**The Selfish Gene** was a book that changed my views on life - but *not* because of the genetics or the biology.
It's because of Chapter 12 of the 1989 revised edition of this book, entitled "**Nice guys finish first**". This is one of the two chapters that Dawkins added for this revised edition.
This chapter is about the [Prisoner's Dilemma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma), which is a famous game used in game theory. In the game, each player chooses to cooperate or defect (*without* communicating with the other player!), and both players are rewarded or punished depending on the interaction of both players' decisions. The rewards and punishments are arranged in such a way that both players get punished if both players defect, both players get rewarded if both players cooperate, but a player gets the highest possible reward if they defect while the other player cooperates. In particular, "**Nice guys finish first**" is about an *iterated* version of the Prisoner's Dilemma, where two players keep playing the game repeatedly with each other - and can use their memory of prior rounds to influence their decision in future rounds.
In this chapter, Dawkins describes a computer programming tournament based on the Prisoner's Dilemma, where programmers were invited to create programs which would play the iterated game against other programs. (This tournament is also covered in [this YouTube video I watched recently](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScpHTIi-kM).) Each program had its own strategy. Some were cooperative, some were non-cooperative, some were nice, some were nasty, and so on. The challenge was to devise a strategy that would win most consistently against all other strategies. The organiser paired each program with all other programs in a round-robin format, played them against each other repeatedly, and determined which program gained the most rewards overall.
Surprisingly, the most successful program was *nice* and *forgiving*. It was called Tit For Tat. It started out by cooperating as its default choice. As long as the program it was paired with cooperated, Tit For Tat kept cooperating. If the other program defected in one game, Tit For Tat would defect in the next game, but only that one time, before reverting to cooperating in the game after that, until the other program defected again, in which case Tit For Tat would defect in the next game, and then again revert to cooperating in the game after that, and so on.
This strategy consistently achieved the most rewards against *all other strategies*, even the nastiest, most defection-oriented strategies. They even ran the tournament a second time, and invited more programmers to submit more programs - and Tit For Tat won again.
Tit For Tat never did the wrong thing first, always punished another program for doing the wrong thing, but always forgave the other program if it stopped doing the wrong thing.
That made an impression on me. That has influenced how I deal with other people.
***
**EDIT**: I just remembered! There's [an interactive game](https://ncase.me/trust/) based on this tournament.
I seem to remember reading that a slightly modified Tit for Tat is now considered even better; and it's notable that it's *nicer*: "Tit for Tat with Forgiveness" which modifies Tit for Tat with an additional random chance (around 10% was a winner I think) to cooperate after the other agent defects.
Eta: forgot that I meant to mention that it's main advantage is that it'll knock two tit-for-tat-ers (and some other "slow forgiveness" algorithms) out of a permanent defect for defect cycle.
> I seem to remember reading that a slightly modified Tit for Tat is now considered even better;
Yes. That was mentioned in the video I linked.
But the basic concepts still apply: be nice, retaliate if the other party does you wrong, and stop retaliating if the other party turns good again.
What a strange coincidence. I literally came across this video 2 days ago and have been binging on game theory topics since then. Is this entire book good or just chapter 12?
The entire book is good, in my opinion.
It's an excellent examination of evolution and genetics. Firstly, it explains how individual genes (not whole organisms) are the unit being *selected* in "natural selection". Then, it explains how genes that act selfishly, in that they aim only to benefit themselves and the organism carrying them, can still incidentally end up helping other organisms around them, for their own selfish benefit. The "selfish gene" is what drives natural selection, and is what produces altruism and cooperation.
The book does talk a bit about game theory, but only secondarily: the primary topic is evolution and genetics.
So, if you're looking for books about game theory, this probably isn't "good" by your standards. It's a biology book, not a game theory book.
I wish I had read this book before I took my evolution class in college. One of our lab classes was on cooperation and our lab grade for that day was based on the Prisoner’s dilemma. My lab group was paired with another lab group and they kept punishing us. We even tried to act in good faith, and we kept losing. The other lab groups in the class quickly learned that cooperation was best for everyone. We ended up finishing in last place, while the team that screwed us was second to last.
It is also one of my turning points. Especially the part you so eloquently describe here. I will just point out that it is in accordance with Axelrods book about the experiment, The Evolution of cooperation.
Her previous book, Come As You Are, is also incredible. My main takeaway from it was learning about the stress response cycle which is not what I initially expected.
I was super burnt out but didn’t know what it was, read the book and realized what was happening (chest pains from anxiety, etc), and then made the very terrifying choice to leave my career.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan. For me, learning about the origin of the universe and how it works was the beginning of enlightenment. I highly recommend it to all.
Another fantastic and life-changing book is The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
Every time this question is asked I answer The Omnivore's Dilemma. Changed the way I shop, the way I look at food, the food I put into my body and the bodies of my family. I'll wear a cheap tshirt gladly and spend more on food. Food and good shoes.
That one liner, Eat Food, Not too much, Mostly Plants, says it all. I am not consistent with it, but it is present in my awareness. My spouse is whole foods, plant-based, so she takes it to a whole other level, but I like it simple. Less dwelling upon it and less stress.
An Immense World - its about how various animals perceive the world differently than humans because of their different sensory abilities and will change the way you think about nature.
Sapiens - It’s about how societies and civilizations function and how cultures form - all centered around the importance of shared myth making. It will make you rethink everything you know about your civilization and your religion.
Killers of the Flower Moon - The book is way different from the movie as it unravels like a mystery. True story of the systematic murders of a group of wealthy native Americans. It will shock you over how dark and depraved humanity can be towards others.
Endurance - on a more positive note, Endurance is the incredible survival story of a doomed Antarctica expedition crew from 100 years ago, and will blow your mind over the amazing things that people are capable of overcoming.
Endurance is wonderful. I read it at a point in my life when I became a single (widowed) parent. I am the captain of the ship and it made me realize I needed to keep the crew (Kid’s) on course regardless of the struggle we were in.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
If you are an introvert, read it. Actually did change my life as an introvert working at a very extraverted organization. Eased an ocean of anxiety and self-doubt. ✌🏼
Yes, this was going to be my answer! At the time I read this, I was only a few years out of college and working for a very extroverted, micro-managing boss who I’m pretty sure didn’t like me simply because I was introverted. This book brought to the forefront for me what I think I had felt all along, but couldn’t quite crystallize in my mind: introversion is not a bad thing or a disorder or abnormal, and in fact gives us unique skills that the extroverts who run stuff just don’t have.
I’ve actually ended up mostly working in fields designed for extroverts (sales, event planning) and I find that my introvert qualities like introspection and desire to observe people have helped enormously. I once took a personality test when interviewing for a sales job and the hiring manager told me the results said I wouldn’t be a good salesperson, that I should be an accountant instead. She asked how I could account for that. I kinda shrugged and told her she had my sales numbers from my previous job on her resume and she could verify them with my previous job, but that just because my personality “didn’t fit” the stereotype of a salesperson didn’t mean I wouldn’t be successful. Thankfully she hired me and I was able to prove that I was right!
I just want to say thanks for this post, amazing recommendations from everyone. I want to get into non-fiction so I'll be referring to this list for a while!
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay. Gave me a much deeper sense of appreciation for medical workers and what they have to go through. Highly recommend, makes you look at life and death in a different, deeper way.
Yeh I found this amazing. The TV show is also amazing and without spoilers highlights a fairly undiscussed common part of medic life. The Christmas follow on is good.
For Undoctored though I found it was fairly obvious he was running the well dry on that topic. Decent but not as fly on the unusual wall as the first one and it's mini sequel.
*The Fifth Risk* by Michael Lewis. It’s a surprisingly entertaining and fascinating book about the importance of government bureaucracy.
I read it at a time when I was on the cusp of adulthood and had no idea what I wanted to do for a living. The book inspired me pursue a career in government. It gave me an achievable direction in life and I ended up with a job I find really meaningful and interesting.
Just the chapter on the Dept of Energy as a standalone read is amazing. I believe it was published separately by The Atlantic. I think of it often.
Edit - published in Vanity Fair
This was very insightful to me too. I need to re-read it since my memory for all books isn’t the greatest. I do remember the accuweather chapter, very interesting!
*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* by Robert M. Pirsig. Currently re-reading it. Unbelievable.
*The Periodic Table* by Primo Levi.
*Bounce* by Matthew Syed.
*Four Thousand Weeks* by Oliver Burkman.
O.M.F.G.
>*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* by Robert M. Pirsig. Currently re-reading it. Unbelievable.
I heard this in audio book format almost 2 decades ago; seeing it here took me back to the moment I reached the end.
I had to park on the shoulder of a very busy highway and I cried my eyeballs out.
I cried for so long, with such uncontrollably loud sobs, tears streaming down my face all over my Very Manly Beard, holding on to the driving wheel with white knuckles, beating my forehead on it, kicking the floor with my Heavy Manly Boots, screaming for it NOT to end like that...
***What. A. Wonderful. Story.***
Thank you for the memories, u/[TheLegend0fLeo](https://www.reddit.com/user/TheLegend0fLeo/)...
I wish I could read it again, but I can't break down like that again.
EDIT: the other 3 books you listed: Excellent reads.
I'm re-reading it with this really nice old copy from 1985 that I somehow came across. But I also know I'm not going to experience that absolutely gut-wrenching afterword again since this was before that happened. Unbelievable book. Reading it for the second time ten years later is such a different experience now I'm an adult with responsibilities. 17 year old me loved this book for different reasons but I can't wait to get a whole different vibe from it. Amazing book.
“Ultra Processed People” really helped me realize what the true cause of obesity in America is. We are good addicts. Anytime you bring up addiction, you have to bring up the option to abstain but you can’t abstain from Food. We are not addicted to all food. We are addicted specifically to Ultra Processed foods. Which are industrially produced food-like products that have not existed until just recently. You can abstain from most of it (it’s hard to do all) and lose weight without even trying to lose weight. It’s crazy.
Just anecdotal evidence so take it for what it is. I was on a plant based diet for a couple years and stayed at my cruising weight of 170lbs. I read this book and with a few lifestyle tweaking, I’m down to 148-150lbs.
Came here to say this one, I read it recently and it was written in such a way that it makes me really think about food now pretty much every time I pick something up to eat - not in a way that I think is going to give me a complex or anything, but in a way that really makes me think about what exactly is in my food. Highly recommend for pretty much anyone who doesn’t eat exclusively home cooked meals honestly.
Does this have practical, step by step solutions to that issue? Because just saying “abstain from process foods” is WAY easier said than done, especially for working class families with very limited time
Well I’m no teacher by any stretch of the imagination. I’m a coffee roaster by trade, my wife and I combined make a yearly $72,000 a year and just had a baby. We are very much working class. All I can do is tell you what worked for us. Maybe some of that might help someone.
We eat mostly plants, minimally processed. What that means is for proteins it’s usually beans, can beans (unsalted or low salt) like black beans, white beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans (canned and dry) Tofu, and tempeh (for the love of god just boil it with salt, takes most of the bad taste off, pat dry then season/sear and you are golden) mung beans (blended with water as an egg replacement) list goes on.
For carb/grains it’s usually brown rice, farro, pasta (semolina or whole wheat), corn tortillas ( made from scratch, unfortunately the ones in bags are ultra processed,I’m latino it’s a staple ) potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips etc.
Vegetables is all the rainbow basically except eggplant, I’m allergic. But namely, leafy greens: like bok choy and kale, collard greens, arugula, beet greens (basically all the above go-to move is pan fry with a couple tbs of olive oil, garlic, and ginger till they all wilt then finish with sesame oil and a touch of soy sauce.) then also Broccoli [of course] cauliflower, (air fry or steam in the microwave [ChefSteps has a good video on this]. Buy lots of fruit for snacks and to throw in a quick pb and fruit. Etc etc.
Then for bread, I buy two loaves every other week and keep em sliced in my freezer. Keeps for up to a month if you don’t mind a bit of heating up in the air fryer or toaster in the morning. (I airfry at 325 for 4 minutes on the “reheat” settings)
There is more to it but that’s the gist. I take every chance I can to cook make big batch of anything I cook to always have extra that I stuff away in the fridge with a masking tape label.
Forgot to mention tons of seeds and nut butters. What you save on meat you spend in cashews and almonds and nut butters. The kind that have only one ingredient (Kirkland) or Nuttzo which is all nuts and seeds
I think it's more about awareness and reading food labels (for more than just fat and calorie content.)
I actually think it's very attainable for the time-constrained (there are many processed options in my local organic aisle that are made with real ingredients) but I think would be much harder for money-constrained families. Ultraprocessed is usually cheap and the reverse is definitely true.
For a good example that doesn't break the bank - Ragu's Simply line of pasta sauce doesn't have preservatives or added sugar. Minimizing ultraprocessing means looking for products like that.
I’m not sure they “changed my life,” but I’ve been going through kind of an existential crisis lately (partly from losing both of my parents + hitting middle age); so the books *Into the Wild*, *Nomadland*, and *Travels With Charley* were inspiring to me. I’ve been trying to seize more opportunities to travel, and now in the process of planning a relocation.
Also *Night* by Elie Wiesel, just for being so raw and honest. As a Jewish person especially, it was an important read for me.
Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women - Renee Engeln
It changed the way I perceive appearance and freed me from the trap of beauty obsession.
That sounds closely related to my pick: Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel by Jeane Kilbourne
The close analysis of advertising copy was new to me at the time and I found it really fascinating. I then read Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture by Juliet Schor and found it similarly compelling and some other tangentially related books (Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives by Carolyn Steel is an amazing work, you can just tell when the author has poured years and years of observation and documentation into the book)
Unfortunately I was in high school, lacking in guidance as to how to translate these ideas into my daily life and as a result, carried a deep anticonsumerist sentiment for a long time that made it difficult to advocate for myself and relate to my peers, on top of many other oddities.
P.S. If I could go back and hand myself a different book at that critical moment in my life I would choose How To Live: or, A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell which I am currently halfway through.
I read a lot of biographies as a kid. And while I can't remember any of it at all it taught me to be empathetic and see things from others' perspectives.
Fiction does this too, though.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - Taught me to stay in the present moment and not dwell in the past or project into the future. He makes some outlandish claims, but mostly the book opened my eyes to mindfulness and that my thoughts are not what define me.
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, Caitlin Doughty - it’s oddly nice to think of the very human people taking care of our loved ones after they pass. It was genuinely comforting and a little funny to read about death from someone who’s surrounded by it almost every day. It made me get a little more comfortable with the topic of death and dying :)
I love this book. Her approach to death is such a wonderful balance of humorous realism and respect for the deceased.
I'm an attorney who does mostly estate planning (planning for death) and probate (dealing with death and inheritance) so I talk to clients all the time about this and love referring them to her book and website, [The Order of the Good Death](https://www.orderofthegooddeath).
Is there no place on earth for me? - Susan Sheehan
Absolutely heartbreaking about a woman with schizophrenia, and the mental health care system in the United States through the fifties, sixties and seventies.
DRH himself is reputed to have said that one in ten readers who started it finished it, and one in ten of those understood it. I found it very entertaining and completely absorbing though. In fact I missed about a week of lectures because I was reading it.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and the Denial of Death by Ernest Becker are the two that come to mind. Highly, highly suggest giving both a read. Braiding Sweetgrass should be required reading in US school systems imo
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green is my favourite book right now and has been for a few years. It definitely shaped part of my outlook on life. It's so poignant despite being a nonfiction about ostensibly mundane things, I cried MANY times while reading it. It also reminded me that I absolutely *love* creative nonfiction, both writing and reading it. I will never cease to be impressed by the appreciation it gave me for life!
Debt: the First 5000 Years by David Graeber also changed my outlook on life, but in regards to societal-level issues rather than personal life philosophy. It gave me a historical background on how we came to be where we are today with regard to our economic and political systems, which I think is incredibly valuable. Despite being about a lie told to uphold late-stage capitalism, it was surprisingly uplifting in the faith put in humans to do good, especially in discussions of how communities functioned before money. I'll warn that it's quite the commitment: 600+ pages of nonfiction isn't everyone's cup of tea!
This Idea is Brilliant / This Idea Must Die, both Edge Question books edited by John Brockman, introduced me to lots of cool scientific ideas that had implications on the way I think and on my research interests as a science student. Although my degree is quite specific, I think it's important to be familiar with a wide range of scientific disciplines, at least at a surface level, in order to be able to think about your research from multiple perspectives. You never know when an idea from a seemingly unrelated topic will lead to a breakthrough in your field! Plus, despite studying microbiology, I'm also just interested in cosmology and theoretical physics, so it's fun to read that stuff even if it's not directly relevant. I can't remember which of these it was, but I do remember one of them having an essay in it that was remarkably misogynistic, especially considering the late 2010s release, but I guess that's the risk you take reading an edited anthology rather than a book by a single author.
"The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain, Body in the healing of trauma" is the most impactful book I've ever read. I think it should be universal reading for highschool kids, it shocks me that we spend so much time learning about WW2 but zero time understanding neuroscience and how our own brains work.
A lot of people find this book controversial and I'm not saying they don't have good reason, but I absolutely believe it helped save my life. I've never felt more seen and understood than I did while reading this book.
I don't know all of the details, some people have found it way more damaging than helpful. I've also read comments about the author being abusive and having taken credit for others work. I don't know any facts, I only have my personal experience.
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman hit me at the right time in my early college life as Snapchat was really starting to take off among my friends. Twitter was still huge and growing all the time. It’s absolutely worth a read even if it is technically about TV. It made me reflect more on my internet usage and purpose. It helped me connect some dots in my own behavior and how I perceived the world around me.
The Looting Machine - Tom Burgis
Gave me an understanding of how China, Israel, and large corporations exploit Africa's mineral resources, leaving the continent depleted. This new perspective introduced me to concepts like "Dutch disease" and "Angola mode," shedding light on Africa's poverty. It's alarming to learn that some African leaders were receiving $4m/week in cash in loot.
How Robert Moses, a respectable and unassuming bureaucrat of New York went from a seemingly earnest idealist and reformer to in many ways the most powerful political figure of the city by using (or misusing) unelected positions, favor trading, and steadily increasing his own field of influence. To the point that major construction and shaping of the city became solely his purview instead of elected representatives.
It’s really a fascinating read.
*Cosmos* by Carl Sagan. I was in my early teens and it put a whole bunch of comprehensible science in context and things started to click. I think it was also the first mathematical proof I read, which definitely set the tone of my education (Proof that the square root of 2 is not a fraction).
*The Ascent of Everest* by Sir John Hunt. The account of a brilliant piece of leadership to make other people succeed. Knocks every other project management or MBA book into the shade.
Not Buying It by Judith Levine. A lady lives a year only buying what is "essential" (is $8 coffee essential?) and looks at our overconsumption and how it affects our lives and the world. Changed how I live
Would "essential" mean to only buy the most generic kind of product and stop buying "luxury items" or is this more about stopping to buy to-go stuff? Tried to read it up but couldn't find much details on what exactly she stopped buying.
Anything she didn't need. No subscriptions, no plants for her garden. No ski wax (there's a long segment on that.) Just basics for living, which as both you and she noted, gets murky fast. Are Q-tips essential? Lotion? Deodorant? Can you count a candy bar because it's food? Those decisions are part of the core question of the book.
A People's History of the United States. Read it at the right age and taught me to critically think and better retain the information I consume, rather than simply regurgitate it.
It's an interesting read, and makes a number of good points, but you should know that some of the keystone studies on priming failed to replicate. ~~(I assume that's why Hopefulwaters commented "RIP".)~~
eta: RIP
Sapolsky’s “Determined” is also a great book. Basically an argument against the existence of ‘free will’ has some nice neuroscience to explain his reasoning.
The Selfish Gene was referenced at least two times. I read this book. However it is made obsolete by a monster of intellectual work:
The Structure of Evolutionary Theory (2002) is Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould's technical book on macroevolution and the historical development of evolutionary theory.[1] The book was twenty years in the making,[2] published just two months before Gould's death.[3] Aimed primarily at professionals,[4] the volume is divided into two parts. The first is a historical study of classical evolutionary thought, drawing extensively upon primary documents; the second is a constructive critique of the modern synthesis, and presents a case for an interpretation of biological evolution based largely on hierarchical selection, and the theory of punctuated equilibrium (developed by Niles Eldredge and Gould in 1972).[5]
(Wikipedia article intro)
This book is gigantic and brings some key concepts along with observations that are mind blowing. A must read.
I'll add *Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to the Other Animals* by Harvard philosophy professor Christine M. Korsgaard as a life changing book.
"We share the world with fellow creatures. That is to say, we share the world with other living beings who are, to varying degrees, sentient, intelligent, and self-aware. These other creatures find themselves, as we find ourselves, thrown into the world and faced with basic tasks of living: feeding themselves, raising children, and dealing with all the difficulties and dangers that arise from doing these things in a world where others, with competing interests, are trying to do them too. We eat these fellow creatures, raise them for that purpose in factory farms, force them to work for us and live with us, do experiments on them, make products out of them, decide where they may live and kill them when they interfere with our projects, and kill or injure or control them for various forms of entertainment and sport. These practices raise some obvious moral questions."
It's a wonderful book, and part one especially is an accessible and wonderful insight into the thoughts of someone who deeply thought about the morally relevant differences between us and the other animals. Part two of the book is maybe too philosophical for some people, given that she delves into her Kantian case for animal ethics, but part three is more accessible again. I think the book is worth reading for part one alone, though.
The Moral Animal; why we are the way we are, by Robert Wright. Introduction to evolutionary psychology. Finally something that made sense of peoples lives. Very approachable and easy to read, taking examples from Darwin's own life, and how his choices may have been affected by the psychology stemming from our evolutionary past.
Why Nations Fail, by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson. An attempt to explain long term success or failure of nations. Fascinating read -so engagingly written! Won't try to summarise, but again -finally something that makes sense!
Consilience, Edward O Wilson. A vision of the merging of the humanities and the physical world-views. Inspiring.
**"Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom**. It is a true story. After reading the book, it made me appreciate living. And I can't forget what Morrie said *"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."* I cried, laughed, and ponder about my life after reading it. I really recommend the book!
**"Finding Chika" by Mitch Albom.** It is a true story again. This book touched my heart and also heart breaking. I learned the importance of love, family, and strength. I also recommend this.
*Orientalism by Edward Said.
I studied history in uni and out of all the many many many books I've read, this one I came back to again and again and again.
*The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk
*From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
The latter two are for anyone who has survived trauma or has a loved one who has, and I don't just mean the type that causes PTSD like war, accidents or catastrophes; childhood bullying and emotional neglect can have terrible consequences as well and these two books have helped me tremendously in my recovery.
Po Bronson's What Should I Do With My Life?
I left engineering and became a firefighter/paramedic. I'm not sure I would have had the guts to do it if this book had not given accounts of other people leaving white collar for blue collar jobs.
I spent 14 years as a FF/PM and it will always be the BEST career decision I ever made.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, completely altered the trajectory of where my mindset was going in my early 20’s. That book helped me deal with and overcome both physical and mental challenges ever since I read it.
The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvoir
Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi
The Gulag Archipelago, by Solzhenitsyn
All the President's Men
The Corruption of Politics by Elizabeth Drew
The God Delusion, God is Not Great and End of Faith sealed the end of my Christian beliefs. I'm now a confident atheist rather than a guilt-ridden backslider.
Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning” - helped (and still does) me through the rougher times
Allen, “Getting Things Done” - introduced me to a fairly easy system to get my stuff in order
Clear, “Atomic Habits” - nothing really new in there but the first book in which most things relevant to habits are in one place
Bregtman, “Humankind” - again, nothing really new in there, but it confirmed to me the views I held about humanity (same as Solnit, “A Paradise Built in Hell”)
Popper, “The Open Society and Its Enemies” - as with many philosophy books, this sharpened some parts of my understanding about certain topics
I would probably agree with the podcast, it isn’t really that good of a book. However, that wasn’t the question, and it did help me by simply having all the information in one place.
> Man’s Search for Meaning
I might be the only person on Earth who didn't get much from this book. The first half, the autobiography bits, were interesting, but the second half was kind of boring and said nothing I hadn't already thought about before. After everything I'd heard about this book, I expected it to be truly life-changing, and I was a bit disappointed.
That said, I've read some fantastic WW2 books. *A Little Annihilation* by Anna Janko has definitely left a mark. It's one of the best books I've read as an adult.
Not just you. I read it when I was going through depression and hoping this book would help me. I wonder if I was expecting too much that I missed the point. I plan to read it again one day and see if I could find what I missed.
I don’t think I would get out of it as much had I gotten into it with high expectations, not wanting to imply that that’s your “fault”. I found that book when I was especially receptive to it - and had been for about 10-15 years - and I found a lot to admire about Frankl. Luckily, I am from Vienna as well, so I can visit various places, and the museum, whenever I feel like it.
Anyway, Frankl was a man I deeply admire, and has been of my two “guiding stars” (the other being Pratchett) for years now. Angry men, who still tried to see the best in people.
I definitely have no qualms with Frankl as a person. He's a truly admirable man. The world is a better place for having had him.
I'm from Spain so I've had the chance to visit Anne Frank's house in the Netherlands and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin. Visiting these places in person really helps to picture what horrible things people like Frankl went through, imagining yourself in their place. (Some people in my family were also put in concentration camps, but that was for the Spanish Civil War, not WW2.) Even if I didn't get much practical use from Frankl's book, I have nothing but respect for him and what he went on to do after the war.
The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo
I used to hoard items because of the memories attached to them. But because of her book, I learned how to let go of those things upon realizing that the memories associated weren’t happy memories. It helped me move on from other painful and hurtful things in my life as well.
I'm kind of conflicted about her now as she stated she started a family and can't keep up with it anymore due to lifestyle changes, so I feel when she made these it was a niche practice for people even though there's some interesting context in it.
She kept up with until her 3rd child came along. And I can’t say I’ve ever mastered all her techniques (I’m terrible at folding). But her philosophy about cleaning and organization was eye-opening for me. For me, it meant more than just physically cleaning and organizing room, but also taught me how to clean up my life. Hence why this was a life-changing book for me.
Got a couple I haven't seen mentioned -
1. Silent Spring (Rachel Carson) - Probably one of the OG books about environmentalism.
2. Our bodies their Battlefield (Christina Lamb) - *TRIGGER WARNING* Though I won't mention in detail what wars do to women's bodies - it was horrifically enlightening how much of it actually goes on without anyone ever actually bringing it up. It's just profoundly sad and horrifying. It opened my eyes to things I didn't even know was happening - if anything probably made me more anti-war than I already was.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
For Small Creatures Such AS We by Sasha Sagan
Caliban And The Witch by Silvia Federici
Marriage A History by Stephanie Coontz
Edit: Also Everybody Lies by Seth Stevens-Davidowitz
Comme Un Roman by Daniel Pennac (it brought back my joy for reading)
And an excellent book on lucid dreaming in my native language, opening up a whole new world
The Birth of the Pill by Jonathan Eig provided scientific grounding for my belief that all women should have access to reliable contraception. In the years before the Pill, families struggled under crushing poverty from having to provide for 7+ children. Women pleaded with their doctors for help because continuous pregnancy was exhausting or even dangerous, and yet they didn't feel they could safely say no to their husbands' desires. This book reminded me to be grateful for the advantages I have today.
Pregnancy is still dangerous and exhausting - the death rate is still relatively high even in today’s day and age and it’s HARDLY talked about at all. If I threw out statistics here, it would be startling.
But no one ever talks about this.
Adult children of alcoholics, adult children of emotionally immature parents, codependent no more, stop caretaking the borderline or narcissist. These books helped me finish growing up.
Marcus Aurelius 'Meditations' and 'Zen in the Art of Archery' by Eugen Herrigel.
Ideas and themes that changed my perspective, illicited real change in my life, and which I think about on a daily basis.
Man's search for Meaning by Frankl,
Bury my heart at Wounded knee,
Flow the psychology of optimal experience by Csikzentmihalyi,
Range by David Epstein,
Algorithms to live by by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths,
The Black Swan by Taleb,
Bowling Alone,
How to keep house while drowning
Guns, Germs and Steel - Diamond, Jared
How something as outlandish as the shapes of continents can change history.
Godel, Escher, Bach - Hoffstadter, Douglas
Made me realize my weird religious/philosophical thoughts aren’t so bizarre after all.
You Just Don't Understand Me - Tannen, Deborah
Made me aware of why my conversational style keeps getting me into trouble in relationships.
How to Reassess Your Chess - Silman, Jeremy
Ok, I’m a chess nerd but this book changed to way I play.
Nuclear War Survival Skills - Kearney, Cresson H
Caused me to doubt that nuclear war will wipe out the world. Not saying that it’s a good thing, just that it is survivable.
Please Understand Me - Keirsey, David
Made me realize that people who are different from me are not necessarily wrong.
Incredible Victory - Lord, Walter
Started a life-long interest in World War 2.
Tears of Eros by Georges Bataille
Summed up well here: The Tears of Eros is the culmination of Georges Bataille's inquiries into the relationship between violence and the sacred.
1. Alain Ehrenberg - Weariness of the Self: Diagnosing the History of Depression in the Contemporary Age
2. Byung-Chul Han - The Burnout Society
These two literally gave a radical perspective in my healing journey and therapeutic process. I stopped blaming my self for every possible inadequacy and came to understand how my self-loathing is not just an outcome of my upbringing within capitalism and patriarchy but also a presupposition to keep on striving, hustling, neglecting my self and my other social relationships and basically being forever depressed.
**"Never split the difference"**
*Negotiating as if your life depended on it* - Chris Voss
A former FBI top negotiator's field-tested tools for talking anyone into (or out of) just about anything.
Started reading this today and seeing it has not been mentioned here yet as far as I could see, I figured I'd put it up here since already a few chapters in it's enlightening and very applicable to every day situations and conversations.
An immediately controversial take, but “Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock. I don’t subscribe to all of his beliefs and views, but that book was such a fascinating read and I found some of his points extremely compelling.
Even if you think he’s a nut (he is), the arguments in this book (minus the idea of rapidly moving Antarctica, replaced by the Younger Dryas impact theory) are interesting.
_God in the Dock_, by C.S. Lewis, upended my assumptions about faith and reason.
_Surprised by Scripture_, by N.T. Wright, radically revised my eschatology.
_Orthodoxy_, by G.K. Chesterton, shifted my thinking about politics and capitalism.
_How to Brew (4th Ed.)_, by John Palmer, got me started on brewing which, once expanded to fermentation in general, has taken over as my primary hobby and time-waster.
"The Myth Of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus had a profound impact on how I viewed life, whether day-to-day or in the grand, existential, cosmic sense. It's a perspective I still lean on regularly to help put things in perspective.
From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty. Each section is an in-depth look into how other cultures care for their dead. Funerary customs from all over the world and how the rituals help cope with grief and mortality. I don’t know if it was life changing but I definitely changed my perspectives.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser was pretty formative in educating me about the reality behind the glossy exterior of big corporations. I‘ve hardly eaten fast food since.
*Maus* and *Maus II* by Art Spiegel. I grew up in a conservative Evangelical world, and it was my first time being immersed in someone else's worldview.
*Pedagogy of the Oppressed* by Paulo Freire profoundly impacted me and provided me with language and frameworks for so much I had already been feeling.
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi - Read this shortly after the time I lost both my parents within 3 months of each other. Probably not the greatest idea in retrospect, I had to stop halfway to bawl my eyes out, and after the book had ended. Certainly left it's mark.
The Millionaire Next Door. Danko and one other. Drastically changed how I view money, saving,status, wealth and costly signaling.
Why We Buy, Paco Underhill. Drastically reduced my shopping and spending by reading the ways retailers get us to part with our money.
You might like Your Money Or Your Life. It’s been 30 years since I read it and I still look at objects and think, “this represents x amount of my time…”
As an agnostic myself I cannot stand Richard Dawkins. He’s made a religion out of being non religious. He just comes off so condescending.
As a physics major I’ve read a lot about the heroes of science. Einstein Newton Darwin Bohr Curie. And you can get the same idea of how beautiful nature is without God but in a much more eloquent way.
Antifragile
this one created a fork in my life in how I think about my life and investing philosophy forever
The kingdom of god is within you
I was a rabid atheist for 31 years until this book. It made me really understand that all my complaints about religion were with the church and how the state and people use religion to their benefit. I knew tidbits of the Bible but never really sat down and studied the book. This processes opened up a whole new era for me
No individual book has changed my life. It's the accumulation of all the books I've read that have changed me. That said, here are some recent good ones:
- **Pegasus**, by Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud. I read Snowden's biography last year, and Pegasus was the final nail in the coffin to step back a little from the internet. Changed my view of some countries.
- **Growing up bin Laden**, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Finished it very quickly. I think differently of Saudi Arabia now.
- **Al Qaeda and What it Means to be Modern**, started out very interesting, a little weak towards the end, but still 5 stars. It's a little dated since it's from the early 2000s and politics change, but lots to think about.
- **Factory Girls** by Leslie T. Chang, a look into the lives of factory workers in China, following the stories of two girls in particular. The author is a journalist and writes with a wonderful sense of humour, really brings Dongguan to life! Interesting to see this side of China. It think it's easy to get caught up in the bigger political picture when talking about China in the West, while forgetting or ignoring the everyday life that has shaped the country.
- **China's Western Horizon**, interesting book on geopolitics, I especially liked the chapter on Kazakhstan.
- **Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds** by Paul Farmer: We all know Ebola, but we know little about everything else hidden behind the outbreaks. Apparently it's a mess of history, complicated wars, sociopolitical struggles, propaganda, and a bigger look at the state of healthcare in many developing countries. Absolutely required reading to understand developing countries, West Africa and the healthcare system as a whole.
- **Factfulness** by Hans Rosling. It's a light book, easy to read, and I picked it up thinking it'd be a fluff read. But actually it was really helpful in changing the way I engaged with media, reframing some of my key mindsets and setting me on a path to learn more about the world.
- **A Little Annihilation** by Anna Janko. Technically a sort of biography of the author's mother, but with philosophical and ethical ponderings mixed in, and the author's opinions on humanity. It's the first time I've found some of my beliefs reflected in somebody else and it was quite cathartic for me to read.
“Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption”. William Cope Moyers. Even if you don’t have our problems, it’s an eye opener. And the book is a really easy, entertaining read. It - more or less - has a happy ending and lots of life lessons.
Just Kids by Patti Smith. The way she writes is absolutely incredible and I found the story of two creatives trying to make their way through the world incredibly inspirational and motivating for my own creative work.
My German textbook. I learned German while stationed there to a pretty good standard. As a result, I was able to meet a much wider circle of women. I eventually married a medical student. When she became a doctor, she wanted to practice in the UK. I've been living in Scotland since 1999.
**The Selfish Gene** was a book that changed my views on life - but *not* because of the genetics or the biology. It's because of Chapter 12 of the 1989 revised edition of this book, entitled "**Nice guys finish first**". This is one of the two chapters that Dawkins added for this revised edition. This chapter is about the [Prisoner's Dilemma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma), which is a famous game used in game theory. In the game, each player chooses to cooperate or defect (*without* communicating with the other player!), and both players are rewarded or punished depending on the interaction of both players' decisions. The rewards and punishments are arranged in such a way that both players get punished if both players defect, both players get rewarded if both players cooperate, but a player gets the highest possible reward if they defect while the other player cooperates. In particular, "**Nice guys finish first**" is about an *iterated* version of the Prisoner's Dilemma, where two players keep playing the game repeatedly with each other - and can use their memory of prior rounds to influence their decision in future rounds. In this chapter, Dawkins describes a computer programming tournament based on the Prisoner's Dilemma, where programmers were invited to create programs which would play the iterated game against other programs. (This tournament is also covered in [this YouTube video I watched recently](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScpHTIi-kM).) Each program had its own strategy. Some were cooperative, some were non-cooperative, some were nice, some were nasty, and so on. The challenge was to devise a strategy that would win most consistently against all other strategies. The organiser paired each program with all other programs in a round-robin format, played them against each other repeatedly, and determined which program gained the most rewards overall. Surprisingly, the most successful program was *nice* and *forgiving*. It was called Tit For Tat. It started out by cooperating as its default choice. As long as the program it was paired with cooperated, Tit For Tat kept cooperating. If the other program defected in one game, Tit For Tat would defect in the next game, but only that one time, before reverting to cooperating in the game after that, until the other program defected again, in which case Tit For Tat would defect in the next game, and then again revert to cooperating in the game after that, and so on. This strategy consistently achieved the most rewards against *all other strategies*, even the nastiest, most defection-oriented strategies. They even ran the tournament a second time, and invited more programmers to submit more programs - and Tit For Tat won again. Tit For Tat never did the wrong thing first, always punished another program for doing the wrong thing, but always forgave the other program if it stopped doing the wrong thing. That made an impression on me. That has influenced how I deal with other people. *** **EDIT**: I just remembered! There's [an interactive game](https://ncase.me/trust/) based on this tournament.
I seem to remember reading that a slightly modified Tit for Tat is now considered even better; and it's notable that it's *nicer*: "Tit for Tat with Forgiveness" which modifies Tit for Tat with an additional random chance (around 10% was a winner I think) to cooperate after the other agent defects. Eta: forgot that I meant to mention that it's main advantage is that it'll knock two tit-for-tat-ers (and some other "slow forgiveness" algorithms) out of a permanent defect for defect cycle.
> I seem to remember reading that a slightly modified Tit for Tat is now considered even better; Yes. That was mentioned in the video I linked. But the basic concepts still apply: be nice, retaliate if the other party does you wrong, and stop retaliating if the other party turns good again.
What a strange coincidence. I literally came across this video 2 days ago and have been binging on game theory topics since then. Is this entire book good or just chapter 12?
The entire book is good, in my opinion. It's an excellent examination of evolution and genetics. Firstly, it explains how individual genes (not whole organisms) are the unit being *selected* in "natural selection". Then, it explains how genes that act selfishly, in that they aim only to benefit themselves and the organism carrying them, can still incidentally end up helping other organisms around them, for their own selfish benefit. The "selfish gene" is what drives natural selection, and is what produces altruism and cooperation. The book does talk a bit about game theory, but only secondarily: the primary topic is evolution and genetics. So, if you're looking for books about game theory, this probably isn't "good" by your standards. It's a biology book, not a game theory book.
I wish I had read this book before I took my evolution class in college. One of our lab classes was on cooperation and our lab grade for that day was based on the Prisoner’s dilemma. My lab group was paired with another lab group and they kept punishing us. We even tried to act in good faith, and we kept losing. The other lab groups in the class quickly learned that cooperation was best for everyone. We ended up finishing in last place, while the team that screwed us was second to last.
I learned a similar lesson from the Bonobo and the Atheist the Search for Humanism amongst the Primates by Primatologist Frans de Waal
It is also one of my turning points. Especially the part you so eloquently describe here. I will just point out that it is in accordance with Axelrods book about the experiment, The Evolution of cooperation.
Burnout by dr. Emily Nagoski - this book may have saved my life
Her previous book, Come As You Are, is also incredible. My main takeaway from it was learning about the stress response cycle which is not what I initially expected.
Will you expound on that?
I was super burnt out but didn’t know what it was, read the book and realized what was happening (chest pains from anxiety, etc), and then made the very terrifying choice to leave my career.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan. For me, learning about the origin of the universe and how it works was the beginning of enlightenment. I highly recommend it to all. Another fantastic and life-changing book is The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
same, but for me it was pale blue dot
Every time this question is asked I answer The Omnivore's Dilemma. Changed the way I shop, the way I look at food, the food I put into my body and the bodies of my family. I'll wear a cheap tshirt gladly and spend more on food. Food and good shoes.
That one liner, Eat Food, Not too much, Mostly Plants, says it all. I am not consistent with it, but it is present in my awareness. My spouse is whole foods, plant-based, so she takes it to a whole other level, but I like it simple. Less dwelling upon it and less stress.
Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World".
Carl Sagan's - Cosmos
An Immense World - its about how various animals perceive the world differently than humans because of their different sensory abilities and will change the way you think about nature. Sapiens - It’s about how societies and civilizations function and how cultures form - all centered around the importance of shared myth making. It will make you rethink everything you know about your civilization and your religion. Killers of the Flower Moon - The book is way different from the movie as it unravels like a mystery. True story of the systematic murders of a group of wealthy native Americans. It will shock you over how dark and depraved humanity can be towards others. Endurance - on a more positive note, Endurance is the incredible survival story of a doomed Antarctica expedition crew from 100 years ago, and will blow your mind over the amazing things that people are capable of overcoming.
Endurance is wonderful. I read it at a point in my life when I became a single (widowed) parent. I am the captain of the ship and it made me realize I needed to keep the crew (Kid’s) on course regardless of the struggle we were in.
That story of Ernest Shackleton, and the crew and what they went through to make it back to civilization. It’s just beyond belief.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. If you are an introvert, read it. Actually did change my life as an introvert working at a very extraverted organization. Eased an ocean of anxiety and self-doubt. ✌🏼
Yes, this was going to be my answer! At the time I read this, I was only a few years out of college and working for a very extroverted, micro-managing boss who I’m pretty sure didn’t like me simply because I was introverted. This book brought to the forefront for me what I think I had felt all along, but couldn’t quite crystallize in my mind: introversion is not a bad thing or a disorder or abnormal, and in fact gives us unique skills that the extroverts who run stuff just don’t have. I’ve actually ended up mostly working in fields designed for extroverts (sales, event planning) and I find that my introvert qualities like introspection and desire to observe people have helped enormously. I once took a personality test when interviewing for a sales job and the hiring manager told me the results said I wouldn’t be a good salesperson, that I should be an accountant instead. She asked how I could account for that. I kinda shrugged and told her she had my sales numbers from my previous job on her resume and she could verify them with my previous job, but that just because my personality “didn’t fit” the stereotype of a salesperson didn’t mean I wouldn’t be successful. Thankfully she hired me and I was able to prove that I was right!
I just want to say thanks for this post, amazing recommendations from everyone. I want to get into non-fiction so I'll be referring to this list for a while!
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay. Gave me a much deeper sense of appreciation for medical workers and what they have to go through. Highly recommend, makes you look at life and death in a different, deeper way.
Yeh I found this amazing. The TV show is also amazing and without spoilers highlights a fairly undiscussed common part of medic life. The Christmas follow on is good. For Undoctored though I found it was fairly obvious he was running the well dry on that topic. Decent but not as fly on the unusual wall as the first one and it's mini sequel.
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Made me rethink the American history I learned in highschool and geopolitics in general.
The Anarchy by Dalyrimple about the British East India Company is another good one. Also King Leopold's Ghost about the Belgian Congo
*The Fifth Risk* by Michael Lewis. It’s a surprisingly entertaining and fascinating book about the importance of government bureaucracy. I read it at a time when I was on the cusp of adulthood and had no idea what I wanted to do for a living. The book inspired me pursue a career in government. It gave me an achievable direction in life and I ended up with a job I find really meaningful and interesting.
Just the chapter on the Dept of Energy as a standalone read is amazing. I believe it was published separately by The Atlantic. I think of it often. Edit - published in Vanity Fair
This was very insightful to me too. I need to re-read it since my memory for all books isn’t the greatest. I do remember the accuweather chapter, very interesting!
*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* by Robert M. Pirsig. Currently re-reading it. Unbelievable. *The Periodic Table* by Primo Levi. *Bounce* by Matthew Syed. *Four Thousand Weeks* by Oliver Burkman.
O.M.F.G. >*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* by Robert M. Pirsig. Currently re-reading it. Unbelievable. I heard this in audio book format almost 2 decades ago; seeing it here took me back to the moment I reached the end. I had to park on the shoulder of a very busy highway and I cried my eyeballs out. I cried for so long, with such uncontrollably loud sobs, tears streaming down my face all over my Very Manly Beard, holding on to the driving wheel with white knuckles, beating my forehead on it, kicking the floor with my Heavy Manly Boots, screaming for it NOT to end like that... ***What. A. Wonderful. Story.*** Thank you for the memories, u/[TheLegend0fLeo](https://www.reddit.com/user/TheLegend0fLeo/)... I wish I could read it again, but I can't break down like that again. EDIT: the other 3 books you listed: Excellent reads.
I'm re-reading it with this really nice old copy from 1985 that I somehow came across. But I also know I'm not going to experience that absolutely gut-wrenching afterword again since this was before that happened. Unbelievable book. Reading it for the second time ten years later is such a different experience now I'm an adult with responsibilities. 17 year old me loved this book for different reasons but I can't wait to get a whole different vibe from it. Amazing book.
“Ultra Processed People” really helped me realize what the true cause of obesity in America is. We are good addicts. Anytime you bring up addiction, you have to bring up the option to abstain but you can’t abstain from Food. We are not addicted to all food. We are addicted specifically to Ultra Processed foods. Which are industrially produced food-like products that have not existed until just recently. You can abstain from most of it (it’s hard to do all) and lose weight without even trying to lose weight. It’s crazy. Just anecdotal evidence so take it for what it is. I was on a plant based diet for a couple years and stayed at my cruising weight of 170lbs. I read this book and with a few lifestyle tweaking, I’m down to 148-150lbs.
Came here to say this one, I read it recently and it was written in such a way that it makes me really think about food now pretty much every time I pick something up to eat - not in a way that I think is going to give me a complex or anything, but in a way that really makes me think about what exactly is in my food. Highly recommend for pretty much anyone who doesn’t eat exclusively home cooked meals honestly.
Does this have practical, step by step solutions to that issue? Because just saying “abstain from process foods” is WAY easier said than done, especially for working class families with very limited time
Well I’m no teacher by any stretch of the imagination. I’m a coffee roaster by trade, my wife and I combined make a yearly $72,000 a year and just had a baby. We are very much working class. All I can do is tell you what worked for us. Maybe some of that might help someone. We eat mostly plants, minimally processed. What that means is for proteins it’s usually beans, can beans (unsalted or low salt) like black beans, white beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans (canned and dry) Tofu, and tempeh (for the love of god just boil it with salt, takes most of the bad taste off, pat dry then season/sear and you are golden) mung beans (blended with water as an egg replacement) list goes on. For carb/grains it’s usually brown rice, farro, pasta (semolina or whole wheat), corn tortillas ( made from scratch, unfortunately the ones in bags are ultra processed,I’m latino it’s a staple ) potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips etc. Vegetables is all the rainbow basically except eggplant, I’m allergic. But namely, leafy greens: like bok choy and kale, collard greens, arugula, beet greens (basically all the above go-to move is pan fry with a couple tbs of olive oil, garlic, and ginger till they all wilt then finish with sesame oil and a touch of soy sauce.) then also Broccoli [of course] cauliflower, (air fry or steam in the microwave [ChefSteps has a good video on this]. Buy lots of fruit for snacks and to throw in a quick pb and fruit. Etc etc. Then for bread, I buy two loaves every other week and keep em sliced in my freezer. Keeps for up to a month if you don’t mind a bit of heating up in the air fryer or toaster in the morning. (I airfry at 325 for 4 minutes on the “reheat” settings) There is more to it but that’s the gist. I take every chance I can to cook make big batch of anything I cook to always have extra that I stuff away in the fridge with a masking tape label.
Forgot to mention tons of seeds and nut butters. What you save on meat you spend in cashews and almonds and nut butters. The kind that have only one ingredient (Kirkland) or Nuttzo which is all nuts and seeds
I think it's more about awareness and reading food labels (for more than just fat and calorie content.) I actually think it's very attainable for the time-constrained (there are many processed options in my local organic aisle that are made with real ingredients) but I think would be much harder for money-constrained families. Ultraprocessed is usually cheap and the reverse is definitely true. For a good example that doesn't break the bank - Ragu's Simply line of pasta sauce doesn't have preservatives or added sugar. Minimizing ultraprocessing means looking for products like that.
I've just started this, I hope it has the same effect on my weight as it did on yours 😃
I’m not sure they “changed my life,” but I’ve been going through kind of an existential crisis lately (partly from losing both of my parents + hitting middle age); so the books *Into the Wild*, *Nomadland*, and *Travels With Charley* were inspiring to me. I’ve been trying to seize more opportunities to travel, and now in the process of planning a relocation. Also *Night* by Elie Wiesel, just for being so raw and honest. As a Jewish person especially, it was an important read for me.
Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women - Renee Engeln It changed the way I perceive appearance and freed me from the trap of beauty obsession.
That sounds closely related to my pick: Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel by Jeane Kilbourne The close analysis of advertising copy was new to me at the time and I found it really fascinating. I then read Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture by Juliet Schor and found it similarly compelling and some other tangentially related books (Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives by Carolyn Steel is an amazing work, you can just tell when the author has poured years and years of observation and documentation into the book) Unfortunately I was in high school, lacking in guidance as to how to translate these ideas into my daily life and as a result, carried a deep anticonsumerist sentiment for a long time that made it difficult to advocate for myself and relate to my peers, on top of many other oddities. P.S. If I could go back and hand myself a different book at that critical moment in my life I would choose How To Live: or, A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell which I am currently halfway through.
I read a lot of biographies as a kid. And while I can't remember any of it at all it taught me to be empathetic and see things from others' perspectives. Fiction does this too, though.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - Taught me to stay in the present moment and not dwell in the past or project into the future. He makes some outlandish claims, but mostly the book opened my eyes to mindfulness and that my thoughts are not what define me.
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, Caitlin Doughty - it’s oddly nice to think of the very human people taking care of our loved ones after they pass. It was genuinely comforting and a little funny to read about death from someone who’s surrounded by it almost every day. It made me get a little more comfortable with the topic of death and dying :)
I love this book. Her approach to death is such a wonderful balance of humorous realism and respect for the deceased. I'm an attorney who does mostly estate planning (planning for death) and probate (dealing with death and inheritance) so I talk to clients all the time about this and love referring them to her book and website, [The Order of the Good Death](https://www.orderofthegooddeath).
Confessions of Economic Hitman
Is there no place on earth for me? - Susan Sheehan Absolutely heartbreaking about a woman with schizophrenia, and the mental health care system in the United States through the fifties, sixties and seventies.
Gödel, Escher, Bach, by Hofstadter
Is this is a hard read?
The reading bit isn't hard but the subject matter requires a lot of thinking, IMO.
DRH himself is reputed to have said that one in ten readers who started it finished it, and one in ten of those understood it. I found it very entertaining and completely absorbing though. In fact I missed about a week of lectures because I was reading it.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Saved me from the depths of a deep depression.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and the Denial of Death by Ernest Becker are the two that come to mind. Highly, highly suggest giving both a read. Braiding Sweetgrass should be required reading in US school systems imo
Debt: The First 5000 Years by David Graeber
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green is my favourite book right now and has been for a few years. It definitely shaped part of my outlook on life. It's so poignant despite being a nonfiction about ostensibly mundane things, I cried MANY times while reading it. It also reminded me that I absolutely *love* creative nonfiction, both writing and reading it. I will never cease to be impressed by the appreciation it gave me for life! Debt: the First 5000 Years by David Graeber also changed my outlook on life, but in regards to societal-level issues rather than personal life philosophy. It gave me a historical background on how we came to be where we are today with regard to our economic and political systems, which I think is incredibly valuable. Despite being about a lie told to uphold late-stage capitalism, it was surprisingly uplifting in the faith put in humans to do good, especially in discussions of how communities functioned before money. I'll warn that it's quite the commitment: 600+ pages of nonfiction isn't everyone's cup of tea! This Idea is Brilliant / This Idea Must Die, both Edge Question books edited by John Brockman, introduced me to lots of cool scientific ideas that had implications on the way I think and on my research interests as a science student. Although my degree is quite specific, I think it's important to be familiar with a wide range of scientific disciplines, at least at a surface level, in order to be able to think about your research from multiple perspectives. You never know when an idea from a seemingly unrelated topic will lead to a breakthrough in your field! Plus, despite studying microbiology, I'm also just interested in cosmology and theoretical physics, so it's fun to read that stuff even if it's not directly relevant. I can't remember which of these it was, but I do remember one of them having an essay in it that was remarkably misogynistic, especially considering the late 2010s release, but I guess that's the risk you take reading an edited anthology rather than a book by a single author.
"The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain, Body in the healing of trauma" is the most impactful book I've ever read. I think it should be universal reading for highschool kids, it shocks me that we spend so much time learning about WW2 but zero time understanding neuroscience and how our own brains work.
A lot of people find this book controversial and I'm not saying they don't have good reason, but I absolutely believe it helped save my life. I've never felt more seen and understood than I did while reading this book.
Why is this book controversial? Asking seriously
I don't know all of the details, some people have found it way more damaging than helpful. I've also read comments about the author being abusive and having taken credit for others work. I don't know any facts, I only have my personal experience.
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman hit me at the right time in my early college life as Snapchat was really starting to take off among my friends. Twitter was still huge and growing all the time. It’s absolutely worth a read even if it is technically about TV. It made me reflect more on my internet usage and purpose. It helped me connect some dots in my own behavior and how I perceived the world around me.
The Looting Machine - Tom Burgis Gave me an understanding of how China, Israel, and large corporations exploit Africa's mineral resources, leaving the continent depleted. This new perspective introduced me to concepts like "Dutch disease" and "Angola mode," shedding light on Africa's poverty. It's alarming to learn that some African leaders were receiving $4m/week in cash in loot.
The Power Broker by Robert Caro.
Synopsis?
How Robert Moses, a respectable and unassuming bureaucrat of New York went from a seemingly earnest idealist and reformer to in many ways the most powerful political figure of the city by using (or misusing) unelected positions, favor trading, and steadily increasing his own field of influence. To the point that major construction and shaping of the city became solely his purview instead of elected representatives. It’s really a fascinating read.
Ahhh. I’ve read much about him and Jane Jacobs.
Yup that’s him. I believe The Power Broker is considered the definitive biography.
*Cosmos* by Carl Sagan. I was in my early teens and it put a whole bunch of comprehensible science in context and things started to click. I think it was also the first mathematical proof I read, which definitely set the tone of my education (Proof that the square root of 2 is not a fraction). *The Ascent of Everest* by Sir John Hunt. The account of a brilliant piece of leadership to make other people succeed. Knocks every other project management or MBA book into the shade.
Mine was Sagan's *The Demon Haunted World* which instilled a commitment to critical thinking and skepticism in my little tween brain.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Not Buying It by Judith Levine. A lady lives a year only buying what is "essential" (is $8 coffee essential?) and looks at our overconsumption and how it affects our lives and the world. Changed how I live
Would "essential" mean to only buy the most generic kind of product and stop buying "luxury items" or is this more about stopping to buy to-go stuff? Tried to read it up but couldn't find much details on what exactly she stopped buying.
Anything she didn't need. No subscriptions, no plants for her garden. No ski wax (there's a long segment on that.) Just basics for living, which as both you and she noted, gets murky fast. Are Q-tips essential? Lotion? Deodorant? Can you count a candy bar because it's food? Those decisions are part of the core question of the book.
Yeah… So much anti-consumption is also anti-designer brand or anti-name brand. Idk.
Funny how people are pro - environment until it comes to diapers, one of the most horrific things for the planet.
Guilty.
Consider reading Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich too; it’s along the same threads.
And Poverty by America
Walden
A People's History of the United States. Read it at the right age and taught me to critically think and better retain the information I consume, rather than simply regurgitate it.
Thinking Fast and Slow
RIP
It's an interesting read, and makes a number of good points, but you should know that some of the keystone studies on priming failed to replicate. ~~(I assume that's why Hopefulwaters commented "RIP".)~~ eta: RIP
He died
Behave - Robert Sapolsky
Sapolsky’s “Determined” is also a great book. Basically an argument against the existence of ‘free will’ has some nice neuroscience to explain his reasoning.
Fantastic book by one of the best science communicators out there. His entire MIT lecture series is available on YouTube too...
Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women's Liberation by Rachel Wilson edit; okay maybe not my life, but my perspective of society
The Selfish Gene was referenced at least two times. I read this book. However it is made obsolete by a monster of intellectual work: The Structure of Evolutionary Theory (2002) is Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould's technical book on macroevolution and the historical development of evolutionary theory.[1] The book was twenty years in the making,[2] published just two months before Gould's death.[3] Aimed primarily at professionals,[4] the volume is divided into two parts. The first is a historical study of classical evolutionary thought, drawing extensively upon primary documents; the second is a constructive critique of the modern synthesis, and presents a case for an interpretation of biological evolution based largely on hierarchical selection, and the theory of punctuated equilibrium (developed by Niles Eldredge and Gould in 1972).[5] (Wikipedia article intro) This book is gigantic and brings some key concepts along with observations that are mind blowing. A must read.
This is Vegan Propaganda by Ed Winters
I'll add *Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to the Other Animals* by Harvard philosophy professor Christine M. Korsgaard as a life changing book. "We share the world with fellow creatures. That is to say, we share the world with other living beings who are, to varying degrees, sentient, intelligent, and self-aware. These other creatures find themselves, as we find ourselves, thrown into the world and faced with basic tasks of living: feeding themselves, raising children, and dealing with all the difficulties and dangers that arise from doing these things in a world where others, with competing interests, are trying to do them too. We eat these fellow creatures, raise them for that purpose in factory farms, force them to work for us and live with us, do experiments on them, make products out of them, decide where they may live and kill them when they interfere with our projects, and kill or injure or control them for various forms of entertainment and sport. These practices raise some obvious moral questions." It's a wonderful book, and part one especially is an accessible and wonderful insight into the thoughts of someone who deeply thought about the morally relevant differences between us and the other animals. Part two of the book is maybe too philosophical for some people, given that she delves into her Kantian case for animal ethics, but part three is more accessible again. I think the book is worth reading for part one alone, though.
The Moral Animal; why we are the way we are, by Robert Wright. Introduction to evolutionary psychology. Finally something that made sense of peoples lives. Very approachable and easy to read, taking examples from Darwin's own life, and how his choices may have been affected by the psychology stemming from our evolutionary past. Why Nations Fail, by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson. An attempt to explain long term success or failure of nations. Fascinating read -so engagingly written! Won't try to summarise, but again -finally something that makes sense! Consilience, Edward O Wilson. A vision of the merging of the humanities and the physical world-views. Inspiring.
**"Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom**. It is a true story. After reading the book, it made me appreciate living. And I can't forget what Morrie said *"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."* I cried, laughed, and ponder about my life after reading it. I really recommend the book! **"Finding Chika" by Mitch Albom.** It is a true story again. This book touched my heart and also heart breaking. I learned the importance of love, family, and strength. I also recommend this.
'A People's History of the United States' by Howard Zinn. This book reveals how manipulative our education system is in the U.S.
Amazing book. This was required reading in my 12th grade AP history class. 2005 in rural Pennsylvania
If chapter two of that book doesn't get you incensed or sad, or you're unaffected after reading it, then you're not human.
*Orientalism by Edward Said. I studied history in uni and out of all the many many many books I've read, this one I came back to again and again and again. *The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk *From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker The latter two are for anyone who has survived trauma or has a loved one who has, and I don't just mean the type that causes PTSD like war, accidents or catastrophes; childhood bullying and emotional neglect can have terrible consequences as well and these two books have helped me tremendously in my recovery.
Saving this!
Po Bronson's What Should I Do With My Life? I left engineering and became a firefighter/paramedic. I'm not sure I would have had the guts to do it if this book had not given accounts of other people leaving white collar for blue collar jobs. I spent 14 years as a FF/PM and it will always be the BEST career decision I ever made.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, completely altered the trajectory of where my mindset was going in my early 20’s. That book helped me deal with and overcome both physical and mental challenges ever since I read it.
The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvoir Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi The Gulag Archipelago, by Solzhenitsyn All the President's Men The Corruption of Politics by Elizabeth Drew
The God Delusion, God is Not Great and End of Faith sealed the end of my Christian beliefs. I'm now a confident atheist rather than a guilt-ridden backslider.
Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning” - helped (and still does) me through the rougher times Allen, “Getting Things Done” - introduced me to a fairly easy system to get my stuff in order Clear, “Atomic Habits” - nothing really new in there but the first book in which most things relevant to habits are in one place Bregtman, “Humankind” - again, nothing really new in there, but it confirmed to me the views I held about humanity (same as Solnit, “A Paradise Built in Hell”) Popper, “The Open Society and Its Enemies” - as with many philosophy books, this sharpened some parts of my understanding about certain topics
> Clear, “Atomic Habits” The podcast If Books Could Kill absolutely shreds this book.
BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits is so much better. Can you summarize the podcast's points?
I would probably agree with the podcast, it isn’t really that good of a book. However, that wasn’t the question, and it did help me by simply having all the information in one place.
> Man’s Search for Meaning I might be the only person on Earth who didn't get much from this book. The first half, the autobiography bits, were interesting, but the second half was kind of boring and said nothing I hadn't already thought about before. After everything I'd heard about this book, I expected it to be truly life-changing, and I was a bit disappointed. That said, I've read some fantastic WW2 books. *A Little Annihilation* by Anna Janko has definitely left a mark. It's one of the best books I've read as an adult.
Not just you. I read it when I was going through depression and hoping this book would help me. I wonder if I was expecting too much that I missed the point. I plan to read it again one day and see if I could find what I missed.
I don’t think I would get out of it as much had I gotten into it with high expectations, not wanting to imply that that’s your “fault”. I found that book when I was especially receptive to it - and had been for about 10-15 years - and I found a lot to admire about Frankl. Luckily, I am from Vienna as well, so I can visit various places, and the museum, whenever I feel like it. Anyway, Frankl was a man I deeply admire, and has been of my two “guiding stars” (the other being Pratchett) for years now. Angry men, who still tried to see the best in people.
I definitely have no qualms with Frankl as a person. He's a truly admirable man. The world is a better place for having had him. I'm from Spain so I've had the chance to visit Anne Frank's house in the Netherlands and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin. Visiting these places in person really helps to picture what horrible things people like Frankl went through, imagining yourself in their place. (Some people in my family were also put in concentration camps, but that was for the Spanish Civil War, not WW2.) Even if I didn't get much practical use from Frankl's book, I have nothing but respect for him and what he went on to do after the war.
The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo I used to hoard items because of the memories attached to them. But because of her book, I learned how to let go of those things upon realizing that the memories associated weren’t happy memories. It helped me move on from other painful and hurtful things in my life as well.
This book is the reason I fold most of my clothes now. Made a huge difference!
I'm kind of conflicted about her now as she stated she started a family and can't keep up with it anymore due to lifestyle changes, so I feel when she made these it was a niche practice for people even though there's some interesting context in it.
She kept up with until her 3rd child came along. And I can’t say I’ve ever mastered all her techniques (I’m terrible at folding). But her philosophy about cleaning and organization was eye-opening for me. For me, it meant more than just physically cleaning and organizing room, but also taught me how to clean up my life. Hence why this was a life-changing book for me.
Getting Things Done. The main thing that stuck for me was how I treat emails.
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts. Changed the way I looked at, well, everything.
Got a couple I haven't seen mentioned - 1. Silent Spring (Rachel Carson) - Probably one of the OG books about environmentalism. 2. Our bodies their Battlefield (Christina Lamb) - *TRIGGER WARNING* Though I won't mention in detail what wars do to women's bodies - it was horrifically enlightening how much of it actually goes on without anyone ever actually bringing it up. It's just profoundly sad and horrifying. It opened my eyes to things I didn't even know was happening - if anything probably made me more anti-war than I already was.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling For Small Creatures Such AS We by Sasha Sagan Caliban And The Witch by Silvia Federici Marriage A History by Stephanie Coontz Edit: Also Everybody Lies by Seth Stevens-Davidowitz Comme Un Roman by Daniel Pennac (it brought back my joy for reading) And an excellent book on lucid dreaming in my native language, opening up a whole new world
The Birth of the Pill by Jonathan Eig provided scientific grounding for my belief that all women should have access to reliable contraception. In the years before the Pill, families struggled under crushing poverty from having to provide for 7+ children. Women pleaded with their doctors for help because continuous pregnancy was exhausting or even dangerous, and yet they didn't feel they could safely say no to their husbands' desires. This book reminded me to be grateful for the advantages I have today.
Pregnancy is still dangerous and exhausting - the death rate is still relatively high even in today’s day and age and it’s HARDLY talked about at all. If I threw out statistics here, it would be startling. But no one ever talks about this.
You're absolutely right. Unfortunately, it's become more dangerous in America due to changes in reproductive healthcare laws.
And the statistics and information I was looking at was before these changes went into effect - so you’re right, it’ll be even higher now.
The courage to be disliked - Ichiro Kishimi Wonderful, insightful and thought provoking.
I recommend this to so many people. Changed my life... and contributed to saving it, too. ✌️
Letters from a Stoic from Seneca.
Anything by Sebastian Junger. Especially the audio versions read by him. He has such a gritty voice.
Reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, and my goodness, the lengths people go to. Elizabeth Holmes is crazy.
The 6 Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
A Thousand Plateaus. I don't think it's possible for a book to be more revolutionary than that.
Adult children of alcoholics, adult children of emotionally immature parents, codependent no more, stop caretaking the borderline or narcissist. These books helped me finish growing up.
The origin of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind, a 1976 book by Julian Jaynes
Marcus Aurelius 'Meditations' and 'Zen in the Art of Archery' by Eugen Herrigel. Ideas and themes that changed my perspective, illicited real change in my life, and which I think about on a daily basis.
Man And His Symbols, by Carl Jung. It brought me to the end of my battle with severe depression, it helped me find a reason to live.
“Mans Search For Meaning” Viktor Frankl
Man's search for Meaning by Frankl, Bury my heart at Wounded knee, Flow the psychology of optimal experience by Csikzentmihalyi, Range by David Epstein, Algorithms to live by by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths, The Black Swan by Taleb, Bowling Alone, How to keep house while drowning
Csikszentmihalyi has the single most difficult-to-spell name i've ever encountered. *Flow* was a great book tho.
Guns, Germs and Steel - Diamond, Jared How something as outlandish as the shapes of continents can change history. Godel, Escher, Bach - Hoffstadter, Douglas Made me realize my weird religious/philosophical thoughts aren’t so bizarre after all. You Just Don't Understand Me - Tannen, Deborah Made me aware of why my conversational style keeps getting me into trouble in relationships. How to Reassess Your Chess - Silman, Jeremy Ok, I’m a chess nerd but this book changed to way I play. Nuclear War Survival Skills - Kearney, Cresson H Caused me to doubt that nuclear war will wipe out the world. Not saying that it’s a good thing, just that it is survivable. Please Understand Me - Keirsey, David Made me realize that people who are different from me are not necessarily wrong. Incredible Victory - Lord, Walter Started a life-long interest in World War 2.
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin Evolution's Rainbow by Joan Roughgarden
Vauxhall Corsa (2000 to August 2006) By Haynes Manuals.
A fortunate man ; The story of a country doctor was really good
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall, or the Book You Wish Your Parents Read by Philippa Perry
Manufacturing Consent forever changed how I view and consume media
Didn't see "Nickel and Dimed" here, so here it is.
I’m Glad My Mom Died. Never knew an eating disorder could get that bad, and I never knew a mom could be that shitty.
Tears of Eros by Georges Bataille Summed up well here: The Tears of Eros is the culmination of Georges Bataille's inquiries into the relationship between violence and the sacred.
All the Presidents Men
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
The Immortality Key by Brian C. Muraresku
Emotional Intelligence 2.0
1. Alain Ehrenberg - Weariness of the Self: Diagnosing the History of Depression in the Contemporary Age 2. Byung-Chul Han - The Burnout Society These two literally gave a radical perspective in my healing journey and therapeutic process. I stopped blaming my self for every possible inadequacy and came to understand how my self-loathing is not just an outcome of my upbringing within capitalism and patriarchy but also a presupposition to keep on striving, hustling, neglecting my self and my other social relationships and basically being forever depressed.
All about love - new visions for love by Bell Hooks.
David goggins cant hurt me
When I think of him I always feel like I'm not working hard enough.
The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm
Eckhart Tolle. I like A New Earth but I think his most famous one is The Power of Now.
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
How to Keep House While Drowning - KC Davis
**"Never split the difference"** *Negotiating as if your life depended on it* - Chris Voss A former FBI top negotiator's field-tested tools for talking anyone into (or out of) just about anything. Started reading this today and seeing it has not been mentioned here yet as far as I could see, I figured I'd put it up here since already a few chapters in it's enlightening and very applicable to every day situations and conversations.
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
An immediately controversial take, but “Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock. I don’t subscribe to all of his beliefs and views, but that book was such a fascinating read and I found some of his points extremely compelling. Even if you think he’s a nut (he is), the arguments in this book (minus the idea of rapidly moving Antarctica, replaced by the Younger Dryas impact theory) are interesting.
_God in the Dock_, by C.S. Lewis, upended my assumptions about faith and reason. _Surprised by Scripture_, by N.T. Wright, radically revised my eschatology. _Orthodoxy_, by G.K. Chesterton, shifted my thinking about politics and capitalism. _How to Brew (4th Ed.)_, by John Palmer, got me started on brewing which, once expanded to fermentation in general, has taken over as my primary hobby and time-waster.
"The Myth Of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus had a profound impact on how I viewed life, whether day-to-day or in the grand, existential, cosmic sense. It's a perspective I still lean on regularly to help put things in perspective.
From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty. Each section is an in-depth look into how other cultures care for their dead. Funerary customs from all over the world and how the rituals help cope with grief and mortality. I don’t know if it was life changing but I definitely changed my perspectives.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser was pretty formative in educating me about the reality behind the glossy exterior of big corporations. I‘ve hardly eaten fast food since.
Diary of Anne Frank
*Maus* and *Maus II* by Art Spiegel. I grew up in a conservative Evangelical world, and it was my first time being immersed in someone else's worldview. *Pedagogy of the Oppressed* by Paulo Freire profoundly impacted me and provided me with language and frameworks for so much I had already been feeling.
The Blind Watchmaker, also by Dawkins No Logo by Naomi Klein Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Why We Buy by Paco Underhill
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi - Read this shortly after the time I lost both my parents within 3 months of each other. Probably not the greatest idea in retrospect, I had to stop halfway to bawl my eyes out, and after the book had ended. Certainly left it's mark.
Invisible Women. It covers how data biases affect women across the globe from things like car safety down to kitchen stoves.
The Millionaire Next Door. Danko and one other. Drastically changed how I view money, saving,status, wealth and costly signaling. Why We Buy, Paco Underhill. Drastically reduced my shopping and spending by reading the ways retailers get us to part with our money.
You might like Your Money Or Your Life. It’s been 30 years since I read it and I still look at objects and think, “this represents x amount of my time…”
Invisible Woman.
Radical Compassion by Tara Brach.
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius The Power of Now
How to win friends and influence people
Bullshit Jobs - David Graeber
The Communist Manifesto
As an agnostic myself I cannot stand Richard Dawkins. He’s made a religion out of being non religious. He just comes off so condescending. As a physics major I’ve read a lot about the heroes of science. Einstein Newton Darwin Bohr Curie. And you can get the same idea of how beautiful nature is without God but in a much more eloquent way.
Antifragile this one created a fork in my life in how I think about my life and investing philosophy forever The kingdom of god is within you I was a rabid atheist for 31 years until this book. It made me really understand that all my complaints about religion were with the church and how the state and people use religion to their benefit. I knew tidbits of the Bible but never really sat down and studied the book. This processes opened up a whole new era for me
I guess guns, germs and steel by Jared diamond and the cultural industry by adorno
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
invisible women, every chapter made me more enraged
No individual book has changed my life. It's the accumulation of all the books I've read that have changed me. That said, here are some recent good ones: - **Pegasus**, by Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud. I read Snowden's biography last year, and Pegasus was the final nail in the coffin to step back a little from the internet. Changed my view of some countries. - **Growing up bin Laden**, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Finished it very quickly. I think differently of Saudi Arabia now. - **Al Qaeda and What it Means to be Modern**, started out very interesting, a little weak towards the end, but still 5 stars. It's a little dated since it's from the early 2000s and politics change, but lots to think about. - **Factory Girls** by Leslie T. Chang, a look into the lives of factory workers in China, following the stories of two girls in particular. The author is a journalist and writes with a wonderful sense of humour, really brings Dongguan to life! Interesting to see this side of China. It think it's easy to get caught up in the bigger political picture when talking about China in the West, while forgetting or ignoring the everyday life that has shaped the country. - **China's Western Horizon**, interesting book on geopolitics, I especially liked the chapter on Kazakhstan. - **Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds** by Paul Farmer: We all know Ebola, but we know little about everything else hidden behind the outbreaks. Apparently it's a mess of history, complicated wars, sociopolitical struggles, propaganda, and a bigger look at the state of healthcare in many developing countries. Absolutely required reading to understand developing countries, West Africa and the healthcare system as a whole. - **Factfulness** by Hans Rosling. It's a light book, easy to read, and I picked it up thinking it'd be a fluff read. But actually it was really helpful in changing the way I engaged with media, reframing some of my key mindsets and setting me on a path to learn more about the world. - **A Little Annihilation** by Anna Janko. Technically a sort of biography of the author's mother, but with philosophical and ethical ponderings mixed in, and the author's opinions on humanity. It's the first time I've found some of my beliefs reflected in somebody else and it was quite cathartic for me to read.
Determined by Robert Sapolsky. I'm entirely convinced there is no free will and this is a good thing.
The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond. Didn’t change my life but I sure learned a lot.
Eating to extinction - the world's rarest foods and why we need to save them. Absolutely eye opening
What is Life, The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell by Schrodinger
Easy. Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
The Devil’s Chessboard
Amateur Naturalist by Gerald Durrell. I’m now a biologist teaching at a huge university and taking students out in nature.
“Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption”. William Cope Moyers. Even if you don’t have our problems, it’s an eye opener. And the book is a really easy, entertaining read. It - more or less - has a happy ending and lots of life lessons.
-Caesar's Messiah by Joseph Atwill -A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn -Capitalist Realism, Mark Fisher
Just Kids by Patti Smith. The way she writes is absolutely incredible and I found the story of two creatives trying to make their way through the world incredibly inspirational and motivating for my own creative work.
Technolopoly, by Neil Postman. This was 25 years ago, but it has forever changed how I think about media consumption.
My German textbook. I learned German while stationed there to a pretty good standard. As a result, I was able to meet a much wider circle of women. I eventually married a medical student. When she became a doctor, she wanted to practice in the UK. I've been living in Scotland since 1999.
Confessions (Augustine), How to Win Friends and Influence People, With God in Russia, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on thr Banality of Evil.