SSA Book Club!
Seven+ Non-Legal Books to Change the Way You Think and Practice Law
Despite my love of learning and good writing, I was never much of a reader. I wasn’t the kid who brought a book everywhere or snuck a flashlight under the covers to read one more chapter (ask me how I know this is a thing and I’ll point you to my ten-year-old daughter 😂).
But in my adult life, I fell in love with the genre of productivity/self-help non-fiction. And I’m not afraid to say it. Sure, some of these books include pseudo-science and have been co-opted by online “bro” culture. But after reading many of them, I can say they’ve changed my life in small but impactful ways—and made me a better lawyer, litigator, law clerk, and now law professor.
The key is to remember that these books aren’t designed to give you all the answers or a perfect system to implement wholesale. You don’t need to take copious notes on every page (though, if you’re like me, you’ll want to). Instead, they expand your sense of the possible in your ongoing effort to become better: more efficient, more impactful, more satisfied—and dare I say, happier.
Yes, many of them are a single idea stretched across a few hundred pages. But I think that’s a feature, not a bug. The repetition, examples, and stories help you absorb the lesson slowly and thoughtfully.
I don’t think any of these books is a bible for summer associates or junior lawyers, but here are seven that have shaped how I work and live:
Deep Work. This book, by one of my favorite authors and podcasters Cal Newport (who’s also a computer science professor at Georgetown, though we’ve never met), emphasizes the importance of sustained, focused attention in a distracted world. Newport argues that short bursts of deep work are more valuable than long stretches of shallow work. He even calls law one of the professions least conducive to deep work—but I take that as a challenge, not a warning. I also adore his books So Good They Can’t Ignore You and A World Without E-mail.
Atomic Habits. This is a very popular book and for good reason. James Clear started out as a blogger and you can tell. His writing is quick, personal, and engaging. The main idea of this book is that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” These systems are a series of small but impactful habits that make you who you are (or who you want to become).
Four Thousand Weeks. In yesterday’s issue of SSA I mentioned Oliver Burkeman’s recent book Meditations for Mortals. Four Thousand Weeks is his prior book and it might be even better (it was definitely my most gifted book of 2024). Burkeman, the former productivity columnist for The Guardian, critiques hustle culture and instead urges a more intentional and forgiving life. As he puts it: “we’ve been granted the mental capacities to make almost infinitely ambitious plans, yet practically no time at all to put them into action.”
Feel-Good Productivity. This is one of the newest books on the list, but it’s already a standout. Written by Ali Abdaal—a doctor-turned-productivity-expert—it makes the case that joy, energy, and playfulness aren’t distractions from getting things done; they’re fuel. The book blends storytelling, psychology, and science to help readers unlock motivation by doing more of what feels good and works, rather than what looks good or checks a box. Especially helpful for anyone navigating burnout or the limits of “grind” culture.
The Long Game. This book encourages readers to zoom out—to see the long-term vision—but also to zoom in and take small, strategic steps to get there. It blends big-picture thinking with tactical advice and elevates some of my favorite concepts: calculated risk and patience as a tool for long-term fulfillment.
The Obstacle is the Way. Ryan Holiday is a prolific writer in this space and a voracious reader—his monthly book lists are excellent. This particular book reframed how I think about challenges, big and small. In his words: “We can’t change the obstacles themselves—that part of the equation is set—but the power of perspective can change how the obstacles appear. How we approach, view, and contextualize an obstacle, and what we tell ourselves it means, determines how daunting and trying it will be to overcome.”
Make Time. This book is a bit older and probably on fewer “best of” lists but what I like about it is how actionable it is and how much of it applies to the lawyer life.
To be fair, I could have shared a bunch of other recommendations. I’ve probably read David Allen’s classic Getting Things Done more than a dozen times (even though some of the advice feels a bit dated in the current moment). Everything by Brene Brown. Tim Ferris’s Four Hour Work Week inspired me to approach work and the “it’s always been done this way” more critically. Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto is one of the best pieces of writing in this genre both for its singular message and its crisp writing. Anything by Adam Grant. The E-Myth Revisited is an entrepreneurship book that every lawyer should read.
But again, this isn’t meant to be a “must-read” list that stresses you out or a complete list of great books in this genre. It’s simply an invitation and a suggestion. If you don’t read (I get it, we do a lot of reading as lawyers) or only ever read legal texts (with maybe some fiction for balance), you’re missing an opportunity to use reading as a way to think more broadly about how you want to live your life—professionally and personally.
If you have other suggestions or want to discuss any of these texts more let me know!
Keep standing out,
Jonah
