Derek Sivers

The Art of Profitability

by Adrian Slywotzky

“25 different models of profitability presented in examples you can relate to your own business, making you realize profit-sources you’d never thought of before.” — via Website

The Paradox of Choice

by Barry Schwartz

“Faced with many options or decisions in your life? This will change the way you look at them. We feel worse when we have too many options.” — via Website

The 4-Hour Workweek

Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

by Tim Ferriss · 2009 · Nonfiction

“Brilliant reversal of all of the “how to manage all your crap” books. This one tells you how to say “no” to the crap, set expectations on your terms, and be just as effective in a fraction of the time.” — via Website

How to Get Rich

by Felix Dennis

“Shockingly honest thoughts from a filthy rich bastard.” — via Website

The Time Paradox

by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

“Profound idea that everyone has a primary time focus, either Future-focused, Present-focused, or Past-focused. Fascinating implications of each. Because I’m so future-focused, reading this book helped me understand people who are very present-focused. Also great advice on shifting your focus when needed.” — via Website

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

by Robert B. Cialdini · 1984 · Self-Help

“Classic book on the psychology of persuasion. I read it 15 years ago, thought about it ever since, and re-read it now. How to get a 700% improvement in volunteers. How to sell more by doubling your prices.” — via Website

The Happiness Hypothesis

by Jonathan Haidt

“Psychology professor's digestible but deep insight into how our minds work, around the topic of happiness. Great metaphor of a rider on the back of an elephant. Rider is reasoning, elephant is emotions. Rider has limited control of what the elephant does.” — via Website

Switch

by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

“Great great great great GREAT psychology book about real ways to make change last - both personal and organizational. So many powerful insights, based on fact not theory. Inspiring counterintuitive stories of huge organizational change against all odds. Highly recommended for everyone.” — via Website

A Guide to the Good Life

by William Irvine

“Almost too personal for me to give an objective review, because I found when reading it that the quirky philosophy I've been living my life by since 17 matches up exactly with a 2000-year-old philosophy called Stoicism.” — via Website

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

by Marshall Goldsmith

“Aimed at already-successful people. The personality traits that brought you to success (personal discipline, saying yes to everything, over-confidence) are the same traits that hold you back from going further!” — via Website

Do the Work

by Steven Pressfield

“A true manifesto. A call to action. A kick in the butt for any creative person. Great thoughts on overcoming the resistance to creating.” — via Website

Brain Rules for Baby

by John Medina

“My single favorite baby book: written by a neuroscientist, about babies’ brain development from pregnancy to children. Single best book for soon-to-be parents to read. I didn’t want kids until I read it, then it actually got me excited about the process.” — via Website

Quiet

by Susan Cain

“Any introvert should like this book. Wonderful info and insights about introversion. It'll help you defend your preference for low-stimulus environments. Since reading it, I feel better about insisting on my quiet/alone time.” — via Website

The Willpower Instinct

by Kelly McGonigal

“Amazing book about willpower from Stanford psychology professor who teaches just this. Killer first point: The best way to improve your self-control is to see how and why you lose control.” — via Website

Antifragile

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“Bold perspectives, unusual ideas, and surprisingly wise advice around an interesting subject of the “opposite of fragile.” Looking through that lens at health, education, governments, business, and life philosophy. Very inspiring, and sparks a lot of further discussion.” — via Website

The Compound Effect

by Darren Hardy

“Classic self-help book, in the best sense. Inspired the hell out of me. Mostly fundamentals I had heard before, but put in a very energetic go-do-it way.” — via Website

When Things Fall Apart

by Pema Chödrön

“Profound philosophy on facing the negative emotions head-on and getting to know them well, instead of trying to avoid them or escape.” — via Website

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster

by Darren Hardy

“Rar! My heart rate is racing as I tear through this riveting book. Darren captures and spreads the entrepreneurial spirit better than anyone I know.” — via Website

Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches

by Marvin Harris

“Mind-blowing anthropology. Great argument that the reasons that religions worship cows or hate pigs, that tribes wage wars, or Europe's 200 years of witch hunts, are all very practical economic reasons usually unknown to the participants or washed out of history.” — via Website

Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

by Gordon Livingston

“Powerful and profound life lessons from a psychiatrist who's been listening to people's problems for decades.” — via Website

Ego Is the Enemy

by Ryan Holiday

“Forget yourself and focus on the work. Be humble and persistent. Value discipline and results, not passion and confidence. Be lesser, do more. This message is crucial, but the opposite of almost every other book. I wish everyone would read this.” — via Website

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

by Mark Manson · 2016 · Self-Help

“The opposite of every other book. Don’t try. Give up. Be wrong. Lower your standards. Stop believing in yourself. Follow the pain. And oh yeah, kill yourself. Each point is profoundly true, useful, and more powerful than the usual positivity.” — via Website

Au Contraire: Figuring Out the French

by Gilles Asselin and Ruth Mastron

“The absolute best book I've ever found on explaining the mindset of a country. (Runner-up is “Watching the English” by Kate Fox.) I wish every country had a book this deep. Not just what but why!” — via Website

Happy

by Derren Brown

“Brilliant and profound yet totally entertaining philosophy book by one of my favorite people. Gives an approachable overview of past philosophies and shows how they apply to your life today better than the harmful pop-self-help-positivity stuff.” — via Website

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari · 2015 · Nonfiction

“But wow - this book is at its best when the author is sharing his personal perspective about binding myths, humanism, and other ways that “truths” are not true.” — via Website

Thinking in Bets

by Annie Duke

“Amazing point: Would your belief in something stand up to the question, “Wanna bet?” If you had to gamble significant money on that belief, would you still feel 100% about it? Or maybe more honestly 60%?” — via Website

Atomic Habits

by James Clear · 2018 · Self-Help

“I was doubtful, but everyone kept telling me it’s awesome, so I reluctantly read it. Holy crap! It’s GREAT! Feels like the definitive masterpiece on the subject of how to make good habits and break bad ones.” — via Website

This Is Marketing

You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See

by Seth Godin · 2018 · Nonfiction

“A must-read for every entrepreneur. A holistic, generous, human, emotional, long-term, story-driven approach to your business. The world would be a much better place if businesses were led this way.” — via Website

Skin in the Game

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“Taleb is always filled with surprising ideas and confrontational bragging. Ignore the hot air and gather the gems.” — via Website

Several Short Sentences About Writing

by Verlyn Klinkenborg

“The 2nd-best and most-radical book about great writing. It tells you to focus entirely on the sentence, an approach that was already my favorite, which is why I bought this book.” — via Website

Getting Things Done

The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

by David Allen · 2015 · Nonfiction

“Classic book with near-cult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. Re-read 16 years later. Still great.” — via Website

How Buildings Learn

by Stewart Brand

“I’ve read this book three times since 1999, and gifted it many times to others. It’s changed the way I look at buildings. I read it again now because I’m building a new house.” — via Website

Awaken the Giant Within

How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny

by Tony Robbins · 1991 · Nonfiction

“This 1992 book changed everything about my life. It’s my Bible. Most of my beliefs come from it. I read it many times at a formative age, but re-read it now 30 years later, taking notes. It’s not a perfect book.” — via Website

The Relationship Handbook

by George Pransky

“Best philosophy of love relationships I’ve ever found. Like meditation teaches you that moods pass, this experienced marriage counselor says this applies to relationship communication as well. When angry or insecure, don’t vent, don’t share that. Let the feeling pass.” — via Website

Wild Problems

by Russ Roberts

“How to improve your HUGE major life decisions, like whether/who to marry, whether to have kids, where to live, career paths, and such — where you can’t use the usual checklist/data approach.” — via Website

Write Useful Books

by Rob Fitzpatrick

“How to write a non-fiction book so useful to people that they recommend it to others. A great step-by-step methodology from someone experienced, who’s done it successfully a few times already.” — via Website

The Righteous Mind

Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

by Jonathan Haidt · 2013 · Nonfiction

“Brilliant insights into human nature. Moral reasoning, inventing victims, emotional reactions, the elephant (emotions) and its rider (explanations). Intuition reacts then logic confabulates a reason. Survival of the fittest applied to groups. Understanding religion and tradition. Great from start to finish.” — via Website

City of Gold: Dubai

by Jim Krane

“So well-written! Absolutely fascinating history of Dubai. An exciting page-turner. It gave me so much admiration for the city and its visionaries.” — via Website

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You

by Janelle Shane

“A funny book explaining the basics of AI! The subtitle is How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place. A great introduction to AI. With a cute cartoon mascot.” — via Website

How Religion Evolved

by Robin Dunbar

“Great anthropology! So many insights into religions, tribes, friendships, organizations, the evolution of minds, superstition, and more. Got me thinking most about friendships.” — via Website

How Minds Change

by David McRaney

“The psychology of how and why we believe. How we learn and change. The craft of doubt and persuasion. Insights into the social definition of truth. Epistemology. Certainty is a feeling not based on facts.” — via Website

The Vagabond’s Way

by Rolf Potts

“Best travel book I’ve ever read! Shook my soul many times. Tiny “daily meditation” format, with lots of quotes from others, but wow what wonderful insights. They make me yearn to travel again. Love love love these ideas and perspectives so much.” — via Website

Arabs

by Tim Mackintosh-Smith

“3000 years of factual Arab history, and personal insights from this Oxford Brit who lived in Yemen for 37 years, translates classical Arabic, and clearly cares a lot. Huge and thorough but really wonderful for those with the interest.” — via Website

Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions

by Batja Mesquita

“Cultural psychology, studying emotions through the lens of culture. Your emotions are created by your culture. You should not be too sure that you share the emotional experiences of individuals from other cultures. Culture and emotion make each other up. Great insights!” — via Website

You’re Not Listening

by Kate Murphy

“Being a great listener when people speak. Deep insights about understanding, connection, helping people express themselves, overcoming assumptions, the ethics of gossip, and more. Specific techniques for the support response, encouraging elaboration, and keeping it balanced.” — via Website

The E-Myth Revisited

Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

by Michael E. Gerber · 1995 · Nonfiction

“Absolutely everyone who is an entrepreneur or wants to be one needs to read this book. I first read it after 10 years of successfully running my company, and was still blown away and totally humbled by its wisdom.” — via Website

Stumbling on Happiness

by Daniel Gilbert

“Not at all new-agey, as the title might suggest. Harvard professor of psychology has studied happiness for years, and shares factual findings that will change the way you look at the world.” — via Website

The War of Art

Winning the Inner Creative Battle

by Steven Pressfield · 2002 · Self-Help

“Then you know what “Resistance” is. This book is about that. Read it.” — via Website

On Writing Well

by William Zinsser

“Great blunt advice about writing better non-fiction. So inspiring.” — via Website

Playful Parenting

by Lawrence Cohen

“I’ve read many books on parenting, but this one is the best. It’s genius. My top recommendation for everyone with a kid age 1-13. Its point is that children communicate through play. So, to reach them: play!” — via Website

The Gardener and the Carpenter

by Alison Gopnik

“Great philosophy of parenting, from a grandmother who is a wise professor of philosophy and a developmental psychologist. Such a beautiful mindset and outlook. Required reading for every parent. Re-read it often as a necessary reminder.” — via Website

The Courage to Be Disliked

The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness

by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga · 2018 · Nonfiction

“Wow. A profound little philosophy book from Japan, communicating the psychology of Alfred Adler - a rival of Freud. Told as a conversation between an angry student and a patient teacher.” — via Website

You Can Negotiate Anything

by Herb Cohen

“Everything is negotiable. Challenge authority. You have the power in any situation. This is how to realize it and use it. A must-read classic from 1980 from a master negotiator.” — via Website

Waste Books

by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

“Tweets from 1765-1799 by a 4’9” hunchback physicist, friends with Goethe and Kant, admired by Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, etc. Such wonderful random thoughts, beautiful perspectives on thinking for yourself, observing nature, language, freedom, philosophy, religion, and more.” — via Website