Book Recommendations.
Occasionally, certain books profoundly impact my thinking. Higher ranked books are more universally good, while lower-ranked books were good for a particular purpose (or they're outright not amazing).
Meditations – ⭐ 10 / purchase
A semi-stoic guide to become a better human.
Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck – ⭐ 10 / purchase
Learn to prioritize what's important and be indifferent to the rest.
Man's Search for Meaning – ⭐ 10 / purchase
Endure life with an awesome sense of purpose.
As a Man Thinketh – ⭐ 9 / purchase
Find inner peace and happiness.
The Four Agreements – ⭐ 9 / purchase
Find inner peace.
The Alchemist – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
A story about manifesting your personal legend (ultimate purpose) through persistence.
The Mastery of Love – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
Overcome emotional wounds and practice love for the world.
The Power of Vulnerability – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
Lean into vulnerability and release yourself from a lifetime of shame and suffering.
Extreme Ownership – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
Improve your life by taking accountability for everything in it.
Shoe Dog – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
The story of Nike, and more abstractly, a vulnerable and captivating tale of launching a business.
Can't Hurt Me – ⭐ 8.5 / purchase
There are many mental limits that hold us back. When we push past these, the outcomes can be incredible.
Siddhartha – ⭐ 8 / purchase
A story of suffering and the path to nirvana.
Life Of Pi – ⭐ 8 / purchase
A fantastic take story and perspective on faith in a higher power.
How to Make Friends & Influence People – ⭐ 8 / purchase
The book that started my personal growth journey.
A Promised Land – ⭐ 8 / purchase
Such an interesting perspective on running the United States. Great storytelling.
The Body Keeps the Score – ⭐ 8 / purchase
A well-researched analysis of trauma and modern approaches for addressing it.
Obstacle is the Way – ⭐ 8 / purchase
A modern take on ancient stoicism.
Sapiens – ⭐ 8 / purchase
The history of humanity.
The Enchiridion – ⭐ 8 / purchase
A summary of the stoic teachings of Epictetus.
The Second Mountain – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
Live a life of commitment in relationship to others.
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
Be truly self-honest with how well you are leading, and open yourself to the possibility of improvement through conscious commitment to it.
When Breath Becomes Air – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
A true story about a man who faced death with integrity. This book made me cry.
The Bhagavad Gita – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
The Hindu reflection of a good life. Lot's of wisdom to be gleaned from it.
The Way of Integrity – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
Application of Dante's Divine Comedy and how it applies to modern integrity.
The War of Art – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
A great perspective on resistance and how (and when) to push through it.
Think and Grow Rich – ⭐ 7.5 / purchase
You can achieve whatever it is that you DESIRE if you have faith in your ability to achieve it and persistence in your execution of the DESIRE.
Think Like A Monk – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A reflection of the monk lifestyle.
12 Rules for Life – ⭐ 7 / purchase
As the title says.
The Elegance of The Hedgehog – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A beautiful story about life, meaning, and life's trivialities.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A hilarious and captivating exploration of absurdism.
Discourses of Epictetus – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Learn about stoicism and how it can help you become a better human.
The Richest Man in Babylon – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A guide to accumulating wealth.
Excellent Sheep – ⭐ 7 / purchase
The elite educational system has created a generation of individuals who do things not because they are virtuous, but because they are necessary (and this is bad because we think critically about ourselves and our values less often).
Beyond Order – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A thoughtful reflection of timeless human patterns distilled into a collection of rules to live by.
Tattoos on the Heart – ⭐ 7 / purchase
A beautiful account of one priests time practicing love for suffering humans (gang members).
Cultivating an Unshakeable Character – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Reflect on the components of your character.
How Will You Measure Your Life? – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Thoughtfully consider what you most value in life and embody those values within your career, personal life, and family dynamics.
Kaftka On The Shore – ⭐ 7 / purchase
The closest you will get to consciously dreaming... This book is a deep dive into the subconscious.
Essentialism – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Do less, but better.
Slaughterhouse-Five – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Death and war and a well-written novel.
The Stranger – ⭐ 7 / purchase
An introduction to absurdism. Good for those who want to understand nihilism without jumping deep into the pit.
The E-Myth: Revisited – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Systematization in critically important in business and in life.
The School Of Life: An Emotional Education – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Dives into psychology, culture, work, and relationships in an approachable way.
Influence: Science and Practice – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Learn how to market to anyone.
48 Laws of Power – ⭐ 7 / purchase
This book hurt my soul to read because it focuses primarily on politics and manipulation, but the information is important for understanding that part of humanity.
Sex At Dawn – ⭐ 7 / purchase
Learn about human mating behaviors.
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
This book covers a wide range of topics... it inspires me to write more.
Get Together – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
Learn how to build, grown, and sustain community from some of the best.
Crucial Conversations – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
Practicing empathy, minimizing negative storytelling, and becoming an effective communicator.
Principles – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
Simplify your life systems into a set of principles.
How to Be Perfect – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
A modern (and funny) reflection of moral philosophy. Would be rated higher if it was less opinionated/politically charged.
Zero to One – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
Successful startups create NEW things which add significant value. When you create new things, you have no (or far less) competition.
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine – ⭐ 6.5 / purchase
Simple and actionable tips for creating a sustainable and profitable business.
Never Split The Difference – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Learn to negotiate with empathy, and expand the pool of resources for everyone.
Iron John – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Deep exploration of mythopoetic masculinity. Using storytelling, symbolism, and mythology to communicate profound masculine ideas.
Supercommunicators – ⭐ 6 / purchase
How the worlds best communicators relate and connect.
Trillion Dollar Coach – ⭐ 6 / purchase
The Story of Bill Campbell and his unique approach to coaching the worlds most prominent leaders.
Chop Wood Carry Water – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A reminder to focus on the process and not the outcome.
The Art of War – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A collection of ancient war reflections that you can apply to your modern life.
The 4 Hour Work Week – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A practical approach to creating a fulfilling life supported by simple work.
Rework – ⭐ 6 / purchase
10x Rule – ⭐ 6 / purchase
It is your moral obligation to be as successful as possible.
Purple Cow – ⭐ 6 / purchase
An essential guide to value-driven marketing.
The Lean Startup – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Learn how to run a startup in the modern age.
Taming the Tiger Within – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A zen buddhist guide for translating fear into love.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – ⭐ 6 / purchase
High Performance Habits – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Stillness Is the Key – ⭐ 6 / purchase
The Surrender Experiment – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Surrender to the force of life. Let it take you like a river.
The Prince – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A guide for action in a political environment.
The State of Affairs – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Processing infidelity within a relationship.
Stealing Fire – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Deep dive into high performance and unlocking access to higher powers.
Anything You Want – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A story about running a startup and leading a good life.
Ego Is The Enemy – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Set aside your ego to find greater actualization of your ideal life.
Same As Ever – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A story about what always stays the same for humans.
The Way of the Superior Man – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Lean into life with love and passionately pursue your ultimate purpose at all costs.
The Virtue of Selfishness – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A completely different perspective on Truth, and where we should base our moral system.
The Masculine in Relationship – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Exploration of masculine characteristics (for men and women).
The Tactical Guide to Women – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A thoughtful and honest approach to evaluating romantic relationships.
The Third Door – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A story about the person power that comes with creating new options.
From The Core – ⭐ 6 / purchase
Exploration of masculinity.
Blitzscaling – ⭐ 6 / purchase
A practical guide to rapidly scaling a company.
The Untethered Soul – ⭐ 5 / purchase
Getting in touch with divinity within.
Lord of the Flies – ⭐ 5 / purchase
Humanity devolved into apehood.
The Storytelling Animal – ⭐ 5 / purchase
An exploration behind the psychology of storytelling.
The Science of Storytelling – ⭐ 5 / purchase
A practical guide to telling good stories.
The Effective Executive – ⭐ 5 / purchase
You're a Badass at Making Money – ⭐ 5 / purchase
Manifest what you want and you will get it.
How to Know A Person – ⭐ 5 / purchase
Candidly I spaced out while reading this... It's getting challenging to rank these books now.
Little Book of Circle Processes – ⭐ 5 / purchase
A guide to keeping indigenous talking & healing circles.
The Great Mental Models – ⭐ 5 / purchase
A set of frameworks for thinking about the world.
Models (Mark Manson) – ⭐ 5 / purchase
A guide to no-bullshit, zero game-playing, authentic dating
The $100 Startup – ⭐ 4 / purchase
Unfu*k Yourself – ⭐ 4 / purchase
The Go-Giver – ⭐ 4 / purchase
Rich Dad Poor Dad – ⭐ 3 / purchase
Start With Why – ⭐ 3 / purchase
This book is game changing for a lot of people. For me, I got the point after the first chapter. Perhaps it deserves a reread.