Top books for students

In this post I will be sharing my recommended reading list for students and dentists early in their career based on the books I have found most useful this year. Every one of these books has covered something that I wish I had learnt years ago, whether that relates to mindset, organisation, or just motivation. Pick any of them and you will hopefully take away a valuable lesson.

Top recommendations:
Peak performance. The single best introduction I have found to the topic of getting the best out of everything you do. http://www.drchrisharper.co.uk/blog/book-review-peak-performance


Black box thinking. Vital discussion about the idea of learning from failure to excel in any endeavour. http://www.drchrisharper.co.uk/blog/book-review-black-box-thinking


Productivity Ninja. The reason that I have been able to do so much this year largely relates to the lessons learnt from this book. http://www.drchrisharper.co.uk/blog/book-review-how-to-be-a-productivity-ninja



Other highly recommended books:
Ask Gary Vee. While I don't agree with everything Gary Vaynerchuk says, his attitude to putting in the hard work and taking control of your life is powerful. I think many young dentists could do well to absorb some of that motivation.
Show your work. A book that will only take a couple of hours to read and digest but with a very useful mindset lesson. show your work to others and so many aspects of it will improve.
How to write a CV and cover letter. Pretty obvious why this is here.
How To Have A Good Day. It may sound cheesy, but honestly this book could help so many people to achieve more with lower stress levels.
Start with Why and Find your Why. It is possible that this book will relate more to dentists a few years out of uni, but I think a small percentage of students may be ready to hear what Simon Sinek has to say about finding your purpose in life.
The Miracle Morning Routine. Building your daily habits early to help you achieve more with everyday is a very good thing to do early in your career.
Bounce. The preceding book to Black Box Thinking by the same author. Practice makes perfect.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Not on my top 10 list of books overall but has some decent motivation messages in it and it's sweary, relaxed style may relate to many younger dentists (How old does that make me sound?!)
Deep work. If you, like me, struggled at school or uni to put in the hard work then this is really worth reading.
Critical thinking lecture series. Not a book but a series of lectures about critical thinking skills. Something that I think is a hugely valuable tool to develop.
The art of learning. A fascinating read explaining the mindset of someone who was a national champion in chess as a teenager and then a world champion martial artist just a few years later.


Full reviews of each of these and more can be found here:
http://www.drchrisharper.co.uk/blog/category/book-review

So if you are trying to find a book to read over the Christmas break or want to set yourself a reading list for 2018, those are my recommendations. Which ones will you pick?