books i've read

Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. A book on the materials that build our world - how they are mined, transported and how important they are. Great read so far.

A book on how fungi shape our lives and the world around us. One of the best written books on a niche, specific, scientific topic I've read. A beautiful blend of philosophy, technicality and prose. Turns out we can learn a lot from fungi.

Frameworks to not let your worldview be tinged by biases, and to realize that things are a lot better than they seem. Short, sweet and to the point, yet supremely impactful.

I've only read the first essay on how morality is essentially a remnant of class differences, and it blew me away. Bit dense, but working my way through the rest of the book bit by bit. Made me understand why Nietzsche is so highly regarded.

Isaacson's work is always amazing, but this one especially so. A sharp, clear look into the life of someone that has single-handedly shaped several industries. The way Musk's obsession is portrayed is super powerful. 100% recommend.

"Productivity" books don't normally bother me, but this one just wasn't for me. It felt super shallow, with a cheesy "this is the secret to the universe" vibe that didn't sit right with me. Timeboxing is great, but this book just wasn't it. Stopped reading halfway through.

Beautiful. Fadell wanted this book to be a mentor in a box, and that is exactly what it is. I've never seen products, start-ups and actually building a company be communicated this well. Tons of amazing advice - 100% recommend.

Picked this one up expecting self-help, found economic theory instead. Unexpected, but it was a great read. The combination of small text and complicated language make this a hard book to read, but the content itself is very useful. Antifragility as a concept is a great addition to your worldview as well.

Hands down my favourite biography. Steve's life combined with Isaacson's storytelling make for a gripping read, and Steve's philosophy and attention to detail come through extremely well. An amazing book documenting the life of a breathtaking, unique individual. Rest in peace Steve Jobs.

The first real philosophy book I read. Every single one of the 100 pages of this book made me feel so seen and had me going "ah!". Beauvoir is a formidable thinker, which when combined with the lucidity of her writing make for a cutting, insightful book. 100% recommend.

22 books that I read over 4 years. What a journey. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but the powerscaling, plot, sheer grit of the main character, and more put this way up there in terms of my favourite fantasy series. Hadjar's journey is nothing short of astounding.

A book about how social virality comes about. It was quite good - the models of connectors, mavens and salesmen were quite usefful to know. Well written as well. Just lacked that oomph - a short and satisfying read nonetheless.

A book about why some people succeed and others don't (news flash: it focuses mostly on factors out of your control). While the core message of the book rubbed me entirely the wrong way (I prefer delusional belief in one's control over their own destiny), it held a lot of interesting information about certain hereditary traits/the role of serendipity in success.

The seminal work on the flow state, what it looks like, and how to consistently achieve it. Still not able to enter flow on command, but this book was a veritable treasure trove of scientific, actionable information. A bit dense, but it's not too bad.

A Stoic classic. Lots of really insightful snippets, but the lack of a cohesive narrative and the disparate nature of the meditations themselves makes it a bit hard to crystallize every insight into actionable mental frameworks. A few rereads and internalization will make this book 7 stars.

The only series that's managed to make me reread each of its two books more than four times, individually. Not even in order. Each book is just that good by itself. The series is still in its infancy (two 1000-page books in might make it more of an adolescent, but Bryce does such an amazing job of building up the plot that it feels like the bulk of story is yet to come), but it's quickly become my favourite sci-fi series. Amazing premise, impeccable worldbuilding, and some of the best character building I've ever seen. Can't wait to read more.

A beautiful book about the brevity of life and how to deal with existential dread. Flies in the face of quite literally everything valued by modern day society - productivity, overachievement, and the seemingly all-pervasive drive to "do more things". Makes you question why you're so hell-bent on being "productive", and makes you really think about the type of life you want to lead.

The journey of the hardest man alive. What a book. Being able to look inside the mind of someone like Goggins is an eye-opening experience - the pain, the strife, the struggle, the willpower - absolutely mind-boggling.

The star child of the progression fantasy community. And for good reason - it's extremely well written, very enjoyable to read, and has amazing character and plot development. Lindon, like so many of my favourite MCs, works his way up from absolutely nothing. We all should have something we're running away from.

Probably the best primer to personal finance out there. Enough said.

What ignited my lifelong obsession with purpose. To be motivated by pleasure, power, or purpose - it's an easy choice, isn't it? This book is what made me transition from purpose-filled fantasy to purpose filled non-fiction and then eventually to just pure, helpful, interesting non-fiction. Viktor Frankl does an amazing job of explaning logotherapy, and of igniting your desire to live purposefully. Probably should reread this again soon.

Time loops, a scrappy MC, and a wonderful plot. This was a pleasure to read, and I read the entire thing off of Royal Road. The plot twists throughout keep blindsiding you in the best way possible, without getting old. Delightful read, 100% recommend.

The story that got me dreaming. My favourite wuxia book ever. Fantasy is food for your soul and for your dreams, and reading it is what stoked my ambition to where it is today. Of honor, discipline and laboured ascent.