Rated: 6/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Blink, Thinking, Fast & Slow

Gladwell posits that much of the success we see in the world is a result of our opportunities and history.

He links together a wide variety of topics, from why southerners get angry faster than northerners (in the US), to why Korean pilots suffered more crashes in the 1990s, and why Asians are better at math.

The key points can be summarized quickly, but it’s an entertaining and easy read.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), What Do You Care What Other People Think?

A funny, compelling read about the interesting life of a brilliant scientist and American.

No understanding of physics required, Feynman illustrates life lessons he’s learned through hilarious anecdotes that range widely from education, to building the atomic bomb, to drumming.

Rated: 6/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson

My (relatively) low rating isn't necessarily reflective of the principles in the book; those are obviously timeless and things everyone should know and practice.  That, rather, is the reason for the relatively low rating. 

I'd still recommend everyone read the book once - it's a quick read - but the principles inside won't likely modify your thinking to a great degree, or cause a large shift in your perspective. 

Rather, they're things that should be obvious, and can be summarized fairly effectively as they are below.

Rated: 6/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: The Design of Everyday Things, Universal Principles of Design

This is a relatively easy read from John Maeda, who was a professor at the MIT Media Lab, before becoming President at the Rhode Island School of Design and then venturing into the corporate world.

The book itself presents laws he has created for simplifying both your life, and the things you may work on or design.

The laws presented are useful, and the book is short.  However, most of the core, actionable content could have been presented in a long blog post.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

Overall the book is focused on a relatively simple premise: those who have the courage to make rigorous choices between high-fidelity and high-convenience do better than those who make no clear and rigorous choices.

It's a relatively quick read, and lays out some of the details surrounding this theory, but it gives a good framework for thinking about where you are going to fit into a given market, and what you need to seek when developing a product roadmap.

Rating: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Founders Fund

Thiel presents his rules for contrarian thinking and startups.  

I consider this one of the most important books for startup founders, and while it might be a bit less actionable than something like the Lean Startup, it provides some deeper questions, principles, and methods of thinking about the business that will last much longer.

It’s one of those books that you will continually come back to for reference when you have questions during your journey as an entrepreneur.

Rated: 10/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Siddhartha, Steppenwolf

A classic tale of a boy growing to adulthood, struggling with good and evil, and with superficial ideals.

I hadn’t enjoyed a novel this much in a long time. I found it particularly compelling given that I related so well, yet it was published in a much different time period (1919).

It also contains what is probably the best description of a hangover I will ever read.

Rated: 10/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Man’s Search for Meaning, The Alchemist

The book details the journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha. Siddhartha seeks different experiences in life, and learns more about himself and the world as he does so.

I read Siddhartha in high school, and it’s one of my favourite books. The universal theme is relevant for all, and I discover something new each time I read it.

It is short, and there’s always more to learn about the underlying themes, which are built upon teachings of both Hindu and Buddhist texts.  I re-read it at least once a year.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Atomic Habits, How to Change Your Mind

The most comprehensive and compelling book on sleep I have ever read.

I am becoming convinced (aided by this book) that being able to sleep well is a huge advantage in life. This book is likely to convince you of the same.

It is a summary of scientific research on sleep to date, providing insight on how sleep affects cognitive and physical performance in both the short and long term, and what you can do improve your own sleep (which often involves avoiding things causing bad sleep).

Recommended for everyone, as sleep affects us all.

Rated: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Fluent Forever website

Easily the best book about language learning I've ever read.  I've tried multiple resources and methods to improve my own language skills in the past, and none of them came close to being this precise and actionable.  I'll be using the techniques described over the coming months.  Would highly recommend for anyone, new beginner or advanced alike.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Principles, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

The most extraordinary part of this book is that an individual like Bill Campbell - who coached many of the top founders in the Valley simultaneously, including Steve Jobs and the Google cofounders - actually existed.

The management principles are solid, and woven nicely into the story of Bill’s life, which makes the book easy to read. 

Aligns well with Principles.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: The 50th Law, The Art of Seduction, Mastery

An outstanding book that will no doubt remain a classic for a long time.  48 Laws of Power details the laws for attaining power in life, business, and more, and gives historical examples of each law in practice, as well as examples of those who do not respect these laws.

A book I will continue to go back and reference.  Those who are cynical may see some of the laws as manipulative, and some are. That said, they are all grounded in the reality of human nature, and it's more important to understand them, and then choose how, when, and which to apply, than to just remain ignorant of them and refuse to acknowledge they exist.

A long read, but well worth it and entertaining throughout.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Zero to One - Peter Thiel

This is the kind of book you refer back to throughout your life in business, and I think it has the most relevance for a) an entrepreneur who is scaling up, and building a large organization, or b) someone already working in a large organization, managing a relatively large department and therefore number of people.

Very actionable advice in many areas, and certainly well thought out and methodical. Definitely recommend, just keep in mind the ideal reader profiles above.

Rating: 7/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual

Jocko and Leif are both highly-disciplined former SEALs who are now successfully applying the lessons they learned in the military and combat to the corporate world.  

In this book he shares those principles, along with both combat and corporate examples on how they are applied.

Solid book, and if you have any interest in SEALs or combat, you’ll find the book interesting just for the stories that are told.  If you’re just interested in the leadership principles, you can fairly quickly skim through and get them from the final conclusions of each chapter.  

Rated: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: Mastery, The Art of Learning

One of the most innovative books about learning I've read, focusing almost solely on maximizing our innate ability to learn intuitively.

Though this is specifically about tennis, and uses tennis for examples throughout, the lessons can be applied in learning almost anything, especially things which involve physical skill.

Rated: 10/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: The 50th Law, The Art of Seduction, 48 Laws of Power

One of my favourite books ever.  The best book I’ve ever read on how to master a craft, and full of great advice on how to navigate life, your career, and learning, on your path to achieving some level of mastery in your field.

The book details every step along the way from figuring out what it is you’re meant to do - your “Life’s Task” - to how to learn quickly, and the necessary auxiliary skills (ex: Social Intelligence) to succeed.

Highly recommend the book for anyone seeking to figure out their career, how to learn best, and ultimately, how to become successful.

Rated: 3/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Mark Manson's blog, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

I like Mark Manson. I enjoyed The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, and I enjoy his blog.

I couldn’t, however, finish this book. I think it’s the style of writing. It’s colloquial to the point of being annoying, and overstuffed with his trademark "f*ck"s.

The notes below are those I added while skimming through the book.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: The Art of Thinking Clearly, Thinking, Fast & Slow

Rolf Dobelli, who also wrote The Art of Thinking Clearly, lays out 52 rules for a good life.

The rules are adopted from three primary sources: psychology research, Stoicism, and investment literature, particularly that of Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett.

Good book with important rules. Some may be familiar for those who are already well-read on the primary sources, but a worthwhile compilation nonetheless. 

If you are unfamiliar with the primary research, both this and The Art of Thinking Clearly are a great introduction.

Rating: 10/10  |  Available at: Amazon  | Related: Tribe of Mentors, 4-Hour Workweek

This book is derived from many episodes and interviews of The Tim Ferriss Show, and includes information on a huge variety of topics, including productivity, athletic training, psychedelics, life extension, and more.

The amount of information is staggering.  One of the common criticisms is that it isn’t organized thematically, but I think the intended use of the book is for someone to pick and choose their favourite parts, and refer back when needed.  For this purpose, I think it’s fantastic. Highly recommend for (literally) everyone.

Rated: 10/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Principles, Tribe of Mentors

A book that has had a large impact on how I think and approach problems.  Formatted after Ben Franklin’s yearly publication of advice, Munger lays out all sorts of things, from clear investing principles, to an introduction to mental models and how more people should be thinking with interdisciplinary tools.

Particularly relevant for those interested in business and finance, but as he makes clear in many of his speeches (transcripts included in the book), it should be relevant for all, from lawyers to economists.  Highly recommend.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: 12 Rules for Life, Principles - Ray Dalio

Often ranked among the most meaningful books for many, it’s fairly obvious why - the account of Frankl’s time in a concentration camp is both horrific and impossible to stop reading.

His own work in developing logo-therapy is interesting as a result; perhaps the most interesting learning is the flipping of the typical “finding life’s purpose” into recognizing that “each man is questioned by life”.

The book offers a prescription for finding one’s meaning in life, from someone who has seen the worst of it.  A short, worthwhile read.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: 12 Rules for Life, Tribe of Mentors

An easy read, a mix of psychology research and anecdotal experience, and touches on all the key points of how to live in your twenties.  I found lots of instances where I’ve had the same thought patterns as her patients, which made it extremely relevant.

Recommended for anyone in their late teens, twenties, or parents with kids around that age group, as it will be invaluable for both.  I’ll be gifting it to lots of my friends in the near future.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: 12 Rules for Life, Tribe of Mentors

A fascinating book with an extraordinary amount of information.  It’s difficult to get through because of the sheer quantity of information, but worth reading for Part 1 and 2 alone (focused on Life Principles).

Part 3 is the complete list of principles based around running Bridgewater, and is mostly relevant for running a large (or at least, not small) organization, so may be of limited use to some.  

Would certainly recommend reading the first two parts in detail, and then investigating only the rules you find interesting in Part 3.  Overall, a practical guide to both life and running an organization, and a brief look into the mind of one of the world’s top performers.

Rated: 6/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Principles

I really struggled to come up with a rating for this book.  Ultimately, the rating I gave it (8/10), is a reflection of the good information that is in the book, of which there is a lot.  However, the poor organization and flow tempted me to rate it much lower.

Overall, there are great sections, and a large amount of information in the book.  In my opinion, the organization just makes it far too difficult to actually absorb it.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Mark Manson's blog, 12 Rules for Life, Principles

This book doesn’t reveal anything mind-blowing, but what Mark is good at is stating obvious things, reframing, and generally shaking people up with some language.

This is typically a book I recommend to people when they’re stuck in a rut, just had a breakup, etc.  I’d suggest you pick it up if you’re in a similar situation.  If you want to go a bit deeper, you can read some older philosophy, but this is a much easier read.

Rating: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon  | Related: Tools of Titans

I liked this book, though I didn’t find it as useful as Tools of Titans, and it’s not really comparable to the 4H series of books.  Short tidbits of advice from some amazing people.

It's a good book to pick up and read a few interviews when you’re looking for some motivation or having trouble with a big question, and there are some trends that can be extracted.  

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Mark Manson's blog, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, The Truth

In typical Mark Manson (who is known for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck), this is a no-BS guidebook for men on dating.

More actionable than something like The Art of Seduction and less manipulative than The Game, I’d recommend for anyone looking to up their attractiveness and success with women without resorting to weird techniques or essentially becoming an actor.

One of the most applicable books I’ve read on love and dating.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: To Sell is Human, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

I was initially skeptical about this book (mostly due to the title), but I was pleasantly surprised.

This book is a concise, clear, actionable handbook for everyone from small-business owners to high-growth technology startup founders.  It lays out exactly how to go about positioning a company, creating marketing systems to sustain growth, and ultimately build a company that can run by itself.  

It’s not as in-depth as others, but is a great overview.  Recommended.

Rated: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon  |  Related: The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy

I’m a big fan of Ryan Holiday in general, and this book didn’t disappoint.  I think it’s one of his most well thought-out, and it certainly resonated with me.  I put it up with his best books.  

Generally an instruction manual for exactly what the title says: “Making and Marketing Work that Lasts”.  It’s one of his most actionable books, going into detail about the pre-, during and post-process of creating great work.  

Definitely worth reading for any entrepreneurs, creators or artists alike.

Rating: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon  | Related: 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

I should have read this sooner - the principles are timeless, and it’s a quick, easy book to finish. 

The rules are concise, and anytime you undertake any marketing or sales activities, this book provides the set of rules by which you should evaluate those activities.

Definitely recommended reading for any CEO/salesperson/marketer.

Rated: 6/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Shop Class as Soulcraft, Siddhartha

Pirsig details his theory about what defines good, or in his terminology, “Quality”. He tells it as a series of smaller philosophical discussions, taking place during a motorcycle road trip he takes with his son and another couple through Western America.

I liked the details about motorcycle maintenance. I liked the travel writing. I also liked the discussion of the value of technology, and the differences between “classical” and “romantic” approaches to life. I did not like the philosophy, which unfortunately takes up the majority of the book.

I suspect it’s mostly due to my general dislike of philosophy, save for that which is direct and actionable (ie. Stoicism). The book has been popular for over 40 years.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Perennial Seller, The Obstacle is the Way

A relatively quick read of historical examples and Stoic philosophy for living a successful life, particularly through your work.

Good when you need some motivation, or to keep yourself grounded.

Rated: 10/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: The Black Swan, Skin in the Game

An excellent book that has influenced my thinking more than almost any other, and continues to be a reference I go back to. This book builds on The Black Swan.

Taleb puts forward evidence and definitions for fragility, robustness and antifragility, and explains where they apply in life, and why you want to strive for antifragility.  Great for improving contrarian thinking.

Rated: 8/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Perennial Seller, The 50th Law

A fascinating book, despite being a self-admitted departure from Ryan Holiday’s usual writing. 

I listened to this as an audiobook, which I think is the best way for this particular book.  The story itself is fascinating - a modern conspiracy actually carried to fruition, but the questions it brings up are even better:

• What would it look like if more people planned, took deliberate action, to accomplish a goal?
• What if more people took action to change the world behind the scenes, instead of talking about it?
• Immaculate contingency planning, humility, and resources can bring great results.  Where can I incorporate these tactics in my own life?

Overall, a fun departure from typical non-fiction that I very much enjoyed.  Would certainly recommend, and as I mentioned, I’d suggest the audiobook.

Rated: 10/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Skin in the Game, Antifragile, Fooled by Randomness

One of the most impactful books I’ve ever read.  Overall, the books of the Incerto have changed my thinking on a number of topics, but this book has probably had the largest impact.

Essentially, the book is all about "how to convert knowledge into action and figure out what knowledge is worth”.  What that really means is an in-depth examination of where in our world we apply false, naive models (typically Gaussian, or bell-curve type models), and the impact they can have.

It goes further, to talk about how we can reduce the number of these occurrences by alternative prediction methods (using fractal distributions) and mitigating our exposure to true Black Swans, which are "outliers of extreme impact", or “unknown unknowns”.

Rated: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: Antifragile, The Black Swan, Fooled by Randomness

Skin in the Game is Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s (NNT) fifth book in what he calls the Incerto, and it’s the most digestible I’ve read thus far (having read all but Fooled by Randomness).  This one focuses more on asymmetry (and symmetry) in everyday life, particularly on the matters of career, ethics, and life in general.

What does that mean?  Basically, rules for how to detect if something is pseudo-science (scientism), rules for how you should endeavour to conduct yourself in your career in business, and mental models for thinking about risk in these categories and in life in general.

Having now read most of his books, part of the reason this was digestible was that I’m familiar with his general premises; I would recommend reading his other books first, but this one will tie them together.  Highly recommend.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Atomic Habits, Thinking, Fast and Slow

Until reading James Clear’s Atomic Habits, this was the best book on habit formation (and breaking) I had read.

Duhigg clearly describes the research behind habit formation, as well as breaking down habits into clear parts. He then uses this to teach how we can successfully form new habits by substituting components.

No doubt some of these ideas informed James’s book as well.

I would read Atomic Habits first, but if you want another perspective, you’ll gain valuable insight from this book as well.

Rated: 9/10  |  Available at: Amazon |  Related: The Black Swan, Thinking, Fast & Slow

A fantastic book summarizing a variety of biases that affect our thinking and decision-making.

Dobelli leans heavily on people like Kahneman, Taleb, and others to build this extensive list (99 items!) of things to watch out for.

Well worth the read, and will likely require revisiting when making decisions.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: To Sell is Human, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Pink uses a variety of psychological research and case studies to show that pure monetary incentives are no longer the best way to motivate people.

Instead, particularly for jobs which require problem solving (without a clear path to solution), we should aim to increase intrinsic motivation. To accomplish this, we should focus on providing opportunities for autonomy, mastery and purpose.

A fascinating book that has many implications for today’s knowledge economy. One of the most useful parts of the book is the models and summaries provided at the end. Skip to those to get the main points.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Deep Work, Mastery

A fantastic book that brings together research on “flow” states to craft a story (and actionable suggestions) on how we can all become happier with work and life.

I continue referring back to this book, and it blends well with many other books, like Deep Work, or Mastery.  Heavily cited by other authors, it will force you to think about how you structure your life and the activities you pursue.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Influence, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)

This is a widely-cited, occasionally mind-bending work from Daniel Kahneman that describes many of the human errors in thinking that he and others have discovered through their psychology research.

This book has influenced many, and can be considered one of the most significant books on psychology (along with books like Influence), in recent years. Should be read by anyone looking to improve their own decision-making, regardless of field (indeed, most of the book is applicable throughout daily life).

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: The Power of Habit

Fantastic book.  Everything a good book should be: concise, clear, and actionable.

This is the best book on habit formation I have read, and will no doubt be a resource I continue to come back to.  James does an excellent job of providing all the required planning resources to go along with the book.

Recommend for everyone who is trying to change and build new habits (ie. pretty much everyone).

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Poor Charlie’s Almanack, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)

A fantastic overview of some of the most common psychological principles that rule our decision-making and lead us to poor results.  This book has been cited by many, and forms the basis of many of the “mental models” frequently used by people such as Charlie Munger.

A valuable read for those wishing to improve their objectivity and thinking, as it will allow you to identify the most common psychological errors we all make in daily life.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Drive, To Sell is Human

Pink’s latest book is all about the science of timing, and what scientific studies have shown in terms of how to time our days, and our lives.  It’s concise, and relevant to everyone.

One of the best parts about this book is how actionable the content is - he presents the science and studies, and then provides a “Time Hacker’s Handbook” for each chapter with resources on how to apply the lessons to your own life.

Highly recommend the book, and I’ll be making some changes to my own life using the content I learned here.

Rated: 6/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: To Sell is Human, SNAP Selling

Good introduction to sales techniques.  Downside is it may be a little outdated, or specific to certain situations.

Still definitely worth reading for any entrepreneur or sales executive.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: To Sell is Human

A great read for anyone involved in sales, though particularly for those in a B2B (business-to-business) environment. 

Konrath’s description of the new “frazzled” customer is very accurate, and her strategies for dealing with them are specific and actionable.  

Essentially a step-by-step guide for those involved in sales that will be helpful for those just starting out and those with lots of sales experience alike.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Drive, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Daniel Pink starts by showing that a surprisingly large portion of the workforce is engaged in “moving others” (aka selling) in some form, and that we all constantly do this in our lives. The rest of the book discusses how we can improve this skill, which, given how much we use it, is extremely important.

I haven’t yet had the chance to go through all the suggested exercises, but I enjoyed the book and found it useful. It breaks down several myths about selling that cause most of us (myself included) to view “sales” as something negative, and there’s a lot of actionable advice about how to improve our own selling.

I picked the book up originally to help me professionally, and it did, but almost the entire book can be applied to improving our own personal interactions. Definitely recommend, regardless whether you’re directly in sales or not.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Dreyer’s English, On Writing Well

An entertaining mix of autobiography & guide to writing. More focused on fiction than other writing guides, and easier to read.

Lighter on writing and grammar rules, but useful because King shows that many of the commonly held beliefs about writing fiction can be ignored.

Rated: 9/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: On Writing, Dreyer’s English

The best book on writing non-fiction I have read. Where Dreyer’s English and The Elements of Style focus on grammar and words, On Writing Well goes deeper and covers specific genres, composition, interviewing, and more. 

If I had to recommend one book on how to write non-fiction well, this would be it.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: On Writing, On Writing Well

As entertaining as a deep book about words and grammar can be.

What I enjoyed most about this book is that it portrays language as a series of choices, a grayscale, rather than the typical black-and-white rules we are given. Dreyer does a great job discussing when and why some choices are made, and then suggesting a course. This context gives much better understanding than most grammar lessons.

Not for those who are casually interested in writing - read Stephen King’s On Writing instead. Excellent for those who seriously want to improve their understanding of English.

Rated: 8/10 | Available at: Amazon | Related: Cashvertising, The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

A classic in the world of copywriting, this is a short, easy read full of both advertising and life wisdom.

It’s written as a series of letters from successful copywriter Gary Halbert to his son (Halbert is in prison at the time), and is itself an example of great writing.

A book you re-read over and over.