming adversity. It also criticises traditional school in a way I remember agreeing with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Robinson_(educationalist)

Triggers It was recommended in cortex 66 by cgp grey. It is a “mindfulness” on your goals task type of books, with a routine with daily questions and reflecting on emotional traps. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t stick too much with me https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/239189/triggers-by-marshall-goldsmith-and-mark-reiter/

After the pandemic

Tiny habits This was after the pandemic, in 2021. It is a description or analysis of habit formation by BJ Fogg. I considered it “self hacking” but useful as a tool for people that need that type of help beyond motivation. I also skimmed through atomic habits. It was very similar but looked more engaging but a bit less methodical. https://tinyhabits.com/

Pomodoro Technique Illustrated Also in 2021, it is another “one person method” book, expanding on using the pomodoro timer, logging the usage of time, reviewing afterwards and extending to multiple people. Like Getting things done or the bullet journal, it is a very solid method

The healthy programmer Another 2021 book that I got after the pandemic. This is a personal account book of self improvement, with general advice. It is sensible for computer people but I didn’t get much out of it

Four thousand weeks I got this one in 2022. It is part of the “anti-productivity” move of being mindful of our limits. I remember reading it and missing some of the group rhythms that it was describing. But other than the general gist of life is short, use it wisely and don’t micro manage time, I didn’t get too much out of it. https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks

Will power instinct I skimmed it quickly around 2022. It reminded me of Triggers so I didn’t read it in too much detail

Building a second brain Got it in 2022. It is another “One person method” book, this time focused on the method to produce for project using a “Second brain” or extended note system. Unlike the better systems, I thought this was too specific and tailored to him

Radical Candor I read it recommended by work. I thought it was a lot of name dropping and not a lot of substance. I think it is directed at people that manage other people and have been unaware of how corporation shape their freedom before they get there.

How to take smart notes I got this one in 2023. It is another “One person method”, but rather than the author (Sonke Ahrens) method it is Nikolar Luhman’s method (zettelkasten). So I would put it in the very useful bucket like GTD or bullet journar.

Clean Agile This is a book on agile by Robert C Martin. I include it in here because the basics of agile “have a way to measure progress, iterate quickly” applies to some of these books and make sense as an individual too.

On Writing (Weinberg) Inspired by How to take smart notes, I went for this book on a more recent take. I think it is another “my personal method” but it is extremely well written and constructed. Start small, see what resonates, don’t fall on traps. I would recommend it as a general productivity book. https://www.geraldweinberg.com/Site/On_Writing.html

Solo 2023, by Rebecca Seal. It is a book about the importance of the environment when you work from home or independently. I didn’t resonate too much with it, although the general idea of self care and paying attention to the working environment stayed with me.

Stolen Focus Also 2023, Johann Hari. I don’t think it is a particularly self-helpful book, it is more one of a surveillance capitalsm/attention economy book. But it is engaging and it will be a helpful reflection for people that are completely consumed by addictive screens.

Grit 2023 too. I thought it was too unfocused. I also thought that the general message of “cultivating grit” wasn’t for me. https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/

How to focus by John Cassian. I got it in 2024 A modern translation of old chritian monks on focus and attention. It didn’t work for me, although it helped me understand how close to mindfulness and meditation is christian old practice https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691208084/how-to-focus

Exploratory writing By Allison Jones. I wrote a separate blog post for it, I think it is fantastic to get to write and explore various aspects of the self. A mindfulness and method book. [[2024-06-30-alison-jones-exploratory-writing]]

The purpose code I read this one in 2025. I also wrote a separate post. I think that the main idea is useful as in to work on a small iterative purpose. [[2025-03-20-the-happiness-lab-how-to-find-your-purpose]]

The bullet journal I think the method is excellent, a tiny notebook and daily practice. The book is not so good, as in the writing is unfocused and doesn’t add much to the description of the method.

The one thing By Gary Keller. 2026. I read most of it but without too much attention. It is another “mindful productivity book”. It felt very similar to Triggers. It was well written so I think it would have stayed more with me if I read it first.

The Getting things done book By Mikael Krogerus, Roman Tschäppeler. It is a collection of techniques, like getting things done or pomodoro. It is very concise but cover a lot of methods. I think it is a good opening book to see where to go forward

*#book #review