Perfect Book Trios: Have you ever had that feeling of sumptuous relish after you finish reading a book? That feeling of completeness, satisfaction, fulfilment, that you think you will never have again? But wait – what if I told you, that you can re-experience that? I’m not kidding. For every great book you read, there is another on the same theme, or with the same language, or even with a similar setting or plot. Here is a list of some non-fiction categories with three books that are similar to each other in some way. If you’ve liked any one of those books, you will probably like the others too.
Perfect Book Trios: Three Books that are Similar to Each Other
Philosophy
A New World: by Eckhart Tolle
Freedom from the Known: by J Krishnamurti
Warrior of the Light: by Paulo Coelho
The three books in this set are – ‘A New World’ by Eckart Tolle, ‘Freedom from the Known’ by J Krishnamurti and ‘Warrior of the Light’ by Paulo Coelho. Tolle’s book reflects on the chaos that prevails in the universe and shows us that we can choose peace by detaching ourselves from the ego. Krishnamurthy’s book is a meditation, again, on the nature of detachment and how it frees the soul. Also, Coelho’s book outlines how the warrior has perfected spiritual enlightenment, through courage and detachment. All these books talk about the importance of detachment and have similar spiritual undertones. Â
Finance
Rich Dad Poor Dad: by Robert Kiyosaki
Think and Grow Rich: by Napoleon Hill
The Psychology of Money: by Morgan Housel
Many of you might have read ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki. It talks about the importance of practical financial lessons over theoretical ones and outlines basic guides to personal finance. If you liked it, you might also like ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and ‘The Psychology of Money’ by Morgan Housel. The former is exactly what its title promises – a treatise on how to use the mental faculty to gain wealth. The latter is also about the mind – and how it can be manipulated for financial gain.
History of India
India: A History: by John Keay
Land of the Seven Rivers: by Sanjeev Sanyal
A History of India: by Romila Thapar
If you liked ‘India: A History’ by John Keay, wherein he condenses thousands of years of Indian existence into a fat volume, you’re in luck. Several other books attempt to chronicle various times and spaces of Indian history. From the Aryan invasions to the Golden Age, Mughal rule, British rule, post-independence life, and even regional histories, many books attempt this. Two books that provide a decent overview of this vast history are Sanjeev Sanyal’s ‘Land of the Seven Rivers’ and Romila Thapar’s two-volume ‘A History of India’.
Entrepreneurship
The Heart of Business: by Hubert Joly
How to Win Friends and Influence People: by Dale Carnegie
Primal Leadership: by Daniel Goleman
Hubert Joly’s wonderful recent book ‘The Heart of Business’ reveals the magic of the human component of businesses. It stresses upon empathy, communication and other aspects that connect the human elements of businesses that make them who they are. Also similar to this book is Dale Carnegie’s classic ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, which also talks about dealings with other humans in business aspects. Finally, there is ‘Primal Leadership’ by Daniel Goleman and others, which talks about emotional intelligence and its importance in being a good leader.
Psychology
The Psychology of Superheroes: by Robin Rosenberg
The Art of Thinking Clearly: by Rolf Dobelli
Proust was a Neuroscientist: by Jonah Lehrer
The first book in this category is ‘The Psychology of Superheroes’ by Robin Rosenberg, which explores the application of psychology to pop culture. Secondly, there is ‘The Art of Thinking Clearly’ by Rolf Dobelli which exposes the biases and fallacies that the mind is prone to and suggests remedial measures. The third book is ‘Proust was a Neuroscientist’ where Jonah Lehrer collides art and science to show the psychology of creativity. All these books delve into the application of psychology to the more interesting aspects of daily life. Â
Nutrition and Health
Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight: by Rujuta Diwekar
In Defense of Food: by Michael Pollan
Good Calories, Bad Calories: by Gary Taubes
If you’re an Indian, you’ve probably already read Rujuta Diwekar’s ‘Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight’. In this, she talks about simple and effective ways to lose weight without crash diets or restrictions. Another nutritional book that focuses on the benefits of fresh, local food is ‘In Defense of Food’ by Michael Pollan. And in this, he basically repudiates the dissection of food into scientific elements. There is also ‘Good Calories, Bad Calories’ by Gary Taubes, which emphasizes the quality of food over the quantity in health areas.
Memoir
I am Malala: by Malala Yousafzai
Smritichitre: Memoirs of a Spirited Wife: by Lakshmibai Tilak
My Pen is The Wing of a Bird
If you liked ‘I am Malala’ by the Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai which explores the journey of Pakistani education and woman activists, you might also like these two books. The first is ‘Smritichitre: Memoirs of a Spirited Wife’ by Lakshmibai Tilak, who also worked in the field of women’s education, albeit in the nineteenth century. You may also like ‘My Pen is The Wing of a Bird’, an anthology of memoir essays by Afghani women about womanhood and identity.
Also Read: 5 Good Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language
