The Best Books I Read in 2025
2025 was a year of indie reading for me. Instead of chasing the biggest releases or the buzziest titles, I found myself pulled towards the self-published stories and the small-press experiments. And honestly, it was the most energising reading year I’ve had in a long time. I set a reading goal (a mere 50)... and I made my highest ever score of reading almost 100 books.
Most of what I devoured was fiction (just like the previous year. However, I also dipped into a few non-fiction. And those books surprised me just as much. More candid, more practical, and much more original than the polished stuff from the big houses.
Check all my book recommendations here
This article lists the 6 non-fiction books I found worth recommending this year. These books would be helpful to writers and marketers, and others in the business/corporate world.
Table of Contents
The Creative Thinking Book
The Creative Thinking Book by Neil Francis is a motivational guide about how to ignite and boost your creativity. Neil explores how creativity begins with fresh perspectives and evolves when ideas are put into action. With his storytelling flair, he shows how creativity and inventiveness go hand in hand, offering a roadmap to apply these skills in everyday life.
This short, 100+ page book blends anecdotes and research to help you reignite your imagination when you’re feeling creatively stuck. It emphasises that anyone can be creative – all it takes is the willingness to imagine and act.
The Creative Thinking Book is a valuable companion for anyone looking to cultivate creativity. An excellent read for professionals, students and dreamers alike.
Buy The Creative Thinking Book from Amazon
Don’t Go Away, We’ll Be Right Back
Don’t Go Away, We’ll Be Right Back by Indu Balachandran is a witty and sarcastic take on the advertising industry. It’s about its unglamorous side – the everyday “oops and downs” behind the glossy campaigns. Indu Balachandran captures the quirks, cliches and chaos of agency life with sharp humour and playful anecdotes.
From dreaded typos to bizarre pitches and routine oddities, it offers a chuckle-worthy glimpse into the world of advertising. It’s not laugh-out-loud comedy, but its clever one-liners and satirical observations make it an entertaining read.
This light-hearted book is perfect for anyone curious about the behind-the-scenes of commercials, or for industry insiders looking for familiar madness. Best enjoyed in short bursts, during breaks or lazy afternoons.
Buy Don’t Go Away, We’ll Be Right Back from Amazon
Breaking Ego's Grip
Breaking Ego’s Grip by Srivishnu Dhanwada is a guide to understanding and loosening the hold of ego on our lives. The book focuses on shifting perspectives, by suggesting to step beyond ego’s influence, instead of battling it. It offers a path to peace, by exploring how the fear of judgment and constant need for validation keep peace and freedom away from us.
The book has practical tools and exercises to quiet self-doubt and encourage gratitude. Through various thought experiments, reflective stories and relatable analogies, it simplifies profound ideas. From philosophy and spirituality, it makes everything accessible for everyday life.
Breaking Ego’s Grip is ideal for anyone seeking a more grounded relationship with themselves and others. It presents timeless insights in a relatable way.
Buy Breaking Ego’s Grip from Amazon
The Conscious Machine
The Conscious Machine by Ram Srinivasan is an exploration of what it means to be human in the Age of AI. Drawing on over 500 research papers, case studies, and even conversations with AI models, Ram Srinivasan examines how technologies, such as super-intelligence, neural interfaces, and others are blurring the boundaries between the artificial and the real.
What makes this book unique is its fusion of modern science with ancient wisdom, such as Advaita Vedanta. It also uses references to popular films like The Matrix, Her, and Ex Machina to make complex ideas simple and relatable.
The Conscious Machine is an analytical text, built around the thought whether machines can ever be conscious. It’s a compelling read for thinkers, leaders and anyone curious about the intersection of AI, philosophy and human purpose.
Buy The Conscious Machine from Amazon
Stop Trying!
Stop Trying! by Carla Ondrasik is a bold self-help guide that challenges one of our most common habits... saying “I’m trying.” Drawing on positive psychology, science and real-life stories, the book reveals how the illusion of “trying” fuels anxiety, fatigue and dissatisfaction. Carla argues that trying often becomes a mental trap. It keeps us stuck in procrastination, fear and overthinking.
Energetic and straightforward, Stop Trying! aims to push readers out of their comfort zones. It has practical exercises and interactive activities to help readers eliminate “try” from their vocabulary. While the book does have some repetitions, the approach makes it easy to apply in daily life.
It can be a great read for anyone who struggles with following through to goals. A suitable read, also, for those who often find themselves stuck in planning (or trying) mode.
The Career Escape Plan
The Career Escape Plan by Rajesh Minocha is a concise and practical guide for anyone who feels stuck in an unfulfilling job. As a Certified Financial Planner, Rajesh offers a clear framework to help professionals redefine success on their own terms. The book also emphasises mindset, courage and lifestyle choices that support long-term wellbeing.
Through real-life case studies, reflection prompts, and actionable strategies, the book shows how to build a financial cushion. A cushion that enables career pivots, align work with personal values, and transition into more meaningful roles.
This short primer doesn’t promise overnight transformation, but it does provide a roadmap for a fulfilling life. Best suited for mid-career professionals caught between stability and passion.
Buy The Career Escape Plan from Amazon
Those were all my book recommendations from 2025.
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