What I Read In February 2023

The month of February is gone. The days are long, but the years are short. Just yesterday, it was January 1st. 2 days ago, it was February 1st. This is March 2nd.

What's the point? Time waits for no one. Whether or not you make the most of the time, it will pass by, and you can’t get it again. Time wasted can never be recovered. Make the most of it.

What did I read In February 2023

Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday

This powerful self-help book helps you check the most dangerous part of you – your ego. Ryan Holiday uses stories and anecdotes from history to help you see this in its ugliest form. I found this very helpful in the early parts of January; I needed the message in that book to control the pressure I was receiving. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially those just starting out in life, just like me.

Leonardo Da Vinci, By Michael White

This was an easy-to-read biography of Da Vinci. We all respect Da Vinci, but few have really taken the time to really discover the man. This book is a good introduction. Shorter than Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson, which I enjoyed so much some years back. One lesson that stayed with me from this is the migrations of Da Vinci. If not that Leonardo had the courage to keep moving whenever the situation in cities disfavoured him, we would never have known him.

My Time As Chaplain by Nathaniel Bivan

This was the biography of Nigeria’s Chaplain at the Aso Rock chapel during Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's presidency. I found it interesting and easy to read. Nathaniel Bivan has added another important work to Nigeria’s public servant records.

How To Be A Nigerian by Peter Enahoro

Hilarious on every page. I couldn’t stop laughing. Just to give you a titbit, here’s what he has to say about the Nigerian Chairman.

“The Nigerian Chairman

Next to God, there is nothing that fills the heart of the Nigerian with greater awe than a Chairman.

God is divine, but the Chairman rules the temporal. In certain parts of Nigeria, the office of the Prime Minister can only be understood if you explain that he is the Chairman of the government.

A Chairman is appointed to direct a lecture. There is a chairman at a football match, a wedding reception, a naming ceremony, a funeral, political rallies and benefit film shows. Such is the passion that if three boys scouts are lost in the woods, they will likely appoint a chairman to lead them safely back to the wolf pack.”

Now, this book is filled with many funny touches of sarcasm such as this. Every Nigerian should read this.

The Quest For Character by Massimo Pigliucci

Massimo Pigliucci's book is an invitation to a moral life. It follows the story of ancient Greeks to make some powerful points. If you want to improve and do better as a human being, you should consider reading this. I wrote a full review here.

Being Nixon: A Man Divided by Evan Thomas

I wrote a full review of Being Nixon by Evan Thomas. You can read it HERE. I read this book because Bill Gates has spoken about it in his blog. I also saw some of the people I follow speak highly of it. I came away with the same conclusion. It did not disappoint. Nixon is the kind of figure that you look at and just leave shaking your head in shame.

Sinatra: The Life by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

Boy, oh boy. This biography of Frank Sinatra was explosive. Damn. What a man. What talent. What giftedness. What determination. And what hubris. Frank Sinatra should only be known for his music, his private life had barely anything we can learn from. His was a life that became intoxicated by success. Yes, once in a while, a kind man shines through, for instance, when he is taking care of the people he loves. Or when he helped his maid treat her dying parent. I will write a full-length review; just subscribe, and you will get it.

On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

On Tyranny is one of those reflective books that you could hardly argue with. Timothy Snyder makes some profound statements about democracy and how to preserve it. He wrote it primarily for an American audience, but it has a lesson for every country. A longer review is coming on the way. For now, I suggest adding this short book to your reading list. Someday it could be that the only revolutionary thing you could do is to read books like that and live them.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Whew. What a book. Every creative person should read this one. It will cure you of your laziness, procrastination, and all the resistance that stands in the way of your creative work. Steven Pressfield has given a gift to every creative person out there. I am writing this “What I Read In February 2023” because of Steven Pressfield. I found writing this to be a burden. I was tired. I have been sick. I didn’t know if anyone would enjoy this. I didn’t know if anyone would care. I still don’t know. But Steven Pressfield has hammered into me that I should write because writing every day is the task of professionals. It doesn’t matter whether people will read or not, we are professionals, and we should show up at work every day.

We should do our part. We should write. We should create.

It is the only way to fight resistance.

I am glad I did.

And I am glad you read this.

Have a beautiful March.

What did you read in February?