My shall-remain-anonymous friend is turning 40 and going through a self-proclaimed mid-life crisis. He doesn't want a Ferarri... so what better to give him than a stack of books? Because we all love a crisis, but we love figuring out the answers even more! This is my list for your enjoyment!
Get some perspective
Four Thousand Weeks: Embrace your limits. Change your life. Make your four thousand weeks count - By Oliver Burkeman.
This book challenges the idea that we need to do everything and instead helps us focus on what really matters. By accepting that our time is limited—about 4,000 weeks in an average life—Burkeman offers practical advice for living more meaningfully. Drawing from philosophy and psychology, he encourages us to let go of the pressure to be endlessly productive and instead embrace our limits to create a more fulfilling life.
What I like about it:
It’s a ‘slap in the face’ on the importance of not wasting time living a life you don’t love
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
This book offers a fresh approach to money, encouraging you to focus on creating meaningful experiences instead of just saving for the future. It argues that life should be about making the most of your time and money while you're still able to enjoy it, rather than waiting until retirement.
What I like about it:
It’s a wakeup call about enjoying your money and life while you can and the power of generosity
Figure out what you want
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life Kindle Edition
by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
This book shows how the principles of design thinking can help you build a fulfilling life, no matter your age or stage. Just like designers solve problems to create products, you can apply the same approach to craft a meaningful career and life.
What I like about it:
A very practical guide to uncovering your ideal life with tools and activities for each step
The Portfolio Life: Future-proof your career, Craft a life worthy of you
by Christina Wallace
This book is all about rethinking how we work and live. Forget the old advice about sticking to one career—it’s about embracing variety and flexibility with a "Portfolio Life." It’s a refreshing, anti-hustle approach that helps you balance rest, work, and fulfilment right now, not someday.
What I like about it:
Reframing life as bigger than work and accepting it as a multifaceted adventure
The Search: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World
by Bruce Feiler
This book is all about finding work that truly makes you happy, on your own terms. As people rethink their careers and break away from outdated ideas of "climbing the ladder," Feiler offers a new way to approach work. This book gives you the tools to rewrite your career story and find more meaning and joy in what you do.
What I like about it:
It gives you 21 very important questions to ask yourself when you don’t know what you want to do for work (when you’re having a ‘workquake’)
The Success Myth: Letting go of having it all
By Emma Gannon
This book is all about breaking free from the pressures of traditional success. Even when everything seems perfect on the outside, it can still feel empty. It’s a wake-up call to rethink what truly matters, with lessons on setting goals that don’t overwhelm and letting go of the constant chase for more. It’s a guide to finding your own version of fulfilment, not the one everyone else expects.
What I like about it:
Covers all the bullsh*t we have to let go of to actually be happy
Figure out your Sh*t
Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential
by Shirzad Chamine
This book is all about learning how to stop your own mind from holding you back. It dives into how we sabotage ourselves and shows how to break free from those habits so we can actually reach our potential.
What I like about it:
Use the assessment to identify your saboteurs (what holds you back) and overcome the negative inner voice
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
By Brianna Wiest
This book is all about understanding why we sabotage ourselves and how to finally stop. It explores how conflicting needs lead to self-sabotaging behaviours and offers insight into breaking those patterns. By doing the deep inner work—like healing past trauma and building emotional resilience—you can get out of your own way and start reaching your true potential. It’s not about conquering challenges; it’s about mastering yourself.
What I like about it:
It’s a guide to emotional intelligence and figuring out your own sh*t
Master the transition
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
by Arthur C. Brooks
This book is a guide to finding purpose and happiness as we age, especially when we start to feel our achievements fading. It shows how success can actually make it harder to deal with getting older, but offers a way to turn that around.
What I like about it:
Provides a useful reframe – what got you success in the first half of life won’t be what drives your success in the second half of life and we must switch gears to remain happy.
Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age
by Bruce Feiler
This book is all about handling the big changes life throws at us. Feiler calls these "lifequakes" and shows how, even though they can really shake us up, they’re also opportunities to grow. Based on real stories, he gives tips for navigating these tough times and coming out better on the other side.
What I like about it:
It’s based on extensive research and provides a practical model for anticipating and navigating transitions in life
If you’re feeling a little lost or unsure about what’s next, these books are a great place to start. They won't give you all the answers, but they’ll help you ask the right questions and, more importantly, remind you that it’s okay to shift gears and rethink what matters. This phase doesn’t have to be a crisis—it’s a chance to reset and figure out what’s really going to make the next chapter of your life feel more like yours.
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