books

An incomplete list of books that I have either read or I am reading. Following Patrick Collison's bookshelf example, I have flagged the books that I thought were great in bold.

The list is non-exhaustive, and there are many books I have already read that won't make it to the list. I will however add any new book I read which I find worth talking about.

Exhalation - Ted Chiang

Captivating series of short stories. Mostly futuristic / dystopian.

Stories of Your Life and Others - Ted Chiang

Thought-provoking and captivating series of short stories. Leaves you wanting more.

Effective C++ - Scott Meyers

The one and only. A must read if you're learning C++, great to have around as your hair gets more gray.

More Effective C++ - Scott Meyers

If you liked the first, you'll like this one. However, not as relevant anymore as the first one.

Effective Modern C++ - Scott Meyers

Essential.

3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development - Fletcher Dunn

Great intro to 3D math, explains the basics in detail. If I were starting on this topic, I'd use this book. Great section on quaternions to understand them intuitively.

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

A profound book, I read a paper version of it frequently. Probably the best book on Stoicism.

Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I read it often, and it's a great read. It introduces the concept of Antifragility, which has stayed with me since I read it.

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Loved this book. I couldn't stop reading it. One of the best novels I've read.

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

Surreal and gripping, I really enjoyed it.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

Can't get enough of Murakami' stories.

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

Hardly gets any better with novels than this...

Metals In The Service Of Man - Arthur Street & William Alexander

Similar to "Structures", it explains the process of going from ores to metal we use everyday in great detail, and clearly. Has some good British humor as you'd expect.

The Wealth of Nations - Adam Smith

Fascinating how the arguments are still relevant to today. It still reads well and this version contains a useful introduction.

Endurance - Alfred Lansing

A story of leadership, survival and endurance in the face of extreme adversity. Utterly inspiring, I keep coming back to it in my mind to remind myself that if these men survived this, I can endure anything daily life throws my way.

The Courage to Be Disliked - Ichiro Kishimi

Talks about Adlerian psychology, which in itself is interesting, but I found the way it's delivered (a dialog between a boy and a philosopher) annoying. The message is interesting though.

Dune - Frank Herbert

Couldn't stop reading it. A sci-fi tale that's almost as great as the Culture series, although with a more heroic twist.

Consider Phlebas - Iain M. Banks

The first book in the Culture series. Epic space opera to introduce the universe of the Culture.

The Player of Games - Iain M. Banks

The second Culture novel. Another masterpiece.

Use of Weapons - Iain M. Banks

The third Culture novel. Again, a masterpiece. Super thrilling plot twist.

The State of the Art - Iain M. Banks

A collection of short stories set in the Culture universe. Can't get enough of this series.

Excession - Iain M. Banks

The fifth Culture novel. Does it get any better than this?

Inversions - Iain M. Banks

The sixth Culture novel. An exploration of the Culture's interference in less advanced civilizations.

Look to Windward - Iain M. Banks

The seventh Culture novel. This one deals with the long-term consequences of Culture actions.

Matter - Iain M. Banks

The eighth Culture novel. Explores the interactions between different levels of civilizations. Probably my favorite one.

Surface Detail - Iain M. Banks

The ninth Culture novel. Deals with virtual hells and the ethics of afterlife simulations.

The Hydrogen Sonata - Iain M. Banks

The tenth and final Culture novel. I wish this wasn't the last one.

The Man from the Future - The Visionary Life of John von Neumann - Ananyo Bhattacharya

I knew that von Neumann was one of the greats, but I wasn't aware of how many areas he explored, how many contributions he's made to science and engineering, and ultimately how much he's shaped our life (for the better).

What We Owe The Future - William MacAskill

I already knew and thought most of what the book says (albeit not as in detail), but for someone who hasn't explored the topic of long-termism yet, this book is perfect.

Leonardo Da Vinci - Walter Isaacson

I've always been fascinated by this man who grew up 10 minutes away from where I grew up. I remember learning about how he'd study fossils found in the hills nearby, but far from the sea. When I would also find some, I'd feel in awe at him for being so relevant albeit from hundreds of years ago. This book cemented my respect for him.

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

An inspiring tale that gives you the courage to live your Personal Legend.

Everything Is Negotiable - 4th Edition - Gavin Kennedy

I keep this book close and reference it often. A rare gem from a real practitioner.

On Immunity - An Inoculation - Eula Bliss

Solid, and I learnt some interesting facts about vaccination and especially its history. Skip the prosaic glue between the interesting bits of information.

A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

You'll end up loving/hating the characters. As much as I'd like to dislike this book, I keep thinking about it.

Whole Earth Discipline - Stewart Brand

Informative, pro nuclear and pro denser cities.

The Scottish Enlightenment - Arthur Herman

Answers the question why did the Scottish have such a big impact on the world. Fascinating.

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

Astonishing, a joy to read. You can't stop reading.

The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

Inspiring. Cool anectodes about the author.

The Road to Serfdom - Friedrich Hayek

Must-read for anyone who wants to understand the dangers of communism. Incresible how prescient it was, and how relevant it still is.

The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton M. Christensen

Eye-opening. Apply the model proposed here to modern companies, your outlook on them will change.

Zero To One - Peter Thiel

A must-read for anyone who wants to start a company.

Einstein - Walter Isaacson

Probably the best biography of Einstein I've read..

Ubik - Philip K. Dick

Captivating futuristic tale. Although from the 60s, it has world-building concepts reminiscent of current 3D content creation workflows.

The Rational Optimist - Matt Ridley

Made me feel good about humanity after a lot of doom and gloom propaganda

The Gods Themselves - Isaac Asimov

Another outstanding Asimov novel. Very cool to read it alongside Project Hail Mary and see the parallels.

Letters on Ethics: To Lucillus - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Just as profound as the Meditations. This version of the Letters is the best one I've found. Like the Meditations, I read it often.

Unit X - Raj M. Shah, Christopher Kirchhoff

This was super interesting to me as I've worked at a company directly involved in the DIU's program.

Capitalism and Freedom - Milton Friedman

Fundamental book on the free market and its benefits, radical in the first read. The Road to Serfdom on steroids.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin

Interesting, but I found that I knew most of the concepts already.

Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson

Monumental, must-read.

The Code Breaker - Walter Isaacson

Insight into the world of CRISPR and the people behind it.

The Singularity Is Near - Ray Kurzweil

If you're in tech this won't surprise you, but it's a great read, and it's crazy how accurate the book was.

The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI - Ray Kurzweil

Not as groundbreaking as the first one, but still a good read.

A Spy Among Friends - Ben Macintyre

Outstanding Cold War book about the friendship (and betrayal) between Kim Philby and Guy Burgess, two of the most famous spies of the 20th century. Crazy that this actually happened.

Deception Point - Dan Brown

The tech in the book is outdated, but the story is still interesting.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - William L. Shirer

The best book on the Third Reich. Long and very detailed, it's a must-read for anyone interested in history.

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

Why did some societies develop faster than others? This book tries to answer the question.

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard

Sono Pazzi Questi Romani? (Why are these Romans crazy?) I devoured this book. It reads like a novel, going to buy other books by Beard.

Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned - Kenneth O. Stanley, Joel Lehman

Puts into words something I had thought about myself: often the best results are achieved when you don't plan too much!

Nuclear War: A Scenario - Annie Jacobsen

Useful book that walks you through a hypothetical nuclear war. I learnt a few things from it.

The Biggest Bluff - Maria Konnikova

If you liked Rounders (the movie), you'll love this book. Did you know von Neumann was a poker player?

The WEIRDest People in the World - Joseph Henrich

Interesting book that explores the reasons behind why the West developed the way it did.

The Beginning of Infinity - David Deutsch

What makes us human? How does progress happen?

The Tartar Steppe - Dino Buzzati

A beautiful and surreal story, a tale of hope and acceptance.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman - Brian Jaques

One of my favorite books, which I first read as a kid. It's about pirates, and adventure, so... quite good.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment - Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, Cass R. Sunstein

Riffs off of Thinking Fast and Slow, but from a different angle.

Napoleon: A Life - Andrew Roberts

Enjoyed this biography of Napoleon.

The Stranger - Albert Camus

Absurdist, but profound.

The Stranger - Albert Camus

Absurdist, but profound.

All The Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy

Still processing it after reading it.

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

Talks about the battle between good and evil.

Born Fighting - Jim Webb

About how the Scots-Irish shaped the America we know today, very interesting.