9/10
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Phil Knight
The Nike founder's memoir of building a global brand from nothing—a story of near-bankruptcy, legal battles, and relentless pursuit of a crazy dream.
Book Notes
A working library of everything worth keeping.
Detailed notes on every book that earned a re-read. The point isn't a reading list — it's a place I return to when I need an idea I half-remember from somewhere.
8/10
The Setup by Dan Bilzerian
Dan Bilzerian
Dan Bilzerian's memoir of excess, military training, poker, and social media fame—an unapologetic look at pursuing pleasure and building an outrageous lifestyle.
8/10
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
An aging fisherman's battle with a giant marlin becomes a meditation on dignity, endurance, and what it means to be defeated but not destroyed.
8/10
Conspiracy by Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday
The true story of Peter Thiel's secret, decade-long plan to destroy Gawker Media through funding Hulk Hogan's lawsuit—a modern tale of power, revenge, and patience.
8/10
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Amor Towles
In 1938 New York, a chance encounter changes everything for Katey Kontent—a novel about class, ambition, and the choices that define who we become.
9/10
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
The Lost Generation wanders through 1920s Paris and Spain, seeking meaning through alcohol, bullfighting, and doomed love in the aftermath of World War I.
9/10
Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
Bea Johnson
The 5 Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot—can dramatically minimize household waste and simplify your life without sacrificing quality.
8/10
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
John Carreyrou
The true story of Theranos—how Elizabeth Holmes fooled investors, patients, and the world with blood-testing technology that never worked, and the reporters who exposed the fraud.
8/10
I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Ramit Sethi
Personal finance is 85% behavior, 15% knowledge—automate your money, spend guilt-free on what you love, and stop worrying about lattes.
8/10
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Richard Feynman
Nobel physicist Feynman's adventures in physics, art, safecracking, and bongo drums—a celebration of curiosity and unconventional thinking.
5/10
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Cal Newport
Intentional digital tool use—keeping only what truly serves your values and discarding the rest—is essential for a meaningful life in the age of attention engineering.
9/10
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
A cyberpunk classic that predicted the metaverse—Hiro Protagonist battles a virus that affects both computers and human minds in a privatized, fragmented America.
9/10
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink
Daniel Pink
Timing isn't an art—it's a science, and understanding the hidden patterns in our days, projects, and lives can dramatically improve decisions and performance.
8/10
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
Michael E. Gerber
This book argues that most small businesses fail because their owners think like technicians, not entrepreneurs, and shows how to build a systems-driven “franchise-style” business that serves your life instead of consuming it.
7/10
Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations by William McRaven
William H. McRaven
Lessons from 37 years in Navy special operations—stories of courage, leadership, and the human side of military service from the admiral who oversaw the Bin Laden raid.
8/10
Come Again by Nat Eliason
Nat Eliason
A novel exploring relationships, success, and finding yourself in the modern age of endless possibilities and social media comparison.
7/10
The Codfathers: Lessons from the Atlantic Business Elite by Gordon Pitts
Gordon Pitts
Lessons from Atlantic Canada's business elite—how entrepreneurs from a small region built global companies through grit, relationships, and maritime values.
6/10
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Robert M. Pirsig
A philosophical journey exploring Quality—what it means to care about your work and life, bridging the gap between rational analysis and romantic intuition.
8/10
Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman
Reeves Wiedeman
WeWork's spectacular implosion—how Adam Neumann convinced investors a real estate company was a tech company, raised billions, and crashed spectacularly before IPO.
7/10
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Amor Towles
Confined to a luxury hotel for decades by Bolshevik decree, Count Rostov discovers that a meaningful life can be built within any walls—it's the people, not the places.
6/10
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac
Mike Isaac
The inside story of Uber's rise and Travis Kalanick's fall—a cautionary tale about toxic culture, growth at all costs, and what happens when "hustle" goes too far.
5/10
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Gods live among us, brought by immigrants to America—but new gods of technology and media are rising, and a war between old and new is coming.
8/10
A Place of My Own by Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan
Building a small writing house becomes a meditation on architecture, craftsmanship, and what it means to create a space of one's own.
5/10
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk
A savage critique of consumerism and modern masculinity—when a depressed narrator meets Tyler Durden, everything he thought he knew about himself falls apart.
8/10
Lucifer's Banker by Bradley Birkenfeld
Bradley Birkenfeld
A Swiss banker turns whistleblower, exposing massive tax evasion at UBS—and the U.S. government's shocking response of prosecuting him while protecting the bank.
7/10
Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday
Creating work that lasts requires focusing on timeless ideas, obsessive quality, and relentless promotion—most marketing happens before you even start creating.
9/10
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque
Young German soldiers discover that the glory of war is a lie—what remains is mud, terror, and the systematic destruction of an entire generation.
8/10
The Trade-Off by Kevin Maney
Kevin Maney
Products must choose between fidelity (quality experience) and convenience (ease of access)—Kevin Maney explains why trying to be both usually fails, with examples from Netflix to Starbucks.
6/10
Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
Derek Sivers
Business can be an expression of your values and creativity—stay small, help people, and remember that it's about making you happy, not maximizing profit.
8/10
Trillion-Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg & Alan Eagle
Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg & Alan Eagle
Bill Campbell coached Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Google's founders with the same principles: people first, trust above all.
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