Naval Ravikant
238 Books recommended by Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant is an Indian-American entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder, chairman and former CEO of AngelList. He has invested early-stage in over 200 companies including Uber, FourSquare, Twitter, Wish.com, Poshmark, Postmates, Thumbtack, Notion, SnapLogic, Opendoor, Clubhouse, Stack Overflow, OpenDNS, Yammer, and Clearview AI, with over 70 total exits and more than 10 Unicorn companies.Ravikant is a Fellow of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship.
Naval Ravikant's favorite books
Sapiens
Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari
ScienceNew York Times Bestseller A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.
“Sapiens is the best book of the last decade I have read”
Aug 8, 2015 — Source
The Black Swan
The Black Swan
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Business & EconomicsForecastingIn the author's point of view, a black swan is an improbable event with three principal characteristics - It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate opportunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the 'impossible'.
“Good books are worth re-reading. Great books are worth re-buying.”
Jun 23, 2019 — Source
The Rational Optimist
The Rational Optimist
Matt Ridley
Business & EconomicsFor two hundred years the pessimists have dominated public discourse, insisting that things will soon be getting much worse. But in fact, life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down all across the globe. Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people's lives as never before. In his bold and bracing exploration into how human culture evolves positively through exchange and specialization, bestselling author Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. An astute, refreshing, and revelatory work that covers the entire sweep of human history—from the Stone Age to the Internet—The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.
“The most brilliant and enlightening book I've read in years.”
Sep 10, 2010 — Source
Thing Explainer
Thing Explainer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,Randall Munroe
Have you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses line drawings and only the thousand (or, rather, "ten hundred") most common words to provide simple explanations for some of the most interesting stuff there is, including: food-heating radio boxes (microwaves) tall roads (bridges) computer buildings (datacenters) the shared space house (the International Space Station) the other worlds around the sun (the solar system) the big flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates) the pieces everything is made of (the periodic table) planes with turning wings (helicopters) boxes that make clothes smell better (washers and dryers) the bags of stuff inside you (cells) How do these things work? Where do they come from? What would life be like without them? And what would happen if we opened them up, heated them up, cooled them down, pointed them in a different direction, or pressed this button? In Thing Explainer, Munroe gives us the answers to these questions and so many more. Funny, interesting, and always understandable, this book is for anyone--age 5 to 105--who has ever wondered how things work, and why.
“A great book.”
— Source
A Cultural History of Physics
A Cultural History of Physics
Károly Simonyi
MathematicsWhile the physical sciences are a continuously evolving source of technology and of understanding about our world, they have become so specialized and rely on so much prerequisite knowledge that for many people today the divide between the sciences and the humanities seems even greater than it was when C. P. Snow delivered his famous 1959 lecture, "The Two Cultures." In A Cultural History of Physics, Hungarian scientist and educator Károly Simonyi succeeds in bridging this chasm by describing the experimental methods and theoretical interpretations that created scientific knowledge, from ancient times to the present day, within the cultural environment in which it was formed. Unlike any other work of its kind, Simonyi’s seminal opus explores the interplay of science and the humanities to convey the wonder and excitement of scientific development throughout the ages. These pages contain an abundance of excerpts from original resources, a wide array of clear and straightforward explanations, and an astonishing wealth of insight, revealing the historical progress of science and inviting readers into a dialogue with the great scientific minds that shaped our current understanding of physics. Beautifully illustrated, accurate in its scientific content and broad in its historical and cultural perspective, this book will be a valuable reference for scholars and an inspiration to aspiring scientists and humanists who believe that science is an integral part of our culture.
“Recommended on twitter”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
Antifragile
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Business & EconomicsShares insights into how adversity can bring out the best in individuals and communities, drawing on multiple disciplines to consider such topics as the superiority of city states over nation states and the drawbacks of debt.
“Good books are worth re-reading. Great books are worth re-buying.”
Jun 23, 2019 — Source
Ficciones
Ficciones
Jorge Luis Borges
Fiction“Borges’s composed, carefully wrought, gnarled style is at once the means of his art and its object—his way of ordering and giving meaning to the bizarre and terrifying world he creates: it is a brilliant, burnished instrument, and it is quite adequate to the extreme demands his baroque imagination makes of it . . . . Absolutely and most vividly original.”—Saturday Review The seventeen pieces in Ficciones demonstrate the gargantuan powers of imagination, intelligence, and style of one of the greatest writers of this or any other century. Borges sends us on a journey into a compelling, bizarre, and profoundly resonant realm; we enter the fearful sphere of Pascal’s abyss, the surreal and literal labyrinth of books, and the iconography of eternal return. More playful and approachable than the fictions themselves are Borges’s Prologues, brief elucidations that offer the uninitiated a passageway into the whirlwind of Borges’s genius and mirror the precision and potency of his intellect and inventiveness, his piercing irony, his skepticism, and his obsession with fantasy. To enter the worlds in Ficciones is to enter the mind of Jorge Luis Borges, wherein lies Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.
“His short story collection Ficciones, or Labyrinths, is amazing”
Sep 2, 2018 — Source
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
Alan Moore
Comics & Graphic NovelsThe seminal graphic novel masterpiece V For Vendetta is available in this new deluxe edition, featuring an essay from writer Alan Moore, sketches from artist David Lloyd and other bonus material! A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V For Vendetta takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet. In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil. Written by one of the greatest scribes in the history of the medium, Alan Moore, V For Vendetta is considered not only one of the most important graphic novel works ever, but also one of the great works in fiction. V For Vendetta 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition brings the groundbreaking title back into hardcover for the first time in years.
“The book is genius, a cogent defense of anarchy.”
Aug 16, 2016 — Source
Lord of Light
Lord of Light
Roger Zelazny
FictionEarth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons. Lord of Light.
“Highly recommend”
Jul 17, 2018 — Source
Transmetropolitan
Transmetropolitan
Warren Ellis
Comics & Graphic NovelsWorking as an investigative reporter for the newspaper The Word, Spider Jerusalem attacks the injustices of his surreal 21st-century surroundings. Spider ventures into the dangerous Angels 8 district, home of the TransientsÑhumans who have decided to become aliens through cosmetic surgery. And donÕt miss SpiderÕs confrontation with the president of the United States...in a menÕs room. Plus, when Spider tries to shed light on the atrocities of these institutions, he finds himself fleeing a group of hit men/kidnappers in possession of his ex-wifeÕs frozen head. Collects TRANSMETROPOLITAN #1-12!
“Naval top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
The Diamond Age
The Diamond Age
Neal Stephenson
Humorous storiesA new look for cult author Stephenson's unstoppable sci-fi classicThe future is small. The future is nano . . .And who could be smaller or more insignificant than poor Little Nell - an orphan girl alone and adrift in a world of Confucian Law, Neo-Victorian values and warring nano-technology?Well, not quite alone. Because Nell has a friend, of sorts. A guide, a teacher, an armed and unarmed combat instructor, a book and a computer: the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is all these and much much more. It is illicit, magical, dangerous.And it isn't Nell's. It was stolen. And now some very powerful people want to get their hands on this highly desirable object. Nell is about to discover that the world can feel very small indeed . . .Neal Stephenson is the author of the three-volume historical epic 'The Baroque Cycle' (Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World) as well as the novels Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age (winner of a Hugo Award), Snow Crash, Zodiac, Anathem and Reamde. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
“Great book.”
Dec 29, 2015 — Source
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare
Jed McKenna
BodyMind & SpiritGuns and bombs are children's toys. A true war wages, and you're invited. IT'S AN INVITATION you may not be able to accept if you want to, or decline if you don't. It's an invitation to fight in a war like no other; a war where loss is counted as gain, surrender as victory, and where the enemy you must face, an enemy of unimaginable superiority, is yourself. In Spiritual Warfare, the metaphor of warfare rarely appears. Instead, we are presented with the living reality of a very normal woman - a wife and mother with a demanding career and high-stress lifestyle - and we see what happens when she receives an invitation that, try as she might, she can't refuse. And we meet another woman, a woman who accepted the invitation and fought and won. In the closing chapters of this book, we attend her memorial service as Jed delivers her eulogy. Spiritual Warfare issues a damning and irrefutable indictment of its own audience and genre, putting spirituality and religion themselves on trial. A terrible crime is being committed against humanity, a crime of oppression and subjugation far beyond Orwell's 1984. We are the victims of this crime, but we are also its perpetrators. Our motive is fear, our sin is ignorance, and the chain in which we enslave ourselves is belief. "Belief means not wanting to know what is true." -Friedrich Nietzsche Spiritual Warfare is a book for those who do want to know; people who want to escape from their dark asylum and experience a direct and authentic spirituality; people for whom it's time to look, to think, to know, and, at long last, to put away childish things.
“They’re worth reading.”
Nov 4, 2019 — Source
Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment
Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment
Jed McKenna
Spiritual lifeSpiritually Incorrect Enlightenment Isn't One Kind of Enlightenment - It's the Only Kind THE MARK OF A TRUE MASTER is that he can express a subject of the utmost complexity with uncanny simplicity. Jed McKenna is such a master, and spiritual enlightenment is his subject. His first book, Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing, was an instant classic and established him as a spiritual teacher of startling depth and clarity. Now, his second book, Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment, takes us on a fascinating tour of the enlightened state - what it is and what it's not, who's there and who's not, how to get there and how to get somewhere better. Delightful surprises abound, including the dramatic unveiling of perhaps the greatest spiritual masterpiece of all time - long hidden in plain view and well known to all. Whitman, Melville, Thoreau, Mark Twain and U.G. Krishnamurti all appear, and a student from the first book returns to share her Spiritual Autolysis journals. Also surprising are the author's gentle efforts to guide the reader away from enlightenment toward a more desirable and accessible state. Failing to fetch me at first, keep encouraged, Missing me one place, search another, I stop somewhere, waiting for you. - Walt Whitman Jed McKenna's books aren't for everyone. They're for people who are tired of the spiritual merry-go-round and ready to confront the unadorned reality of the awakening process. If you like your teachers with all the spiritual trimmings and trappings, Jed may not be right for you, but when you're ready to jump off the merry-go-round and begin your journey, Jed McKenna is the guy you want to see standing there, waiting for you.
“They’re worth reading.”
Nov 4, 2019 — Source
Snow Crash
Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
FictionOne of Time’s 100 best English-language novels • A mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous, you’ll recognize it immediately Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison—a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal Stephenson is such a writer and Snow Crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age. In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Praise for Snow Crash “[Snow Crash is] a cross between Neuromancer and Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. This is no mere hyperbole.”—The San Francisco Bay Guardian “Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the twenty-first century.”—William Gibson “Brilliantly realized . . . Stephenson turns out to be an engaging guide to an onrushing tomorrow.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Snow Crash is an amazing, amazing book. There’s nothing quite similar to Snow Crash.”
— Source
“On Naval Rvaikant's list of favorite comic books”
May 28, 2018 — Source
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Gary Taubes
Health & FitnessArgues that refined carbohydrates are the cause of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer; that overeating and sedentary behavior are side effects of increased insulin; and that removing these carbohydrates from one's diet is the only way to lose weight.
“One of my top 3 books of all time”
May 13, 2012 — Source
Total Freedom
Total Freedom
Jiddu Krishnamurti
ReligionCounted among his admirers are Jonas Salk, Aldous Huxley, David Hockney, and Van Morrison, along with countless other philosophers, artist, writers and students of the spiritual path. Now the trustees of Krishnamurti’s work have gathered his very best and most illuminating writings and talks to present in one volume the truly essential ideas of this great spiritual thinker. Total Freedom includes selections from Krishnamurti’s early works, his ‘Commentaries on Living’, and his discourses on life, the self, meditation, sex and love. These writings reveal Krishnamuri’s core teachings in their full eloquence and power: the nature of personal freedom; the mysteries of life and death; and the ‘pathless land’, the personal search for truth and peace. Warning readers away from blind obedience to creeds or teachers – including himself – Krishnamurti celebrated the individual quest for truth, and thus became on of the most influential guides for independent-minded seekers of the twentieth century – and beyond.
“I like this for someone who’s more advanced ... The “spiritual” book I keep returning to." ”
Jan 28, 2017 — Source
Economics in One Lesson
Economics in One Lesson
Henry Hazlitt
Business & EconomicsWith over a million copies sold, Economics in One Lesson is an essential guide to the basics of economic theory. A fundamental influence on modern libertarianism, Hazlitt defends capitalism and the free market from economic myths that persist to this day. Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the “Austrian School,” which includes Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich (F.A.) Hayek, and others, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993), was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman magazine, an influential libertarian publication. Hazlitt wrote Economics in One Lesson, his seminal work, in 1946. Concise and instructive, it is also deceptively prescient and far-reaching in its efforts to dissemble economic fallacies that are so prevalent they have almost become a new orthodoxy. Economic commentators across the political spectrum have credited Hazlitt with foreseeing the collapse of the global economy which occurred more than 50 years after the initial publication of Economics in One Lesson. Hazlitt’s focus on non-governmental solutions, strong — and strongly reasoned — anti-deficit position, and general emphasis on free markets, economic liberty of individuals, and the dangers of government intervention make Economics in One Lesson every bit as relevant and valuable today as it has been since publication.
“Great book. Required reading.”
Oct 12, 2012 — Source
Skin in the Game
Skin in the Game
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Business & Economics#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A bold work from the author of The Black Swan that challenges many of our long-held beliefs about risk and reward, politics and religion, finance and personal responsibility In his most provocative and practical book yet, one of the foremost thinkers of our time redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others. Citing examples ranging from Hammurabi to Seneca, Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows how the willingness to accept one's own risks is an essential attribute of heroes, saints, and flourishing people in all walks of life. As always both accessible and iconoclastic, Taleb challenges long-held beliefs about the values of those who spearhead military interventions, make financial investments, and propagate religious faiths. Among his insights: * For social justice, focus on symmetry and risk sharing. You cannot make profits and transfer the risks to others, as bankers and large corporations do. You cannot get rich without owning your own risk and paying for your own losses. Forcing skin in the game corrects this asymmetry better than thousands of laws and regulations. * Ethical rules aren't universal. You're part of a group larger than you, but it's still smaller than humanity in general. * Minorities, not majorities, run the world. The world is not run by consensus but by stubborn minorities imposing their tastes and ethics on others. * You can be an intellectual yet still be an idiot. "Educated philistines" have been wrong on everything from Stalinism to Iraq to low-carb diets. * Beware of complicated solutions (that someone was paid to find). A simple barbell can build muscle better than expensive new machines. * True religion is commitment, not just faith. How much you believe in something is manifested only by what you're willing to risk for it. The phrase "skin in the game" is one we have often heard but rarely stopped to truly dissect. It is the backbone of risk management, but it's also an astonishingly rich worldview that, as Taleb shows in this book, applies to all aspects of our lives. As Taleb says, "The symmetry of skin in the game is a simple rule that's necessary for fairness and justice, and the ultimate BS-buster," and "Never trust anyone who doesn't have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will benefit, and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them."
“The best book I've read in 2018, I highly recommend it.”
— Source
Stories of Your Life and Others
Stories of Your Life and Others
Ted Chiang
FictionTed Chiang's first published story, "Tower of Babylon," won the Nebula Award for 1990. Now, collected for the first time, are all seven of this extraordinary writer's extraordinary stories--plus a new story written especially for this volume.
“My current favorite short story, sci-fi short story: probably “Understand” by Ted Chiang. It’s in a collection called Stories of Your Life and Others.”
May 13, 2012 — Source
Reality Is Not What It Seems
Reality Is Not What It Seems
Carlo Rovelli
Science"What are the elementary ingredients of the world? Do time and space exist? And what exactly is reality? In elegant and accessible prose, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli leads us on a wondrous journey from Democritus to Einstein, from Michael Faraday to gravitational waves, and from classical physics to his own work in quantum gravity. As he shows us how the idea of reality has evolved over time, Rovelli offers deeper explanations of the theories he introduced so concisely in Seven Brief Lessons on Physics"--Page 4 of cover.
“This is the best book I've read in the last year.”
Feb 24, 2017 — Source
“Best book I've read since Sapiens (far less mainstream, though).”
Jul 4, 2016 — Source
Genius
Genius
James Gleick
PhysicistsRichard Feynman was the most brilliant and influential physicist of our time. Architect of quantum theories, enfant terrible of the atomic bomb project, caustic inquisitor on the space shuttle commission, ebulent bongo-player and storyteller - Feynman played a bewildering assortment of roles in the science of the post-war era. A brilliant interweaving of Richard Feynman's colourful life and a detailed and accessible account of his theories and experiments.
“Re-reading Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman”
— Source
Meditations
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, may be the closest mankind has ever come to producing the philosopher king that Plato envisioned in The Republic. A reluctant ruler and a reluctant warrior, much of his reign was spent in battle, defending the frontiers of the empire from the "barbarian" hordes. Fortunately for us, he carried a notebook along on his military campaigns, and thus we have the Meditations. Marcus's writings reveal him to be the last and greatest of the classical Stoics. Stoicism is a school of thought that asserts we have no control over our lives, only control over our perceptions. It advocates that the best life is the life that is lived in accordance with nature (not "nature" as in grass and trees, but "nature" as in the order of the universe). By concentrating one's thoughts and choices on what is good and virtuous, and disregarding the unimportant distractions of everyday life (even life and death are said to be neither good nor bad, but "indifferent"), we can avoid negative emotions like fear, anger, grief, and frustration, and live a life of happiness and tranquility. That's an oversimplification, of course. If you really want to know what Stoicism is and how it works read Epictetus or Seneca. What Marcus provides us with are the reflections of a man who studied and lived the Stoic life, and was its ultimate exemplar. Even if you don't buy into Stoicism, or have no interest in Philosophy with a capital P, you can still find inspiration and solace in the Meditations, as Marcus instructs us in dealing justly with others, overcoming emotional hardship, living life to the fullest by overcoming the fear of death, and resigning oneself to the insignificance of man in the universe. The Meditations are divided into twelve books. Each book contains anywhere from 16 to 75 numbered paragraphs, ranging in length from a sentence to a page. The paragraphs are arranged without regard to sequence or subject matter. This haphazard method of compilation is really the book's only flaw. What the Meditations has always needed is a good index, but I've never found a volume that has one. It is a pleasure to publish this new, high quality, and affordable edition of this timeless book.
“Marcus Aurelius was absolutely life changing for me.”
Feb 23, 2014 — Source
Wind, Sand and Stars
Wind, Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Biography & AutobiographyExupery was a prize-winning novelist, professional mail pilot, airborne adventurer, war correspondent, commercial test pilot, and the author of a popular children's book The Little Prince. Wind, Sand, and Stars more than all the others is a synthesis of his skill as a writer and his life as a flier. It is a collage of anecdotes, speculations and peotic reflections the earth and its inhabitants as seen from the air, all glued together by one basic them: that the airplane has broght man into confrontation with the elemnets of the univeerse, and thus has given him a new perspective on his own nature.
“One of my all time favorite books. I quote it all the time.”
Feb 1, 2016 — Source
Siddhartha
Siddhartha
Hermann Hesse
FictionThis allegorical novel, set in sixth-century India around the time of the Buddha, follows a young man on his search for enlightenment. THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: A concise introduction that gives the reader important background information A chronology of the author's life and work A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context An outline of key themes and plot points to guide the reader's own interpretations Detailed explanatory notes Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience
“I’ve given out more copies of this book than any other.”
Jul 17, 2018 — Source
The Beginning of Infinity
The Beginning of Infinity
David Deutsch
ScienceThe New York Times bestseller: A provocative, imaginative exploration of the nature and progress of knowledge “Dazzling.” – Steven Pinker, The Guardian In this groundbreaking book, award-winning physicist David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe—and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor. Taking us on a journey through every fundamental field of science, as well as the history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions, Deutsch tracks how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, explaining the conditions under which progress—which he argues is potentially boundless—can and cannot happen. Hugely ambitious and highly original, The Beginning of Infinity explores and establishes deep connections between the laws of nature, the human condition, knowledge, and the possibility for progress.
“Not the easiest read, but it made me smarter”
Aug 15, 2019 — Source
“Probably the best book is The Book of Life”
Feb 1, 2016 — Source
The Bed of Procrustes
The Bed of Procrustes
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Business & Economics"With fifty percent more material than the hardcover"--Page 4 of cover.
“Good books are worth re-reading. Great books are worth re-buying.”
Jun 23, 2019 — Source
The Red Queen
The Red Queen
Matt Ridley
PsychologySex is as fascinating to scientists as it is to the rest of us. A vast pool of knowledge, therefore, has been gleaned from research into the nature of sex, from the contentious problem of why the wasteful reproductive process exists at all, to how individuals choose their mates and what traits they find attractive. This fascinating book explores those findings, and their implications for the sexual behaviour of our own species. It uses the Red Queen from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – who has to run at full speed to stay where she is – as a metaphor for a whole range of sexual behaviours. The book was shortlisted for the 1994 Rhone-Poulenc Prize for Science Books. ‘Animals and plants evolved sex to fend off parasitic infection. Now look where it has got us. Men want BMWs, power and money in order to pair-bond with women who are blonde, youthful and narrow-waisted ... a brilliant examination of the scientific debates on the hows and whys of sex and evolution’ Independent.
“One of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything of his, and reread everything of his.”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
The Origins of Virtue
The Origins of Virtue
Matt Ridley
ScienceSuggests a biological basis for the social organization and cooperation shown by the human race, and traces the evolution of society
“One of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything of his, and reread everything of his.”
Mar 2, 2017 — Source
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track
Richard P. Feynman
ScienceA Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a loving husband and father, an enthusiastic teacher, a surprisingly accomplished bongo player, and a genius of the highest caliber---Richard P. Feynman was all these and more. Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track--collecting over forty years' worth of Feynman's letters--offers an unprecedented look at the writer and thinker whose scientific mind and lust for life made him a legend in his own time. Containing missives to and from such scientific luminaries as Victor Weisskopf, Stephen Wolfram, James Watson, and Edward Teller, as well as a remarkable selection of letters to and from fans, students, family, and people from around the world eager for Feynman's advice and counsel, Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track not only illuminates the personal relationships that underwrote the key developments in modern science, but also forms the most intimate look at Feynman yet available. Feynman was a man many felt close to but few really knew, and this collection reveals the full wisdom and private passion of a personality that captivated everyone it touched. Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track is an eloquent testimony to the virtue of approaching the world with an inquiring eye; it demonstrates the full extent of the Feynman legacy like never before. Edited and with additional commentary by his daughter Michelle, it's a must-read for Feynman fans everywhere, and for anyone seeking to better understand one of the towering figures--and defining personalities--of the twentieth century.
“I’ve also been reading Perfectly Reasonable Deviations”
— Source
Fooled by Randomness
Fooled by Randomness
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Business & EconomicsContends that randomness and probability have a large impact on life, claims that people regularly fail to recognize that role, and tells how to differentiate between randomness in general and the financial markets in particular.
“Good books are worth re-reading. Great books are worth re-buying.”
Jun 23, 2019 — Source
A Pattern Language
A Pattern Language
Christopher Alexander
ArchitectureYou can use this book to design a house for yourself with your family; you can use it to work with your neighbors to improve your town and neighborhood; you can use it to design an office, or a workshop, or a public building. And you can use it to guide you in the actual process of construction. After a ten-year silence, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure are now publishing a major statement in the form of three books which will, in their words, "lay the basis for an entirely new approach to architecture, building and planning, which will we hope replace existing ideas and practices entirely." The three books are The Timeless Way of Building, The Oregon Experiment, and this book, A Pattern Language. At the core of these books is the idea that people should design for themselves their own houses, streets, and communities. This idea may be radical (it implies a radical transformation of the architectural profession) but it comes simply from the observation that most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people. At the core of the books, too, is the point that in designing their environments people always rely on certain "languages," which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a forma system which gives them coherence. This book provides a language of this kind. It will enable a person to make a design for almost any kind of building, or any part of the built environment. "Patterns," the units of this language, are answers to design problems (How high should a window sill be? How many stories should a building have? How much space in a neighborhood should be devoted to grass and trees?). More than 250 of the patterns in this pattern language are given: each consists of a problem statement, a discussion of the problem with an illustration, and a solution. As the authors say in their introduction, many of the patterns are archetypal, so deeply rooted in the nature of things that it seemly likely that they will be a part of human nature, and human action, as much in five hundred years as they are today.
“Love that book. Didn’t realize his breadth until now.”
Aug 20, 2018 — Source
How to Change Your Mind
How to Change Your Mind
Michael Pollan
BodyMind & SpiritNew York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018 A New York Times Notable Book The #1 New York Times bestseller. A brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists inadvertently catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives.
“I think it is a brilliant book everybody should read." ”
Oct 24, 2019 — Source
The Lessons of History
The Lessons of History
Ariel Durant,Will Durant
HistoryA concise survey of the culture and civilization of mankind, The Lessons of History is the result of a lifetime of research from Pulitzer Prize–winning historians Will and Ariel Durant. With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress, the Durants take us on a journey through history, exploring the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time. Juxtaposing the great lives, ideas, and accomplishments with cycles of war and conquest, the Durants reveal the towering themes of history and give meaning to our own.
“This is a great book I really liked”
Aug 19, 2019 — Source
The Evolution of Everything
The Evolution of Everything
Matt Ridley
Business & EconomicsThe New York Times bestselling author of The Rational Optimist and Genome returns with a fascinating argument for evolution that definitively dispels a dangerous, widespread myth: that we can command and control our world. Human society evolves. Change in technology, language, morality, and society is incremental, inexorable, gradual, and spontaneous. It follows a narrative, going from one stage to the next; it creeps rather than jumps; it has its own spontaneous momentum rather than being driven from outside; it has no goal or end in mind; and it largely happens by trial and error—a version of natural selection. Much of the human world is the result of human action but not of human design: it emerges from the interactions of millions, not from the plans of a few. Drawing on fascinating evidence from science, economics, history, politics, and philosophy, Matt Ridley demolishes conventional assumptions that the great events and trends of our day are dictated by those on high, whether in government, business, academia, or organized religion. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up. Just as skeins of geese form Vs in the sky without meaning to and ter-mites build mud cathedrals without architects, so brains take shape without brain-makers, learning happens without teaching, and morality changes for no reason other than the prevailing fashion. Although we neglect, defy, and ignore them, bottom-up trends shape the world. The Industrial Revolution, cell phones, the rise of Asia, and the Internet were never planned; they happened. Languages emerged and evolved by a form of natural selection, as did common law. Torture, racism, slavery, and pedophilia—all once widely regarded as acceptable—are now seen as immoral despite the decline of religion in recent decades. In this wide-ranging and erudite book, Ridley brilliantly makes the case for evolution, rather than design, as the force that has shaped much of our culture, our technology, our minds, and that even now is shaping our future. As compelling as it is controversial, as authoritative as it is ambitious, Ridley’s deeply thought-provoking book will change the way we think about the world and how it works.
“One of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything of his, and reread everything of his.”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
The Macintosh Way
The Macintosh Way
Guy Kawasaki
Computer softwareExamines the development of the Macintosh computer, explains how the Apple Computer company is managed, and discusses the computer software industry
“led me into tech!”
Feb 22, 2011 — Source
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Carlo Rovelli
ScienceAn introduction to modern physics by a founder of the loop quantum gravity theory shares seven succinct lessons on topics ranging from general relativity and quantum mechanics to elementary particles and black holes.
“Terrific as well”
Feb 24, 2017 — Source
Genome
Genome
Matt Ridley
ScienceThe genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.
“One of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything of his, and reread everything of his.”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
Six Easy Pieces
Six Easy Pieces
Richard P. Feynman
ScienceIt was Richard Feynman's outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics. From 1961 to 1963, Feynman delivered a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. Six Easy Pieces, taken from these famous Lectures on Physics, represent the most accessible material from the series. In these classic lessons, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the relationship of physics to other topics. With his dazzling and inimitable wit, Feynman presents each discussion with a minimum of jargon. Filled with wonderful examples and clever illustrations, Six Easy Pieces is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of physics by one of the most admired and accessible physicists of modern times.
“I would give my kids a copy of Richard Feynman's Six Easy Pieces”
Jan 1, 2018 — Source
The Great Book of Amber
The Great Book of Amber
Roger Zelazny
FictionRoger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber have earned their place as all-time classics of imaginative literature. Now here are all ten novels, together in one magnificent omnibus volume. Witness the titanic battle for supremacy waged on Earth, in the Courts of Chaos, and on a magical world of mystery, adventure, and romance.
“Formative books for me. Read and re-read them over the years. ”
Sep 19, 2010 — Source
Why Information Grows
Why Information Grows
Cesar Hidalgo
Business & Economics"Hidalgo has made a bold attempt to synthesize a large body of cutting-edge work into a readable, slender volume. This is the future of growth theory." -- Financial Times What is economic growth? And why, historically, has it occurred in only a few places? Previous efforts to answer these questions have focused on institutions, geography, finances, and psychology. But according to MIT's antidisciplinarian Cér Hidalgo, understanding the nature of economic growth demands transcending the social sciences and including the natural sciences of information, networks, and complexity. To understand the growth of economies, Hidalgo argues, we first need to understand the growth of order. At first glance, the universe seems hostile to order. Thermodynamics dictates that over time, order-or information-disappears. Whispers vanish in the wind just like the beauty of swirling cigarette smoke collapses into disorderly clouds. But thermodynamics also has loopholes that promote the growth of information in pockets. Although cities are all pockets where information grows, they are not all the same. For every Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Paris, there are dozens of places with economies that accomplish little more than pulling rocks out of the ground. So, why does the US economy outstrip Brazil's, and Brazil's that of Chad? Why did the technology corridor along Boston's Route 128 languish while Silicon Valley blossomed? In each case, the key is how people, firms, and the networks they form make use of information. Seen from Hidalgo's vantage, economies become distributed computers, made of networks of people, and the problem of economic development becomes the problem of making these computers more powerful. By uncovering the mechanisms that enable the growth of information in nature and society, Why Information Grows lays bear the origins of physical order and economic growth. Situated at the nexus of information theory, physics, sociology, and economics, this book propounds a new theory of how economies can do not just more things, but more interesting things.
“Beautiful summary of an important book. Worth reading.”
Feb 5, 2018 — Source
The Power of Habit
The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg
Self-HelpThere's never been a better time to set new habits. This book will change your life. ______________________________ Why do we do develop habits? And how can we change them? We can always change. In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg translates cutting-edge behavioural science into practical self-improvement action, distilling advanced neuroscience into fascinating narratives of transformation. Why can some people and companies change overnight, and some stay stuck in their old ruts? The answer lies deep in the human brain, and The Power of Habits reveals the secret pressure points that can change a life. From Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to Martin Luther King Jr., from the CEO of Starbucks to the locker rooms of the NFL, Duhigg explores the incredible results of keystone habits, and how they can make all the difference between billions and millions, failure and success – or even life and death. The Power of Habit makes an exhilarating case: the key to almost any door in life is instilling the right habit. From exercise to weight loss, childrearing to productivity, market disruption to social revolution, and above all success, the right habits can change everything. Habits aren't destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives. ______________________________ 'Plenty of business books that try to tap into the scientific world manage to distil complicated research into readable prose. But few take the next step and become essential manuals for business and living. The Power of Habit is an exception.' ANDREW HILL, FINANCIAL TIMES
“That one was interesting”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
“I loved this book.”
Feb 16, 2016 — Source
Permutation City
Permutation City
Greg Egan
FictionWhat happens when your digital self overpowers your physical self? A life in Permutation City is unlike any life to which you’re accustomed. You have Eternal Life, the power to live forever. Immortality is a real thing, just not the thing you’d expect. Life is just electronic code. You have been digitized, scanned, and downloaded into a virtual reality program. A Copy of a Copy. For Paul Durham, he keeps making Copies of himself, but the issue is that his Copies keep changing their minds and shutting themselves down. You also have Maria Deluca, who is nothing but an Autoverse addict. She spends every waking minute with the cellular automaton known as the Autoverse, a world that lives by the mathematical “laws of physics.” Paul makes Maria an offer to design and drop a seed into the Autoverse that will allow her to indulge in her obsession. There is, however, one catch: you can no longer terminate, bail out, and remove yourself. You will never be your normal flesh-and-blood life again. The question then becomes: Is this what she really wants? Is this what we really want? From the brilliant mind of Greg Egan, Permutation City, first published in 1994, comes a world of wonder that makes you ask if you are you, or is the Copy of you the real you? Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
“Current reading list.”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein’s Relativity, Symmetry, and Space
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein’s Relativity, Symmetry, and Space
Richard Feynman
“I would give my kids a copy of Richard Feynman's [...] Six Not-So-Easy Pieces”
— Source
Thinking Physics: Understandable Practical Reality
Thinking Physics: Understandable Practical Reality
Lewis Carroll Epstein
“There’s another great book called Thinking Physics. I open this one all the time”
— Source
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
James Dale Davidson,Lord William Rees-Mogg
“This is the best book I've read since Sapiens”
— Source
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Charlie Munger
“this is the only book on Munger you need.”
— Source
“I’ve read this one at least twice." ”
— Source
The Tao of Seneca: Practical Letters from a Stoic Master
The Tao of Seneca: Practical Letters from a Stoic Master
Seneca
“My most listened-to audiobook. The most important audiobook I've ever heard." ”
— Source
“I love graphic novels.”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
“There’s a mouthful for you”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
“Naval top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
“Favorite childhood comic”
Jun 8, 2019 — Source
“Naval top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
Exhalation
Exhalation
Ted Chiang
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NATIONAL BESTSELLER ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST • TIME MAGAZINE • NPR • ESQUIRE • VOX • THE A.V. CLUB • THE GUARDIAN • FINANCIAL TIMES • THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS “Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.” —Barack Obama, via Facebook "THE UNIVERSE BEGAN AS AN ENORMOUS BREATH BEING HELD." In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and second chances. In “Exhalation,” an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will. Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, Exhalation is Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic—revelatory.
“from the best sci-fi short story writer of our age." ”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Moby Dick
Moby Dick
Herman Melville
FictionJourney to the heart of the sea with this larger-than-life classic. Regarded as a Great American Novel, Moby Dick is the ultimate tale of seeking vengeance. Narrated by the crew member Ishmael, this epic whaling adventure follows the crew of the Pequod, as its captain, Ahab, descends deeper and deeper into madness on his quest to find and kill the white whale that maimed him. Beyond the surface--of ship life, whaling, and the hunt for the elusive Moby Dick--are allegorical references to life--and even the universe--in this masterpiece by Herman Melville. Complete and unabridged, this elegantly designed clothbound edition features an elastic closure and a new introduction by Christopher McBride.
“I'm trying to reread Moby Dick”
May 13, 2012 — Source
“I always recommend Poor Charlie's as my top business book”
Oct 29, 2012 — Source
Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic
Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic
Osho
Biography & AutobiographyDrawn from the late provocative spiritualist's recorded talks, a portrait of his life and teachings covers his youth and education, his life as a professsor of philosophy, his years of travel during which he cited the importance of meditation, and the legacy he sought to leave behind. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 14, 2018 — Source
Direct Truth
Direct Truth
Kapil Gupta
Prescriptions, how-to's, self-help, guru's, mental hacks, psychology, motivation, and the like, are things that are fundamentally unserious. They are things that move humans away from Truth. For they approach all matters from the standpoint of a "fix." The Truth is a path away from all fixes. And away from all chases. It is for the one who is Serious. It is for the one who is Sincere. This book is for but a handful of individuals in the world. Those with a rarest form of DNA. The DNA to arrive at the Direct Truth in all things. So that they may put an end to all chases. So that they may walk life's Final Mile. And come to possess the things that they have called by various other names.
“Kapil recently became a personal advisor and coach to me, and this comes from a person who doesn’t believe in coaches”
Aug 14, 2018 — Source
Awareness
Awareness
Anthony De Mello
Religion“Wisdom from one of the greatest spiritual masters of our time.”—James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage The heart of Anthony de Mello's bestselling spiritual message is awareness. Mixing Christian spirituality, Buddhist parables, Hindu breathing exercises, and psychological insight, de Mello's words of hope come together in Awareness in a grand synthesis. In short chapters for reading in quiet moments at home or at the office, he cajoles and challenges: We must leave this go-go-go world of illusion and become aware. And this only happens, he insists, by becoming alive to the needs and potential of others, whether at home or in the workplace. Here, then, is a masterful book of the spirit, challenging us to wake up in every aspect of our lives.
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 14, 2018 — Source
Art of the Living Dead
Art of the Living Dead
Adrian Hanft
"The apocalypse has arrived. The zombies surround us, drawn to the pulse of creative spirit, hungry for destruction. We need heroes." Strange as it may seem, Art of the Living Dead is a book about creativity. It is a guide for protecting the living parts of your brain. Why is there so much opposition to innovation? Why does creativity come so easily for some people? Why do the relics of the past survive when better alternatives are created? Where does creativity come from? How can we maintain artistry when we work for pulseless corporations? How many revolutionaries have we missed because humanity's collective scorn downed their creative ambition? These answer to these questions will change how you look at art, advertising, car design, education, fame, and success. Is there hope for a civilization rocketing through space oblivious to whether our ship is heading up or down? Order Art of the Living Dead today and find out. Protect your brain, my friend. This could get messy...
“Recommended on twitter”
Oct 22, 2015 — Source
Science and Method
Science and Method
Henri Poincaré
MathematicsClassic account of basic methodology and psychology of scientific discovery explains how scientists analyze and choose their working facts and explores the nature of experimentation, theory, and the mind. 1914 edition.
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
“Im rereading. Sometimes I think its better to just to reread the greats than it is to read something thats not as great.”
— Source
Illusions
Illusions
Richard Bach
BodyMind & SpiritIn the cloud-washed airspace between the cornfields of Illinois and blue infinity, a man puts his faith in the propeller of his biplane. For disillusioned writer and itinerant barnstormer Richard Bach, belief is as real as a full tank of gas and sparks firing in the cylinders...until he meets Donald Shimoda--former mechanic and self-described messiah who can make wrenches fly and Richard's imagination soar.... In Illusions, the unforgettable follow-up to his phenomenal bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach takes to the air to discover the ageless truths that give our souls wings: that people don't need airplanes to soar...that even the darkest clouds have meaning once we lift ourselves above them... and that messiahs can be found in the unlikeliest places--like hay fields, one-traffic-light midwestern towns, and most of all, deep within ourselves.
“I just like the way it flows.”
Sep 1, 2019 — Source
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter
PhilosophyWinner of the Pulitzer Prize A metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll Douglas Hofstadter's book is concerned directly with the nature of "maps" or links between formal systems. However, according to Hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will computers attain human intelligence. Gödel, Escher, Bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more.
“Amazing book.”
Jul 10, 2016 — Source
The Untethered Soul
The Untethered Soul
Michael A. Singer
BodyMind & SpiritPresents advice on ways to free oneself from habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit one's consciousness.
“Recommended on twitter”
Dec 17, 2017 — Source
Nature Via Nurture
Nature Via Nurture
Matt Ridley
ScienceDocuments the 2001 discovery that there are fewer genes in a human genome than previously thought and considers the argument that nurture elements are also largely responsible for human behavior.
“And everything by @mattwridley is worth reading”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
Sex at Dawn
Sex at Dawn
Cacilda Jetha,Christopher Ryan
Social ScienceIn this controversial, thought-provoking, and brilliant book, renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda JethÁ debunk almost everything we “know” about sex, weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality to show how far from human nature monogamy really is. In Sex at Dawn, the authors expose the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
Freedom from the Known
Freedom from the Known
Jiddu Krishnamurti
ReligionKrishnamurti shows how people can free themselves radically and immediately from the tyranny of the expected, no matter what their age--opening the door to transforming society and their relationships.
“Recommended on twitter”
Mar 30, 2018 — Source
The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí
The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali
ARTThis startling early autobiography takes Dalí through his late 30s and "communicates the...total picture of himself (Dalí) sets out to portray" — Books. Superbly illustrated with over 80 photographs and scores of drawings.
“This ones a harder read but really fun, most egotistical author of all time. The title alone should grab you and give you a sense.”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
The Power of Now
The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle
BodyMind & SpiritTo make the journey into the Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. From the very first page of Eckhart Tolle's extraordinary book, we move rapidly into a significantly higher altitude where we breathe a lighter air. We become connected to the indestructible essence of our Being, “The eternal, ever present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.” Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle uses simple language and an easy question and answer format to guide us. A word of mouth phenomenon since its first publication, The Power of Now is one of those rare books with the power to create an experience in readers, one that can radically change their lives for the better.
“Power of Now is the OG.”
Jun 14, 2019 — Source
The Agile Gene
The Agile Gene
Matt Ridley
ScienceArmed with extraordinary new discoveries about our genes, acclaimed science writer Matt Ridley turns his attention to the nature-versus-nurture debate in a thoughtful book about the roots of human behavior. Ridley recounts the hundred years' war between the partisans of nature and nurture to explain how this paradoxical creature, the human being, can be simultaneously free-willed and motivated by instinct and culture. With the decoding of the human genome, we now know that genes not only predetermine the broad structure of the brain, they also absorb formative experiences, react to social cues, and even run memory. They are consequences as well as causes of the will.
“And everything by @mattwridley is worth reading”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
“Recommended on twitter”
Apr 27, 2019 — Source
Tao of Philosophy
Tao of Philosophy
Alan Watts
ReligionThe Tao of Philosophy is a literary adaptation of talks selected to introduce the new "Love of Wisdom" series by Alan Watts to today's audiences. The following chapters provide rich examples of the way in which the philosophy of the Tao is as contemporary today as it was when it flourished in China thousands of years ago. Perhaps most significantly, these selections offer modern society a clearer understanding of what it will take for a successful reintegration of humans in nature.
“Mention and recommend this book”
— Source
Pre-Suasion
Pre-Suasion
Robert Cialdini
Business & EconomicsExamines the art of effective persuasion to argue that its secret lies in a key moment before messages are delivered, sharing strategies for how to psychologically prepare one's listeners to render them most receptive.
“You need to read the entire book to get the point but It's still good to read it”
Nov 21, 2016 — Source
Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Matt Ridley
Biography & AutobiographyFrancis Crick—the quiet genius who led a revolution in biology by discovering, quite literally, the secret of life—will be bracketed with Galileo, Darwin, and Einstein as one of the greatest scientists of all time. In his fascinating biography of the scientific pioneer who uncovered the genetic code—the digital cipher at the heart of heredity that distinguishes living from non-living things—acclaimed bestselling science writer Matt Ridley traces Crick's life from middle-class mediocrity in the English Midlands through a lackluster education and six years designing magnetic mines for the Royal Navy to his leap into biology at the age of thirty-one and its astonishing consequences. In the process, Ridley sheds a brilliant light on the man who forever changed our world and how we understand it.
“And everything by @mattwridley is worth reading”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Richard P. Feynman
Biography & AutobiographyOne of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that "buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist" (Science Digest). Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that “can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist” (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets—and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman’s life shines through in all its eccentric glory—a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. Included for this edition is a new introduction by Bill Gates.
“It's all bite sized little stories. You can skip around and read these great stories about the adventures of this curious character. ”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
At Home in the Universe
At Home in the Universe
Stuart Kauffman
ScienceA major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and visionary pioneer of the new science of complexity. Now, in At Home in the Universe, Kauffman brilliantly weaves together the excitement of intellectual discovery and a fertile mix of insights to give the general reader a fascinating look at this new science--and at the forces for order that lie at the edge of chaos. We all know of instances of spontaneous order in nature--an oil droplet in water forms a sphere, snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry. What we are only now discovering, Kauffman says, is that the range of spontaneous order is enormously greater than we had supposed. Indeed, self-organization is a great undiscovered principle of nature. But how does this spontaneous order arise? Kauffman contends that complexity itself triggers self-organization, or what he calls "order for free," that if enough different molecules pass a certain threshold of complexity, they begin to self-organize into a new entity--a living cell. Kauffman uses the analogy of a thousand buttons on a rug--join two buttons randomly with thread, then another two, and so on. At first, you have isolated pairs; later, small clusters; but suddenly at around the 500th repetition, a remarkable transformation occurs--much like the phase transition when water abruptly turns to ice--and the buttons link up in one giant network. Likewise, life may have originated when the mix of different molecules in the primordial soup passed a certain level of complexity and self-organized into living entities (if so, then life is not a highly improbable chance event, but almost inevitable). Kauffman uses the basic insight of "order for free" to illuminate a staggering range of phenomena. We see how a single-celled embryo can grow to a highly complex organism with over two hundred different cell types. We learn how the science of complexity extends Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection: that self-organization, selection, and chance are the engines of the biosphere. And we gain insights into biotechnology, the stunning magic of the new frontier of genetic engineering--generating trillions of novel molecules to find new drugs, vaccines, enzymes, biosensors, and more. Indeed, Kauffman shows that ecosystems, economic systems, and even cultural systems may all evolve according to similar general laws, that tissues and terra cotta evolve in similar ways. And finally, there is a profoundly spiritual element to Kauffman's thought. If, as he argues, life were bound to arise, not as an incalculably improbable accident, but as an expected fulfillment of the natural order, then we truly are at home in the universe. Kauffman's earlier volume, The Origins of Order, written for specialists, received lavish praise. Stephen Jay Gould called it "a landmark and a classic." And Nobel Laureate Philip Anderson wrote that "there are few people in this world who ever ask the right questions of science, and they are the ones who affect its future most profoundly. Stuart Kauffman is one of these." In At Home in the Universe, this visionary thinker takes you along as he explores new insights into the nature of life.
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 20, 2018 — Source
Watchmen
Watchmen
Alan Moore
Comics & Graphic NovelsSoon to be an HBO original series, Watchmen, the groundbreaking series from award-winning author Alan Moore, presents a world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history--the U.S. won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the Cold War is in full effect. Considered the greatest graphic novel in the history of the medium, the Hugo Award-winning story chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the superhero is dissected as an unknown assassin stalks the erstwhile heroes. This edition of Watchmen, the groundbreaking series from Alan Moore, the award-winning writer of V For Vendetta and Batman: The Killing Joke, and features art from industry legend Dave Gibbons, with high-quality, recolored pages found in Watchmen: Abslolute Edtion.
“This book is in his top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
The Unwritten
The Unwritten
Mike Carey
Comics & Graphic Novels"Tom Taylor's life was screwed from the word go. His father created the mega-popular Tommy Taylor boy-wizard fantasy novels. But dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom that fans constantly compare him to his counterpart, turning him into a lame, Z-level celebrity. When a scandal hints that Tom might really be the boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a mysterious, deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, to all the places in world history where fictions have shaped reality" -- from publisher's web site.
“This book is in his top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
Rick and Morty Book Two
Rick and Morty Book Two
Zac Gorman
HumorThe hit comic book series based on Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s hilarious [adult swim] animated show RICK & MORTY continues! Catch up on the adventures of degenerate genius Rick Sanchez and his bumbling grandson Morty as they explore the outer reaches of time, space, and decency. This collection features issues #6-10 of the comic book series, including the "Ball Fondlers Special" by guest artist Andrew MacLean, "A Very Special Blumbus," illustrated by series writer Zac Gorman, and a cyberpunk adventure across the multiverse. Plus: bonus mini-comics showcasing fan-favorite characters!
“Comic books by the same writers. Just as funny, different content. Must read!”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
Foundation
Foundation
Isaac Asimov
FictionThe first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series SOON TO BE AN APPLE TV+ SERIES • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. Only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humanity, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls this sanctuary the Foundation. But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. And mankind’s last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and live as slaves—or take a stand for freedom and risk total destruction.
“And I loved reading it as a kid”
May 3, 2017 — Source
The Salmon of Doubt
The Salmon of Doubt
Douglas Adams
Fiction“A fitting eulogy to the master of wacky words and even wackier tales . . . Salmon leaves no doubt as to Adams’s lasting legacy.”—Entertainment Weekly With an introduction to the introduction by Terry Jones Douglas Adams changed the face of science fiction with his cosmically comic novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and its classic sequels. Sadly for his countless admirers, he hitched his own ride to the great beyond much too soon. Culled posthumously from Adams’s fleet of beloved Macintosh computers, this selection of essays, articles, anecdotes, and stories offers a fascinating and intimate portrait of the multifaceted artist and absurdist wordsmith. Join Adams on an excursion to climb Kilimanjaro . . . dressed in a rhino costume; peek into the private life of Genghis Khan—warrior and world-class neurotic; root for the harried author’s efforts to get a Hitchhiker movie off the ground in Hollywood; thrill to the further exploits of private eye Dirk Gently and two-headed alien Zaphod Beeblebrox. Though Douglas Adams is gone, he’s left us something very special to remember him by. Without a doubt. “Worth reading and even cherishing, if only because it’s the last we’ll hear from the master of comic science fiction.”—The Star-Ledger
“Recommended.”
Mar 14, 2014 — Source
“This book is in his top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
Soon I Will Be Invincible
Soon I Will Be Invincible
Austin Grossman
FictionWhen Doctor Impossible, an evil genius, mad scientist, time-traveler, and ambitious wannabe world dominator, escapes from prison and launches a new plot to seize control of the world, Fatale, a woman built by the NSA to be the next generation of weaponry, joins a group of misfit superheroes in their quest to destroy Doctor Impossible. A first novel. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.
“Recommended on twitter”
Dec 29, 2010 — Source
“Comic books by the same writers. Just as funny, different content. Must read!”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
A Soldier of the Great War
A Soldier of the Great War
Mark Helprin
FictionEncountering a younger man on a road in Italy, seventy-something professor Alessandro Guiliani recounts his experiences, spinning a tale of love, loss, tragedy, madmen, dwarves, and mafiosi. Reprint.
“For historical fiction, I like A Soldier of the Great War”
Sep 17, 2012 — Source
“This book is in his top 10 graphic novels”
Jan 31, 2016 — Source
“Bit mystical but hes not wrong.”
Apr 25, 2018 — Source
“Comic books by the same writers. Just as funny, different content. Must read!”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a rabbit with a pocket watch, joins a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and plays croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy land, Alice finds herself growing more and more curious by the minute ...
“Recommended on twitter”
May 6, 2016 — Source
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
FictionThe first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure THE LORD OF THE RINGS One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. “A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning.” – New York Times
“Recommended on twitter”
Dec 7, 2016 — Source
Superintelligence
Superintelligence
Nick Bostrom
ComputersThe human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. Other animals have stronger muscles or sharper claws, but we have cleverer brains. If machine brains one day come to surpass human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become very powerful. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on us humans than on the gorillas themselves, so the fate of our species then would come to depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence. But we have one advantage: we get to make the first move. Will it be possible to construct a seed AI or otherwise to engineer initial conditions so as to make an intelligence explosion survivable? How could one achieve a controlled detonation? To get closer to an answer to this question, we must make our way through a fascinating landscape of topics and considerations. Read the book and learn about oracles, genies, singletons; about boxing methods, tripwires, and mind crime; about humanity's cosmic endowment and differential technological development; indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation and technology couplings; Malthusian economics and dystopian evolution; artificial intelligence, and biological cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
The first--and still the most eloquent--expression of the economic theories of capitalism. Published in 1776, in the same year as the Declaration of Independence, The Wealth of Nations has had a similarly significant impact on the course of modern history. Adam Smith's celebrated defense of free market economies was written with such expressive power and clarity that the first edition sold out in six months. While its most remarkable and enduring innovation was to see the whole of economic life as a unified system, it is notable also as one of the Enlightenment's most eloquent testaments to the sanctity of the individual in his relation to the state. This edition contains in one volume the most influential first four books of Smith's masterwork.
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 1, 2019 — Source
“It was really a good book.”
— Source
The Compleat Strategyst
The Compleat Strategyst
J. D. Williams
MathematicsOnly a basic understanding of arithmetic is needed to grasp these strategy games with two or more sets of inimical interests and a limitless array of zero-sum payoffs.
“For game theory, in addition to playing strategy games, you may want to try”
Jan 15, 2018 — Source
Think on These Things
Think on These Things
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Religion‘The material contained in this volume was originally presented in the form of talks to students, teachers and parents in India, but its keen penetration and lucid simplicity will be deeply meaningful to thoughtful people everywhere, of all ages, and in every walk of life. Krishnamurti examines with characteristic objectivity and insight the expressions of what we are pleased to call our culture, our education, religion, politics and tradition; and he throws much light on such basic emotions as ambition, greed and envy, the desire for security and the lust for power – all of which he shows to be deteriorating factors in human society.’From the Editor’s Note‘Krishnamurti’s observations and explorations of modern man’s estate are penetrating and profound, yet given with a disarming simplicity and directness. To listen to him or to read his thoughts is to face oneself and the world with an astonishing morning freshness.’Anne Marrow Lindbergh
“Decades ago, it didnt make sense. Years ago, it changed my life, but I felt late. So that time was the right time.”
Mar 30, 2018 — Source
“Big fan. I can quote “Brahma” by heart.”
Jul 19, 2018 — Source
The Elephant in the Brain
The Elephant in the Brain
Kevin Simler,Robin Hanson
Cognitive psychologyHuman beings are primates, and primates are political animals. Our brains, therefore, are designed not just to hunt and gather, but also to help us get ahead socially, often via deception and self-deception. But while we may be self-interested schemers, we benefit by pretending otherwise. The less we know about our own ugly motives, the better - and thus we don't like to talk or even think about the extent of our selfishness. This is "the elephant in the brain." Such an introspective taboo makes it hard for us to think clearly about our nature and the explanations for our behavior. The aim of this book, then, is to confront our hidden motives directly - to track down the darker, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights. Then, once everything is clearly visible, we can work to better understand ourselves: Why do we laugh? Why are artists sexy? Why do we brag about travel? Why do we prefer to speak rather than listen? Our unconscious motives drive more than just our private behavior; they also infect our venerated social institutions such as Art, School, Charity, Medicine, Politics, and Religion. In fact, these institutions are in many ways designed to accommodate our hidden motives, to serve covert agendas alongside their "official" ones. The existence of big hidden motives can upend the usual political debates, leading one to question the legitimacy of these social institutions, and of standard policies designed to favor or discourage them. You won't see yourself - or the world - the same after confronting the elephant in the brain.
“Fantastic read.”
Dec 6, 2017 — Source
“He recommend this book”
Mar 1, 2017 — Source
Calculus Made Easy
Calculus Made Easy
Martin Gardner,Silvanus Phillips Thompson
CalculusIn addition to helping students reach the right answers, this book opens new mental vistas for readers previously afraid of, or hostile to higher mathematics.
“I love that book.”
Nov 2, 2019 — Source
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
Kamal Ravikant
HappinessIn December of 2011, I gave a talk to an audience of scientists, Pentagon officials, politicians, and CEOs on the secret of life and how I'd figured it out the previous summer. Afterwards, people came up individually and told me how much what I'd shared meant to them. This book is based on the truth I spoke about.It's something I learned from within myself, something I believed saved me. And more than that, the way I set about to do it. This is a collection of thoughts on what I learned, what worked, what didn't. Where I succeed and importantly, where I fail daily.The truth is to love yourself with the same intensity you would use to pull yourself up if you were hanging off a cliff with your fingers. As if your life depended upon it. Once you get going, it's not hard to do. Just takes commitment and I'll share how I did it. It's been transformative for me. I know it will be transformative for you as well.
“I thought it was very succinctly written.”
— Source
The Undercover Economist
The Undercover Economist
Tim Harford
Consumer educationWho makes most money from the demand for cappuccinos early in the morning at Waterloo Station? Why is it impossible to get a foot on the property ladder? How does the Mafia make money from laundries when street gangs pushing drugs don't? Who really benefits from immigration? How can China, in just fifty years, go from the world's worst famine to one of the greatest economic revolutions of all time, lifting a million people out of poverty a month? Looking at familiar situations in unfamiliar ways, THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST is a fresh explanation of the fundamental principles of the modern economy, illuminated by examples from the streets of London to the booming skyscrapers of Shanghai to the sleepy canals of Bruges. Leaving behind textbook jargon and equations, Tim Harford will reveal the games of signals and negotiations, contests of strength and battles of wit that drive not only the economy at large but the everyday choices we make.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
“He had a great line in there where it said, I once asked a monk, What is your secret to peace and happiness? And the monk said, I say Yes. To everything that happens, I say Yes.”
— Source
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
“Just as funny, different content. Must read!”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
God's Debris
God's Debris
Scott Adams
ReligionGod's Debris is the first non-Dilbert, non-humor book by best-selling author Scott Adams. Adams describes God's Debris as a thought experiment wrapped in a story. It's designed to make your brain spin around inside your skull. Imagine that you meet a very old man who—you eventually realize—knows literally everything. Imagine that he explains for you the great mysteries of life: quantum physics, evolution, God, gravity, light psychic phenomenon, and probability—in a way so simple, so novel, and so compelling that it all fits together and makes perfect sense. What does it feel like to suddenly understand everything? You may not find the final answer to the big question, but God's Debris might provide the most compelling vision of reality you will ever read. The thought experiment is this: Try to figure out what's wrong with the old man's explanation of reality. Share the book with your smart friends, then discuss it later while enjoying a beverage. It has no violence or sex, but the ideas are powerful and not appropriate for readers under fourteen.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
What Do You Care What Other People Think?
What Do You Care What Other People Think?
Richard P. Feynman
PhysicistsBe prepared for more tales of love and life in this sequel to the best-selling "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
“I love the title alone”
Aug 18, 2015 — Source
The Evolution of Cooperation
The Evolution of Cooperation
Robert Axelrod
Political ScienceThe Evolution of Cooperation provides valuable insights into the age-old question of whether unforced cooperation is ever possible. Widely praised and much-discussed, this classic book explores how cooperation can emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists-whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals-when there is no central authority to police their actions. The problem of cooperation is central to many different fields. Robert Axelrod recounts the famous computer tournaments in which the "cooperative" program Tit for Tat recorded its stunning victories, explains its application to a broad spectrum of subjects, and suggests how readers can both apply cooperative principles to their own lives and teach cooperative principles to others.
“For game theory, in addition to playing strategy games, you may want to try”
Jan 15, 2018 — Source
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha
Daniel M. Ingram
BodyMind & SpiritThe very idea that Buddhist teachings can be mastered will arouse controversy within Buddhist circles. Even so, Daniel Ingram insists that enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away, and we have learned to use meditation as a method for examining reality rather than an opportunity to wallow in self-absorbed mind-noise. This book sets out concisely the difference between concentration-based (sometimes referred to as Zen) and insight (Vipassana) meditation. The author provides example practices and, most importantly, he presents detailed maps of the states of mind we are likely to encounter and the stages we must negotiate as we move through clearly defined cycles of insight.
“Recommended on twitter”
Feb 23, 2016 — Source
Thermoinfocomplexity
Thermoinfocomplexity
Behzad Mohit
This book presents a comprehensive theory of evolution based on a new physicochemical approach of energy flow throughout the material world that addresses the question of, "how" complex adaptive systems have emerged throughout the 4.5 billion years life of the earth. Up until this writing, most books on evolution from Darwin to Jay Maynard Smith, have dealt with "what" of evolution at a descriptive level. Recently, a few erudite, but partial attempts have addressed the question of, "how" evolution has come about.Thermoinfocomplexity is a synthetic and comprehensive theory that combines the stochastic interplay of energy and information based on the principles of thermodynamics, information, and complexity theories to explain the emergence of increasingly complex adaptive systems, from molecule, to man, society, and Gaia. A scale-free theory, Thermoinfocomplexity demonstrates the fundamental similarities that exist between the course of a river, weather patterns, biological systems, and the superorganisms of human societies. It carefully develops the physicochemical rationale behind the emergence of more-complex systems, selected for, based on their efficient utilization of extracted Gibbs free energy from the environment. In doing so, Thermoinfocomplexity explains the negative scaling laws of metabolic efficiency, from biological systems to the modern metropolis. Although this book largely explores the theory's application to chemical evolution, biology, and human society, Thermoinfocomplexity has predictive applications that may well reveal the future trajectory of many complex adaptive systems, including the global human superorganism.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
Falling into Grace
Falling into Grace
Adyashanti
BodyMind & Spirit“Falling Into Grace is a dazzling, clear, profound book—a cool drink of water for thirsty hearts everywhere." —Geneen Roth, author of Women, Food, God “The path to enlightenment today is cluttered with concepts: Adyashanti cuts through them with a sword so merciless and tender that only space remains.” —Meg Lundstrom, author of What to Do When You Can’t Decide “Adyashanti’s teachings point us toward what we most yearn for: realizing and embodying the love and awareness that is our natural state. Falling Into Grace is wonderfully lucid, simple, and powerful. It will remind you to stop the struggle and to relax back into what you already are.” —Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance Adyashanti asks us to let go of our struggles with life and open to the full promise of mindfulness and spiritual awakening: the end of delusion and the discovery of our essential being. In his many years as a spiritual teacher, Adyashanti has found the simpler the teaching, the greater its power to initiate this awakening. In Falling intoGrace, he shares what he considers fundamental insights that will spark a revolution in the way we perceive life—through a progressive inquiry exploring the concept of a separate self and the choice to stop believing the thoughts that perpetuate suffering; “taking the backward step” into the pure potential of the present moment; why mindfulness and spiritual awakening can be a disturbing process; absolute union with every part of our experience and true autonomy—the unique expression of our own sense of freedom. Excerpt: When I was a young child, about seven or eight years old, one of the things I started to notice and ponder as I watched the adults around me was that the adult world is prone to suffering, pain, and conflict. Even though I grew up in a relatively healthy household with loving parents and two sisters, I still saw a great deal of pain around me. As I looked at the adult world, I wondered: How is it that people come into conflict? As a child, I also happened to be a great listener—some may even say an eavesdropper. I would listen to every conversation that went on in the house. In fact, it was a family joke that nothing happened in the house without me knowing about it. I liked to know everything that was going on around me, and so I spent a lot of my childhood listening to the conversation of adults, in my home and in the homes of relatives. Much of the time, I found what they talked about to be quite interesting, but I also noticed a certain ebb and flow to most of their discussions—how conversations moved into a little bit of conflict, then back away from it.
“ I thought was very good.”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
Distress
Distress
Greg Egan
FictionTired of covering "frankenscience" for SeeNet, twenty-first-century investigative journalist Andrew Worth journeys to the artificial island of Stateless, where a group of the world's top physicists has gathered to consider a new Theory of Everything to replace Einstein's outmoded work.
“I’ve been reading a book from him called Distress.”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
Waking Up
Waking Up
Sam Harris
BodyMind & SpiritA guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology considers how to learn from the examples of religious sages and saints from a secular and philosophical perspective without formally committing to religion. 100,000 first printing.
“Loved this book”
Jul 1, 2015 — Source
“Was fundamental and had a lot to teach”
Nov 21, 2016 — Source
The Truth about Carbs
The Truth about Carbs
Nate Miyaki
Free Yourself From Carbophobia Carbs. The very word strikes fear in the heart of many these days. They make you fat, right? And they lead to diabetes and a host of other ailments...right? Chances are, if you're trying to lose weight, you've probably tried a low-carb diet. But did it work for you long-term? If you're still stuck in the yo-yo diet rut, still struggling with a muffin top, still reluctant to attend that high school reunion or beach vacation, then you need to get your facts straight. Wouldn't it be nice to "finally" get your diet ducks in a row and be lean for "life?" Carbs Aren't the Devil Did you know that both high-carb diets and low-carb diets can help you lose fat? The trick is figuring out which diet will work for you. Up until now, that was a guessing game that involved a lot of self-experimentation with a host of possible negative side effects if you chose incorrectly-fatigue, depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction. This happens a lot if your diet doesn't match your lifestyle. But how do you know which diet will work for you? How many carbs should you be eating? After all, you want all the benefits of eating carbs-sound sleep, better performance, improved mood (and help "below the belt")-but you don't want to run the risk of gaining body fat or losing muscle. Finally, a Sane Weight Loss Plan Whether you're looking to get ripped or simply looking to get off the couch, Nate Miyaki has the diet plan for you. "The Truth About Carbs" is way more than a book about carbohydrates; it's a complete, step-by-step fat loss system that can fit any lifestyle and help you attain whatever goals you've set for yourself. This book contains everything you need to know to slash fat and build muscle, whether you're an office worker or an elite athlete. No more guessing games. No more excuses. Do some simple calculations and head out to the grocery store, then get ready to get lean for life. It's really that simple.
“BTW, new book is amazing.”
May 24, 2014 — Source
How Innovation Works
How Innovation Works
Matt Ridley
Business & EconomicsBuilding on his national bestseller The Rational Optimist, Matt Ridley chronicles the history of innovation, and how we need to change our thinking on the subject. Innovation is the main event of the modern age, the reason we experience both dramatic improvements in our living standards and unsettling changes in our society. Forget short-term symptoms like Donald Trump and Brexit, it is innovation that will shape the twenty-first century. Yet innovation remains a mysterious process, poorly understood by policy makers and businessmen alike. Matt Ridley argues that we need to see innovation as an incremental, bottom-up, fortuitous process that happens as a direct result of the human habit of exchange, rather than an orderly, top-down process developing according to a plan. Innovation is crucially different from invention, because it is the turning of inventions into things of practical and affordable use to people. It speeds up in some sectors and slows down in others. It is always a collective, collaborative phenomenon, involving trial and error, not a matter of lonely genius. It happens mainly in just a few parts of the world at any one time. It still cannot be modeled properly by economists, but it can easily be discouraged by politicians. Far from there being too much innovation, we may be on the brink of an innovation famine. Ridley derives these and other lessons from the lively stories of scores of innovations, how they started and why they succeeded or failed. Some of the innovation stories he tells are about steam engines, jet engines, search engines, airships, coffee, potatoes, vaping, vaccines, cuisine, antibiotics, mosquito nets, turbines, propellers, fertilizer, zero, computers, dogs, farming, fire, genetic engineering, gene editing, container shipping, railways, cars, safety rules, wheeled suitcases, mobile phones, corrugated iron, powered flight, chlorinated water, toilets, vacuum cleaners, shale gas, the telegraph, radio, social media, block chain, the sharing economy, artificial intelligence, fake bomb detectors, phantom games consoles, fraudulent blood tests, hyperloop tubes, herbicides, copyright, and even life itself.
“And everything by @mattwridley is worth reading”
Mar 22, 2015 — Source
Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
Gordon Livingston
Self-HelpAfter service in Vietnam, as a surgeon for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1968-69, at the height of the war, Dr. Gordon Livingston returned to the U.S. and began work as a psychiatrist. In that capacity, he has listened to people talk about their lives-what works, what doesn't, and the limitless ways (many of them self-inflicted) that people find to be unhappy. He is also a parent twice bereaved; in one thirteen-month period, he lost his eldest son to suicide, his youngest to leukemia. Out of a lifetime of experience, Gordon Livingston has extracted thirty bedrock truths: We are what we do. Any relationship is under the control of the person who cares the least. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Only bad things happen quickly. Forgiveness is a form of letting go, but they are not the same thing. The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas. Livingston illuminates these and twenty-four others in a series of carefully hewn, perfectly calibrated essays, many of which focus on our closest relationships and the things that we do to impede or, less frequently, enhance them. Again and again, these essays underscore that “we are what we do,” and that while there may be no escaping who we are, we have the capacity to face loss, misfortune, and regret and to move beyond them-that it is not too late. Full of things we may know but have not articulated to ourselves, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart offers solace, guidance, and hope to everyone ready to become the person they'd most like to be.
“That was a fun, light read.”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
The Lifecycle of Software Objects
The Lifecycle of Software Objects
Ted Chiang
FictionFollows the lives of Ana Alvarado and Derek Brooks as they create and relate to the artificial intelligences they helped design.
“Another masterpiece of SciFi”
Jan 20, 2013 — Source
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Wolfgang Palaver
Literary CriticismA systematic introduction into the mimetic theory of the French-American literary theorist and philosophical anthropologist René Girard, this essential text explains its three main pillars (mimetic desire, the scapegoat mechanism, and the Biblical “difference”) with the help of examples from literature and philosophy. This book also offers an overview of René Girard’s life and work, showing how much mimetic theory results from existential and spiritual insights into one’s own mimetic entanglements. Furthermore it examines the broader implications of Girard’s theories, from the mimetic aspect of sovereignty and wars to the relationship between the scapegoat mechanism and the question of capital punishment. Mimetic theory is placed within the context of current cultural and political debates like the relationship between religion and modernity, terrorism, the death penalty, and gender issues. Drawing textual examples from European literature (Cervantes, Shakespeare, Goethe, Kleist, Stendhal, Storm, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Proust) and philosophy (Plato, Camus, Sartre, Lévi-Strauss, Derrida, Vattimo), Palaver uses mimetic theory to explore the themes they present. A highly accessible book, this text is complemented by bibliographical references to Girard’s widespread work and secondary literature on mimetic theory and its applications, comprising a valuable bibliographical archive that provides the reader with an overview of the development and discussion of mimetic theory until the present day.
“He re-reads the book.”
— Source
The Order of Time
The Order of Time
Carlo Rovelli
Biography & AutobiographyOne of TIME's Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade "Meet the new Stephen Hawking . . . The Order of Time is a dazzling book." --The Sunday Times From the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, comes a concise, elegant exploration of time. Why do we remember the past and not the future? What does it mean for time to "flow"? Do we exist in time or does time exist in us? In lyric, accessible prose, Carlo Rovelli invites us to consider questions about the nature of time that continue to puzzle physicists and philosophers alike. For most readers this is unfamiliar terrain. We all experience time, but the more scientists learn about it, the more mysterious it remains. We think of it as uniform and universal, moving steadily from past to future, measured by clocks. Rovelli tears down these assumptions one by one, revealing a strange universe where at the most fundamental level time disappears. He explains how the theory of quantum gravity attempts to understand and give meaning to the resulting extreme landscape of this timeless world. Weaving together ideas from philosophy, science and literature, he suggests that our perception of the flow of time depends on our perspective, better understood starting from the structure of our brain and emotions than from the physical universe. Already a bestseller in Italy, and written with the poetic vitality that made Seven Brief Lessons on Physics so appealing, The Order of Time offers a profoundly intelligent, culturally rich, novel appreciation of the mysteries of time.
“Current reading list.”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Striking Thoughts
Striking Thoughts
Bruce Lee
Sports & Recreation"A teacher is never a giver of truth—he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself. A good teacher is merely a catalyst."—Bruce Lee Within the pages of Striking Thoughts, you will find the secrets of Bruce Lee's incredible success— as an actor, martial artist, and inspiration to the world. Consisting of eight sections, Striking Thoughts covers 72 topics and 825 aphorisms—from spirituality to personal liberation and from family life to filmmaking—all of which Bruce lived by. His ideas helped energize his life and career and made it possible for him to live a happy and assured life, overcoming challenging obstacles with seeming ease. They also inspired his family, friends, students, and colleagues to achieve success in their own lives and this personal collection will help you in your journey too. Sections include: On First Principles—including life, existence, time, and death On Being Human—including the mind, happiness, fear, and dreams On Matters of Existence—health, love, marriage, raising children, ethics, racism, and adversity On Achievement—work, goals, faith, success, money, and fame On Art and Artists—art, filmmaking, and acting On Personal Liberation—conditioning, Zen Buddhism, meditation, and freedom On the Process of Becoming—self-actualization, self-help, self-expression, and growth On Ultimate (Final) Principles—Yin-yang, totality, Tao, and the truth This Bruce Lee Book is part of the Bruce Lee Library which also features: Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung Fu Bruce Lee: Artist of Life Bruce Lee: Letters of the Dragon Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body Bruce Lee: Jeet Kune Do
“Recommended on twitter”
Feb 1, 2013 — Source
Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu,Laozi
ReligionA new presentation of the classic spiritual work places its eighty-one verses in an accessible format for both casual and serious students, in a new translation that seeks to illuminate the timeless relevance of its message. Original.
“I’ve been rereading the Tao Te Ching”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
War Nerd
War Nerd
Gary Brecher
History“[A] raucous, offensive, and sometimes amusing CliffsNotes compilation of wars both well-known and ignored.” —Utne Reader Self-described war nerd Gary Brecher knows he’s not alone, that there’s a legion of fat, lonely Americans, stuck in stupid, paper-pushing desk jobs, who get off on reading about war because they hate their lives. But Brecher writes about war, too. War Nerd collects his most opinionated, enraging, enlightening, and entertaining pieces. Part war commentator, part angry humorist à la Bill Hicks, Brecher inveighs against pieties of all stripes—Liberian generals, Dick Cheney, U.N. peacekeepers, the neo-cons—and the massive incompetence of military powers. A provocative free thinker, he finds much to admire in the most unlikely places, and not always for the most pacifistic reasons: the Tamil Tigers, the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Danes of 1,000 years ago, and so on, across the globe and through the centuries. Crude, scatological, un-P.C., yet deeply informed, Brecher provides a radically different, completely unvarnished perspective on the nature of warfare. “Military columnist Gary Brecher’s look at contemporary war is both offensive and illuminating. His book, War Nerd . . . aims to explain why the best-equipped armies in the world continue to lose battles to peasants armed with rocks . . . Brecher’s unrefined voice adds something essential to the conversation.” —Mother Jones “It’s international news coverage with a soul and acne, not to mention a deeply contrarian point of view.” —The Millions
“check out "The War Nerd" by Gary Brecker”
Aug 23, 2010 — Source
The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem
Cixin Liu
FictionSoon to be a Netflix Original Series! “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.” – Wall Street Journal The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision. The Three-Body Problem Series The Three-Body Problem The Dark Forest Death's End Other Books Ball Lightning Supernova Era To Hold Up The Sky (forthcoming) At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
“I just love to read, whenever I'm bored, whenever I have timeI just do it.”
Apr 3, 2018 — Source
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
Julian Jaynes
PsychologyNational Book Award Finalist: “This man’s ideas may be the most influential, not to say controversial, of the second half of the twentieth century.”—Columbus Dispatch At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion—and indeed our future. “Don’t be put off by the academic title of Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. Its prose is always lucid and often lyrical…he unfolds his case with the utmost intellectual rigor.”—The New York Times “When Julian Jaynes . . . speculates that until late in the twentieth millennium BC men had no consciousness but were automatically obeying the voices of the gods, we are astounded but compelled to follow this remarkable thesis.”—John Updike, The New Yorker “He is as startling as Freud was in The Interpretation of Dreams, and Jaynes is equally as adept at forcing a new view of known human behavior.”—American Journal of Psychiatry
“Thats a great book. Recommended to me by a friend. ”
— Source
Tools of Titans
Tools of Titans
Timothy Ferriss
Business & Economics"Fitness, money, and wisdom--here are the tools. Over the last two years ... Tim Ferriss has collected the routines and tools of world-class performers around the globe. Now, the distilled notebook of tips and tricks that helped him double his income, flexibility, happiness, and more is available as Tools of Titans"--Page 4 of cover.
“I'm reading tools of titans”
May 13, 2012 — Source
The Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
The Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
Randall Munroe
“A great book by Randall Munroe”
— Source
Theory of Everything (The Enlightened Perspective) - Dreamstate Trilogy
Theory of Everything (The Enlightened Perspective) - Dreamstate Trilogy
Jed McKenna
“Jed spits raw truth. His style may be off-putting but the dedication to truth is unparalleled”
— Source
“Jed spits raw truth. His style may be off-putting but the dedication to truth is unparalleled”
— Source
Jed Talks #1
Jed Talks #1
Jed McKenna
Jed McKenna is the author of The Enlightenment Trilogy and The Dreamstate Trilogy. The Jed Talks series continues to provide the same combination of humor, charm, and unparalleled mastery that has made Jed McKenna the clearest and most unique voice in human spirituality.
“Jed spits raw truth. His style may be off-putting but the dedication to truth is unparalleled”
— Source
“Jed spits raw truth. His style may be off-putting but the dedication to truth is unparalleled”
— Source
A Master’s Secret Whispers: For those who abhor noise and seek The Truth about life and living
A Master’s Secret Whispers: For those who abhor noise and seek The Truth about life and living
Kapil Gupta
“Kapil recently became a personal advisor and coach to me, and this comes from a person who doesn’t believe in coaches”
— Source
The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within
The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within
Osho
“If you want to run through a bunch of them [meditation techniques], you can pick up a book called The Book of Secrets”
— Source
“I'm reading a book on Rene Girard's Mimetic Theory, it's more of an overview book”
May 13, 2012 — Source
The Essential Gandhi
The Essential Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Biography & AutobiographyMohandas K. Gandhi, called Mahatma (“great soul”), was the father of modern India, but his influence has spread well beyond the subcontinent and is as important today as it was in the first part of the twentieth century and during this nation’s own civil rights movement. Taken from Gandhi’s writings throughout his life, The Essential Gandhi introduces us to his thoughts on politics, spirituality, poverty, suffering, love, non-violence, civil disobedience, and his own life. The pieces collected here, with explanatory head notes by Gandhi biographer Louis Fischer, offer the clearest, most thorough portrait of one of the greatest spiritual leaders the world has known. “Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. . . . We may ignore him at our own risk.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With a new Preface drawn from the writings of Eknath Easwaran In the annals of spirituality certain books stand out both for their historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable resources for all readers who seek a more substantive understanding of mankind's relation to the divine.
“I’m reading The Essential Gandhi”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
“Been reading”
Jan 30, 2016 — Source
“You many want to take a look at Michael Pollan’s most recent book”
Oct 24, 2019 — Source
Faraday Maxwell and the Electromagnetic Field
Faraday Maxwell and the Electromagnetic Field
Basil Mahon,Nancy Forbes
“What Naval is reading now”
Aug 14, 2018 — Source
“Bit mystical but he’s not wrong.”
Apr 25, 2018 — Source
The Feynman Lectures on Physics
The Feynman Lectures on Physics
Matthew Sands,Richard P. Feynman,Robert B. Leighton
Science“The whole thing was basically an experiment,” Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning publications that have remained definitive and introductory to physics for decades. Ranging from the basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Timeless and collectible, the lectures are essential reading, not just for students of physics but for anyone seeking an introduction to the field from the inimitable Feynman.
“On Naval Rvaikant's reading list”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
PsychologyMajor New York Times bestseller Winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award in 2012 Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2011 A Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year 2011 Title One of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year One of The Wall Street Journal's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year 2011 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Kahneman's work with Amos Tversky is the subject of Michael Lewis's The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds In the international bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and selected by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2011, Thinking, Fast and Slow is destined to be a classic.
“Fine book but it didnt need to be an entire book. A blog post would have gotten the point across.”
— Source
Homo Deus
Homo Deus
Yuval Noah Harari
ScienceOfficial U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style—thorough, yet riveting—famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. The average American is a thousand times more likely to die from binging at McDonalds than from being blown up by Al Qaeda. What then will replace famine, plague, and war at the top of the human agenda? As the self-made gods of planet earth, what destinies will we set ourselves, and which quests will we undertake? Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution. This is Homo Deus. With the same insight and clarity that made Sapiens an international hit and a New York Times bestseller, Harari maps out our future.
“Good book but not as seminal as Sapiens.”
Apr 5, 2017 — Source
The Gay Science
The Gay Science
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
PhilosophyProvides insight into Nietzsche's philosophical thought on the death of God and the eternal recurrence in this translation of one if his major works. Bibliogs
“Recommended on twitter”
Aug 14, 2018 — Source
Fallen Leaves
Fallen Leaves
Will Durant
HistoryThe author and historian offers his opinions on such topics as youth, old age, religion, morals, sex, war, politics, and art.
“Current reading list.”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon
Daniel Keyes
FictionOscar-winning film Charly starring Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom-a mentally challenged man receives an operation that turns him into a genius...and introduces him to heartache.
“Recommended on twitter”
Sep 15, 2010 — Source
The Fabric of Reality
The Fabric of Reality
David Deutsch
ScienceAn extraordinary and challenging synthesis of ideas uniting Quantum Theory, and the theories of Computation, Knowledge and Evolution, Deutsch's extraordinary book explores the deep connections between these strands which reveal the fabric of realityin which human actions and ideas play essential roles.
“On Naval Rvaikant's reading list”
Aug 4, 2019 — Source
Dream Yoga
Dream Yoga
Andrew Holecek
ReligionLucid dreaming—becoming fully conscious in the dream state—has attracted legions of those seeking to explore their vast inner worlds. Yet our states of sleep offer much more than entertainment. Combining modern lucid dreaming principles with the time-tested insights of Tibetan dream yoga makes this astonishing yet elusive experience both easier to access and profoundly life-changing. With Dream Yoga, Andrew Holecek presents a practical guide for meditators, lucid dreamers ready to go deeper, and complete beginners. Topics include: meditations and techniques for dream induction and lucidity, enhancing dream recall, dream interpretation, working with nightmares, and more.
“Recommended on twitter”
Sep 12, 2018 — Source
