“We should be choosing what to keep, not what to get rid of.” – Marie Kondo

Here’s the short list of books that I finished in 2017 that I though were so good that I read them a second time:

When Breath Becomes Air by Dr. Paul Kalanithi

The life wisdom shared by the brilliant writer and neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul Kalanithi, in the face of his own stage IV cancer diagnosis makes it a book that every human should read.

My favorite quote from the book, when Paul and his wife, Lucy, are considering whether to have a child in the face of his diagnosis is one of the few quotes that brings me to tears:

“Will having a newborn distract from the time we have together?” she asked. “Don’t you think saying goodbye to your child will make your death more painful?”

”Wouldn’t it be great if it did?” I said. Lucy and I both felt that life wasn’t about avoiding suffering.”

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss

Physicians generally don’t get enough training in the major meta-like skills, and while there are other great books on negotiation (Getting to Yes, Secrets of Power Negotiating) that are also worth reading, these often feel too theoretical to apply to daily life.

In the case of Never Split the Difference, author Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator that teaches tactics are refined enough for use in life and death situations (the situations he describes in the book are worth reading on their own), but work just as well for negotiating your cable bill.

What books have you read more than once? Let me know in the comments below or else let me know on Twitter @psufka.