My goal for 2017 is to read at least fifty books. I started this year by reading nine. These are pretty shorts books, though, because I was trying to just insert them between working and studying for the board exam. Fortunately, these books were not hard to read, and I enjoyed every one of them. These are arranged in chronological order, according to when I finished reading them. I hope you can find some that would interest you.
1. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Rating 5/5
Recommended for anyone who’s struggling with their financial life
Summary
If you have to read just one financial book, this is it. Every book written about finances quote lines and passages from this book. The adage “pay yourself first” comes from this. It tells many stories about dealing with money and opportunities and are set in Babylon, one of the richest civilizations in the ancient world. Told in parables, the situations discussed in this book is still relevant today.
2. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
Rating 5/5
Recommended for people who are going through or are about to go through tough changes
Summary
We undergo various changes in our lives that may be advantageous or disadvantageous for us. Either way, we need to face them for they are part of the realities of life. This book tells the story of two mice and two humans who find a place full of cheese. When the cheese diminished, the mice immediately went into action and looked for new cheese, while the humans failed to accept and deal with the change. This is a very short book that you could read in one sitting.
3. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Rating 3/5
Recommended for people who love poetry
Summary
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
—Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
If you like prose poetry and enjoy learning about the deeper meanings of life, this book is for you. Written in 1923, the words written by Gibran still affect so many readers around the world. The book talks about various aspects in life, such as marriage, giving, work, friendship, pain, etc. When you have a quiet afternoon all to yourself, go ahead and read this.
4. Legal Profession by Egardo Villareal II
Rating 4/5
Recommended for incoming law students
Summary
This book is a great primer for people who want to pursue law. It talks about the basics of law, what it feels like to be a law student, and how to survive law school. The book discusses a few articles and sections of the law that are relevant to lawyers. It gives incoming law students a glimpse of what is expected of licensed attorneys and the things they need to watch out for during their practice.
5. Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy
Rating 4/5
Recommended for anyone struggling with procrastination
Summary
People nowadays are so busy, and we think we do so much. Yet at the end of the day, we feel unproductive, and we haven’t done the things that matter most to our greater goals in life. In Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog! he discusses the importance of doing the most important things first and prioritizing the tasks that would benefit us most. He starts the book by presenting a painful truth: “No matter how many personal productivity techniques you master, there will always be more to do than you can ever imagine.”
6. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Rating 5/5
Recommended for people who can’t stop shopping and people who just want a good laugh
Summary
The world’s favorite shopaholic is at it again! Rebecca Brandon née Bloomwood now has a two-year-old daughter who seems to have picked up her mother’s shopping addiction. She demands designer boots, clothes, and even high-end toys! With the economy in London going downhill, Rebecca struggles to meet her daughter’s wants, finding a new home, keeping her job, and planning her husband’s surprise birthday party. This book, as with the other books in the series, will make you hate Becky’s stupidity and impulsiveness, but in the end, you’ll find yourself rooting for her. If you want a book that will make you laugh, this is highly recommended for you.
7. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Rating 4/5
Recommended for the breadwinners of the family and the working force in general
Summary
I first heard about this book in our literature class in college. My teacher just walked in the classroom and casually asked, “Have you heard about Metamorphosisby Franz Kafka? It’s about this guy who wakes up and finds that he has turned into a giant cockroach, but he still went on with his day as if nothing was wrong.” Because I had a fear of cockroaches, the title of the book has stuck with me. I finally read it six years later. It is quite a disturbing book. What bothered me most was the fact that the author does not mention the reason why Gregor Samsa had turned into some vermin overnight. It left me speechless and confused. This book is sprinkled with symbolisms that you should watch out for while you’re reading it. I recommend reading some analyses online afterward. It will definitely clear up things for you.
8. Matildaby Roald Dahl
Rating 5/5
Recommended for people who love books
Summary
Matilda is a gifted child who was unfortunately born to a despicable family. But despite this, she is a strong-willed little girl who learned from a very young age the importance and joys of reading. She taught herself to read and went to the local library daily. Afterward, Matilda convinces her father to let her go to school. There, she met the lovely Miss Honey and discovers her wonderful gift. This book was written for children, and it will surely inspire them to read more. However, it does talk about suicide, murder, and unjust tortures, so be sure that if you’re recommending this to a child, he should be mature enough to understand such things.
9. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Charles Dodgson a.k.a. Lewis Carroll
Rating 5/5
Recommended for people who love fantasy and nonsensical things
Summary
We’ve all watched the movie before. A young girl sees a talking white rabbit with a pocket watch. Then she follows him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where cats disappear, roses are painted, and you can grow as big or as small as you like. But if you haven’t read the original text yet, I highly recommend that you do so. I personally did not like the Disney adaptation because it was too weird for me, but the book was very enjoyable. Lewis Carroll’s writing is ingenuously clever. He was able to play with words and ideas that make the nonsensical statements kind of make sense. If you enjoyed the movies, read this book.
Photo Credits:
Richest Man in Babylon
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Metamorphosis
The Prophet
Who Moved My Cheese?
It's a Ping Thing 
