Best Books of 2025
Here you go, my 2025 list. These are the books I read in 2025 (not necessarily published in 2025) that I found most interesting. Looking for more? Click here for a link to last year’s best books list, which also leads you to over a decade of my annual best books. In no particular order:
A Fighter’s Heart: One Man’s Journey Through the World of Fighting, by Sam Sheridan. I loved this book! As I train Krav Maga (a form of fighting), father two of my sons who wrestle, and aim to pastor people’s hearts, this book taught me a lot about both living from your heart and fighting well.
Who is God? Key Moments of Biblical Revelation, by Richard Bauckham. This short book unpacks four biblical moments that reveal who God is. Worth your time.
The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip, by Stephen Witt. I live 5 miles from Nvidia’s headquarters. Nvidia is the most valuable company in the world. My Nvidia stock is the greatest investment I’ve ever made. Nvidia is at the forefront of AI and our new future. For me, this was fascinating reading.
The Journey of Desire, by John Eldredge. This was not a new read for me, this is probably my third time re-reading this great and overlooked book (I imagine it shows up on one of my past best books lists, I didn’t check). Desire is the theme I’m leading my church through this year, so I devoted some of my summer reading to enjoying this book again.
If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit, by Brenda Ueland. This is another re-read for me. Published in 1938, Ueland’s masterpiece remains my favorite book about writing. I first read it in college and I seem to return to it ever five years or so. I’m currently writing my next book, and turned to Ueland’s work for reminders. I love her chapters and her counsel. Chapter 1: “Everybody is talented, original, and has something important to say.” Chapter 4: “The imagination works slowly and quietly.” Chapter 7: “Be careless, reckless! Be a lion, be a pirate, when you write.” Chapter 11: “Microscopic Truthfulness.”
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch. A helpful book for looking at life though an 80/20 lens (most results stem from a minority of efforts).
Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ’s Continuing Incarnation, by Gerrit Scott Dawson. I hate it when Christians talk as though Jesus isn’t still human. The risen, ascended Jesus remains fully God and fully human. And this really matters. This is the best book on the continuing, forever Incarnation of the second person of the Trinity.
On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters, by Bonnie Tsui. A good book about our bodies and our muscles.
The Coming Wave, by Mustafa Suleyman. A great place to start as we all start wrapping our heads around AI and the new world we are stepping into.
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, by Edward Griffin. Confession: I did not read the entire book. This book is way too long. But I did read a lot of this legendary (conspiratorial?) account of the creation of the Federal Reserve and problems with fiat money, fractional reserve banking, inflation, etc.
The Unfiltered Enneagram: A Witty and Wise Guide to Self-Compassion, by Elizabeth Orr. A different angle on the Enneagram, which I still find as a helpful tool for understanding people.