Amazon link I liked Jim Collins’s management books like Built to Last and Good to Great, so I was interested in his latest book after hearing him talk about it on the Tim Ferriss show. In his business books, his research methodology was to look for pairs of companies that looked similar up to a […]
Category: nonfiction
Founder Unfriendly, by Charlie O’Donnell
Amazon link In this book, Charlie O’Donnell shares his insights on how to navigate the fundraising process, drawing on his experience as a 20-year veteran of the venture capital industry, with stints at Union Square Ventures, First Round, and running his own fund, plus being a failed founder himself. The book is filled with tactical […]
The Stimulated Mind, by Dr. Tommy Wood
Amazon link Official book site The Tim Ferriss podcast interview where I learned of Wood This book, subtitled “Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age”, shares the latest academic research on how to improve your brain’s performance while combining it with the practical tips Wood has developed as a coach to […]
The Way of Excellence, by Brad Stulberg
Amazon link David Epstein interview that compelled me to buy the book What is excellence? Stulberg’s position is that excellence is not merely excelling at an activity, but a biological imperative. As he writes in the introduction: We have an innate drive for progress and growth. It’s why we feel so alive when we channel […]
The Compass Within, by Robert Glazer
Amazon link Subtitled “A Little Story About the Values That Guide Us”, this is a short parable of a young professional at a career crossroads who discovers his core values through a mentor guiding him through the process. By aligning his work and community with his values, he becomes more energized and impactful. I’ve heard […]
The Science of Scaling, by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson
Amazon link This book lays out a cohesive strategy to, as its subtitle states, “Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible”. It starts with the simple but profound insight that if you set reasonable goals based on what you’ve already done, you will get reasonable or linear results. You’ll continue to grow […]
Antimemetics, by Nadia Asparouhova
Book site I have been subscribed to Asparouhova’s Substack for a few years, so picked up her new book as soon as it was available. It then took me a couple weeks to read it because I immediately got distracted by re-reading There Is No Antimemetics Division, a sci-fi novel by qntm that inspired her […]
The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Amazon link I hadn’t read any of Coates’s books since Between the World and Me, but I heard his interview with Trevor Noah, and knew I had to read his newest book, The Message, in part because the description of his visit to Palestine was controversial. Disclaimer: I recognize that Coates is only telling a […]
Mathematica: A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosity, by David Bessis
Amazon link I wish I could remember who linked to David Bessis’s Twitter thread explaining that we teach math wrong, as that thread and this one on why math talent isn’t primarily driven by genetics convinced me to buy his book, which was a delight to read. Bessis believes that the way we talk about […]
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by Dr. Peter Attia
Amazon link I’ve had several friends recommend Attia’s book to me over the past year as a way to live a longer and more healthy life, so I recently read it as part of my 50th birthday activities. Attia’s main premise is that current medical practices are about delaying death, figuring out how to keep […]