One of the ways to track your progress is a retrospective exercise to acknowledge what you’ve learned in a year and what experiences contributed to making you a better person.
There are so many things that play a role in your continuous construction of identity. Nobody is self-made – we all are the sum of all the things that contribute to our identities and beliefs, daily:
- The people you look up to influence your beliefs & habits.
- The experiences you have, change how you evaluate the world.
- The books, podcasts & documentaries you consume change how you think.
- The movies you watch improve your empathy & help you understand certain life situations without having to live them yourself.
- The music you listen to influences your moods.
- The places you visit change how you decode the world.
- The habits you pursue today shape who you become tomorrow.
Doing this exercise myself, I’ve written down a list of books that opened up my mind for 2025. Here they are:
1) Biohack like a woman by Aggie Lal – The book explores biohacking techniques tailored specifically for women, focusing on optimizing health, energy, and hormonal balance.
2) Limitless by Jim Kwik
A practical framework for unlocking your brain’s potential, enhancing learning, memory, and productivity by overcoming mental barriers.
3) Femei in Terapie by – Harriet Lerner.What leads women to self-devalue? What is the significance of gender role stereotypes? Are women destined to be only dependent and passive? How much fear does female anger provoke? Harriet Lerner argues that, alongside individual dynamics, it is crucial to help women view their problems and behavior through the lens of familial and cultural factors that hinder their self-differentiation and affect their ability to love and work.
4) Gala Dali – The biography of Gala Dali by Carmen Domingo – A deep dive into the life of Gala Dalí, exploring her enigmatic personality, influence on Salvador Dalí, and role as a muse in the surrealist movement.
5) Emotii in farfurie by Ancuța Boldișteanu
6) The Anatomy of a Breakthrough by Adam Alter – Provides tools for overcoming obstacles, achieving goals, and navigating moments of stagnation in personal and professional life. Adam Alter has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. Here he reveals the formula he and other researchers have uncovered. The solution rests on a process that he calls a friction audit—a systematic procedure that uncovers why a person or organization is stuck, and then suggests a path to progress.
7) Mircea Roman – A Biography by Alexandru Davidian – Chronicles the life and work of sculptor Mircea Roman, highlighting his artistic vision and contribution to contemporary art.
8) Missbelief by Dan Ariely – Explores the psychology of false beliefs, how they form, and their impact on decision-making and relationships. Misinformation impacts our lives daily—whether through social media, broader political issues, casual chats in supermarkets, or even our most personal relationships. Although we acknowledge the risks misinformation brings, the challenge is multifaceted—extending well beyond the reach of merely regulating social media.
9) Ultra-Processed People – by Chris van Tulleken
A revealing exploration of the science, economics, history, and production behind ultra-processed foods. The book is a journey through the realm of food science and a diet dominated by ultra-processed foods to uncover the hidden truths behind what we eat.
10) Smarter not Harder by Dave Asprey – An outstanding book with biohacking strategies and protocols to help you achieve maximum results with minimal effort, focusing on efficiency in health, fitness, and productivity. This is the best I read on Biohacking so far. The book doesn’t just present you with protocols to follow but offers you a comprehensive presentation on the food ecosystem so that you get a more profound understanding of why you feel in certain ways when you eat something.
11) SuperHuman – How to Age Backwards by Dave Asprey – Presents a roadmap for extending lifespan and improving health through biohacking, nutrition, and cutting-edge technologies.
P. S. – If you are anywhere around Bucharest in 2025 you get to meet Dave Asprey – The Founder of Biohacking Global Movement at BRAND MINDS – The Central & Eastern European Business Summit of the Year.
12) The bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey – Exploring from private EEG (Electroencephalogram) facilities to Tibetan Monastery protocols, advanced brain imaging and blood chemistry analysis to nervous system testing, the author embraces both traditional practices and modern innovations to attain optimal physical and mental performance. This book shares the most impactful strategies found in his research.
13) Fasting Guide for Women by Dr. Mindy Pelz – is a comprehensive guide to fasting specifically for women, addressing women’s needs based on their hormones and menstrual cycle.
14) The Honeymoon Effect by Bruce Lipton PhD. – With authority, eloquence, and an accessible style, Lipton covers the influence of quantum physics (good vibrations), biochemistry, and psychology (the conscious and subconscious minds) in creating and sustaining loving relationships. He also asserts that we can learn from the example of the harmonious relationships of our 50 trillion cells to create a “super organism” called “humanity”, which can heal our planet.
15) Povestea ta are sens by Raluca Anton – This book invites you to delve into your own life story, exploring the emotional and relational “baggage” we all carry—dreams, disappointments, joys, pains, and frustrations—through the lens of psychotherapy. Drawing from nine therapeutic stories, it offers a compassionate guide to understanding and making sense of your experiences.
16) Cum mi-am schimbat viata in 4 zile by Andy Szekely, Cristian Onetiu & Simona Macovei – A personal development book disguised as a novel that offers a friendly introduction to the SHIFTSET framework. SHIFTSET is a conceptual framework developed by Andy Szekely and Cristian Onețiu, designed to help you understand your life and take the necessary steps toward change.
17) Inteligenta Materiei by Prof. Constantin Dulcan – The debate between science and religion about the truth of humanity and the universe is a continuous conversation that keeps evolving. The book traces the journey of matter—from the first wave of light to the moment it becomes self-aware through the human brain. It gathers an impressive collection of knowledge from various fields, masterfully synthesized into a unified work.
18) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – The novel is a philosophical revolution told in the form of an action thriller—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by The Great American Read. It is a great mixture of economics, politics, and social engineering at its best. You will discover why a productive genius becomes a worthless playboy, why a great steel industrialist is working for his own destruction, why a composer gives up his career on the night of his triumph, what a woman who runs a transcontinental railroad has to face in an era where women’s role is to raise children.
