Rating: 9/10
The best book under 50 pages ever written. For any young professional, this book is a treasure chest of ideas for finding your strengths, weaknesses, values, and place where you can best contribute.
Rating: 10/10
The only book you need to read on building wealth and happiness in 2020. Dense, practical, and filled with wisdom, this is the best book I've read this year. If you apply every principle from this book, victory is guaranteed.
Rating: 7/10
A quick read on the importance of working, building, and learning in public. By sharing work you are already doing, you expose yourself to unlimited upside. By letting the world know what you're interested in, you attract like-minded people. This book is filled with examples of the unlimited upside that sharing your work unlocks.
Rating: 9/10
The only book you need to read on copywriting. Quick, entertaining, and a true pleasure to read. A great mix of practical life advice and actionable marketing, copywriting, and sales strategy.
Rating: 9/10
Simply a masterclass on marketing, selling, building, creating, and forming relationships. In 88 short, punchy chapters, Derek Sivers gives you everything you need to know to make it as a creator.
Rating: 8/10
The classic text on human relations. There’s nothing in here you haven’t heard of, but it’s a great reminder of the best ways to connect with people.
Rating: 10/10
We are what we repeatedly do. Our identity is derived from our constantly repeated systems, which are made up at the atomic level by our habits. The process of behavior change can be broken down into identifying and optimizing the cues that trigger our behavior, understand the biological or social drivers of this behavior, simplify the behavior so that it can be done with little friction or effort, and make the completion of the behavior intrinsically satisfying so as to be repeated. It is through constant evaluation, reflection, and upgrading our behavioral systems in each area of our lives that lead to long-term success.
Rating: 7/10
Timeless essays from Paul Graham on the early days of the internet, building wealth, starting startups, and the art and science of hacking. Few people pack more wisdom per word than Paul Graham.
Rating: 9/10
A captivating autobiography from legendary Disney CEO Bob Iger. Bob takes the reader through the ups and downs of his career, exploring the lessons he has learned along the way. Iger's path from a stage assistant at Capital Cities to the CEO of Disney is one of persistence, excellence, and creativity. The best parts are the behind-the-scenes looks at becoming CEO, acquiring Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilm, and Fox, and becoming best friends with Steve Jobs.
Rating: 8/10
A deep dive into the interaction between Western therapy and Eastern Buddhism. Bruce Tift explores how we can use the best of each of these practices to dramatically improve our awareness and the quality of our experience.
Rating: 9/10
A captivating memoir from renowned fiction-writer Haruki Murakami. Haruki eloquently connects his passion for running with his passion for writing and explores how these two are habits have shaped his life. The prose, word choice, and first-person writing style make for a delightful read.
Rating: 9/10
A compelling and practical read on committing to the fullness of our experience. Told through the lens of her personal journey and journey of those she has worked with, Tara Brach compassionately lays out a framework for engaging fully with our emotions.
Rating: 7/10
A journey on the spiritual enlightenment rollercoaster of a young Siddhartha. This short book will leave you a bit more relaxed, a bit more at ease, and a bit more grateful for the richness of life.
Rating: 8/10
A practical, no-bs book on developing the proper mindset for optimal performance. Gallwey describes the necessity of quieting our hyperactive Self 1 in order to let our naturally performing Self 2 function at its best. Packed with applications towards performance, behavior change, and mental focus, I highly recommend this one.
Rating: 10/10
Hands down the most impactful book I have read in the last two years. Recommended highly by Tim Ferriss, this book dives into a skill that is fundamental to living a satisfying life: awareness of our emotional state and inner voice. De Mello explores what it means to be truly aware, how we can become more aware, and how life changes once you are fostering perpetual awareness. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Rating: 7/10
Some practical thoughts on generating awareness of our emotional state. Gets a little far out there at times but the core message is solid — we can at any time make the choice to detach from the drama our mind makes up on a daily basis.
Rating: 9/10
A short read on and simple reminder that change can only be brought about from a point of initial self-acceptance. Change attempted out of contempt or spite for ourselves will always be unsustainable. This book provides a short framework for how we can improve our relationship with ourselves, something we could all use a little bit.
Rating: 10/10
My favorite of the classic Stoic texts (the others being Letters from a Stoic by Seneca and Discourses by Epictetus. The mental framework of Marcus Aurelius is second to none. I find myself returning to this book for advice more often than any other book I have read. One could spend days reflecting on each chapter in this book, the insight is quite dense.
Rating: 10/10
This short read provides an overview of everything you need to know about sleep — how to improve it, how to measure it, and how to experiment with it. The book is filled with practical, immediate takeaways you can implement today to improve your sleep. Once you begin to notice the benefits of quality sleep, it’s hard to go back. This book will help you get there.
Rating: 9/10
A motivating collection of short passages illustrating Navy Seal Jocko Willink’s approach to discipline. Quite simply, maintaining a standard of discipline in certain areas creates immense freedom in others. The book is divided into Jocko’s thoughts on discipline, mindset, and focus, while part two is a list of practical advice on diet, exercise, sleep, and recovery. He also includes a 12-week workout program at the end which is, in a word, insane.
Rating: 7/10
A deep dive into one of the most impactful people in Silicon Valley of whom most people haven’t heard. Bill Campbell started as a football player at Columbia, later became the head coach, went on to be CEO of Intuit, and finally became a trusted advisor to Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt, and many other Silicon Valley titans. This book takes the reader through his techniques for management and leadership, how he coached others and built trust, building teams, creating and fostering a quality workplace culture. Many practical ideas to bring into your workplace immediately.
Rating: 10/10
Exactly what the title seeks to convey: a brief history of humankind. Harari eloquently proceeds the reader through the development of humankind: the cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution, the unification of humankind, and finally the scientific revolution. Harari describes three forces that shaped human organization: money, religion, and imperialism. A book that will change the way you see human interaction, spark your curiosity in human development, and leave you questioning many of the establishments under which we live. Highly recommend.
Rating: 9/10
This short read details 12 lessons learned by Will and Ariel Durant in their chronicle of human history. From biology to economics to politics to competition, the authors illustrate the driving forces behind human organizational structures. A fascinating read that left me curious about studying economic, political, and philosophical history. Highly recommend.
Rating: 7/10
A fascinating read about the most profitable financial market participant in history. Insights into their process, Simons' long-winding road to becoming the most successful hedge fund manager in history, and an epic chronicle of Bob Mercer, the most influential person behind the Trump election.
Rating: 10/10
One of the more impactful books on my life. Ancient Stoic wisdom, a philosophical guide to handling life’s problems. Written as a series of letters, filled with pithy quotes by which to live.
Rating: 9/10
Resistance is the powerful, universally experienced force that keeps individuals from realizing their potential. The only way to overcome resistance is to go from being an Amateur to being a Professional. At any moment, you can decide to become a Professional and begin to defeat the Resistance— but the battle is fought every day.
Rating: 8/10
Every action we take is either aligned with our broader intention (traction) or misaligned (distraction). The root of distraction is the avoidance of pain, moving away from the Resistance. Only awareness of avoidance can lead to long term focus. Being Indistractable means we consistently do what we say we are going to do.