Sree Devi Chinimilli

If someone were to ask what  my guilty pleasure is, I’d say that it is ‘reading’.  Reading helps me learn, grow, relax, and have fun. It transports me into an imaginary world that I only discern. Given my penchant for reading,  people ask for my recommendations. Hmm! I thought why not list out the ones that influenced various aspects of my life and share with a broader audience.  In line with SIAGLO beliefs, I tried to categorize them into six pillars of life.  Are you ready to read my list?

Personal Growth

  • FountainHead  by Ayn Rand
    • This book taught me about Second Hander and how most people live in the eyes of others instead of living for themselves.  Realizing this point, I try to live for myself without being influenced by others’ perception of me and I’m more content with this technique. 
  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
    • My learning from this book is that ‘Intrinsic Motivation’ is vital for high performance, and fulfillment. Rewards are only temporary motivation.  
  • Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw
    • I understood that how I react to situations goes back to my childhood and my  inner child is always there no matter how old I’m.  I try to be aware of the fact that my childhood fears are playing a role in dealing with a situation. 
  • Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
    • This book taught me to always start with ‘why’ to focus, prioritize and gain clarity.  When I need to start a task, I always start by probing “Why.” 
  • Swami Vivekananda scriptures
    • They promoted my self-reliance, drive to succeed, and self-assurance.   
  • Bhagavad Gita (Indian Epic)
    • Life lessons were taught in every aspect of my life.  Parenting, leadership, career etc. One key learning I repeatedly use is ‘Think before you decide.  Once decided, do not re-think the decision but focus on its execution’.
  • Maha Bharatam (Indian Epic) 
    • I leant about how to overcome adversity and regain control over my life.  Arjuna has been my role model to set the bar high for achievements.   A wonderful approach to realize that triumph is yours if you choose the correct path. 
  • Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson
    • I realized that both science and art are important for product success. In order to achieve the highest form of success, grand vision about the end goal is the key. Now I advocate myself to ‘Dream Big’. 
  • Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
    • We all know that without hard work, there is no success. I liked how openly Phil Knight explained his start-up struggles and how he never renounced his dream.  When things get tough, I remind myself not to give up my dreams.  
  • Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
    • This book is about Objectivism.  Many times, I try to carry on the burden for others paving the way for them to take advantage of me.  I attempt, as the book suggests, to “shrug” when I’m being taken advantage of. Don’t shy away from helping but you can’t be taken for granted.  

Career

  • Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
    • Helped me to understand the importance of being candid but caring as a leader.  When in doubt, I refer to her quadrants- Ruinous Empathy, Manipulative Insincerity, Obnoxious Aggression and Radical Candor and validate my course of action.  
  • Lean Startup by Eric Ries
    • A pivotal learning to move from Waterfall Delivery to Lean Agile delivery for software development. The Lean principles not only apply to professional work but also to personal life. 
  • How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen, Marshall Goldsmith
    • This book taught me that I’m not alone in having 12 traits that were discussed in the book. Most of the women are plagued by these traits.  It helped me manage my imposter syndrome. 
  • Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell
    • Leadership is tightly coupled with personal values. I liked that the author used his pastoral experiences. 
  • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
    • I was able to identify that I had been utilizing anchoring subconsciously and that I could keep using this technique to manage my life better, thanks to this book.  For example, I now recognize that I’m anchoring my exercise routine to work day completion or writing gratitude to waking up.  With anchoring, I’m planning my day better which in turn yields long term success. 
  • Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
    • Most of my life, I equated success to having talent.  This book helped me understand that besides talent, other factors such as opportunities, background etc are needed. I still remember how Bill Gates created opportunities for himself by cold calling companies for internships.  Failure doesn’t mean you are not capable but other factors might be at play. 

Financial Management

  • The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suzy Orman
    • I read this book in my early 30s.  Due to this book, I planned  my financial well-being that included not only savings but also other important financial aspects such as Wills etc. to better prepare for the future.  Educate yourself on all aspects for Financial management which extends beyond retirement savings and investments. 
  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
    • This book taught me about being in a ‘rat race’ if you were to listen to Poor Dad.  While parenting my kids, I used to think about this book and ask myself ‘am I teaching like a poor dad or rich dad’?
  • I will teach you to be Rich by Ramit Sethi
    • One word that caught my attention – “No guilt’. This book gave pointers on being smart while enjoying life.  It doesn’t talk about cutting on small expenses such as coffee to be rich. It advises to be smart by managing the big picture instead of micro managing day to day finances. 
  • Stock investments, Mutual funds, Retirement savings-various books
    • I believe that my savings should grow and not sit idle and that’s where I rely on investments.  To plan for my financial wealth, I learned about investing, retirement savings, and mutual funds.  It takes years to learn, so start as early as possible.   

Family

  • Ramayanam (Indian Epic) 
    • An epic that taught me family values – respect for elders,  taking care of extended family, wife and husband relationship, friendship and virtuous path. Besides, I look up to Lord Rama as a role model for various relationships in my life.  
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 
    • This book made me grateful for the fabulous family I have. Helped me realize the other side of the coin- how a person would suffer in the absence of family support. 
  • Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray
    • This book helped me navigate through my marriage.  I accepted that men and women are not the same and that it is incorrect to presume that a husband and wife have the same expectations after reading this book.  I highly recommend it for people entering into long term relationships. 
  • Romance books 
    • To me, this genre is all about relationships, and family.  Some stories or situations resonate with me and help understand myself better.
  • Mandakini by Malladi Venkata Krishnamurthy (Telugu) 
    • A must-read for marital relationship management.  Every relationship takes time and effort to maintain. This book is a great life-hack to keep a relationship interesting and to take responsibility to fix it when things go bad.  Unfortunately, this is not translated into other languages.

Health

  • Mental health articles
    • The importance of mental and physical wellness is equal. I learned about relationship boundaries, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and mindfulness.  Make an effort to learn about mental health. 
  • Natural remedies articles
    • If I need to take medicine, my preference would be a natural remedy and I try to research those first.  
    • In Indian cooking, there are so many spices used and I have come to learn the benefits of many of them through reading.  Generally speaking, when recipes are provided, the only explanation provided for the use of spices is that they enhance flavor. Besides taste,  there are medicinal reasons that our ancestors realized and incorporated them into food.  Next time when you use a spice, ask yourself ‘why’?
    • Vinegar and Baking Soda are my first choices for any household cleaning.  I try to research how I can use them.
    • I look up recipes to promote my creativity, and family bonds. I like Hebbars Kitchen, allrecipes, damndelicious sites. Do you have any recommendations ?
  • Yoga
    • I had shoulder pain and tried physical therapy, massages without success.   My friend suggested Yoga.   I had an unconscious bias about yoga that it was spiritual and I wasn’t ready to take that path.  As a last resort, I tried it and it worked!. I realized that Yoga strengthens not only my physical body but also my mind.  Mindfulness is one of the key benefits I gained.  Since then, I have been trying to read more about Yoga.

 Fun

  • Romance Novels 
    • When life is stressful, I get so much relief from reading the happy endings.  They give me optimism when I need it.  
  • Travel books/blogs
    • Every culture is unique. While reading the blogs, I transport myself to different cultures and set goals through my bucket list to travel.  Those goals motivate me to perform better in  my career so that I have financial means to achieve them.  
  • News (USA Today, CNN, Apple News etc.)
    • Of course, I want to know what’s going on around in the world which not only makes me more knowledgeable but also helps me to be more curious. 
  • DIY craft articles 
    • DIY is one of my interests.  I learned jewelry making, sewing, upcycling and other skills through reading.  A great way to develop hobbies.
  • Poetry
    • While reading poetry, I’m drawing my own conclusions and creating my little world which is really fun. Try ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud‘ by William Wordsmith to know what I’m talking about.
  • People Magazine
    •  It is my mindless reading to know about celebrities. 

Conclusion

I hope this list gives insights into how reading influenced me and why these are my top choices.  If you have read any of these books, and have a perspective, I’d love to hear from you.  Please contact me via SiaGlo email, Instagram or Twitter.

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