book notesMost of the important things I’ve learned have come from books, articles, speeches, and other media. After seeing how Derek Sivers publicizes his book notes, I decided I would publicize all of my summaries and notes from books, speeches, articles, and other things I was reading. To get the notes, click on any linked title . I included short snippets and ratings to give you an idea of what you might find interesting. I’ve roughly categorized it by topic, some of these are broad, some are narrow, it’ll change with time. The notes and summaries are meant to be concise, reminding me of high-level concepts and not trying to recreate the whole book. You can use them to remind yourself of something you read or to decide on something new to read. Categories Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (10/10) Summary of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Such an incredible book on becoming a better chef, with little tricks and methods I use almost every day now. Plus the recipes in the back are delicious! Health Gödel Escher Bach by Douglas R. Hofstadter (10/10) This book stretched my mind more than almost any other book I’ve read. It’s tough at parts, it’s long, but you’ll come out of it thinking about brains, minds, intelligence, and AI in an entirely new way. Science Technology Productivity Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse (10/10) It’s an oddly written, extremely concise, very thought-provoking book. It definitely needs to be re-read 2-3 times. Make sure you’re thinking on the plane of infinite play. Philosophy Hiroshima Diary by Michihiko Hachiya (10/10) A painful and gruesome story about life in Hiroshima right after the bombing. Hachiya kept a diary of his experience nearly dying, then working to save his friends and peers as a doctor working in Hiroshima before and after the bomb went off. Biography Crony Beliefs by Kevin Simler (10/10) A “crony belief” is a belief that we have for social and political benefit (virtue / tribal signaling), instead of for accurately modeling the world. An easy way to tell if a belief is crony is whether you feel offended by it being challenged, vs. happy to have your knowledge improved. Psychology Principles by Ray Dalio (PDF version) (10/10) Absolutely phenomenal. One of the best and most concise guides to creating an order and direction for your life, from the most successful hedge fund manager in the world. It’s short, you can get through it in one sitting, and come back to it regularly. Philosophy Principles by Ray Dalio (Book Version) (10/10) Much better organized and fleshed out than the original PDF. It gets very slow in the work principles, definitely skim those based on your interest. The life principles are phenomenal, though. Would highly recommend. Philosophy Endurance by Alfred Lansing (10/10) Holy shit what a ride! Absolutely amazing story of perseverance and leadership, a must read. Whatever struggles you think you are going through simply cannot compare. Biography Psychology The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker (10/10) Phenomenal book on how our fear of death is the core of our psychological disturbances, and our motivation for life. It will make you think about why we do things and behave in certain ways in an entirely new fashion, and the language within it is delicious. Philosophy Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool (10/10) This is the best book on mastering a skill that I’ve found. Anders is the real deal, doing most of the research that other books on this topic are based on. If you only read one book on mastering your craft, read this one. Learning The Dialogues of Socrates (10/10) Socrates remains the greatest foundational influence on philosophy, and to understand his method, you have to read his dialogues. The rhetoric is brilliant, and at times, even hilarious. Philosophy Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (10/10) It's incredibly written, deeply complex, confusing as hell, and you'll probably throw it at the wall when it's done. But then you'll kinda go "okay... I'm glad I did that" and maybe start it again. Fiction Antifragile by Nassim Taleb (10/10) The book that’s had the greatest influence on my thinking and writing. A must read, and if you enjoy the content on this site, you’ll love Antifragile. Philosophy Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin (10/10) Simply the best book on improving your decision making there is. It's dense and hard to get through if you're not truly interested, but it's well worth it. Decision Making The Cook and the Chef: Musk's Secret Sauce (10/10) The “cook vs chef” dynamic is one that I’ve been thinking about more and more. WBW gives the best start to finish overview of the difference between reasoning from first principles and following the crowd. Learning Philosophy Writing Finance Mindfulness & Meditation The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro (9/10) A summary of The Power Broker. An incredible biography of Robert Moses. It can be a little slow and dense at times, but it's worth pushing through foAnd please read this FAQ page about these notes , if you have any questions. You can also email me . You Can Negotiate Anything - by Herb Cohen Date read: 2023-08-02. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Everything is negotiable. Challenge authority. You have the power in any situation. This is how to realize it and use it. A must-read classic from 1980 from a master negotiator. My notes here aren’t enough because the little book is filled with so many memorable stories — examples of great day-to-day moments of negotiation that will stick in your head for when you need them. (I especially loved the one about the power of the prisoner in solitary confinement.) So go buy and read the book. I’m giving it a 10/10 rating even though the second half of the book loses steam, because the first half is so crucial. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. The Listening Book - by W.A. Mathieu Date read: 2021-09-03. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Everyone should read this book of little essays about listening. It teaches your ears to pay more attention. It calls your attention to sounds you hadn’t noticed. It’s beautifully written, and makes your life better. I read it twice, 24 years ago, and reading it again this week, it was even better than I remembered. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. The Courage to Be Disliked - by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga Date read: 2018-07-25. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Wow. A profound little philosophy book from Japan, communicating the psychology of Alfred Adler - a rival of Freud. Told as a conversation between an angry student and a patient teacher. A little book so good that I rushed home from other activities to keep reading it, and finished in a day. A surprisingly fresh perspective on how to live. (The “disliked” part is not the point, so don’t let the title distract you.) Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives - by David Eagleman Date read: 2017-09-27. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Awesomely creative think-piece. 40 very short fictional stories about what happens when you die. The framework is inspiring for anyone: coming up with 40 different answers to any one question. But they’re also just brilliant ideas and powerful little fables. I just read it a 2nd time and love it even more now. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. The Gardener and the Carpenter - by Alison Gopnik Date read: 2016-08-10. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Great philosophy of parenting, from a grandmother who is a wise professor of philosophy and a developmental psychologist. Such a beautiful mindset and outlook. Required reading for every parent. Re-read it often as a necessary reminder. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. Playful Parenting - by Lawrence Cohen Date read: 2016-06-05. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 I’ve read many books on parenting, but this one is the best. It’s genius. My top recommendation for everyone with a kid age 1-13. Its point is that children communicate through play. So, to reach them: play! Anything can be done through play: teaching, emotional connection, processing difficult situations, and even discipline can be made playful. Read the whole book instead of just my notes, since my little take-away ideas are just reminders of the spirit of the book. I re-read these notes almost every week to remind me how to be a great parent. My kid is always thankful (communicated through giddy laughter) when I remember and use this approach. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. The War of Art - by Steven Pressfield Date read: 2012-01-05. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what “Resistance” is. This book is about that. Read it. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. Stumbling on Happiness - by Daniel Gilbert Date read: 2007-07-11. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Not at all new-agey, as the title might suggest. Harvard professor of psychology has studied happiness for years, and shares factual findings that will change the way you look at the world. Read my notes , or go to the Amazon page for details and reviews. E-Myth Revisited - by Michael Gerber Date read: 2004-02-26. How strongly I recommend it: 10 /10 Absolutely everyone who is an entrepreneur or wants to be one needs to read this book. I first read it after 10 years of successfully running my company, and was still blown away and totally humbled by its wisdom. Re-reading it today, I'm amazed how my view of business was completely changed by this one little book. See my notes for examplesYou've been blocked by network security. To continue, log in to your Reddit account or use your developer token If you think you've been blocked by mistake, file a ticket below and we'll look into it. Log in File a ticket

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