My favorite books and essays (most recently read listed first)
Check out these reading lists for more ideas on what to read next: Derek Sivers, Ryan Holiday, James Clear
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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear - by Elizabeth Gilbert
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole - by Susan Cain
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals - by Oliver Burkeman
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - by Yuval Noah Harari
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - by Simon Sinek
2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture - by Paul Akers
Lean principles applied to business and life. "Fix what bugs you." Free download.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - by James Clear
Goals are useful for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. Author link
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy - by David D. Burns
The central premise is that if you think better (by examining and cognitive distortions with more accurate thoughts), you'll feel better. A seminal work of Cognitive Therapy.
I Will Teach You to be Rich - by Ramit Sethi
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World - by Adam Grant
Learn how to generate, recognize, voice, and champion original ideas. Better manage your emotional states, spark ideas in a team, and nurture originality.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - by Susan Cain
Quiet is an antidote for society's fixation with sociability and extroversion. The book takes a tour through the wide-ranging research on introversion, demonstrating its underestimated upside – and how we need to adapt to take advantage of it.
Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life - by Ozan Varol
Through engaging stories to illustrate key concepts, Varol shares how to Launch, Accelerate, and Achieve. In Launch, we explore the topics of embracing uncertainty, reasoning from first principles, and thinking creatively. In Accelerate, we consider how we can improve our approach to problem solving. In Achieve, we learn how to respond to the flip-side outcomes of failure and success. Author link Notes
Being Peace - by Thich Nhat Hanh
This book shows how our state of mind and body can make the world a peaceful place. We learn to transform the very situations that pressure and antagonize us into opportunities for practicing mindfulness.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art - by James Nestor
This book is filled with great tips, exercises, and anecdotes. Breathing exclusively through my nose has been a game-changer for sleep, singing, and more. Author link
Essays - by Dean Schlecht
In addition to the essays, this psychotherapist provides meditation audio files that put your "active imagination" (a concept accredited to Carl Jung) to use. Author link
It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self - by Hilary Jacobs Hendel
The author teaches the "Change Triangle" methodology for processing emotions, calming, etc. Author link
Man's Search for Meaning - by Victor Frankl
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells his story of surviving a concentration camp and how this experience led to his theory on the importance of meaning in one’s life (Logotherapy). You can find meaning in work (by doing something significant), in love (by caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Notes
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection - by Michael Singer
A much needed perspective shift. Why expecting reality to conform to your desires is a guaranteed path to disappointment. Instead, saying yes to opportunities presented to you and learning to be neutral (or even happy) about events you normally would be displeased with. Author is very much into meditation and being in touch with your higher mind / deeper self. Author link
The Big Leap - by Gay Hendricks
Find your Zone of Genius. Conquer your self-imposed Upper Limits.
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers - by Tim Ferriss
is a massive compendium of everything Tim Ferriss has learned about health, wealth and wisdom from interviewing over 200 world-class performers on his podcast, The Tim Ferriss show. All about Tim Ferriss
7 Habits of Highly Effective People - by Stephen Covey
Habit 1: Be Proactive. Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind. Habit 3: Put First Things First. Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Habit 6: Synergize. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. Author link
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder - by Nassim Taleb
Eastern Body, Western Mind - by Anodea Judith
Effortless Mastery - by Kenny Werner
Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter - by Donald D. Palmer
Through the use of humor and nearly 400 drawings, charts, and diagrams, serious philosophical topics come alive for the reader without compromising the importance of the subject matter.
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World - by Williams and Penman
Outliers: The Story of Success - by Malcolm Gladwell
Solitude: A Return to the Self - by Anthony Storr
The Advancing Guitarist - by Mick Goodrick
The Breakout Principle: How to Activate the Natural Trigger That Maximizes Creativity, Athletic Performance, Productivity and Personal Well-Being - by Herbert Benson and William Proctor
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) - by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Music Lesson - by Victor Wooten
The Tipping Point - by Malcolm Gladwell
The War of Art - by Steven Pressfield
The Way of Zen - by Alan Watts
Zen Guitar - by Philip Toshio Sudo
Lovely and very quotable. May transform how you approach guitar and music.
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - by Barry Schwartz
Everyday decisions have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. TED Talk
Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations - by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Creative Quest - by Questlove
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness - by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Using examples from scientific studies and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, the author motivates us to engage in formal and informal meditation practices. These include sitting, scanning our bodies, gentle yoga, walking, and examining the stressors in our lives through the lens of wholeness.
Kill It with Fire: Manage Aging Computer Systems (and Future Proof Modern Ones) - by Marianne Bellotti
Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication - by Vanessa Van Edwards
Detox Your Thoughts: Quit Negative Self-Talk for Good and Discover the Life You've Always Wanted - by Andrea Bonior
Heart Breath Mind: Train Your Heart to Conquer Stress and Achieve Success - by Dr. Leah Lagos
10-week program to improve overall body functioning and reduce stress. This includes increasing heart rate variability (HRV), finding your resonant breathing frequency, and using exercises to reliably work through challenging emotions. Author link Notes
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - by Douglas Adams
How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self - by Dr. Nicole LePera
Life Loves You: 7 Spiritual Practices to Heal Your Life - by Robert Holden and Louise Hay
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter - by Liz Wiseman
The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change - by Camille Fournier
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph - by Ryan Holiday
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win - by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents - by Lindsay C. Gibson
Focusing - by Eugene Gendlin
In the same vein as It’s Not Always Depression. I really like the terminology the author uses. Author link
Can’t Hurt Me - by David Goggins
Daring Greatly - by Brene Brown
A Mathematician's Lament: How School Cheats Us Out of Our Most Fascinating and Imaginative Art Form - by Paul Lockhart
This strongly worded opinion piece is organized into two parts. The first part, "Lamentation", criticizes the way mathematics is typically taught in American schools and argues for an aesthetic, intuitive, and problem-oriented approach to teaching. The second part, "Exultation", gives specific examples of how to teach mathematics as an art. PDF
The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance - by Josh Waitzkin
The Coder's Apprentice: Learning Programming with Python 3 - by Pieter Spronck
Nice way to learn Python and programming. Free download.
The Desire Map - by Danielle LaPorte
The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? - by Seth Godin
The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers - by Will Durant
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life - by Jen Sincero
Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection - by A. J. Jacobs
Lean" strategy as demonstrated by the practices and success of the Toyota car company.
You Can Heal Your Life - by Louise Hay
All You Need to Know About the Music Business - by Donald S. Passman
As a Man Thinketh - by James Allen
Conversations with God - by Neale Donald Walsch
Experiences in Visual Thinking - by Robert McKim
Getting Things Done - by David Allen
Introducing Jung - by Maggie Hyde, Michael McGuinness, Richard Appignanesi
Music and the Mind - by Anthony Storr
Narcissus and Goldmund - by Hermann Hesse
Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies - by Romilla Ready and Kate Burton
Rational Mysticism: Spirituality Meets Science in the Search for Enlightenment - by John Horgan
Siddhartha - by Hermann Hesse
The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman - by Tim Ferriss
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich - by Tim Ferriss
The Meaning of Dreams - by Calvin Hall
The Power of Habit - by Charles Duhigg
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment - by Eckhart Tolle
The Prophet - by Kahlil Gibran
The Selfish Gene - by Richard Dawkins
The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism - by Fritjof Capra
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible - by A. J. Jacobs
Think Better: An Innovator's Guide to Productive Thinking - by Tim Hurson
Favorite chapter is on Divergent Thinking Tim Hurson talks about Productive Thinking | YouTube
This is Your Brain on Music - by Daniel J. Levitin
Thus Spoke Zarathustra - by Friederich Nietzsche
Why Beauty Is Truth: The History of Symmetry - by Ian Stewart
Guitar Technique - by Hector Quine
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain - by Oliver Sacks
Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting - by Jimmy Webb
Here and Now!: The Autobiography of Pat Martino - by Pat Martino
Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less - by Sam Carpenter
Your job is not to be a fire-killer. Your job is to be a fire-prevention specialist. Stop expending energy in the constant repair of the bad results that have been produced by your unseen and therefore unmanaged systems. Instead, spend your days observing and then managing the systems that are creating the results. Author link