Reading list
Books that sharpen judgment
“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”
These are books I recommend — titles that have shaped how I think about technology, leadership, history, and getting hard things done. The first section is what I have returned to most over the last three years. The rest is grouped by theme so you can browse by curiosity rather than by rank. Each title links to Amazon so you can find a current edition.
Favorite reads from the last 3 years
-
(opens in a new tab)
Legacy (opens in a new tab)
In Legacy, James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful sporting team, the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (opens in a new tab)
How will artificial intelligence affect crime, war, justice, jobs, society, and our very sense of being human?
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (opens in a new tab)
Two books that everyone should read. Sapiens is a sweeping history of how Homo sapiens came to shape the world.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (opens in a new tab)
The companion to Sapiens, looking ahead at power, technology, and what may come next for humanity.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results (opens in a new tab)
The Geek Way reveals a new way to get big things done and shows how to change the way you think about work, teams, projects, and culture.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
How Big Things Get Done (opens in a new tab)
The surprising factors that determine the fate of every project, from home renovations to space exploration and everything in between.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Source Code: My Beginnings (opens in a new tab)
A surprisingly candid memoir of the Microsoft founder’s early years.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Technology
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Coming Wave (opens in a new tab)
AI, synthetic biology, and the challenge of controlling powerful technologies.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Chip War (opens in a new tab)
How semiconductors became central to technology, economics, and geopolitics.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Thinking Machine (opens in a new tab)
The story of Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the infrastructure behind the AI revolution.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Innovators (opens in a new tab)
A broad history of the people and collaborations that created modern computing.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends (opens in a new tab)
An investigation into cyberweapons, vulnerabilities, and the global security market.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Programming
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Pragmatic Programmer (opens in a new tab)
Timeless principles for becoming a more thoughtful, adaptable, and effective developer.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
A Philosophy of Software Design (opens in a new tab)
A practical framework for reducing complexity and creating maintainable systems.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Designing Data-Intensive Applications (opens in a new tab)
An essential guide to distributed systems, databases, scalability, and reliability.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Refactoring (opens in a new tab)
Techniques for improving existing code without changing its external behavior.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Code Complete (opens in a new tab)
A comprehensive reference covering software construction, design, testing, and code quality.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Biographies
-
(opens in a new tab)
Alexander Hamilton (opens in a new tab)
A definitive account of Hamilton’s life, political vision, economic influence, and complicated legacy.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Steve Jobs (opens in a new tab)
A nuanced examination of product vision, leadership, and difficult genius.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Leonardo da Vinci (opens in a new tab)
A study of curiosity and the relationship between art, science, and imagination.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (opens in a new tab)
A comprehensive portrait of ambition, scale, wealth, and corporate power.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Power Broker (opens in a new tab)
A monumental study of Robert Moses and how institutional power actually works.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Inspiring
-
(opens in a new tab)
Man’s Search for Meaning (opens in a new tab)
A powerful reflection on purpose, suffering, and personal responsibility.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Obstacle Is the Way (opens in a new tab)
A practical introduction to turning adversity into progress.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Shoe Dog (opens in a new tab)
A candid story of persistence, uncertainty, and building Nike.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Boys in the Boat (opens in a new tab)
An inspiring account of teamwork and resilience against extraordinary odds.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Last Lecture (opens in a new tab)
A concise and moving reflection on ambition, time, and living deliberately.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Fiction
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Count of Monte Cristo (opens in a new tab)
An expansive story of endurance, transformation, justice, and revenge.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Remains of the Day (opens in a new tab)
A subtle examination of duty, loyalty, regret, and self-deception.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (opens in a new tab)
A multigenerational masterpiece about family, history, ambition, and Latin America.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Project Hail Mary (opens in a new tab)
An intelligent, entertaining story about scientific problem-solving and cooperation.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Three-Body Problem (opens in a new tab)
Ambitious science fiction exploring technology, civilization, and existential risk.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Practical Philosophy
-
(opens in a new tab)
Meditations (opens in a new tab)
Private reflections on discipline, leadership, judgment, and character.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Discourses (opens in a new tab)
A practical framework for separating what you control from what you do not.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Art of Living (opens in a new tab)
A highly accessible modern interpretation of Epictetus.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Four Thousand Weeks (opens in a new tab)
A philosophical challenge to productivity culture and the illusion of controlling time.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Courage to Be Disliked (opens in a new tab)
A conversational introduction to responsibility, freedom, and Adlerian psychology.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
History
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Lessons of History (opens in a new tab)
A short synthesis of recurring patterns across civilizations.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Silk Roads (opens in a new tab)
World history told through trade, power, religion, and cultural exchange.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Postwar (opens in a new tab)
A comprehensive history of Europe from 1945 through the early twenty-first century.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (opens in a new tab)
A detailed account of Nazi Germany based partly on firsthand observation.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Warmth of Other Suns (opens in a new tab)
The history and human consequences of the Great Migration in the United States.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
War and Strategy
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Art of War (opens in a new tab)
The essential short text on positioning, intelligence, timing, and indirect action.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
On War (opens in a new tab)
A demanding but foundational exploration of war, uncertainty, politics, and friction.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Strategy: A History (opens in a new tab)
A sweeping examination of military, political, revolutionary, and business strategy.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Strategy of Conflict (opens in a new tab)
A brilliant analysis of deterrence, bargaining, credibility, and strategic behavior.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy (opens in a new tab)
The most immediately applicable book on diagnosing challenges and concentrating action.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Narrative Nonfiction
-
(opens in a new tab)
The Fifth Risk (opens in a new tab)
An engaging look at government capability, institutional knowledge, and underestimated risks.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Say Nothing (opens in a new tab)
A gripping account of the Troubles, memory, violence, and political loyalty.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
Bad Blood (opens in a new tab)
The definitive investigation into Theranos and the failure of corporate governance.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Wager (opens in a new tab)
A dramatic story of shipwreck, survival, mutiny, and competing versions of truth.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab) -
(opens in a new tab)
The Spy and the Traitor (opens in a new tab)
A remarkably paced true story about espionage, loyalty, and Cold War intelligence.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)