The books are sorted by grades (from 10 to 1), then by reading date. Use crtl+F (windows) or cmd+f (mac) to search by titles or authors.
Recommendation score:
- 10-9: read!
- 8-7: good
- 6-5: check if it's worth reading for you
- 4-3: probably irrelevant
- 2-1: felt like a waste of time
Perennial Seller
by Ryan Holiday
Score: 10/10
Powerful insights about building long-lasting work.
Maus
by Art Spiegelman
Score: 10/10
Maus is a masterpiece. It doesn't matter if you are not into graphic novels/comic books ⎯ I'm not. Just read it. Due to its visual nature, I didn't bring any highlights here.
Leonardo Da Vinci
by Walter Isaacson
Score: 10/10
Read it! It is a wonderful and inspiring look into Leonardo Da Vinci's curiosity, inner self, and pursuit of making exceptional stuff.
The Obstacle is The Way
by Ryan Holiday
Score: 10/10
I'm very into Stoicism, and it would be hard to measure its impact on my life. Ryan Holiday does a great job on this and other books he wrote ⎯ simplifying Stoicism and making it more relatable. I gifted (and keep gifting) this book to people.
Metaphors We Live By
by George Lakoff, Mark Johnson
Score: 10/10
A fascinating book about language and thought structures and how they interact with the reality around us.
Deep Work
by Cal Newport
Score: 10/10
It is relevant for those who want to develop intellectual depth and be more productive.
The Art of Learning
by Josh Waitzkin
Score: 10/10
An enlightening, inspiring, and beautiful journey about learning ⎯ one of the most relevant skills to cultivate.
Design-Driven Innovation
by Roberto Verganti
Score: 10/10
These are valuable perspectives for a bolder and more purposeful design, which may, at first sight, seem less user-centric. In addition to reading his books, I took classes and had conversations with Verganti. I love his work.
Mindwise
by Nicholas Epley
Score: 10/10
It is about our [in]ability to understand other people.
Flow
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Score: 10/10
One of the most important books I have ever read. It will help you reflect on what you do [or don't do] and give you valuable directions to build a better self.
Made to Stick
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Score: 9/10
Interesting insights for crafting impactful messages and campaigns.
The Design Way
by Harold Nelson, Erik Stolterman
Score: 9/10
A systemic and deep look at the design practice. I recommend it to anyone who has some experience with Design and wants to go deeper.
Unbeatable Mind
by Mark Divine
Score: 8/10
A pragmatic perspective to a more disciplined life. Even if you do not relate to [frequent] analogies and examples of warriors/warfare, the book can help you develop a more productive routine and ability to deal with stressful situations.
Nudge
by Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein
Score: 8/10
A good introduction about our power [and responsibility] to influence other people's behavior.
Walk Through Walls
by Marina Abramovic
Score: 8/10
I have greatly admired her life story, work, and perspectives ⎯ and, above all, her commitment to each goal she believed was worth pursuing.
Contagious
by Jonah Berger
Score: 8/10
Good insights to help spread products, messages, and ideas.
Hooked
by Nir Eyal, Ryan Hoover
Score: 8/10
It is about the mechanisms digital products use to lead us to form habits and addictions.
Complexity
by Melanie Mitchell
Score: 6/10
A more technical/number-oriented perspective on Complexity. It is interesting but not exactly the kind of content I was looking for.