My Top 10 Books of 2020

[@AlexReyesInHD]

No order, here's the list: 1:47 Don Quixote 2:40 The Count of Monte Cristo 3:31 Dune 4:45 Foundation 5:28 Into the Wild 6:36 Just Mercy 7:36 Capital in the 21st Century 8:22 How to Change Your Mind 9:33 The Gulag Archipelago 10:57 A Study of History

[@rahima3093]

thanks

[@larrysmellbuttz534]

spoiler alert geez. no point in even watching the video now.

[@franckensteine]

@@larrysmellbuttz534 they're on the thumbnail

[@AmusingMusic]

Damn from the thumbnail i was expecting “Capital” to be Marx’s das kapital, lowkey disappointed he picked an inferior “capital” lol

[@AliumMoAnn]

@@AmusingMusic this boy disappoints me 😭

[@19grand]

'Dont judge a man by the books he reads. Judge him by the books he re-reads.'

[@paulthang9038]

Legends,like me read dairy of a Wimpy Kid.

[@FIT2BREAD]

@@paulthang9038 I can't knock it. When my son was 8 that's the only thing I could get him to read. Until he graduated to Dog Man ha!

[@shoppinghemifran6001]

People will seem more empty than necessary.

[@vaibhavi.singh.]

Damn

[@KhubbaS]

You wouldn’t want to judge this guy by the books he claims to have read because those claims are false. I can tell he’s bullshitting. He’s giving spark notes summaries of classics in different fields just to get a lot of views and subs from book lovers. I find the deception to be repellant.

[@yannick8372]

I would recommend reading the Russian writers. Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are great! The reason I would recommend reading them is because they give such specific insight in the human psychology. These books also focus mainly on the suffering of human beings. Death and illness are common themes in their books. The books I read so far are Tolstoys 'Anna Karenina, 'War and Peace' and 'The death of Ivan Iljitj' which are all great. From Dostoevsky rich list of literature I read 'Crime and Punishment', 'The brothers karamazov' and 'The idiot'. I hope you will like them as much as I do!

[@amykruse6887]

Yes! If you like those authors, I would suggest reading Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

[@talaalsharif561]

i second this

[@patmebg3794]

Are they fiction or non fiction?

[@aleksandrasuso2043]

@@patmebg3794 they're fiction books, and they're pretty chunky

[@patmebg3794]

@@aleksandrasuso2043 Thanks. I was looking for nonfiction.

[@scrivo6295]

You should post your Goodreads account.

[@Mike_M_Smith]

Scrivo whats goodreads?

[@scrivo6295]

@@Mike_M_Smith it’s an online application where you can store your books. Basically a virtual library.

[@Mike_M_Smith]

Scrivo I got to many books to go down that rabbit hole.

[@mollyjohnson5199]

I found it, but he doesn't have any books on there here's the link: www.goodreads.com/user/show/59432938-john-fish

[@scrivo6295]

@@mollyjohnson5199 Thanks for that Molly!

[@EthanDodd]

Me: I have so much on my reading list YT: *John Fish's Top 10* Also Me: These can fit

[@staecycruz5023]

Same

[@cunadeletra]

x3

[@alexcr.p]

I literally just updated my giant to-read list with some of these

[@kwabenakesseh1282]

This young man really inspires me to do better! I always look forward to your videos.

[@maluokram330]

You inspired me to read books John. I have read 12 books this years, without your videos I don't think I would start reading books

[@ElectroBleach]

Don Quixote is an absolute masterpiece

[@joatanpereira4272]

I recommend ALL Haruki Murakami's books. Amazing writer.

[@Chris-pt6hh]

The Windup Bird Chronicle was a fucking RIDE

[@sanskrutidas2965]

@@Chris-pt6hh I'm reading that atm

[@iuliandanciulescu9551]

is there a good starting point?

[@sanskrutidas2965]

@@iuliandanciulescu9551 you can start with Kafka on the shore. I did with that one so I can tell you that made me want to read more and more of Murakami.

[@jillianprice6279]

Even the book he wrote on writing is soooo fantastic

[@adilshamji4035]

Since no one is asking, I would recommend, Kafka On The Shore!

[@LamAnopro_]

what’s it about?

[@arthurn8931]

murakami

[@Martina95673]

@@LamAnopro_ the plot follows the story of an old man that has the ability to talk to cats, and a little boy that runaway from home. It's a story of magical realism, if that's your genre you will love it

[@adilshamji4035]

@@LamAnopro_ It's truly something different, undoubtedly my favorite fiction book I have ever read. The story corresponds to "Oidipus", and his destiny. Murakami, is incomparable when it comes to characters traits, the most unorthodox of characters, with strange yet pleasant endeavors. In my view, it's a story of a life, with highs and lows.

[@zeynabh]

It was my was murakami book I loved it!

[@imergeo402]

Hey John I just want you to know that your support towards students is absolutely amazing. Its awesome to see someone successful who has empathy and understanding for student life. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@zinniasegura7508]

You're the one that convinced me to read Don Quixote and now it's probably my favorite book of all time, you have amazing taste. I'll definitely be checking the rest of these out.

[@aliveindian7208]

Man you are a very positive man . When i see you i get very positive vibes & it releases my stress.

[@POZOLEDECARAMELITO]

I’m right now reading Mark Fisher Ghosts of my life. It’s kinda an amazing piece of literature, a series of essays from him, talking about the idea of society being haunted by lost futures that failed to happen, a look at our culture in famous and obscure media ( really great recommendations of albums, series and movies) through the eyes of our current economic and political landscape. This one hit very hard in 2020, since a lot of our plans and our lifestyle changed because of covid not only that but with climate change and an economic crisis in the horizon, it seems that our future and our lives won’t be as once we imagined.

[@samharper7001]

Hi John, have started using your growth book template for planning my days this past week, and have found it so helpful for planning my university work and other interests. Thank you so much!

[@ClaudiniGod]

I finished reading Dune last month and I was mindblown by the vastness of its universe. An amazing book.

[@thejohnfish]

Right! I'm super hyped for the movie, the trailer looked surprisingly true to the book--the worm!!!!!

[@Hrids99]

Don Quixote is one of my favourites. The recommendation looks good. Would try and read in 2021.

[@miriamsheppard6162]

I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard the other day, and that's my contribution to this conversation.

[@julieannelovesbooks]

Well, that means that for this month you've read as much as the average american according to google. Congrats!

[@Iftzo626]

I read Into The Wild back in high school, I recommend it 100%.

[@speedracer2841]

Le Comte de Monte Cristo is one of my top books of 2020 as well. I have Don Quixote lined up for 2021. Great list.

[@jayajay]

The Conte of Monte Cristo is my favourite book. Dune is the best science fiction ever written and I hate science fiction. 👌🏾

[@yungriqqy4631]

Checkout childhoods end by Arthur c Clarke, might change ur mind on science fiction

[@hanaemori4885]

The Count of Monte Cristo is THE novel. It has everything you look for in a novel: betrayal, hopelessness, revenge...👌🏻👌🏻

[@bookswithbenjamin8902]

@@hanaemori4885 Did you read abridged?

[@navihihi]

Check out "A Prisoner of Birth" by Jeffrey Archer - a modern retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. It's mind blowing!!

[@autumnreed2079]

Cool I'm the same. I might have to pick up dune

[@RCSVirginia]

If you like "Dune" and "Foundation," you may want to take a look at Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Dispossessed" and "The Left Hand of Darkness," and Larry Niven's "The Mote in God's Eye" and "Ringworld." Another one that I find to be intriguing is Joan D. Vinge's "The Snow Queen." Both LeGuin and Vinge have an interest in other cultures, with LeGuin's being the daughter of anthropologist Alfred Louis Kroeber and having a degree in French, and Vinge's having a degree in anthropology.

[@bxoaa]

I have two fiction books to recommend to you John: 1. The Picture of Dorian Gray 2. Dark Matter

[@charliehobson33]

picture of dorian gray is my favorite book.

[@bxoaa]

@@charliehobson33 same. its a must-read!

[@loverlover7845]

I’m reading the picture of Dorian gray now and it’s philosophy is just mind blowing

[@adilshamji4035]

I just bought Dorian so excited!!

[@wellwithmeri8222]

I'm going to second Dark Matter, as well as Blake Crouch's other book, Recursion

[@markiemasucci3865]

Heads up! I recommend for Don Quixote the Edith Grossman translation! It is very modern, and it makes the book appealing to the modern crowd, but keeps the same magic of the Spanish Golden Age .

[@abdulalhazred4224]

He speaks very clearly so that i can understand what he is talking about fairly well even though english is not my language.

[@Bookademy]

Great suggestions! Thank you, John, picked up a few for my list

[@eliyasara9786]

omg the Count is sooooo good. I love it so much. This is a really well put-together book list. Thanks for the great content.

[@seer1234]

He is speaking so cool. His voice like a music that you just listen and feel like everything is going to be okay. I really enjoy watching you

[@grognak7057]

I would highly recommend reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. It's a graphic-memoir about the author's life growing up during the Iranian Revolution during the 70s and it is fantastic. The sequel isn't as great imo, but both are absolutely worth reading. There's a lot to learn about growing up in this particularly tumultuous time as well as the clash between traditional and modern values. Generally, I'm not a huge reader and I wouldn't have read Persepolis if it weren't for it being a required reading in high school, but this is one of the books I'll always recommend to anyone regardless if they're a bookworm or not. Not to mention it's a quick read.

[@orditader95]

If you enjoyed The Gulag Arvhipelago, you can also check out Kolyma Stories by Shalamov. Solzhenitsyn and Shalamov are often compared as they both wrote about repressions and labor camps, and Shalamov writing impressed me a lot, it is brutal and terrifyingly honest

[@julialianjosecarrera5649]

Don Quijote was the first Modern novel. All the nowadays movies, TV shows, videogames... Use Cervantes techniques

[@paulinanaruszewicz4336]

Oh wow didnt know that. What techniques exactly?

[@otaramilakhvari8571]

I highly recommend you to read "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust

[@mrnlul6421]

Yes if you're in prison and have nothing to do.

[@otaramilakhvari8571]

No, when you have horrible working schedule, you come home absolutely tired, you just need to stop the time and travel back in fantastic childhood.. you just take Marcel Proust and know that the time machine has already invented. So before the next horrible day, you travel back in magical time and live there several days..

[@Dunyayibenyoneticem]

@@otaramilakhvari8571 Actually, it is not that book you can recommend everyone. It’s heavy and not really understandable for every reader. Also, if you aren’t going to read French version, you should find an excellent translation of the book.

[@otaramilakhvari8571]

@@Dunyayibenyoneticem Firstly, I recommended it to John, but I think that every reader should read it at least once during his/her lifetime (I mean the proper age and mental readiness). Additionally, I think that today it isn't hard to find excellent translation in most languages.

[@Dunyayibenyoneticem]

@@otaramilakhvari8571 No, it is not quite easy to compare translations especially when you aren’t educated about that language. It is getting easier to compare interpreters in time, but unfortunately you have to experience awful translations to do that. And cleary i thought you recommend the book everyone that reads your comment that’s why i said “It is not that book you can recommend EVERYONE”

[@wavveytae4181]

Y'all drop top 10 reads cause I want some new reads. Here's mine: 1) stamped from the beginning by: inbram x kendi 2) black leopard, red wolf by: marlon james 3) the souls of black folk by: w.e.b. du bois 4)my bondage and my freedom by: Fredrick Douglass 5) where do we go from here by: martin luther king jr 6) just mercy by: bryan stevenson 7) how to be an anti racists by: inbram x kendi 8) I may not get there with you the true martin luther king by: michael Eric Dyson 9) invisible man by: ralph Ellison 10) atomic habits by : james clear Btw these are great recommendations John fish. 👏🏾💯

[@Wendydarling420]

try: Intellectuals and Race by Thomas Sowell Race and Economics by Thomas Sowell Madness of crowds by Douglas Murray The Trial by Franz Kafka Crystalizing public Opinion by Edward Bernays War is a racket by Smedley Butler Rome and Jerusalem: The Last National Question by Moses Hess Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell White Slavery in the Barbary States by Charles Sumner

[@rawrtid]

1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley 2. Know my Name by Chanel Miller 3. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela 4. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet 5. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

[@bookswithbenjamin8902]

The unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo is a masterpiece. Yes dialogue is expanded but it isn't just for fluff. It helps set the scene and move the story forward.

[@maddalenaesposito890]

AH, The Count of Montecristo 💜 my favourite book ever, it's nice to see a person that I really admire appreciate it too!

[@KanwarAnand]

I read the unabridged version of Count of Monte Cristo. It felt like a magical carpet ride through Europe for 30 days. Great Gatsby is not even quarter as enthralling.

[@angelam8719]

we read just mercy in my ap lang class this semester! it really hits hard with brandon bernard’s recent death 😔 rip

[@anna-ti2bo]

Just letting you know I struggle a lot with my mental health, and your videos are super inspiring. The way you talk about stuff motivates me a lot to read more and persevere with school which is difficult a lot of the time. Kind of reignites my love for books especially. Tysm :,)

[@جهان-ظ9ص]

Ure a pure motivation john God bless

[@stevensong8784]

He inspires me too.

[@chisekechiteta8892]

"It's another book that you can read AND THEN watch the movie." That's the right order..🥂 A friend recommended this KZbin channel and I am happy to subscribe to this. Wonderful content. 🤗🥂

[@craftideas4062]

I am also new to this channel.. And I am really enjoying it

[@chisekechiteta8892]

@@craftideas4062 Wonderful to know. Welcome aboard. 👏🏾

[@craftideas4062]

@@chisekechiteta8892 thank you 🥰🥰🥰🤗

[@wennesmota3860]

I have “Dune” here in my house. It’s portuguese version, my native language. I’ll read it because of your recomendation! ❤️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@javieroyaga5329]

Don Quijote is one the things that makes us Spaniards proud.

[@MrPabgon]

Olé

[@ninabailey8694]

My favs of all time: A little life Radio silence The book thief Perks of being a wallflower Turtles all the way down

[@mipaleditx]

I lovee Book Thief and Radio Silence!

[@ninabailey8694]

@@mipaleditx ahhhh!! They’re SOOOO GOOD

[@happym.4644]

I love Radio Silence hands down.

[@ninabailey8694]

@@happym.4644 that is the GEMMM

[@rudig5698]

I just loved the Intro with the music and everything. Thank you for your unique content and for inspiring me to start my own KZbin channel!😊❤️

[@chrisbranton73]

Eyyy, I just finished The Count of Monte Cristo and loved it too! I also read Foundation recently too haha. Into the Wild is non-fiction though? I also read How to Change Your Mind this year, another great one.

[@connorkennedy4587]

Your videos are always so high quality and a joy to watch! I always look forward to them!

[@CoachHaritoshSrivastav]

Thanks John for sharing your top 15 books. Here are my top 12 book reads of 2020 1. 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki 2. 'Think & Grow Rich' by Napolean Hill# 3. 'IKIGAI' by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralee 4. 'Attention Management' by Thomas Navel (created book review in my channel) 5. 'Mindset' by Dr. Carol S. Dweck 6. 'NLP' by Tom Hobbyar, Tom Dotz & Susan Sanders 7. 'The way of the monk' by Gaur Gopal Das (created book review in my channel) 8. 'The Leader who had no title' by Robin Sharma (created book review in my channel) 9. 'The 5 AM CLUB' by Robin Sharma 10. 'The Code of the Extraordinary Mind' by Vishen Lakhiani 11. 'High Performance Habits' by Brendon Burchard 12. 'Think Link a Monk' by Jay Shetty

[@EyeLean5280]

I know what you mean about unexpectedly laughing out loud while reading classic books. The Birds by Aristophanes made me laugh at a time when laughter was scarce in my life. Amazing, that not only are we still reading books a people wrote 2,400 years ago, but that they can bestow a spark in the dark, when we need it.

[@olivier_benard]

1. The Outsider, Albert Camus 2. The Necklace, Maupassant 3. Les Fruits de l'hiver, Bernard Clavel

[@prospecops]

The darkest book I've read was The Rape of Nanking. This was right after The Gulag Archipelago which I thought was about the worse there was.

[@Nvmnodvi]

is there a pdf of it?

[@prospecops]

@@Nvmnodvi yea im sure u can find a torrent for it.

[@tekki5744]

What about 1984?

[@iamokayreally8482]

I agree with you!

[@lucky-mud]

@@tekki5744 if 1984 wasn’t fiction then it would be very very impactful, but it just doesn’t come close to Gulag Archipelago in that regard simply because the latter isn’t fiction

[@markokobetic7168]

I love how you talk about books so enthusiastically. Makes me to want to read more. 😁

[@secular_being]

His channel has transformed from vlog and tech to reading

[@TheNoobtron3000]

Reading The Gulag right now..great video as always!

[@Alizavr]

happy to see many russian authors! if you wanna read more of the whole gulag stuff and things similar to that, i would recommend reading Kolyma tales by Shalamov, really changes the way you see the world

[@padmo1531]

Definitely going to read The Gulag Archipelago. I really enjoy books that provoke thought.

[@padmo1531]

I really love the books you recommended before and am really excited to read the ones in this video. Thank you for sharing!

[@nijin5441]

telling me that that reading the abridged version of count of monte cristo is a good move really makes me happy since I just bought it and didn't know there was a unabridged version

[@leozinho2r]

Hey John! Great video, thanks for the suggestions. If I may, I noticed that your top 10 authors were all male authors. At the end of last year I noticed almost all of the books I'd read were written by men, and so I made a conscious decision to diversify my reading patterns this year. I've read 30 books this year and half of them were written by women, and it has been absolutely wonderful. I've learned a lot reading from different perspectives, and once I became aware of my bias for male authors, it was actually very easy and eye opening to start reading more books written by women. For example, 'Invisible Women' by Caroline Criado Perez is an incredible account of the data bias in a world designed for men. I think as someone with your platform it would be very powerful if you acknowledged this bias, as I did, and worked towards reducing it! Keep up with the great videos you make, they're great! :)

[@elaserpen9468]

Excellent point, I experienced the same thing.

[@thejohnfish]

This is a great point, definitely noted.

[@Israel2.3.2]

Literature Shakespeare - King Lear Milton - Paradise Lost Keats - Complete Poems Political Awareness Frederick Douglass - Life of an American Slave Michelle Alexander - The New Jim Crow Philosophy Kant - Critique of Pure Reason Plato - Protagoras Confucius - Analects Mathematical Classics Euler - Introductio in Analysin Infinitorum Vols I and II Euler - Institutiones Calculi Differentialis

[@bookishbarista]

Yesssss! Asimov's Foundation series is great. My favourite of his is End of Eternity - it's such a good intro to the genre of scifi.

[@dariodr4624]

Thank you John!!! more of these please, such an inspiration

[@Dr1zouuu]

U changed so much from 2 years ago I just been watching ur Harvard day in the life and u sound so different, I never used to be into learning and havnt read for years at all but now I’m getting into it and wish I tried harder in school in the uk

[@stevensong8784]

I'm so glad I brought Dune with me home. So excited to see auteur Denis Villeneuve bring it to life.

[@louis_dev6981]

Thank you for the great recommendations! I really like how you share the books you read in a genuine tone, which makes me more interested in picking up some of the books you recommend~

[@aliceyang288]

the count - absolutely the best book ive read (at least so far)! i would, however, recommend the unabridged version :-), as i found that every word, description and dialogue in there contributed, in some way or other, to the novel (never once did i find the pacing slow!)

[@dominguezsanchezluisangel1532]

I´ve seen your videos since 2020, I´m from México and i love your videos, stories and information that you give me for will be a best human and person, sorry for my english, is a work in progress. This year I read Fairytale "1001 Arabian nights" was page-turner and fast-read. Blessings from Méxio.

[@caroond]

me: buying several books + wishing 12 books for christmas also me: looking for new books on youtube

[@flo9473]

@Realistic Gem yesss i already bought 9 in a second hand store in my brithday, its almost a disease!!

[@authorgreene]

Don Quixote! Yes yes yes!!! I'm currently skimming through it again and taking notes on it. Such a fantastic book, the first modern novel. All the books in your fiction section are great reads, actually. Cheers!

[@cankilinc5881]

The count of monte cristo is one of my favorites!

[@Andrea-oj6fz]

Great picks! I would love to see more book content from you in 2021! :)

[@jasmineathea7386]

I saw the count of monte cristo and into the wild and just KNEW your taste would be immaculate

[@EgWyps]

Hey John, Appreciate the mentioning of Capital in the 21st Century. This year I read his new book Capital and Ideology and I think it is even far more interesting than Capital. It focuses not on the specific economic mechanics of inequality but the ideological aspects--essentially diving into the various justifications for inequality that have existed historically all over the world. Super fascinating! Also, 2020 saw the release of the documentary rendition of Capital in the 21st Century; it is amazing and I recommend it to everyone!

[@multicerenity]

Nice collection of books. Really huge titles which I had so much fun time reading. Keep it up John!

[@judithgarcia9222]

Don Quixote is the best book ever!! ❤❤❤

[@thomasrockhoff]

Just a plug for all John Krakauer. All his writing is that compelling. Into Thin Air is one of my favorite nonfictions.

[@misselder1]

Don Quixote is hilarious! Oh, Into the Wild! Such a great nook - moving, fascinating, and sad. Definitely interested in Just Mercy.

[@aaronschulze1250]

Also read Dune this year because of the movie and loved it! The predecessor of Blade Runner and Star Wars. Also read Into the wild in 2019 after falling in love with the movie..so much VALUE IN IT!!! Philosophy, spiritual seeking, core values, relationships..absolutely recommendable

[@cometconfetti]

I actually really enjoy long dialogue when I really enjoy the book I'm reading. I also wished The Count of Monte Cristo was a little bit longer... I didn't want it to end.

[@artiesolomon3292]

Bravo on this great selection of books---I will read most of these in 2021.

[@matheusc929]

Great reads! I read "Lenin's Tomb" this year which touches the period covered by Gulag Archipelago and found it very thoughtful already, Solzhenitsyn must be a very hard to swallow read. Mery Christmas!

[@literarylivesofsarah6567]

Piketty's 2020 release, 'Capital and Ideology' is an absolute masterpiece as well. For 1k+ page nonfiction book it flies by. Reading actually made me think more deeply about the fiction I read since it is so instructional on how to dissect inequality regimes and their ideological basis.

[@igorlima1787]

I'm gonna read Don Quixote and the Count of Monte Cristo next year, at least I hope so

[@hanaemori4885]

Give them a try. You won’t regret it.

[@MrPROJECTSyNc]

Please read the unabridged version, so much better

[@rome2000kev]

I took a class on cervantes with one of the leading scholars on cervantes( he runs one of the major journals) and he swears that the edith grossman translation is the best

[@igorlima1787]

​@@rome2000kev I'm going read it in Portuguese, in Brazil we have bilingual editions (Spanish and Portuguese). But I still dont know wich translator to choose

[@igorlima1787]

@@MrPROJECTSyNc Yeap, I'm gonna read the full version

[@annapotpot]

I'm so happy you included Into the Wild. It's my favorite book. It spoke to my soul. I've been wanting to read Dune but I'm a bit intimidated by it. Thanks for the recommendation though, I'll start it on 2021!

[@channyt8818]

Ever get intimidated by the content and size of books? I’ve only begun showing an interest in reading, and the look of some books makes it hard to bare reading.

[@thejohnfish]

This is actually why I stopped counting "a book a week" and so on, because I was intimidated by larger books that might take longer to read. I'm definitely more careful with which longer books I choose to pick up, as reading one is a much larger commitment than reading a shorter book. At the end of the day, though, Don Quixote being 1000pgs doesn't intimidate me at all because I never lost interest and the story stays fresh. If it got repetitive or I didn't enjoy the writing style, I probably wouldn't have picked it up/finished it.

[@joatanpereira4272]

Everyone has their pace, take your time and enjoy the ride.

[@creativityjune3591]

There are fantastic books at all sizes so take your time to find the ones right for you

[@KhubbaS]

He’s so careful with which books to pick that he arbitrarily picks up Piketty’s immense tome Capital prior to having read much economics at all. Rightttt

[@chrishewittpiano]

Amazing recommendations, John! I love Audible, too! I've had my membership for almost 7 years! I love love love it! Going to check out some of the books you recommended. You're amazing dude! :) Happy holidays!

[@LavaHead64]

Thank you for these suggestions!

[@flubadubdubthegreat1272]

Thanks for the recommendations, John!

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Tried to read the Gulag Archipelago while in college many years ago and enjoyed it and got maybe 1/2 through. Need to revisit it. I did read “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsynitsyn. A short and harrowing read. “Into the Void” I own and will read soon. Right now 1/2 way into “What We Knew” by Eric A Johnson. Interviews with people on all sides of Germany during the Nazi years. It's like a batch of mini survivor stories! True and amazing tales of courage.

[@pujakarmakar9176]

I have a Data structure class to do after 15 min so thought to watch you, just like always. keep creating such videos All the very best

[@damondominique]

IT'S JUST FUNNY CUZ I DON'T SEE A NEW EARTH BY ECKHART TOLLE IN THERE?

[@ogmoiz]

no.

[@ella-wh9kg]

Damon! i see you everywhere

[@elmirabotezatu8382]

Do you have 5 minutes to talk about our lord and saviour eckhart tolle?

[@MusicLovesGigi]

Damon? Here? I did not expect that.

[@lorenzoe.leonard4160]

Eckhart Tolle is spirituality for white girls

[@cemre9902]

to be honest u are one of my fav youtubers aaaand u inspire me to read more

[@vibatkevin]

“I know an excellent book when I see one”.. wow a very confident statement XD

[@reecebest4896]

Read the Count of Monte Cristo last year! I read the unabridged and so it took a long time but it became and instant fave!

[@TamaraVlogs]

Oooo Dune & How to Change your Mind were already on my list. Adding Capital! Thanks so much!

[@smithabigail98]

I feel like this video is reminding me to finally start reading the count of monte cristo book I've ignored on my shelf since purchasing it after the first video mentioning it. FINE JOHN, I'LL DO IT!! Hahahah

[@gyrozeppeli5192]

"The Count of Monte Cristo" is an awesome book. I listened it at 12 or early and it’s the most exciting book in my life. It’s a story like this that inculcates the love of reading in children. I suggest you all.

[@levitybooks3952]

I think your fiction recommendations are probably stronger than the non-fiction ones here

[@andreeatoma91]

One of Asimov’s books is the one that was the foundation for I Robot with Will Smith. I remember reading it and a few weeks after my friends started watching the movie and when I realised I was like “Hey, I just read the book of this!”, it was a nice moment :)

[@joshuageraldbutler8037]

If you liked Toynbee's A study of history I'd highly recommend reading some of James C Scott. My favourite fictional (although it feels very real) was the audiobook of Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. A brilliant book.

[@Imloganmiller]

You should read “The Laws of Human Nature” by Robert Greene