Library

Library

I’ve read a lot of books, probably too many. I used to think reading a lot was the key to learning. It’s not.

Quantity of books doesn’t matter. The improvement it makes does - enjoyment, pleasure, knowledge, impact.

I’ve read more than are on this list, so if it’s on here, it’s for a reason.

Evolution, building our world, and how it works

  • The WEIRDest People in the World - The best explanation of why my way of life seems so weird and different compared to the rest of the world.
  • A Peoples History of the United States - The best history book about the true history of the USA, but not the one you know.
  • Guns, Germs, and Steel - The closest to complete explanation for why our modern world has evolved to have multiple societies, beliefs, and inequalities.
  • Sapiens - The scope of this book is as large as life itself. A must read for anyone curious about our species evolution and why we seem to have succeeded over others.
  • Homo Deus - A pragmatic examination of where we are heading as species, potential implications, and the phylisophical considerations.
  • The Better Angles of our Nature - When you think the world is horrible, filled with violence and death. This will change your mind, and your world view.
  • Factfulness - A dose of optimism for everyone thinking the world is bad or worse than before. The power of looking at real data sets from the right perspective.
  • Portfolios of the Poor - An examination of how the worlds poor people line on $2 a day.
  • The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism - An insiders sneak peak at one of the largest drains on our society and the problems it has caused.
  • Capitalism without Capital - An examination of the rise of the “intangible/digital” economy. How does our undertanding of what is needed for growth change?
  • The Future of Capitalism - Shows the challenges, anxieties and holes in the current form of Capitalism. Plots a course to navigate.
  • The Fourth Turning - History never repeats, but it sure does rhymes. Ryhmes so much, that you can see the same patterns over and over again.
  • Why Nations Fail - An indepth account of the Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
  • The Rise and Fall of Nations - Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World
  • The Changing World Order - Ray Dalio maps the brode history of the worlds economics for the last 1000+ years. It describes how and why nations succeed and fail.
  • How Democracies Die - Many nations have tried and failed at Democracy. A comprehensive account of some of the worst failures and common causes.
  • The Well-Tempered City - What Modern Science, Ancient Civilizations, and Human Nature Teach Us About the Future of Urban Life

Physics, The Universe, Biology, and The Scientific Method

  • Surely you’re joking Mr Feynman - trying to categorize this book as science doesn’t do it justice. It’s part science, part philosphy, part religion, part fun.
  • The Order of Time - The notion of “time” is perplexing. Not sure if reading this book helps or hurts, but it’s intellectually stimulating beyond belief.
  • Enlightenment Now - Top three book for me. Read it every year. The essential tool kit for living on earth, in our shared reality. ‘
  • Cosmos - The legendary book still holds true today. An amazing tale of the Pale Blue Dot we call home and where it sits among the cosmos.
  • Antifragile - The strongest argument that disorder is actually not something we should fight, but imbrace.
  • Seven Brief Lessons of Physics - The biggest ideas in Physics explained in a way that anyone can understand.
  • The Vital Question - Why life is the way it is, why did it evolve, can be traced back to Energy.
  • How to Avoid a Climate Disaster - Simple, clear, yet effective and most likely the right solutions to mitigating any more damage or reversing the damage we’ve already caused.
  • Life 3.0 - Maybe the most important conversation people love to avoid, hate to talk about. How will AI change our lives?

How we grow, use raw materials, and be productive

  • Harvesting the Biosphere - The real truth about what and how we take from Nature. Changes so many wrong previously held beliefs.
  • Making the Modern World - Resource consumption analysis, environmental studies, energy analysis, mineral geology, manufacturing, and material science.
  • Growth - A systematic investigation of growth in nature and society, from tiny organisms to the trajectories of empires and civilizations
  • Energy - Highlights the importance of energy in both past and present societies, by shedding light on the science behind global warming and efforts to prevent it.
  • The Power of Productivity - Wealth, Poverty, and the Threat to Global Stability
  • Men, Machines, and Modern Times - The nature of technological change, the fission brought about in society by such change, and society's reaction to that change

Cool stories from history

  • Barbarians at the Gate - A tale of ruthless and vicious the world of corporate mergers, acquisitions and high finance can be.
  • The Corporation That Changed the World - A tale of how the east indian company shaped the modern word.
  • Bad Blood - Insane, Crazy, Scary, and inspiring in some crazy way. I lived through it, now it will be a case study in business schools for decades.
  • High Output Management - Top 3 Books of all time. The world is a better, more productive place because of Andy Grove.
  • The Smartest Guys in the Room - When you think you’ve herd or seen the worst of the business world. These guys make the rest look like catholic saints.
  • Good to Great - Nothing I say does this book justice. It’s lessons stand today, even if some of the examples have come and gone.
  • Built to Last - The habits of productive organizations that want to last a long time.
  • The Grey Lady Winked - While about all the costly mistakes the New York Times has made, this book illuminates just how powerful controlling narratives is.
  • American King Pin - If you’re a business geek, like a crazy adventure, this is the book to read at night going to bed.
  • Business Adventures - Twelve amazing tales from the world of Wall Street. Some popular, some not so much, all have great wisdom.
  • Woke Inc - If you ever asked your self is “Heresy” back ? have we gone to far in our pursuit of justice ? this is the unpopular opposite view. A must read.
  • The New Tycoons - If you want to know where Private Equity came from, and how much it owns. Start here.
  • The Outsiders - 8 Tales that are quirky fun, and resulted in modern blueprints for success.
  • The Hard Thing about Hard Things - A first hand account about how sometimes there are no easy answers
  • Zero to One - A playbook for those who dream the biggest of us all.
  • Skunk Works - From the U-2, Stealth Fighter, to the SR-71 Blackbird, Skunk Works is the true story of America’s most secret and successful aerospace program. They we’re a small but mighty team, that accomplished the unthinkable at speeds never seen again.

Philosophy

  • Wanting - The clearest summary and interpretation of Rene Generads work on why we desire and want “anything”. The anwers changed my life.
  • Atlast Shrugged - Objectivism is the philosophy taught in this book. The lesson, it is a better way to live where you earn based on your contribution.
  • Walden - How to be present. Live in nature. Understand what is important to you, and the world around you.
  • How to Live - Sivers is one of my favorite authors. His style is what I love. The content here and the conclusion are a must read for anyone asking “why?”
  • The Real Hard Problem - Thousands of books on purpose, religion, spirtuality, and how to find meaning. This one is written for living in the modern world.
  • A Gentlemen in Moscow - It may be taught in schools one day. An essential set of life lessons told in an amazing, sad, but entertaining story.
  • Hell Yeah or No - Only read this book after you are 30 and have tried a lot of things. Only once you’ve hit a point where you say “I don’t have enough time in the day”
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People - Essential reading that should be taught in schools at a young age. A book I read every year to remind how to be a good human.
  • The Alchemist - A story that will likely be around in 1000 years. Packed with lessons that transcend all cultures, time, and religions.
  • The Fountainhead - Find your passion, perfect your craft, let no one stand in your way. Pursue Excellence.
  • Meditations - Lessons as old as time, that stand the test of time. How to derive meaning and purpose, how to be a great person, and live a good life.
  • Digital Minimalsim - Why choosing focus in a world filled with so much noise is a better way to live.
  • 21 Lessons for the 21st Century - A suto playbook for living in our modern world.
  • The Sovereign Individual - The strategies necessary to live adapt financially to the next wave of western civilization.

Science Fiction & Other Stuff I read for fun