[2023] Best 20 Books I Read

[Approx. 3,900 characters, approx. 20 photos]
Out of the 131 books I read in 2023, I will introduce the 20 books that gave me the most satisfaction.

Conclusion: The top 20 were selected from a variety of genres. People who do not usually read often cite a lack of experience encountering good books as the reason. I hope that among the books I have introduced, there is one that catches your interest.

▶︎Books read in 2023

Books read in 2023 totaled 131 books, 37,615 pages, and 119,410 yen (based on list price). Since I read 149 books in 2022, this is a decrease of 18 books (12% decrease) from the previous year. This is mainly because it took a lot of time to read five Tolstoy works, including "War and Peace."

▶︎Top 20 books read in 2023

From the 131 books I read in 2023, I will introduce the 20 that were particularly good in under 150 characters each. People who do not usually read often have little experience encountering good books. Using the following as a reference might be a trigger to discover the joy of reading.

1st Place / "Uniqlo: Departure from Heresy" / Senken Shimbun

Many quotes from the management at the time are included. I was particularly surprised by Tadashi Yanai's unwavering philosophy. His recent financial results and his statements from 2000 are identical in content. It became clear that growing companies have a solid "philosophy" as their foundation.

2nd Place / "The Courage to Be Disliked" / Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

There were many parts that resonated with my own beliefs. It says that when you stop fearing others too much and move forward from who you are now (i.e., have the courage to be disliked), your view of the world changes and you can take a step forward. This is exactly the same message as in Evangelion. If you want to change the world, you must first change yourself.

3rd Place / "How to Win Friends and Influence People" / Dale Carnegie

This is truly a modern classic that contains all the know-how on human relationships. At its core is "honestly acknowledging that the other person is an important figure in their own world, and letting them realize that you know it." Carnegie's teachings can be applied to everything, including work, family, and parenting.

4th Place / "Juvenile Delinquents Who Cannot Cut Cakes" / Koji Miyaguchi

I realized once again that I had tended to view things based on myself. Criminals with short-sighted thinking are often not just "disobedient children" but individuals with "intellectual disabilities" or "borderline intelligence" who have "cognitive distortions." Early detection and support at school are important to prevent them from becoming victims or perpetrators.

5th Place / "Why Do Global Elites Train Their 'Aesthetic Sense'?" / Shu Yamaguchi

Management is an art ({an aesthetic sense for judging truth, goodness, and beauty) is important. The reason I like minimal art is that it is the pinnacle of "selection and abstraction." That way of thinking also applies to business. Also, I wanted to raise children who can answer questions that have no answers based on their own aesthetic sense.

6th Place / "Super <Customer Attraction> Revolution: How Popular Museums Know How to Attract Customers" / Yutaka Mino

I resonated with Yutaka Mino's idea that "{a museum is an exciting place where a new encounter is always waiting if you go there." Japanese people tend to look for "answers," but there are no answers in paintings. A museum is fine if your heart is moved; it is not a place to study with a serious face.

7th Place / "Japonisme of Beauty" / Hideki Mitsui

I understood well the differences in sensibility between Europe and Japan, and the {differences in the expression of art due to religious views." Europe is influenced by Christian thinking, so it is anthropocentric, geometric, and scientific. On the other hand, Japan is atypical, and the modeling of nature is the starting point. I was able to theoretically understand the surprise I felt when I saw Galle's works at the Kitazawa Museum of Art.

8th Place / "The White Tower (Vol. 5)" / Toyoko Yamasaki

The empty ending also made sense to me for some reason. Death is equal, and the feeling of a doctor who wants to save it is also universal. I read it because I wanted to know the outcome of Goro Zaizen's trial, but the ending was unexpected. I took my hat off to Toyoko Yamasaki for depicting a {deep story with the human touch of Densuke Omura, Yanagihara's sudden monologue, and the realistic verdict of the appellate court.

9th Place / "Writing Techniques for Science and Engineering" / Koreo Kinoshita

Since I write for work, this was very helpful. Among other things, "from overview to details (the importance of the introduction)" and "the attitude of stating things clearly" remained in my memory. {Easy-to-understand writing is a technique, not a sense. It is also useful when writing notes.

10th Place / "The Power to Refuse" / Kazuyo Katsuma

"{Since not everyone is an esper, you cannot understand each other unless you communicate with words," I also strongly agree with Ms. Katsuma's pet theory. To cultivate the "power to refuse," it is necessary to polish communication skills and maintain autonomy.

11th Place / "The Corporate Transformation: From 340 People to a Global 10,000-Person Company" / Tadashi Saegusa

"{A scene I've seen before was a good phrase. When you repeat failures, it becomes a "scene you've seen before." Then, just before a similar situation occurs next time, an alarm goes off in your head. Even if you fail, there is no time to be depressed.

12th Place / "The Courage to Be Happy" / Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

A useful book for parents. The role of a parent is to teach ignorant children and encourage their independence. To be happy, you need the "courage to be me". Dialogue with yourself, accept yourself, and understand yourself. I reaffirmed that this is the purpose of me writing notes.

13th Place / "LEAN IN" / Sheryl Sandberg

"LEAN IN" means to "speak up, listen, discuss, argue, teach, learn, and change". According to Ms. Sandberg, because women are passive about self-evaluation and promotions, it is important to first change yourself and have the will to win (I agree).

14th Place / "Absolute Pessimism" / Ken Kusunoki

It is characterized by its readability due to its witty writing style, such as "My conclusion is that 'things will only happen as they happen, but they will happen as they happen'." While having high goals, it is necessary to think essentially and work with all your might on what is in front of you. However, I understood that it is important not to expect immediate results.

15th Place / "The Store Exists for the Customer, Prospers with the Staff, and Perishes with the Owner" / Kiyonori Sasai

The essence of business is condensed into "The store exists for the customer..." rather than superficial know-how. I think business people can truly feel its importance. Being righteous and possessing truth, goodness, and beauty also overlapped with my own creed.

16th Place / "Introduction to Theater" / Oriza Hirata

By knowing the creator's intentions, I was able to view movies and the like from a new perspective. The purpose of this book is to understand "the mechanism of consciousness that makes us feel something is real, through the exploration of reality (the feeling of living in the same world right now) in theater." The skill of a play lies in how it realistically expresses its worldview.

17th Place / "Adultery" / Nobuko Nakano

A book that examines adultery through neuroscience. "The reason why there is no end to people who commit adultery is that... it is the result of the genes we inherited from our ancestors trying to reproduce ourselves as efficiently as possible." I was surprised that abortions account for about 20% of the annual number of births. Improving the environment where it is difficult to raise children born out of wedlock is effective for measures against the declining birthrate was a blind spot.

18th Place / "Theory of Seizing Power: How to Create a Strong Opposition Party" / Toru Hashimoto

Reforming the old-fashioned 'good old Japan' I had a positive impression because I desire this kind of politics. It was also educational to read opinions based on experience, such as the fact that politics, unlike business, requires strong interpersonal skills. I am looking for politicians like Mr. Hashimoto who have a sharp awareness of issues, disseminate necessary information, and take action.

19th Place / "The Secret to Uniqlo's Revenue and Profit Growth" / Junzo Yano

I think it is correct to consider that Uniqlo's strength lies in 'low-priced basic clothing with moderate fashionability for all generations and genders.' I also liked that the book correctly described the intention behind Mr. Yanai's often-quoted 'those who cannot swim should sink' (meaning that if you struggle through difficulties, you will eventually learn to swim).

20th Place / "Recommendation for Heresy: A Way of Life That Uses Your Strengths as a Weapon" / Toru Hashimoto

Because Mr. Hashimoto has a track record, his arguments are persuasive. His principles are: 'Make bold choices with a challenging spirit, do your absolute best without cutting corners at any given moment, act with an overwhelming volume of effort, and clarify your own selling points.' For a life you can be satisfied with, it is important to always give your best!

▶︎ Summary

How was it? The top 20 were selected from a variety of genres. I hope you found a book that piqued your interest among them!

In 2024, I won't set a specific goal for the number of books to read, but I look forward to encountering wonderful books and reading from a variety of genres.