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10 Books That Will Make You Unrecognizable in 3 Months
Matt Karamazov
September 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 36 minutes
We’re conditioned to think that personal change takes a very long time, but that’s not exactly true.
You can, in fact, make extraordinary progress in less than three months. You really can completely reinvent yourself, and set yourself up for every kind of success that you’re looking for. It doesn’t have to take ten years.
But if you want a bigger life, you have to ask bigger questions.
Doing the same thing for the next three months that you did during the last three months isn’t going to cut it, either. Changing your life - fast - entails a completely different way of thinking, questioning, and moving.
That’s what these 10 books will help you see and get comfortable with.
There are also a lot of books I didn’t include, because I feel like I recommend them too often. I’ll share them quickly here though: The Millionaire Fastlane, The Quantum Leap Strategy, and The Revolution from Within.
All those books and more have helped me immensely.
What I’d caution against, though, is trying to change too many things at once.
After all, scientists (and marketers too, for that matter) never change a bunch of different variables at the same time, because that would corrupt the results of their experiments. They wouldn’t know which change led to which effect, and their attention would be scattered across too many different domains.
In the laboratory of your own life, the same thing applies.
The greatest progress I’ve ever experienced (personally, professionally, with anything) has always come during a time of intense focus on one, or very few things.
Like I always say, the warmth of the sun scattered across the entire earth feels nice, but the sun’s rays concentrated through a magnifying glass can ignite a raging inferno.
But hey, speaking of heat…before our coffees get hold, let’s hit the books!
Tonight, Inside The Reading Life, We’ve Got:
“You often say; I would give, but only to the deserving, The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and nights is worthy of all else from you. And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life-while you, who deem yourself a giver, is but a witness.”
“Maximizing LTV is often the single best lever to grow! Think critically on this, and your entire business (and profits) will change. The four key drivers are: price, products, retention, and model.”
Inside my private business mastermind, Creator Launch Academy, we’re tackling one nonfiction book per month and implementing its lessons inside our businesses.
This month’s book is From 6 to 7 Figures, by Austin Netzley, a great business book about why the things that brought you to six figures in revenue won’t take you to seven figures and what to do about it. Click here to claim your free trial, and join our business book club for educational content creators!
After achieving my (somewhat meaningless) goal of reading 1,000 books before I turned 30, I set a new (also meaningless but cool) goal of reading 10,000 books. As of today, I’ve read exactly 1,416 books, including 64 books so far this year, and if you’re interested, here’s my full Reading List.
“Going 10x means you’re living based on the most intrinsic and exciting future you can imagine. That 10x future becomes your filter for everything you do, and most of your current life can’t make it through that 10x filter.”
Total transformations are never linear, and they are rarely obvious. It requires something completely different than what came before, a radical change in behavior and thinking, and if you're not consciously aiming for these types of 10X transformations, you'll never experience them.
The best books, however, can be catalysts for these types of shifts, and that was exactly my experience with Dr. Benjamin Hardy's book. It represented not an addition to my life and my business results, but a multiplication of my efforts and rewards.
My life and my business have never been the same.
10X Is Easier Than 2X is not a difficult book to read or understand, and once you see what Hardy's writing about, you can't unsee it. The goal of the book is to inspire entrepreneurial leaders to aim for "breakthrough" goals, not merely "incremental" goals (2X) - which will never lead to radical transformation.
One of the major themes of the book is that, in aiming for these kinds of 10X transformations, you'll have to let go of about 80 percent of what you're doing now.
What got you here won't get you there, and as you keep ascending higher and higher in developing your own “Unique Ability,” you'll have to keep zoning in on the 20% that will get you to that next level.
In fact, as you progress, the people on your team will be able to take on your former 80%, especially if it represents their 20%. Then, they'll develop their own Unique Abilities, and they'll be able to offload their 80% in a virtuous cycle of continuous, never-ending improvement.
If all this sounds a little bit abstract, the author does get into specifics. These are just the broad strokes. But this kind of big-picture thinking is likely to start a spin-cycle inside your brain as you start to get a handle on all the possibilities this idea opens up for you to expand your four most important freedoms: Time Freedom, Financial Freedom, Relationship Freedom, and Purpose Freedom.
It's those four fundamental freedoms that you'll need to keep expanding if you want to keep making progress. The projects and purposes you devote yourself to, the people you choose to surround yourself with while you do, the money it'll take to make them real, and the time it'll take to bring it all together.
This all must seem like a lot more work, but it's actually less. It's easier than going 2X, and that's because we're talking about a total reimagining of business as usual, not something that's "a little bit better" than what came before.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: It’s geared toward business owners and professionals, but virtually anyone can benefit from asking bigger, more inspiring questions. This book can help you see further than you could on your own.
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
Once you understand how the Compound Effect works, your life will never be the same. But you have to do more than just understand it. You also have to let it work long enough for it to actually work its magic. And yes, it really is one of the closest things to magic that exists in this world.
The basic premise of the book is that small, seemingly insignificant actions, taken consistently over time, lead to stunningly massive results.
One of the most powerful illustrations of the Compound Effect in action would be Warren Buffett’s wealth. Yes, he’s been a millionaire since he was in his thirties, but 99% of his wealth came after his 65th birthday. And he’s been investing since he was a child!
Even things like reading 10 pages a day from a nonfiction book, hitting the gym three times a week, or making a habit of tackling difficult conversations head-on; they don’t seem all-important in the moment.
But stack them together, over a long-enough time horizon, and you’re more knowledgeable than 99% of people in your field, healthier and fitter than 99% of the people your age, and with the emotional intelligence of the 1%.
That’s the power of the Compound Effect.
Hardy’s book will illustrate in persuasive, visual terms what it looks like in the real world, how to build and maintain momentum, and how to harness the same force that Warren Buffett himself called “the 8th wonder of the world” to help you make exponential progress in the areas of life you care about most.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Compounding is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and this book is an excellent introduction to its workings. In very simple terms, the author shows you how it operates, what kind of results you can expect, and how to get on the right side of it.
“When you learn to let go of the details you can’t control, the amount of time and energy you’ll be able to devote to the things you can control will give you the ability to accomplish incredible feats.”
Adopting excellent behaviors is clearly helpful in reaching our goals, but sometimes it’s what we don’t do that makes all the difference.
I’m not going to hype up this book too much, because I don’t think it’s necessarily all that revolutionary or groundbreaking, but if you’re able to stop all or most of these behaviors and eliminate them completely from your life, you’ll become unrecognizable very quickly.
Amy Morin is a psychotherapist who’s overcome more than her share of adversity, and after her original internet post took off and garnered millions and millions of views, she eventually expanded on the thirteen things here in this book.
No one would blame you for just reading the blog post instead (or my notes), but I’ve found it helpful to sit with these ideas and let them slowly transform your thinking over time.
One other thing I’d say is that mental muscles get stronger with use, just like physical ones. Every time you save energy by not trying to change things you can’t control (#4), take a calculated risk (#6), or get back up and try again after experiencing failure (#10), you get stronger. You solidify your identity as someone who is mentally strong.
The initial gains in mental fortitude may be too weak to notice at first, but given time and consistent practice, you’ll become too strong to ignore.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Amy writes in a clear, but emotionally compelling style that resonated with over ten million readers of her original internet post. You might connect with it as well!
“There should be no shame in admitting to a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were."
The main thrust of Essentialism (both the book and the idea itself) is that almost everything is completely worthless.
Discerning the "vital few" from the "trivial many" is going to be one of the most in-demand skills in the economy of the future, and those who can do this well are going to reap the majority of the rewards and experience the highest possible meaning in their lives, while the rest of us are drowning in distraction.
One of the most famous Essentialists in history, Michelangelo, once said that he "saw the angel in the marble and carved until he set him free." In a similar way, we are the sculptors of our own lives, the creators of our own meaning.
The perfect form of our lives is hidden inside the marble of all the distractions, detours, and trivialities of the modern world, and we have to be artists; we have to be disciplined in carving away everything that's stealing our time, focus, and attention away from what we want our one and only lives to be about.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Again, this is a very simple book to read, and exactly like its subject matter, it just gives you the essentials. It’ll prompt you to ask the right (or at least better) questions, and it’ll guide you toward uncovering the few things that will help you transform your life the fastest.
“If you can't win, change the rules. If you can't change the rules, ignore them.”
This is a book about cultural gravity and how to escape it to design a life you actually love living.
I define “cultural gravity” as the product of societal expectations, the limiting beliefs (unconsciously accepted) by those around you, and the unquestioned psychological boundaries preventing you from achieving success. Everyone has their own idea of how you should live, and it can be hard to figure out how you think you should live.
Vishen Lakhiani is a personal growth entrepreneur who’s built a deep network, hosting hundreds of hours of conversations with people such as Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Elon Musk, Arianna Huffington, Ken Wilber…the list goes on and on.
Over the course of these conversations he’s developed a dual approach to self-improvement, where he focuses on improving habits and improving beliefs.
Many of those beliefs will have been unconsciously passed on from others - which isn’t always a bad thing. There are plenty of unconscious beliefs we all share that make our lives so much better and more peaceful.
But most people never question those beliefs, or attempt to find out whose life they’re really living - their own or someone else’s. That’s what this book will help you do.
Lakhiani likens the mind to a computer (unsurprisingly, given his background), and suggests that we have to upgrade our minds occasionally and clear out those old programs that may be holding us in place.
I have to be honest here and say that I never really got on board with some of his made-up terminology (like “Brules,” which stands for “Bullshit Rules); sorry, I’m just never using the world “Brules,” and I haven’t thought of that word since writing this summary.
But I love his emphasis on the fact that we can still be ambitious and hopeful for the future, while experiencing contentment now. I call it being happy, but not satisfied. Getting to that state is worth it, and it’s possible, but it may require you to upgrade your mind.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: The excitement that Lakhiani has for personal growth is evident all throughout this book, and you almost can’t help but get swept up in it. He’s also spent his entire lifetime learning this stuff and putting it all together here in this book that you can read in a few hours, which to me is a pretty good deal.
“Energy, not time, is the fundamental component of high performance.”
This is a classic book on energy management and personal renewal, and it’s been a favorite of top CEOs and professional athletes for decades.
By “full engagement” the author means full aliveness - involvement with life, and a certain joy in living. Today, that state of presence and vitality is probably in greater danger than when this book was written, which makes it all the more useful and necessary.
In the book, Loehr explains how to mobilize four key sources of energy and balance the stress and recovery required for sustained high performance.
Basically, we need stress in order to grow and progress. But too much, for too long, and without proper recovery is deadly. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Managing all four sources isn’t complicated, and neither is The Power of Full Engagement. It’s meant to be read by ambitious overachievers and stressed-out office workers whose work is literally killing them.
But when time management is no longer enough, you have to turn to energy management to restore what you’ve lost.
This book is a practical, science-based manual for doing exactly that.
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Why You Might Like It: This is still one of the best books on energy-management and stress-reduction for professionals, and it helped me tremendously when I first read it years ago. Do what it says, follow the steps, and you’ll likely feel a lot better.
“What we’ve done or failed to do doesn’t forever determine who we are or will be. In fact, I believe that we have no idea what we can really do. We may never find out, either – there may always be another level – but striving to reach the top is the most rewarding adventure life has to offer.”
I haven't been this impressed with a fitness book in a long time, and as someone who knows a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to fitness, it is my pleasure to introduce you to this one. I really think that reading it could be the start (or continuation) of something great for you.
This is a thinking man's (and woman's) fitness book, and somehow...somehow...Mike Matthews finds a way to bring Epictetus, Solzhenitsyn, Teddy Roosevelt, Socrates, and more into a book about health and fitness and still make it accessible, easy to get into, valuable, and fun.
And fitness should be fun. It should make your life better, and not be seen as a chore, a fearful obligation, or something that's beyond your reach.
Mike and I also share the conviction that training isn't just about training. People think, "Oh, yea that's just the gym." But the gym is...Life!
And once you learn that you control what happens to your muscles inside the gym, you find out that there's a lot more that you can control outside the gym too.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: If you’re brand new to fitness, working out, etc., this is one of the best books you can read. It’s inspiring, motivating, compassionate and wise. And even if you’re a gym veteran, you’ll find lots in here that will help you get to that next level. I highly recommend this one!
“Here’s the key: I’m not going to tell you how to change. People don’t change. I want you to trust who you already are, and get to that Zone where you can shut out all the noise, all the negativity and fear and distractions and lies, and achieve whatever you want, in whatever you do.”
I don’t think I knew that Tim Grover was Michael Jordan’s personal trainer when I first picked up this book. Or that he had worked with a multitude of basketball greats as well, including Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, to name just two. I wasn’t even particularly interested in basketball (I’m still not) - I just liked the title and the book cover and decided to dive in. And? Unbelievable. What. A. Book!
It’s not for everybody, of course, as Grover’s style is quite intense and unforgiving. Simply put, not everybody wants to be as great as his methods will allow you to become. Most people just aren’t willing to endure the kinds of sacrifices that being Relentless requires, and that’s totally cool! Not everybody can (or wants to) become a champion.
However…That being said, if you do aim to achieve greatness in whatever it is you choose to do in your life, this is the absolutely indispensable guide that you need to read.
For decades, Tim Grover has “taken the greats - and made them greater.” None of it happened by accident. There are requirements - sacrifices to be made. Things will be asked of you. If you’re not a champion now, you will, by definition, need to change to become one, and change is never comfortable.
But if you are willing to change - if you’re teachable, and you have the requisite desire - then becoming Relentless is possible. It’s within human reach.
Kobe wasn’t born Kobe, and Michael wasn’t born Michael. They created themselves, and it was Tim Grover that made them do it. His best, most transformative methods and insights are contained within this book.
Read it if you have a genuine desire to become Relentless. If not, don’t even bother.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Grover can get more than a little…intense, but for some people, that’s exactly what they need. If you want someone who’s not going to take it easy on you, and who knows that you’re capable of more, read Relentless.
“An intention is a goal with all doubt about its attainment removed.”
I heard someone say that this book was like The Secret, except for business, and you know what? That’s probably not too far off! I don’t have a terribly high opinion of books like The Secret (I find the authors of such books to be peddlers of easy answers and sellers of impossible dreams), but Three Simple Steps is not that. It’s sooo much more.
I even remember where I was when I read it (it’s one of “those” books), and I remember looking up from its pages thinking that my entire world had changed. Of course it hadn’t, but I had most certainly changed. I began to see possibility and potential where before there were only roadblocks and dead ends. I started to believe in myself more, and I started to take my own dreams and ambitions more seriously.
It also helps that the author was legitimately successful before he wrote the book (having sold his business for $100M), and he didn’t need my $10 or anything like that. I felt that the book came from a place of service, from someone who had tapped the full potential of his mind to get everything he ever wanted, and now I’m passing it along to you.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Seeing as this book is more “metaphysical” than some people are comfortable with, you may not like it. But it had a powerful, positive effect on me when I first read it, and it might just have the same effect on you.
“Among the most important personal choices you can make is to accept complete responsibility for everything you are and everything you will ever be. This is the great turning point in life. The acceptance of personal responsibility is what separates the superior person from the average person.”
The best, fastest, most transformational results I’ve experienced in my life have come during a period of sustained, high-intensity effort toward achieving one definite chief aim.
It was through having a focal point, some clearly defined goal that I directed all my energies toward that led to my success.
The clearest, most vivid illustration of this principle I’ve ever heard involves the sun.
On a bright, clean day, the sun shines overhead, warming the entire earth. But instead, when the sun’s rays are focused through a magnifying glass, they are literally incendiary. They can start a raging forest fire. They achieve rapid results. Having a focal point works the exact same way. It’s concentrated energy, and it’s supremely powerful.
The problem is that it’s not always obvious what our focal point should be. And often, when we do set what I like to call a definite chief aim, we get distracted by something else, splitting our focus between 3-5 different projects. Then we wonder why we don’t get anywhere!
Here in this book, Brian Tracy (one of my absolute favorite personal development authors) helps you identify what precisely you should do, at any given moment, to achieve the results that you’re looking for. And without wasting any time, either.
Expect fast, rapid gains in focus, productivity, and motivation after reading this book, and expect to make more progress in three months than the vast majority of people make in three years.
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Why You Might Like It: Brian Tracy’s books always come with detailed, step-by-step plans and strategies, and for more logical, analytical minds, this book is perfect for helping you lay out precise pathways to success in seven different major areas of your life.
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OK, that’s it for now…
I’ve got plenty more excellent book recommendations coming your way soon though!
There’s also my YouTube channel, where I publish book reviews, reading updates, and more each week.
And if you want to learn how I’ve built an audience of 160,000+ followers across social media, became a full-time creator, and how I’m rapidly growing my audience and scaling my profits in 2025, join us inside Creator Launch Academy and that’s exactly what I’ll teach you — we’d love to have you in the community!
With that said, I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Reading Life, and enjoy the rest of your day!
Until next time…happy reading!
All the best,
Matt Karamazov
P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are two more ways I can help you:
Educational Content Creators: Book a 1:1 call and I’ll help you hit $5K/month with a plan tailored to your business.
Join Creator Launch Academy, my private business mastermind for educational content creators building real revenue and real freedom.
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