Think Like a Monk
by Jay Shetty
★ Top 10 book of 2020 · #8 on Best Books of 2020
Jay Shetty draws on his years as a monk to offer practical steps for handling negativity, overthinking, fear and the search for purpose. After leaving the monastic path, he went on to coach stressed friends and became a widely followed influencer.
Best for: Readers wanting practical ways to calm their minds, reduce stress and find purpose
Think Like a Monk is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 2020, out of 65 2020 books that cleared our data bar.
What Think Like a Monk is about
Jay Shetty, host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, turns what he learned as a monk into practical steps for everyday life. He grew up in a family where you could become a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure, yet he skipped his college graduation to go to India and become a monk, meditating four to eight hours a day and devoting himself to helping others. After three years, a teacher told him he would have more impact by leaving that path to share his wisdom, so he moved back in with his parents in north London, heavily in debt.
The book argues that comparison kills love and that happiness cannot be found by looking for it. It also covers how to overcome negativity, stop overthinking, use fear, find purpose, and why kindness matters for success. It will help readers who feel stuck in worry or unsure what they are working toward.
Think Like a Monk on the Best Books of 2020
Think Like a Monk came out in 2020. Of the 65 books first published in 2020 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #8 on our Best Books of 2020 list.
Why it made the list: 1,683 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (68 ratings); 72 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Being read right now.
Nearby on the 2020 list
- The Midnight Library Matt Haig, #6
- Credence Penelope Douglas, #7
- The Tower of Nero Rick Riordan, #9
- Piranesi Susanna Clarke, #10
See all Best Books of 2020 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2019 Best Books of 2021.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,555 want to read it, 72 are reading it now and 56 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 from 68 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 95 | 55% |
| Reader love | 37 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 94 | 20% |
Questions about Think Like a Monk
When was Think Like a Monk published?
Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty was first published in 2020.
Was Think Like a Monk one of the best books of 2020?
Think Like a Monk is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 2020, out of 65 2020 books that cleared our data bar. 1,683 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (68 ratings); 72 are reading it right now.
Why is Think Like a Monk on the Best Books of 2020 list?
1,683 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (68 ratings); 72 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2020
- Good Girl, Bad Blood Holly Jackson, #1
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Suzanne Collins, #2
- The Psychology of Money Morgan Housel, #3
- The Inheritance Games Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #4
- Heartstopper, Volume 3 Alice Oseman, #5
- The Midnight Library Matt Haig, #6
See the full Best Books of 2020, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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