As we enter 2023, many of us look back on the previous year; on what we achieved, experienced and have left to conquer for the new year.

Our smartphones will have this point emphasised by “Year in Review” mode, which compiles a sampling of some of your best photos and videos to rewatch and re-experience. For me, one of my ways of measuring the year is by picking my favourite books.

Being both a lover of physical and audiobooks (I haven’t got onto the Kindle yet!), I was able to devour over 100 this year. Little hacks will help you soar past this number yourselves, which will have to wait for another article, but one does have to eschew work, podcasts, Spotify and YouTube during one’s daily commute, and I’m sure 2023’s numbers will be much less with our first baby on the way. From 19th-century mathematical tomes to flaws in the British justice system to life as a neurosurgeon, you won’t find on any top 10 list online or bookstore guide, and some are quite esoteric.

The most likely reason is that many have been recommended to me by my legal colleagues and clients. It’s an eclectic mix, especially those from my friends at the bar. One of my favourite questions in conversation and indeed when I connect over LinkedIn is, “What are you reading right now?”. I encourage you to start asking the same; the answer will take your relationships to a new stimulating level.

So, without further ado, in no particular order, here’s my shortlist:

The Secret Barrister by The Secret Barrister

A raw, real, darkly comic and moving firsthand account of life in the British legal system and how it’s failing the people it serves. Written by the aptly anonymous “Secret Barrister”. From the opening pages right to the closing chapters, the author puts us right there in the courtroom at the point of drama by thinking about ourselves or someone we love having to be a juror, victim, witness or through no fault of one’s own — a defendant. Our author poses this question, “Whatever your role — you’d expect a fair trial?” He/She answers this question through the stories and personal anecdotes of how the system is broken, who broke it and why we should care.

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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

At the age of 36, just before graduating from a decade of study, Paul Kalanithi’s world was ripped apart when diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. When Breath Becomes Air is a painful, solitary, yet deeply engaging biography of transformation from a medical student searching for meaning to a neurosurgeon with a call to protect life. In Kalanithi’s own words, not merely life, but the core of another’s identity — the brain; perhaps even one’s very soul. It’s not a memoir on death, but more a guide on how to live. A poignant reminder of our own mortality. Memento mori.

48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

More engrossing on one’s third read-through. The principles and precepts in Greene’s book, based on historical examples, are still pertinent today as they ever were. Case in point, the title of a recent AFR article, “Power”. Power is an excellent servant, but a terrible master. It has been the sole cause behind many of the most prolific rises and falls in our history. The 48 laws in this book will either elevate you to be a better person or descend one to a master in the art of manipulation — choose wisely.

The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku

“Life can be beautiful if you make it. It is up to you.” During the unimaginable horrors of the holocaust, Eddie Jaku faced this bleak reality every day, first in Buchenwald then in Auschwitz, then on a Nazi Death March. He lost his family, friends, country and identity. Shortly after his 100th birthday, Jaku published his memoir, The Happiest Man on Earth, wanting to share all he has learned about kindness, friendship, and something that no one could take from him, hope. Despite all Jaku went through, he approaches life with a smile, laugh and that trademark enthusiasm, which was always indicative of the way he closed any public address: “May you always have love to share, health to spare and friends that care — from your friend Eddie”. He, unfortunately, passed away after his 101st birthday, and they have released a beautiful collector’s edition, which includes photos and previously unpublished material on this wonderful man.

Flatland by Edwin Abbott

For more than 100 years, Abbott’s mathematical adventure has charmed, fascinated and perplexed many readers. Being a Physics major, I resonated with the author’s worldview from page one as it’s set in a world on one plane, in only two dimensions, the Flatland, as it’s known to be, and he takes readers on a journey not dissimilar to that of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. Our main protagonist is a Square (yes, an actual square), who lives in this flat world where all inhabitants are geometric shapes bound by class and hierarchy, and the measure of a person is by their length and width. Square’s world is opened when a Circular stranger whisks him off the Land of the 3rd Dimension, and even more remarkable is trying to explain it to those still living in 2D. While lawyers don’t like Maths at the best of times, this is one of the rare novels Math and Philosophy that will find universal appeal. It’s also simultaneously brilliant as Flatland is a parody of Victorian society through the lens of relativity and concepts of dimension and space.

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Not only a favourite by me, but my whole team of 16. A former FBI hostage negotiator offers a field-tested and new approach to negotiating both in business and in life. Much of Voss’ approach is rooted in NLP — neuro-linguistic programming — which to the uninitiated seems like a manipulative gimmick; however, what makes his methods come alive is the stories he tells from his face-to-face dealings with gang leaders, terrorists, and bank robbers. He reveals his nine key principles that helped him succeed when it mattered most, especially when people’s lives were at stake. One gem I can impart now is employing the phrase, “would you be against?” in your daily arsenal, as eliciting a positive “no” is far better than getting to “yes”. A paradox, but certainly powerful in the arsenal of the initiated.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

My dear friend and business partner Aylin Unsal got me onto this gem. In a similar vein as Pablo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Hesse’s novel of self-discovery is a moving spiritual journey that I resonated with on my own path of future parenthood as I move from the stage of ambition to meaning. The book is set during the time of the Buddha and follows the story of a man named Siddhartha and mirrors much of the traditional stages of life for Hindus (student, householder, and recluse) as well as Buddhism’s eightfold path and four noble truths. On his journey, Siddhartha breaks away from his religious duties to live what today would be viewed as the goal; to be wealthy, career-driven and enjoy all that life has to offer (its vices included). He eventually realises, like we all must, that such a mindset is flawed from the start and shifts to a life where meaning and legacy matter most. Jungian archetypes and Western individualism abound in this tale, and it is one of Hesse’s best-known works.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Alright, alright, alright; one of the best reads of 2022 from the Academy Award-winning actor, which is an unconventional memoir filled with non-PC wisdom, stories and lessons he’s learned about living life to the full. Having kept journals since high school, what endeared me to Greenlights was that McConaughey also has kept diaries too since he was 15, and this book is a collection of his best wisdom he’s taken from 50 years on this Earth. I listened to both the audiobook and read the printed word, and I can tell you that the former is much better, especially in the syrupy southern drawl that this man is known for. Some of the funniest stories take place on exchange Down Under, where McConaughey worked at ANZ bank, of all places, with a mad family called the Dooleys. The premise of the book is more of a love letter to life, and a guide to catching more greenlights and realising that the yellows, even the reds turn green eventually.

Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee

I read this book in Byron Bay at the start of 2022, and its message resonated with me all year. Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless like water. Bruce Lee’s daughter illuminates her father’s most powerful life philosophies — demonstrating how his Jeet Kune Do martial arts were a perfect metaphor for self-development and how we can put them into practice every day. I was blessed when I bought the book as it came with the notepad and pencil that Bruce Lee used prolifically every day of his life. Always curious, always ready to learn.

Babies don’t make small talk (so why should I?) An introvert’s guide to surviving parenthood by Julie Vick

It may surprise many that I feel I am an introvert living life in an extroverted way. I love my own space and don’t need to constantly be stimulated by events, outings and parties. My wife is a born introvert, and the aforementioned is the rule, not the exception. Therein lies the rub of parenthood as while a baby can be a good excuse to skip a party, it’s goodbye alone time, hello new social obligations. Written with the mother in mind (fathers can get a lot out of this book, too), there’s laugh-out-loud humour and well-earned experience from Vick who offers coping mechanisms for everything from sharing the news to the day the baby’s born, from playdates to managing doctor’s visits. Valuable and witty, the author’s tips and checklists focus on the time from pregnancy through to primary school. Enjoy.

Cullen Haynes is the director of sales at Legal Home Loans.