The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference

Linda Rising Why did I love this book?

I am a scientist and have strong beliefs about people’s behavior. The subtitle of this book is “The revolutionary scientific evidence that caring makes a difference.” It was no-brainer (once I heard about the book) to put it at the top of my reading list. I absolutely loved it.

If you’re like me, looking for a way to address the important issues of our time, this is the book for you.

By Stephen Trzeciak, Anthony Mazzarelli,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Compassionomics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A 34-year-old man fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit is on an artificial respirator for over a month. Could it be that his chance of getting off the respirator is not how much his nurses know, but rather how much they care?

A 75-year-old woman is heroically saved by a major trauma center only to be discharged and fatally struck by a car while walking home from the hospital. Could a lack of compassion from the hospital staff have been a factor in her death?

Compelling new research shows that health care is in the midst of…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Net And The Butterfly

Linda Rising Why did I love this book?

There are so many “patterns” in this book about breakthrough thinking. One that has stayed with me is thinking of failure as “tuition.”

I have become a student of “metta.” I was never very good at meditation, but this practice has helped me through some rough times. It might work for you. You’ll enjoy the stories and the quirky way the authors lead you to better thinking.

By Olivia Fox Cabane, Judah Pollack,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Net And The Butterfly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Charisma Myth, Olivia Fox Cabane offered a groundbreaking approach to becoming more charismatic. Now she teams up with Judah Pollack to reveal how anyone can train their brain to have more eureka insights.

The creative mode in your brain is like a butterfly. It's beautiful and erratic, hard to catch and highly valued as a result. If you want to capture it, you need a net. Enter the executive mode, the task-oriented network in your brain that help you tie your shoes, run a meeting, or pitch a client. To succeed, you need both modes to work together--your…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of A Geography Of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist

Linda Rising Why did I love this book?

This book introduced me to a notion I had a little understanding of but never realized how powerful it was. We think of time differently depending on our environment – our culture, our family upbringing, and a whole host of other factors.

Of course, it seems obvious, but when Robert Levine takes you on a journey around the world, closely examining the amazing ways people think about time, it will change your life. I love books that take my world and turn it upside down.

By Robert Levine,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Geography Of Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this engaging and spirited book, eminent social psychologist Robert Levine asks us to explore a dimension of our experience that we take for granted,our perception of time. When we travel to a different country, or even a different city in the United States, we assume that a certain amount of cultural adjustment will be required, whether it's getting used to new food or negotiating a foreign language, adapting to a different standard of living or another currency. In fact, what contributes most to our sense of disorientation is having to adapt to another culture's sense of time.Levine, who has…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

More Fearless Change: Strategies for Making Your Ideas Happen

By Linda Rising, Mary Lynn Manns,

Book cover of More Fearless Change: Strategies for Making Your Ideas Happen

What is my book about?

More Fearless Change is a book of patterns – strategies for changing organizations. These patterns or strategies can also be used in interpersonal communication (and for changing yourself).

Writing these patterns led me to see patterns everywhere. Now, I think in patterns. The name of a pattern is a substitute for the strategy and rationale behind the pattern; for example, my favorite pattern is called “Do Food.” People have been sharing food forever – it’s a way of establishing trust. Research shows that we are more open to listening to others when sharing food, and we feel better about communication.

I hope you will read the book and start using these patterns in your life.

Book cover of Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference
Book cover of The Net And The Butterfly
Book cover of A Geography Of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist

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