Tanmay Jain

Background

About Tanmay Jain

Books have had the single biggest impact on my life. I wasn’t always a reader. Sure, I read books for school and JEE, eventually getting into IIT. But I never read books outside my syllabus. Then COVID-19 hit, and with a lot of time on my hands, I started watching YouTube. That’s where I discovered the world of self-development through creators like Ali Abdaal, Thomas Frank, and Matt D'Avella. Through them, I realized the importance of reading books. So, I picked a book. And FAILED miserably. I couldn’t get through it. I realized I needed to learn how to read, and that’s when I found How to Read Better and Faster by Norman Lewis. It changed the game for me. It drastically increased my speed and retention, so much so that I could finish a short book in one or two sittings. That’s when I stumbled upon my life-changing book: Atomic Habits by James Clear. Over the next two years, that book helped me read more books, which eventually helped me: lose 9 kg and get in the best shape of my life learn skateboarding and conduct workshops score well by studying less at IIT learn to play ukulele build a small startup build healthy habits get a job find love Yes, all of this was a result of reading. People around me noticed these changes and often asked,"How did you do it?" Whenever I said “books,” the next question was,"Tell me some books that I should read?" I’d ask them about their challenges and recommend books accordingly. When enough people asked, I realized something: People want to read, but they don’t know where to start. I thought to myself, why not recommend books at scale? So, starting January 1, 2025, I’ll write posts, each featuring one nonfiction book recommendation. These will be books I’ve read or ones on my To Be Read (TBR) list. If you’re new to reading and a book seems to solve your problem, pick it up! If you’re a seasoned reader, find your next read here. If a book seems useful for someone you know, tag them in the comments or share the post. If even one person can turn their life around through reading, it’ll all be worth it.