2025: A Year In Books

Here we are again ... and the end of another year and a reflection on the books I've read.

Last year, for the first time, I reviewed all the books I'd read in a year, that year. Now I'm at it again ... but this time it looks a little different. It was a big year for me. I had a baby (yes, that's him sleeping while we travel to Bali for a quick getaway), expanded my private practice, took on another leadership position at a national org and had much less time to sit down and write. But I did read. In fact, one thing I feared before bubs came on board (and, yes, it was a genuine fear!) was that I'd read less. The opposite was true. I read more books this year than in each year of the past decade.

Twenty-twenty-five's summary looks different to last year's. On account of having a baby, I woke up earlier and developed a good reading schedule. As I read (while I listened to the same audiobook), I took notes. Then, after each chapter I uploaded the quotes that stood out to me alongside some commentary. Once finished, I have a separate PDF document with notes and quotes and commentary. (You can find these attached beneath the books listed below ... for the ones I did it for, anyway—I started later in the year...)

This year, I read upwards of 14,000 pages over 65 books. Here they are in case you're interested in seeing what shaped my thinking (and clinical practice) in 2025.

Non-Fiction...

Psychology
The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro
The Dopamine Brain by Anastasia Hronis
The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life by Edith Eger
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Yes To Life: In Spite of Everything by Viktor Frankl
Good Inside: A Guide To Becoming The Parent You Want To Be by Becky Kennedy
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
The Success Code: The High-Performance Playbook for Eliminating Mental Barriers and Scaling Your Career, Relationships and Health by Brandon Epstein
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

Neuroscience
Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
The Vagus Nerve Reset: Train Your Body to Heal Stress, Trauma, And Anxiety by Anna Ferguson
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

Memoir & Biography
A Burning In My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson by Winn Collier
Ned Kelly by Peter Fitzsimons
And We Go On by Will R Bird
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Edith Eger
Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself by Tim Kennedy
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

History
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle of Fallujah by Bing West
Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind by Tom Holland
Batavia by Peter Fitzsimons
The Battle of Long Tan by Peter Fitzsimons

Philosophy
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management by Seneca

Theology/Apologetics
Seeing The Supernatural: Investigating Angels, Demons, Mystical Dreams, Near-Death Encounters, and Other Mysteries of the Unseen World by Lee Strobel
Scientific Evidence for a Creator by Stephen Meyer
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi
We Who Wrestle With God: Perceptions of the Divine by Jordan Peterson

Biblical
James (in The Orthodox Study Bible)
Judah (in Tom Wright's Early Christian Letters for Everyone)
1 Peter (in Tom Wright's Early Christian Letters for Everyone)
Proverbs (in Eugene H. Peterson's The Message Remix)
Proverbs (in Robert Alter's The Wisdom Books: Translation with Commentary)

Culture
The 50th Law by Robert Greene & 50 Cent
Islamophilia: A Very Metropolitan Malady by Douglas Murray
On Democracies And Death Cults: Israel And The Future Of Civilization by Douglas Murray
Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey

Fiction...

Theological
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Screwtape Proposes A Toast by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse And His Boy by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Joseph and his Brothers: Young Joseph by Thomas Mann

Historical
I Survived: The Japanese Tsunami, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis
I Survived: The September 11 Attacks 2001 by Lauren Tarshis
I Survived: The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 by Lauren Tarshis
I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis

Graphic Novels
Strange, Dark & Mysterious by MrBallen (Jonathan Bartlett Allen)
Where Nightmares Live by MrBallen (Jonathan Bartlett Allen)
The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab with the Golden Claws by Georges Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin: Land of Black Gold by Georges Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin: Destination Moon by Georges Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin: Explorers on the Moon by Georges Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin and the Lake of Sharks by Raymond LeBlanc
The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in the Congo by Georges Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin the Land of the Soviets by Georges Hergé
The Road by Manu Larcent

Thriller/Suspense
You Like It Darker? by Stephen King
The Terminal List by Jack Carr
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
True Believer by Jack Carr
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Savage Son by Jack Carr
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
The Devil's Hand by Jack Carr
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
In The Blood by Jack Carr
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

General
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

A note on my learning process...

I consider consider myself an autodidact.

Yes, I'm qualified in my vocation ... but I've always hated the process of being forced to learn (and write about) something I wasn't into. Learning at my own pace keeps me honest, and updated.

I'm not 'formally' trained in everything I practice in psychotherapy. Some might find this odd, but if you think it through it's not that uncommon. How many people learn new things, apply them in their lives (and vocation), and find significant benefit from these—without a certification saying you've been trained in that thing you've just learned?

In many ways, after I received my training, I became self-taught, integrating techniques and modalities into my clinical practice while engaging in countless hours of research on these techniques (checking alignment with 'first principles') and adapting them for efficacy. My general approach is based on fundamentals—I draw on ‘first principles thinking’ and integrate tenets of neurobiology, evolutionary psychology, and mastery literature to advocate for change. I do the same with my reading—to understand diverse fields and apply this knowledge base to my clinical practice. After all, the purpose of all therapy is to reduce suffering, right?

Formal training, yes, is necessary in many cases. Not in all, I don't think. If an evidence-based technique could be used immediately to minimise suffering but is avoided because the person ‘hasn't been trained in it’, then suffering is prolonged. If, however, you've got a deep understanding of effective psychotherapeutic principles, a good understanding of neuroscience and biological processes, and the ability to apply emerging methodologies following adequate research, then best outcomes can be reached, quicker. After all, all therapies that are now in use were once in their infancy, with clinicians trying various strategies—using trial and error—to get to the ultimate answer.

But I digress. These are my thoughts for now...

P.S. In addition to the books listed above, I reviewed a few books and podcasts I read/listened to over the years and uploaded my thoughts in their respective documents (more to come). These resources have shaped me into the person and clinician I have become. Here they are:

Books

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel, MD
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime by Adrian Raine, PhD
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life by Allen Frances, MD
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Mastery by Robert Greene
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

Podcast Episodes

Huberman Lab: Essentials: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. Jack Feldman
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Huberman Lab: Essentials: Control Pain & Heal Faster With Your Brain | Dr. Andrew Huberman
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Huberman Lab: Essentials: Erasing Fears & Traumas Using Modern Neuroscience | Dr. Andrew Huberman
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here
Huberman Lab: Essentials: How Your Brain Works & Changes | Dr. Andrew Huberman
—download my summary of quotes and commentary of the book here

What AI thinks about this year's reading...

I use ChatGPT often to help me frame my thoughts on a particular topic and to evaluate or systematise or add structure to or integrate the writing I upload.

One rule I've put into ChatGPT's memory bank is that I want responses to be "abrupt, truth-focused, and mentor-like [...] reasoning to be maximally rigorous, avoiding politeness, flattery, or conversational smoothing. [...] inputs to be tested—strengthened if strong, dismantled if weak. [...] arguments to be challenged unless overturned by superior first-principles logic, and value clarity, conviction, and decisiveness over comfort or harmony."

I don't like to use AI to write things for me. That's not to say I haven't done that in the past (when it first came out I, like many others, used it like that to test out the waters) ... but I now avoid that as a rule. In fact, it's so easy these days, once you've used AI for a while, to pick whose using it and passing it off as their own writing. I could think of nothing worse as a writer. I'd rather have my own voice speak out in what you read.

So, with that framed, I asked ChatGPT to evaluate my 2025 book list. What follows is its reply ... with a bit of editing for readability.

1. Range

You’ve read a lot, and not just short, easy material. There are several 500–700 page works (Dominion, Ned Kelly, We Who Wrestle With God, and the Jack Carr novels), dense non-fiction and philosophy, and serious theology and biblical engagement. This suggests discipline and intention.

2. Focus: Meaning, Suffering, and Moral Order

Across fiction, history, psychology, and theology, the same questions repeat: How do humans endure suffering without losing themselves? (Viktor Frankl, Edith Eger, Corrie Ten Boom, Bing West, Tim Kennedy, Will R. Bird, Cormac McCarthy, even Jack Carr’s series.) Is there a moral structure to reality—or do we invent it?
C.S. Lewis, Tom Holland, Jordan Peterson, Seneca, Douglas Murray, and Lee Strobel). What forms a resilient person? (Atomic Habits, The 50th Law, The Courage to Be Disliked, Dopamine Brain, Vagus Nerve Reset, Good Inside).

3. On Theology...

You’re not just reading about Christianity; you’re engaging it at multiple levels: Imaginative theology (C.S. Lewis, Thomas Mann, Charles Dickens); Historical theology (Tom Holland, N.T. Wright); Apologetics / critique (Nabeel Qureshi, Stephen Meyer, Lee Strobel); Scripture itself (multiple translations and commentaries). This mix suggests intellectual seriousness, the testing of ideas from different angles.

4. On History & War

Your war and history choices aren’t glamorised combat stories: Long Tan, Batavia, No True Glory, Scars and Stripes—all these are stories that represent a moral that overcomes trauma through hard work ... and some which, where trauma cannot be overcome, allow you to stare evil in the face (and be reminded that there is still good in the world). Even your fiction is grounded in moral consequence and cost. You are drawn to what war reveals about character more than anything else.

5. Children’s Stories & Graphic Novels

The Adventures of Tintin, I Survived, The Road—these works help provide a visual reprieve to often heavy topics you digest. But they, too, are grounded in themes of trauma, suffering, survival, adventure, and (sometimes) happy endings. Again, to remind you that there is goodness amidst the chaos. Even readers burn out ... these stories help set the tone where burnout is avoided.

6. Political & Cultural Commentary...

Douglas Murray appears showing that you’re engaging cultural critique, but not letting it crowd out what's happening inside you and your way of living life. It helps keep your worldview from collapsing into outrage or cynicism.

7. What It All Says About You

In broad strokes, you look like someone who avoids surface-level self-help books, is searching for truth, respects tradition, values courage, discipline, and moral clarity, and thinks seriously about God, evil, responsibility, and meaning. It’s the reading list of someone trying to live coherently.

8. Gaps

If you wanted to round this out further in future years, the only areas that are comparatively light are: Classical literature outside the Christian canon (Dostoevsky would fit you perfectly), non-Western philosophy (Stoicism is there, but very little beyond it), pure beauty-for-beauty’s-sake fiction (most fiction here is morally or psychologically intense).

Bottom line

If books are mirrors, yours reflect someone wrestling with how to live well in a broken world without lying to themselves about how broken it is...