As part of my annual review process each year, I go through my reading notes and pick the very best books I read each year to share with you!
When I finished grad school in 2014, I decided to be a more dedicated reader. Since then I have read 508 books (and decided not to read thousands more). I started this reading quest by looking at reading lists of people I respect like my friend Derek Sivers and Ryan Holiday. Sometimes I add books to my queue after hearing the guest on podcasts (like this year’s #1 book), sorting through various reading recommendation newsletters, from friends who know what I like to read, and from books I read in preparation for interviews.
This book takes the number one slot this year, because I have not stopped using and thinking about these concepts since I read the book. This book both illuminates the path of human evolution through the map consciousness, and also gives a framework for assessing and optimizing every 3D human activity we do – from running a business, to making national policy decisions, to starting a movement. I have two interviews with Aaron Abke and Jillian Schleger where we discuss the Map of Consciousness in detail
- Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
I cried so many times while reading this book. I had never heard anyone say in words what is missing from western culture, and science. It was like having someone validate all the things that had left a hole in my heart without knowing why it was there. Key concepts that were made real for me in this book: The reciprocity of life, the noble harvest, the consciousness of the natural world,
Yogananda was the person who brought Yoga to the west in the 1920’s. I took a poll on my social media to discover what people’s most lifechange books they had read were, and this book was the most commonly cited. This is perhaps the most unique biography I have ever read – it’s full of Yogananda meeting various saint and gurus in India, Witnessing miracles like people bilocating, coming back from the dead, healings, levitation, and prophecy, and also meetings famous world figures like Ghandi, Woodrow Wilson, Babaji, and Luther Burbank, etc.
- Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff
I took another poll on my social media and asked for everyone’s favorite parenting book. 6 years in to being a parent and I had never read a parenting book… This was the top choice, and within minutes of starting the book I was able to use the information. This has totally transformed our family dynamic to be more inclusive, harmonious, peaceful, and joyful. New York Times Best Seller
- Opening to the Infinite by Stephan Schwartz
Stephan Schwartz is the father of remote viewing and the first to prove telepathy is not operating on the electromagnetic spectrum. He has used remote viewing to ground breaking archaeological discoveries, solving murders, national security missions (like finding Sadam Hussein), and accurately predicting the future. Opening to the infinite is a complete scientific review of all aspects of non-local consciousness, and how humans are able to tap into the information field, independent of space-time. I use many of the exercises in his book for my own remote viewing practice. This is a foundation reference for the Telepathy, Animal Communication, and Remote Viewing Course I teach with Ditte Young. Here is my Interview with Stephan about his Remote Viewing the years 2050 and 2060 projects.
- Tales of Power by Carlos Castaneda
This year, I re-read all four of the Castaneda books about the Yaqui shaman, Don Juan. Tales of Power is probably the book in this series that most illuminates what is possible when one expands their awareness past the 3D self. If you have not read any of these books before, read them in order, starting with 1- The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, 2- A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan, and 3- Journey to Ixtlan.
After having several live channelers on my podcast (Channeling is a process of merging one’s consciousness with a being of higher consciousness to receive information from them), I started reading some of the most popular channeled books. Selig’s I am the Word is a great place to start, as it connects concepts from science, Christ consciousness, and human evolution. I also got a lot out of The Book of Truth, The Book of Mastery, The Kingdom, The Book of Knowing and Worth, and The Book of Freedom. I also recommend the Science of Channeling to understand how this process works.
- Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurston
As a SCUBA diver and adventure lover, this was the perfect book for me! I recommended it to everyone in my family and all my diving buddies. I was pleasantly surprised by the historical research that went in to illuminating the lives of the anti-Nazi german U boat crew members.
- Playing In Time And Space: The Miracle of Inspired Manifestations by Richard Dotts
This book got me started with working with time expansion and time travel, which I use as a productivity hack and also a fun trick. Lots of entrepreneurs also love Dott’s Dollars Flow to Me Easily, and It is Done
When I had Bethany Londyn on my podcast, she revealed that one of the metaphysical techniques she used to help people double or triple their business’ profitability was this Hawiian technique of Ho’oponopono. This book will show you how to change anything you want in your life, including external circumstances, by forgiving that aspect/reflection inside yourself.
Bonus:
Our third book of coaching exercises – Activate Your Life Volume III – continues to top the bestseller list on Personal Transformation in Amazon, and we had the thrill of having all 3 volumes top the bestseller chart at the same time! The series has passed 28,0000 copies sold! I predict next year we hit 50,000 when we launch Volume IV.
Previous Years top 10 books:
The Top 10 Books I Read in 2021
The Top 10 Books I Read in 2020
Other posts in the 2022 Annual Review Series:
2022 Adventure and Travel Review
Top Derek Loudermilk Show Podcast episodes from 2022
Top 10 Books I read in 2022
2023 Goals and Plans
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