Marcus Aurelius is not only the pinnacle stoic, but was literally the most powerful man on earth while he was alive. He could've lived life as a god (at his command), but he did something else entirely. He reminded himself constantly how to be a good man.

Meditations is a collection of his own instructions to himself on self-discipline, duty, ethics, and having a philosophy of life. This is the guide on how to live. "Waste no time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

If Meditations the perfect book for your mind, then Tiny Beautiful Things is the perfect book for your heart. If Meditations teaches you how to conduct yourself on a daily basis, this book teaches how to do so with empathy and compassion.

Cheryl Strayed and those who write into her become a whole bundle of friends that will tell you, when you need it most, “you aren’t alone.” I can’t say it as well as Steve Almond does in the book’s forward: “We need books, and Cheryl’s books in particular, because we are all, in the private kingdom of our hearts, desperate for the company of a wise, true friend. Someone who isn't embarrassed by our emotions, or her own, who recognizes that life is short and that all we have to offer, in the end, is love.”

The lessons learned in this book expand far beyond the restaurant industry. This book is the guide on how one should and can treat people, by Danny Meyer.

If that isn't enough, the lessons in this book are wrapped up in the true story of how one man changed the restaurant industry through the power of following the golden rule. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone that has to interact with a human at work. (So, everyone.)