Booknotes

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Amount: 130

How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are bookcover

Innate

by Kevin J. Mitchell

๐Ÿ•“ 24 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This book details how our personalities and behavioral traits such as intelligence are influenced by our genes. Mitchell argues that we have traits that are to a certain degree *innate* and dives deep into the scientific literature explaining *how we know* that this is true.

The Web of Meaning bookcover

The Web of Meaning

by Jeremy Lent

๐Ÿ•“ 30 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent is trying to give people a new worldview focusing on harmony, interconnection and cooperation, instead of competetion and exploitation.

How Evolution Gave Us Free Will bookcover

Free Agents

by Kevin Mitchell

๐Ÿ•“ 27 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

In this book Kevin Mitchell explains how evolution produced living things that can make choices *for their own reasons* and why this means that we have free will, even if our cognitive machinery is entirely based on the physical instantiation of our brains.

The Unicorn Project bookcover

The Unicorn Project

by Gene Kim

๐Ÿ•“ 10 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The Unicorn Project is a book about organizational change and the improvement of working conditions within tech organizations. It's about strategies and ideas that engineers can employ to maximize their and their teams' contributions to the company.

Determined bookcover

Determined

by Robert Sapolsky

๐Ÿ•“ 18 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

In this book, Robert Sapolsky is attacking the notion that free will exists. He does so by looking at the brain, the environment, and the interactions between the two.

Awareness bookcover

Awareness

by Anthony de Mello

๐Ÿ•“ 18 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Awareness is a book about waking up and realizing what we truly are. About stopping to identify ourselves with our desires and becoming free of the restrictions that our minds place upon ourselves. But at the same time it is about realizing that we are selfish beings.

How To Live bookcover

How To Live

by Derek Sivers

๐Ÿ•“ 16 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

In this book Derek Sivers tries to answer the question of how to best live life. The funny thing is that each answer is contradictory to the previous ones.

Mind and Cosmos bookcover

Mind and Cosmos

by Thomas Nagel

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

In Mind and Cosmos Thomas Nagel argues that there needs to be a fundamental part of reality that corresponds to consciousness. Something like an atom of consciousness from which everything else derives its conscious properties.

Outlive bookcover

Outlive

by Peter Attia

๐Ÿ•“ 35 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

This book is a guide to living a long and healthy life. It is about increasing lifespan, our "good decades", more than it is about living longer per se. It focuses on the four horsemen (cancer, metabolic syndrome, alzheimers and cardiovascular diseases).

The Order of Time bookcover

The Order of Time

by Carlo Rovelli

๐Ÿ•“ 11 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

In this book Carlo Rovelli takes us on a journey through the nature of time, from the perspective of physics, philosophy, and human experience and shows how the three differ wildly. What we think time is like, is nothing like what it actually is. Time in a way does not exist.

Still the Mind bookcover

Still the Mind

by Alan Watts

๐Ÿ•“ 7 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

In this book Alan Watts, in essence, argues that by ceasing the relentless striving for control and allowing ourselves to simply be, we can rediscover the wonder of our existence and our unity with the world around us.

The Book On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are bookcover

The Book On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

by Alan Watts

๐Ÿ•“ 10 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

This book is a philosophical exploration of identity, self-awareness, and the nature of reality.

The Way of Zen bookcover

The Way of Zen

by Alan Watts

๐Ÿ•“ 10 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This book by Alan Watts is trying to present Zen Buddhism in a way that it makes sense for the Western Mind.

High Output Management bookcover

High Output Management

by Andrew S. Grove

๐Ÿ•“ 10 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

A good book on effective management. For me it is not too applicable right now, since I am not managing people, otherwise, this might have deserved a better rating even. Very likely something that I am going to revisit a few years down the road.

Der Weg zum Glรผck bookcover

Der Weg zum Glรผck

by Dalai Lama

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This book is a collection of quotes and teachings from the Dalai Lama. It covers a wide range of topics, from the nature of desire to the importance of being content with what you have. The Dalai Lamas teachings are simple and profound.

Mind Children bookcover

Mind Children

by Hans Moravec

๐Ÿ•“ 7 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

In Mind Children, Hans Moravec describes how humans will, eventually, create machines that are able to think, reason and feel, just like we do.

Einsteins Dreams bookcover

Einsteins Dreams

by Alan Lightman

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This book is truly wonderful. A quick read, filled with extremely beautiful, almost poetry-like prose, and small short stories, about deeply human desires, fears and ideas, woven into small short stories about different universes.

Der Steppenwolf bookcover

Der Steppenwolf

by Hermann Hesse

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

I have read this book in German, so the detailed notes contain a bunch of quotes in German, but the book itself was amazing. The idea of the Magical Theater that shows you different alternate versions of how your life could have gone is powerful. So is the image of the lonely.

Guns Germs and Steel bookcover

Guns Germs and Steel

by Jared Diamond

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

Guns Germs and Steel tries to answer a single question: why did Europe come ahead technologically compared to the other continents and go on to dominate and exploit them? There were civilizations in other places long before.

The Biology of Desire bookcover

The Biology of Desire

by Marc Lewis

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

The Biology of Desire is a book diving into the neurobiology that underlies addiction.

The Caves of Steel bookcover

The Caves of Steel

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov is a science fiction mystery novel set in a distant future where Earth's population lives in sprawling underground cities to protect themselves from environmental challenges.

The Evolution of Everything bookcover

The Evolution of Everything

by Matt Ridley

๐Ÿ•“ 27 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

This book has a lot of detailed notes, but overall I didn't like it *that* much. Many of the ideas are better covered in other works, even by the same author, such as [The Red Queen](/booknotes/the-red-queen).

Immune bookcover

Immune

by Philipp Dettmer

๐Ÿ•“ 31 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

A book about how the human immune system works. It goes over the different cell types and how they work together to fight off diseases of all kinds. The body is an incredibly machine, and even though the immune system is just a part of it, it's mindbogglingly complex.

Indistractable bookcover

Indistractable

by Nir Eyal

๐Ÿ•“ 10 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

A book about attention and techniques that help focusing our attention, when faced with the diversions of a modern life. It's explaining many basic ideas about how to live a more productive life, by restricting time spend mindlessly engaged with media in various ways. To me.

The Wealth of Nations bookcover

The Wealth of Nations

by Adam Smith

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

A classic that has shaped a lot of thinking in economics over the last centuries. Adam Smith describes how markets interact with one another and how countries should be governed so that the market can flourish.

Discourses and Selected Writings bookcover

Discourses and Selected Writings

by Epictetus

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

Epictetus is one of the great stoic writers and this book is a collection of his work. He emphasizes personal responsibility, virtue, and understanding what is within our control as *the keys* to a good life.

Being You bookcover

Being You

by Anil Seth

๐Ÿ•“ 16 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

Consciousness is something measurable and we are beginning to understand what it is. But there is still a lot left to learn and uncover. Theories like Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and the Free Energy Principle are promising starts.

Enough bookcover

Enough

by John Bogle

๐Ÿ•“ 11 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This book is a fun little read. It's about how we have lost the character values of the enlightened era and how that leads to slow corrosion of best practices in the market as well. It's about how all of this can be transformed back to resemble more how things have been.

The Brain bookcover

The Brain

by David Eagleman

๐Ÿ•“ 22 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The Brain by David Eagleman dives deep into how our brains work, covering key insights of neuroscience, that tell the fascinating story of what makes us *us*. It is a story about how our brains are re-wiring themselves constantly.

Life 3.0 bookcover

Life 3.0

by Max Tegmark

๐Ÿ•“ 33 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Max Tegmark wants the reader to think about the problems of AI safety and the thorny questions related to creating machines that surpass us in intelligence someday.

From Bacteria to Bach and Back bookcover

From Bacteria to Bach and Back

by Daniel C. Dennett

๐Ÿ•“ 47 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This is a book about a few very deep and important questions - how can physics give rise to life? And how can life give rise to intelligent, comprehending minds? The short answer to all of these questions is . . . evolution. The longer answer.

Complexity bookcover

Complexity

by Mitchell Waldrop

๐Ÿ•“ 19 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

A bit too heavy on biographical details and the history of the Santa Fe institute, and not going deep enough into the weeds of complexity theory as I was hoping, when I first picked it up. This is a wonderful introduction to all the people that contributed to the field.

Oxygen bookcover

Oxygen

by Nick Lane

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

In this book Nick Lane explores the profound impact that the oxygen molecule had on the history of life and how it changed everything. He covers a lot of ground, how the energy that oxygen makes possible to harvest lead to multicellularity.

Creativity Inc. bookcover

Creativity Inc.

by Ed Catmull

๐Ÿ•“ 11 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This book moved me. Ed Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar shares the wisdom he gained while running this groundbreaking company, trying to innovate and make beautiful movies. It goes against the spirit of this book to summarize it, because the insights from the book.

Rocheworld bookcover

Rocheworld

by Robert L. Forward

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

In the hard sci-fi novel Rocheworld, Robert L. Forward explores the scientific exploration of a distant star system by a crew of human scientists. Center to their exploration is the double planet system Rocheworld, two planets orbiting each other very closely.

The Beginning of Infinity bookcover

The Beginning of Infinity

by David Deutsch

๐Ÿ•“ 42 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The Beginning of Infinity is jam-packed with amazing ideas. It's so dense, that these book notes are a source of a vast amount of thoughts and models of how the world works. To me, this book is simply insane.

The Fabric of Reality bookcover

The Fabric of Reality

by David Deutsch

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The Fabric of Reality presents a bold, interdisciplinary exploration of the nature of reality. In it Deutsch tries to merge concepts from quantum physics, epistemology, computation, and evolutionary biology into a singular explanation of the world.

Rework bookcover

Rework

by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

This book is about how to build a business in a non-traditional way. It is based on the experiences of the authors founding and running their company 37signals and how they did that from first principles. Rework promotes a lean, efficient.

Bhagavad Gita bookcover

Bhagavad Gita

by Stephen Mitchell

๐Ÿ•“ 7 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most influential books in history I would argue. And for that reason alone it's worth reading, to get a broader idea of different cultures and see where ideas come from and how old some of them are.

Tao Te Ching bookcover

Tao Te Ching

by Stephen Mitchell

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

A small book filled with wisdom from long ago. Written in China it focuses on the idea of the Tao, the underlying force of nature, of the universe. It is about aligning yourself with Tao and working in the same direction as it, without resisting it.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant bookcover

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

by Naval Ravikant

๐Ÿ•“ 9 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is one of the best books I have ever read and one I am going to re-read over and over and over again, simply because it is packed so full of wisdom that it's unbelievable. A collection of quotes.

Poor Charlie's Almanack bookcover

Poor Charlie's Almanack

by Charlie Munger

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

I think the main insight from Poor Charlie's Almanack is that one needs to have *strong* mental models in order to deal with the world effectively. This is analogous to an idea from [Principles by Ray Dalio](/booknotes/principles).

The Enigma of Reason bookcover

The Enigma of Reason

by Dan Sperber and Hugo Mercier

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

The Enigma of Reason by Dan Sperber and Hugo Mercier offers a provocative and scientifically grounded exploration of the human capacity for reasoning. The authors challenge the traditional view that reason evolved to help individuals make better decisions or discover truth.

Lying bookcover

Lying

by Sam Harris

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

A very short book. It might take you an hour or so to read in full, so the summary is quite short as well. Lying (intentional deception) erodes trust on both sides. It damages relationships in unforeseen ways, needs maintenance and leads to psychological stress.

Antifragile bookcover

Antifragile

by Nicholas Nassim Taleb

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

Nicholas Nassim Taleb writes a lot of good books. This is one of them. In Antifragile, Taleb tries to push one central idea: The difference between Fragile and Antifragile Systems. Antifragile systems learn and improve over time.

Neuroplasticity bookcover

Neuroplasticity

by Moheb Costandi

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

This book provides an accessible and comprehensive exploration of neuroplasticity => the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize and adapt by forming, pruning, enhancing, weakening, destroying and sculpting neural connections throughout life.

Disturbing the Universe bookcover

Disturbing the Universe

by Freeman Dyson

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Disturbing the universe is an autobiography written and lived by Freeman Dyson, who worked on the Los Alamos team alongside Richard Feynman.

How to solve it bookcover

How to solve it

by George Polya

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

This book is an attempt at describing basic problem-solving strategies. Based on puzzles and mathematical riddles the author tries to teach the general approach of problem-solving.

Structures or Why Things Don't Fall Down bookcover

Structures

by J. E. Gordon

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This book is an engaging exploration of structural engineering and the science behind why everday buildings, like bridges, roadways, or churches don't collapse in on themselves.

Algorithms to Live By bookcover

Algorithms to Live By

by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Algorithms from computer science are a source of knowledge that can be used to improve our lives. Problems like optimal stopping, exploration vs. exploitation tradeoffs, or how to sort things, are ubiquitous not just in computer science but also in real life. To me.

Anthem bookcover

Anthem

by Ayn Rand

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

A rather short book about a dystopian world. The people in this world live miserable lives in small rural communities. Every little bit of individuality is artificially repressed and held down. They have forgotten words such as "I".

The Diamond Age bookcover

The Diamond Age

by Neal Stephenson

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The Diamond Age is as crazy as Neal Stephensons other books. It is set in a slightly dystopian world, where everybody has access to nanotechnology and people can print anything they want from "the feed". The world is divided into classes. Each has it's own zone of influence.

Snow Crash bookcover

Snow Crash

by Neal Stephenson

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is a fast-paced, dystopian cyberpunk novel that combines high-tech intrigue, ancient history, and biting social commentary. Set in a near-future world dominated by corporate-controlled city states, the story follows a hacker and swordsman.

Permutation City bookcover

Permutation City

by Greg Egan

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

The story is about how computation is supreme, and how reality might be a construct that is very different from what we think it is. The crazy idea in this book is that a simulation might continue running, if it is sufficiently complex enough.

Slaughterhouse Five bookcover

Slaughterhouse Five

by Kurt Vonnegut

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a darkly satirical and anti-war novel that follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a disoriented and passive man who becomes "unstuck in time. " The book weaves together themes of war, trauma, free will.

Brave New World bookcover

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Brave New World is a novel set in a dystopian society, where people are replacable cogs in a machineโ€“everyone is constantly bubbly, happy and social, because they take a drug called Soma.

Nineteen Eighty Four bookcover

Nineteen Eighty Four

by George Orwell

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

A dystopian novel, set in a totalitarian society where "the Party" completely controls everything its citizens do. The idea of "big brother" constantly watching you originates from this book. In the world of 1984 every *thought* of disobedience is a punishable offence.

Six Easy Pieces bookcover

Six Easy Pieces

by Richard Feynman

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

This book is a concise and accessible introduction to fundamental principles of physics by Richard Feynman, drawn from his famous Feynman Lectures on Physics. This book distills key topics into six chapters, making complex ideas understandable to a broad audience.

Surely you are Joking Mr. Feynman bookcover

Surely you are Joking Mr. Feynman

by Richard Feynman

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This book is a biography of Richard Feynman, detailing his quirky character, what got him into physics and how he became entangled into the Manhattan project in Los Alamos, where he helped to build the atomic bomb.

The Art of Learning bookcover

The Art of Learning

by Josh Waitzkin

๐Ÿ•“ 21 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Mastery is something everybody can achieve if working hard towards it. And the way towards mastery is rewarding and beautiful. A life of striving, is a life well lived and worth living. What we strive towards is not important, the striving itself.

Gรถdel's Proof bookcover

Gรถdel's Proof

by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

Gรถdel's Proof by Ernest Nagel and James Newman is a concise and accessible explanation of Kurt Gรถdel's incompleteness theorem, which is among the most important and profound results in mathematics.

Permanent Record bookcover

Permanent Record

by Edward Snowden

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Permanent Record is a memoir that details Snowden's journey from growing up in a patriotic, government-oriented family to becoming a whistleblower who exposed the U. S. government's mass surveillance programs. The book provides insights into Snowden's personal life.

Engines of Creation bookcover

Engines of Creation

by Eric Drexler

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This book heralds the arriving of nanotechnology in the future and tries to show the endless possibilities that could exist, once we have mastered atomic manufacturing. It proposes to build structures out of carbon, so that they have extremely strong bonds.

Predictably Irrational bookcover

Predictably Irrational

by Dan Ariely

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

To me this book can be mostly summarized by its own title and subtitle. It's about how people often behave irrationally, but how there is still method to the madness. We are not just irrational, we are predictably so.

Manual for Living bookcover

Manual for Living

by Epictetus

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 3/10

Manual for Living (also known as the Enchiridion) by Epictetus is a concise guide to Stoic philosophy and how to live a good, fulfilling life. It provides practical advice on how to achieve inner peace, resilience.

Letters from a Stoic bookcover

Letters from a Stoic

by Seneca

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Complaining against fate and what the future holds, is not valuable. You should instead take everything the world throws at you with grace and humility. Staying in one place, reading the same books, not jumping around, is a source of strength and personal growth.

A Guide to The Good Life bookcover

A Guide to The Good Life

by William B. Irvine

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Stoicism is a philosophy that is concerned with one question: How to live a good life? It's about being resilient against outside influences, mentally and physically. And about preparing for the worst, keeping death in mind, but being content with whatever happens.

Man and His Symbols bookcover

Man and His Symbols

by Carl Gustav Jung

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

*Man and His Symbols* by Carl Jung is a fascinating exploration of the world of symbols and their role in the human unconscious. Symbols come up everywhere, in dreams, in culture, in art, in thoughts, in conversations, in the ways that we live our lives.

Gรถdel, Escher, Bach bookcover

Gรถdel, Escher, Bach

by Douglas Hofstรคdter

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

This is one of my most favorite books of all time. Tough to read, even harder to summarize. But worth to read, and then re-read. And re-read. The dialogues where the turtoise discusses important riddles and philosophical questions alone, make this book worthwhile.

The 4 Hour Work Week bookcover

The 4 Hour Work Week

by Tim Ferris

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss is a self-help and productivity book that challenges traditional notions of work and success.

The Better Angels of Our Nature bookcover

The Better Angels of Our Nature

by Steven Pinker

๐Ÿ•“ 6 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

The Better Angels of Our Nature is a book by Steven Pinker that argues that violence in the world has been in decline over time. The world is becoming a more peaceful place, and this is due to a number of factors, including the rise of the nation-state, the spread of democracy.

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers bookcover

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

by Robert M. Sapolsky

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

In Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Robert Sapolsky explains the neurobiological underpinnings of how stress works in the human body.

Built to Last bookcover

Built to Last

by Jim Collins

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

Companies that are built to last have things in common. And this book looked at a lot of companies successful over longer time frames to find out what. One idea is that business ideas don't matter.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance bookcover

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

by Robert M. Pirsig

๐Ÿ•“ 21 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a classic dealing with the philosophical idea of what Quality is and how it is necessary in our world for anything to work. It tries to show how both art and engineering can go hand in hand.

Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't bookcover

Good To Great

by Jim Collins

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

In Good to Great Jim Collins looks at what makes good companies great. For this Jim Collins and his team analyzed a lot of different great companies and looked at what they had in common. They then identified key ideas that all the great companies share. So.

Robots and Empire bookcover

Robots and Empire

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov is a science fiction novel that serves as a bridge between Asimov's Robot series and his Foundation series. The novel explores the tension between humans and robots as they navigate political, ethical.

The Tipping Point bookcover

The Tipping Point

by Malcolm Gladwell

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell explores the phenomenon of how small changes can have a big impact and lead to significant shifts in society. Malcolm Gladwell identifies three key factors that contribute to a tipping point: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor.

Atomic Habits bookcover

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

๐Ÿ•“ 46 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Habits are a powerful way to shape behavior towards living a better life. Atomic Habits are about preparing yourself and the environment for a better life. The goal is to make good habits easy and bad habits hard. Good habits should be obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying.

Essentialism bookcover

Essentialism

by Greg Mc Keown

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

Focus on what is important and declutter your life. The title summarizes this book almost perfectly. Basically declutter your life from things you don't need, focusing on what you want to have in your life. And try to reduce the amount of things that you want to a minimum.

Deep Work bookcover

Deep Work

by Cal Newport

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

Deep Work is the most important work you want to do, but it is also the hardest work to do and make time for. It's easy to seem busy and be always working and stressed out, without making any progress. That's because one is not doing enough deep work.

Outliers bookcover

Outliers

by Malcolm Gladwell

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

This is the book that popularized the ten-thousand hours idea. The main idea behind the rule is this: There exists a level of mastery that can be achieved for any kind of subject, after having deliberately practiced and studied it for at least ten-thousand hours.

Why We Sleep bookcover

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker

๐Ÿ•“ 18 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Why We Sleep is an exploration of why and how humans need to sleep and an ode to all the beneficial aspects that sleeping has on our health. Healthy sleep (enough and good quality) is probably the single biggest contributor to a good life that we know of.

Notes from Underground bookcover

Notes from Underground

by Dostoyevski

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is an exploration of existentialism, free will, and the human condition. It is about *chosing* to withdraw from daily life, to *not do anything* because the world is fundamentally flawed. The novel is narrated by an unnamed.

The Double bookcover

The Double

by Dostoyevski

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

The Double by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a psychological novella that explores themes of identity and self-perception through its story. It tells the tale of Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a government clerk in St. Petersburg.

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How to Read a Book

by Mortimer Adler

๐Ÿ•“ 7 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

How to Read a Book is a Book about how to retain more from reading texts - it is about reading a book, not for the sake of passing time but for the sake of gaining insights from it. To do that it details 4 different levels of reading.

Blink bookcover

Blink

by Malcolm Gladwell

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

Malcolm Gladwell details the same idea as in another book, but with less insights and clarity, but more stories and fluff than Daniel Kahnemann in his [Thinking Fast and Slow](/booknotes/thinking-fast-and-slow). The main idea of the book is simple yet profound.

The Dictators Handbook bookcover

The Dictators Handbook

by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

The Dictatorโ€™s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith is a provocative exploration of the rules that govern political power. The authors argue that whether in democracies, dictatorships, or corporations.

Meditations bookcover

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The contents of the mind are within our control, whereas the outside environment is not. Stoics become happy by focusing on and learning how to control their internal state, no matter the external state. Once this control exists, the outside does not matter anymore.

Man's search for Meaning bookcover

Man's search for Meaning

by Viktor Frankl

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

*Man's Search for Meaning* by Viktor Frankl is a profound and influential book that reflects on Frankl's experiences as a Holocaust survivor and the psychological insights he gained from them. This book to me, puts into perspective *how good life is*, almost all the time.

The Alchemist bookcover

The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

This is a magical little book, about traveling, about life, about spirituality and about self-discovery. The story follows a shepherd boy Santiago, who embarks on a journey to pursue his Personal Legend to find his life's purpose. Set in a mystical, symbolic world.

Principles bookcover

Principles

by Ray Dalio

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

The book is split into 3 parts - the personal history of Ray Dalio, his work principles and his life principles. To me, the most interesting part of the book is, where he details his life principles. Beautiful ideas and mental models of how to live a good life fill the pages.

Forward The Foundation bookcover

Forward The Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The last book of the 7 foundation novels. It's about how Hari Seldon develops his plan and psychohistory. And how he has to deal with the power struggles of Galactic Politics and the Empire. In the process he loses everybody close to him, finally continuing almost alone.

Prelude to Foundation bookcover

Prelude to Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Hari Seldon first develops his mathematical idea of psychohistory and becomes the target of the Galactic Emperor because of it. The emperor thinks he could use this as a tool to gain better political control over his empire.

Foundation and Earth bookcover

Foundation and Earth

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This is a Sequel to the Foundation Series. Some people from the Foundation find out that, according to their knowledge, there has to be a point of origin for humanity. A planet, somewhere in the galaxy, from where all humans came from.

Foundation's Edge bookcover

Foundation's Edge

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

The leaders of the Second Fondation are worried that another "power" is trying to push along the Hari Seldon plan, benefiting instead of destroying it. Yet, they are worried and want to know who and why they are doing it, and send out a mission to the closest lead.

Second Foundation bookcover

Second Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Hari Seldon's plan is rumored to have secretly involved not only the scientificly minded foundation to preserve knowledge and steer humanity into a better and brighter future, but also a Second Foundation, one where the people are rumored to have magic powers.

Foundation and Empire bookcover

Foundation and Empire

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

As the Empire is dying and the Foundation is gaining more power, due to their advancement of understanding in science and Engineering, the two factions struggle over power and fight against each other. A new ruler in the Empire, seems to win that struggle in his favor.

Foundation bookcover

Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

This is Part 1 in the series. The Foundation is about a galactic empire that's about to end, and a mathematician that calculates that this is going to happen, who then goes on to devise a plan of creating a "Foundation" that keeps science and knowledge alive.

Mindset bookcover

Mindset

by Carol Dweck

๐Ÿ•“ 4 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

There are two mindsets โ€“ growth and fixed mindset. Growth Mindset is the one you want to have. It's enabling you to learn, and to achieve mastery over time. The fixed mindset on the other hand, prevents you from challenging yourself.

Remote bookcover

Remote

by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

A rehash of learnings from the inner workings at 37signals. Basically, remote work is good for everyone involved and therefore it is what people should be doing.

Behave bookcover

Behave

by Robert Sapolsky

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Hands down one of the best books I have ever read. I very very strongly recommend picking up a copy. Robert Sapolsky is one of the most knowledgeable people on the topic of human behavior and this book is a tour de force display of that knowledge.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions bookcover

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

by Thomas S. Kuhn

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn challenges traditional views of scientific progress as a linear, cumulative process. Kuhn introduces the concept of paradigm shifts to describe the sudden.

Grit bookcover

Grit

by Angela Duckworth

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

Grit is a [branch book](https://commoncog. com/the-3-kinds-of-non-fiction-book/#branchbooks), exploring one core idea, namely that of "Grit" over and over again from different perspectives.

Zero To One bookcover

Zero To One

by Peter Thiel

๐Ÿ•“ 25 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

One of the best books in existence. Highly creative, highly unique, and extremely thought-provoking. How startups work, and how they don't. Why good ideas are important, and how to find them, and why we have to build the future ourselves, or else it won't happen.

Influence bookcover

Influence

by Robert B. Cialdini

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini is a groundbreaking book that explores the psychological principles behind how people are persuaded. Cialdini, a social psychologist.

Flow bookcover

Flow

by Csickzentmihalyi

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Chess, learning, climbing, swimming, playing music, coding, parkour, conversations, skiing, philosophizing, proving mathematical theorems, painting and a host of other activities can lead to the same cognitive and mental state => Flow.

Superintelligence bookcover

Superintelligence

by Nick Bostrom

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

When AI takes off and becomes more intelligent than Humans, there are a lot of scenarios that are potentially wiping out humans. This is a detailled analysis of how these scenarios might unfold, discussing strategies and ways to potentially avoid them. The main takeaway.

Momo bookcover

Momo

by Michal Ende

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

One of my favorite books of all time. I grew up reading Michael Ende, but this is one of the books, which changes it's meaning as you grow up. It's about appreciating the small, but important things in life. Savouring the moments, and not forgetting.

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us bookcover

Drive

by Daniel H. Pink

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

Drive introduces 3 concepts of motivation, motivation 1. 0, 2. 0 and 3. 0 and argues that we are thinking about using motivation the wrong way. Essentially, intrinsic motivation is what matters most in modern day tasks, and that is what he terms motivation 3. 0.

Shantaram bookcover

Shantaram

by Gregory David Roberts

๐Ÿ•“ 7 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Shantaram is a wonderful book. It details the story of somebody who fled from a prison in Australia and made his way to India, where he found shelter in the gangster underworld of Mumbai and started to live his life there.

Chaos bookcover

Chaos

by James Gleick

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 5/10

Chaos: Making a New Science is a non-fiction book by James Gleick that introduced the principles and early development of chaos theory to the public. In it he details the history of chaos theory.

The Black Swan bookcover

The Black Swan

by Nicholas Nassim Taleb

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Nicholas Nassim Taleb at his best. A little angry on the state of the world, and knowing that he often knows better. To me the most memorable idea from this book is the allegory of the Turkey.

12 Rules for Life bookcover

12 Rules for Life

by Jordan Peterson

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 6/10

12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson is a book about how to live a good life. The most memorable thing about it is that you should have a resemblance of order within your life. Because without order, everything else quickly falls to pieces and problems arise. And problems hurt.

Finite and Infinite Games bookcover

Finite and Infinite Games

by James P. Carse

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

Humans play all kinds of games with each other and with themselves. Most of human activity can be looked at through this lens of "games that we play". There are status games, money games, games of friendship and family. Games can be divided into two broad groups.

Elon Musk bookcover

Elon Musk

by Ashley Vance

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

An incredible biography of the life of "the raddest man alive" - Elon Musk. To me the most important takeaway from this book is this: If you want to have an amazing future, you have to go out and build it yourself. No matter what it takes.

Sapiens bookcover

Sapiens

by Yuval Noah Harari

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Sapiens is a book about how humanity became what it is today. It's a book about history, about the big picture view of how we got here. In answering this question, it shows four major revolutions that shaped our history: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution.

Life, the Universe and Everything bookcover

Life, the Universe and Everything

by Douglas Adams

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Life, the Universe and Everything is the third book in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, continuing the comedic and absurd adventures of Arthur Dent and his friends across the cosmos. In this installment, the stakes are higher.

Mostly Harmless bookcover

Mostly Harmless

by Douglas Adams

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

In this last book of the trilogy in five parts, Douglas Adams answers many of the questions still left open by the other books, in a grand finale. Known for its darker and more existential tone compared to the other books in the series.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish bookcover

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

by Douglas Adams

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish is the second to last installment of the famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series. The title is the message that the dolphins left to the humans before they teleported away from the planet before it got destroyed.

The Book Thief bookcover

The Book Thief

by Yuval Noah Harari

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of my favorite books of all time. It is a story, written from the perspective of death, who is narrating the events of the life of a little girl Liesel. Liesel grows up in the middle of Nazi Germany with a new family.

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How to Travel the World on 50$ a Day

by Matt Kepnes

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 4/10

This book is worth it if you don't yet know how to travel on a budget and still need that paradigm shift of: "Oh wait, you can travel the world while spending less money than what you would have spent when you stayed at home in Europe or the US" If however.

Blood Music bookcover

Blood Music

by Greg Bear

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Greg Bear writes some of the best sci-fi out there, and this is some of his best work. Blood Music, without spoiling anything, is about different forms of intelligence, about something alien to us, about biotechnology and experiment.

Atlas Shrugged bookcover

Atlas Shrugged

by Ayn Rand

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

The main idea of this book is that Rational Egoism is virtuous and necessary. We need to take accountability of our own future. When doing so, we improve the future for everybody. Out of egoism flows altruism. But the book packages and weaves this idea into a gripping story.

But How Do It Know bookcover

But How Do It Know?

by J. Clark Scott

๐Ÿ•“ 3 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 7/10

This book aims to explain and demistify how a computer works under the hood. It tries to remove the layers and layers of abstraction and jargon that computer science has come up with over the years and focus instead on the core ideas of what a computer *really* does.

The Singularity is Near bookcover

The Singularity is Near

by Ray Kurzweil

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 8/10

We are on a route of exponential growth in technology. At some point this growth will be so quick, that there will be extreme advances each and every day and eventually every hour. This point coincides with the invention of general AI.

Starquake bookcover

Starquake

by Robert L. Forward

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

This is the second part to a series, it starts with [**The Dragons Egg**](/booknotes/the-dragons-egg). In this science fiction novel humans explore a neutron star and find life on it. The catch is, the life on the neutron star experiences time a lot differently.

The Dragon's Egg bookcover

The Dragon's Egg

by Robert L. Forward

๐Ÿ•“ 1 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

In this book, humans plan and execute a scientific mission to a neutron star, where they discover, that on the planet of the neutron star exists a species of life. This species however, lives orders of magnitude faster than humans.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People bookcover

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen R. Covey

๐Ÿ•“ 37 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

Seven Habits is one of the most influential books I have read in my whole life. I think it's the best self-help book out there and if internalized and incorporated into your life, the principles from this book have the potential to change your life drastically.

Snow Falling on Cedars bookcover

Snow Falling on Cedars

by David Guterson

๐Ÿ•“ 4 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 9/10

Snow Falling on Cedars follows the complex relationships between Kabuyo Miyamoto, Hatsue Imada and Ishmael Chambers. In doing so, the novel weaves together themes of love, prejudice, and the lingering effects of World War II.

How to Win Friends and Influence People bookcover

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

๐Ÿ•“ 2 min โœ๏ธ Published on

๐Ÿ† Rated: 10/10

This is one of the best self-help books in existence. The insights are incredibly powerful ideas about how humans interact with one another. The title puts a bad wrap on the whole book because it makes it seem to be about manipulation. But in reality.