What Are Some Quality, Must-Read, Non-Fiction Books That Will Help Me, A CAT 2015 Aspirant, Intellectually - Quora

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Judith Meyer, My MA was 50% French literature, 50% linguistics

Answered Jan 14, 2014
Originally Answered: What are some great non-fiction books I should read?
If you're the kind of person who has way too many projects & interests, you must read
"Refuse to Choose " by Barbara Sher.
She doesn't just explain what's happening, the book is brimming with tips and tricks
for how to make this lifestyle work for you:
how to avoid feeling torn between projects
how to start/nish projects
how to make more time
how to nd a job that matches your many interests

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Kartik Ayyar, Machine Learning Engineer at Google
Answered Dec 17, 2010
The Tipping Point:
http://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Po...
This book is about why certain social phenomena spread and become popular, while
others don't. The entire book is based on the premise there are a few dierent kinds of
inuential people who are at they root of these phenomena spreading.
The Innovators Dilemma:

http://www.amazon.com/Innovators...
This is a book about disruptive technology, and how to deal with it - both from the
perspective of a disruptor and disruptee. Worth reading for many people to simply
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10/19/2017 (1) What are some quality, must-read, non-fiction books that will help me, a CAT 2015 aspirant, intellectually? - Quora
understand the dierence between a disruptive and a sustaining technology, as
disruptive is one of the most abused words in technology.
Fast Food Nation Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-...
You might never eat fast food again after reading this book.
Half of the Sky

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Sky-O...
A shocking look at how opressed women are in certain cultures.
The Art of War

http://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Su...
A general framework for problem solving in any kind of competitive environment.

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Ryan Holiday, Bestselling author of Perennial Seller & media columnist

Updated Sep 9, 2016
There are some fantastic books in the answers and I thought Id recommend bunch of
books that havent been mentioned but are absolutely fantastic and I have learned
many lessons from them (and in some cases, been used as sources in my own
books ). Hope you like them as much as I did.
The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh In 2014, I read The Education of a
Coach , a book about Bill Belichick which inuenced me immensely (coincidentally,
the Patriots have also read my book The Obstacle Is the Way and were inuenced by
it ). Anyway, I have been chasing that high ever since. Bill Walshs book certainly
met that high standard. Out of all the books I read this year, I marked this one up the
most. Even if youve never watched a down of football, youll get something out of this
book. Walsh took the 49ers from the worst team in football to the Super Bowl in less
than 3 years. How? Not with a grand vision or pure ambition, but with what he called
the Standard of Performance. That is: How to practice. How to dress. How to hold the
ball. Where to be on a play down the very inch. Which skills mattered for each
position. How much eort to give. By upholding these standardswhatever they
happen to be for your chosen craftsuccess will take care of itself. A few other
excellent coaching and leadership books I read last year: The Winner Within by Pat
Riley and The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership by
John Wooden (thanks to the friend who recommended all these). Also related to this,
another inspiring coach recommended the book The Way To Love to me. It has
nothing to do with sports, but was a highlight of 2015 for me.
So Youve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson Theres no question this was
2015s best book about media and culturemaybe even the best of the decade. Not
only is it provocative and insightful, but the ideainterviewing and focusing on
people who have screwed up and found themselves in the midst of massive online
controversiesis one I am genuinely jealous of. Ronson proceeds to write about it
with such sensitivity, empathy, humor and insight that I was blown away. If youve at
all appreciated any of my media criticism over the years , please read this book. It
looks at all thats wrong with the rage and glee with which we tear people downoften
people who were never public gures to begin with. He is just a helluva writer. If you
get a chance, watch Monica Lewinskys TED talk which is also surprisingly good
and pairs well with the ideas in the book.
Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
For me, last year was lled with what one might called cautionary biographies
bios of people you dont want to end up likeand Hughes is at the top of the list. The
authors clearly respect what was great about Howardhis daring, his talent for
ying, his sense for people and love of negotiationbut they also see clearly his
many, crippling aws. They are able to tell his story in a way that gives one real
insight into the life of a tragic and tortured gure. I very much related to the stories in
the book given my more recent experiences at American Apparel and I imagine
anyone else who has dealt with powerful personalities and eccentric gures will too.
Related and with equal weight, I want to recommend George B. McClellan: The Young
Napoleon by Stephen W. Sears (a biography of the talented but utterly delusional
General George McClellan), Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of
Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne (a biography of the brilliant but manic Stonewall
Jackson) and Ron Chernows Alexander Hamilton (an equally brilliant, more
accomplished but equally tragic founding father). All these books made me angry,
sad, and confused. But they also made me look inward and taught me quite a bit.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel
Philbrick Wow, did you know that Moby Dick was based on a true story? There was a
real whaling ship that was broken in half by an angry sperm whale. But it gets even
more insane. The members of the crew escaped in three lifeboats, traveling thousands
of miles at sea with little food and water until they slowly resorted to cannibalism(!)
Besides being an utterly unbelievable story, this book also gives a great history into
the whaling industry and the cowboys/entrepreneurs who led it. Denitely
recommend and I promise my spoilers did not ruin anything. Another great narrative
nonction out that I hope youll like is: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and
Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt by John
Taliaferro This is one of my favorite biographies. John Hay started as a teenage legal
assistant in the law oce of Abraham Lincoln. He ended his career as the Secretary of
State for William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. How nuts is that? You can
basically understand the entire period of American history from the Civil War
through WWI through one man who saw it all. Great biography of politics, the press,
and American society. For more biographies, I also strongly recommend Eisenhower
in War and Peace by Jean Edward SmithI did not fully appreciate what a strategic
and political genius Eisenhower was until this book. Jon Krakauers biography of Pat
Tillman, Where Men Win Glory , was one of the most inspiring and moving book Ive
read in the last few years. Tom Reisss book The Black Count is also impressive and
a side of French history I never knew and never would have otherwise. You cannot go
wrong with any of these.
The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Surival by John Vaillant Holy shit, this
book is good. Even if it was just the main narrativethe chase to kill a man-eating
Tiger in Siberia in post-communist Russiait would be worth reading, but it is so
much more than that. You may have heard about the story on the internet a while
back: a tiger starts killing people in Russia and a team is sent to kill it (Russia is so
fucked up, they already have a team for this). At one point, the tiger is cornered and
leaps to attack the team leaderand in mid-air the soldiers rie goes into the tigers
open jaws and down his throat all the way to the stock, killing the tiger at the last
possible second. The autopsy later revealed that the tiger had been shot something
like a dozen times during its life and lived. There are all sorts of well-selected threads Related Questions
from evolutionary psychology and biology in this book and it makes the book a self-
Whats a list of books that everyone should read once
educators dream. You can pick and choose which ones you want to follow next
in their life to improve their life and thought process
trusting safely that the author has pointed you in an interesting and valuable and to make the right decisions ...
direction. But thats just the meta-stu that is a bonus with this book, and its worth
Why do we read fiction?
pointing out only because the rest of the book is just so fucking interesting and I'm a 22 year old guy. I want to read books. In the past
exciting. I hardly read 2-3 books. I like fiction, love, life,
motivational, science, science f...
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What are the best science fiction novels?
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What is your list of must-read fiction books?

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Betsy Megas, Mechanical engineer, do-it-herselfer

My very favorite is Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman.
For superb narratives, read just about anything by Bill Bryson or Simon Winchester.
For inspiration, try Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, by John Wood.
And while you may nd them under juvenile ction, try reading the autobiographies
of Francisco Jimenez, starting with The Circuit. (They're ction because they're
rearranged for narrative ow.) Jimenez tells of growing up in farm labor camp towns
and working his way up to becoming a university professor.
Upvote 24 Downvote
Leonardo Morn, I was born in Cuba, studied and worked in Europe, and
live in California.
Updated Jun 25, 2016
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
Statue of Perseus and Medusa, Florence, Italy, (1545), by Benvenuto Cellini
Ever wonder what it was like to have a drink with Michelangelo?

Be accused of stealing the Popes jewels? By the Pope himself?
Survive the Popes dungeon? And break out of same?
Get to Paris by crossing the Alps on horseback? Twice?
Fight o an ambush with a sword in one hand and a basket full of gold in the other?
Precisely. Who hasnt.
Lucky for us Cellini answered those nagging questions in his autobiography. When he
wasnt begging the Popes pardon for his numerous homicides, or getting uppity with
the King of France, or insulting the kings mistress and thus earning her undying
hatred, he was hiring sorcerers to conjure up a legion of demons to reunite him with
one of his (numerous) lost loves at a satanic ceremony held at midnight in the Roman
Coliseum. (Youd be surprised at the results.) He was pompous, arrogant, narcissistic,
an excellent swordsman, an energetic writer, and one of the greatest sculptors of the
High Renaissance.
Upvote 60 Downvote
Melissa Hoy
This sounds really interesting. I'll have to add it to my list.
1 more comments from Karen Opas

Anjali Bhavan upvoted this

James Altucher, I've written ten books.I've sold a couple of companies. I
make angel investments. I blog almost every day a...
Answered Jul 9, 2016
First o, why ction and why non-ction?
Fiction is great to read because it makes you a better writer. Non-ction writers write
about what they devote their lives to. Fiction writers devote their lives to writing.
But when I read the best non-ction, its as if I can feel my IQ going up as I read. Here
are the books that make me feel smarter as Im reading them.
A) SAPIENS - Yuval Noah Harari
I think Yuval might be the smartest person on the planet. He traces the evolution of
the human species over the past million years.
So many insights: particularly around the times of the knowledge revolution in

70,000 BC. The Agricultural revolution in 10,000 BC (did wheat domesticate us or
vice versa?) and every millennium since.
Has it changed my life? Yes, while one view of the human race shows our capacity for
worldwide destruction, another innovative slant that Yuval brings up shows our tens
of thousands of years evolution towards world unication.
What a great and creative and intelligent book.
B) THE RATIONAL OPTIMIST by Matt Ridley
Theres been a couple of books that I view as sequels to this that are worth reading.
Like Bold by Peter Diamondis and Steven Kotler.
The media and teachers and politicians and basically all salesman are geared towards
trying to scare us that life is getting worse.
Matt Ridley looks at every aspect of the life is getting worse argument and basically
proves it wrong. Whether you believe him or not, his technique of skepticism is
imperative to learn to live a healthy life, in my view.
C) ANTIFRAGILE - by Nassim Taleb
Its one thing to be resilient, i.e. you get hit and you come back. Its quite dierent to
be anti fragile, the ability to come back even stronger after youve been hurt.
Nassim helps you identify what systems in life and in history have been fragile,
simply resilient, and anti fragile and helps the reader understand how to use those
systems.
But more importantly, how can I become personally anti-fragile. This is the greatest
value Ive gotten out of this book. Life is short and we want to move from strength to
strength, even when life has other plans for us. This books gives a framework for how
to do that.
Just one anecdote: I asked Nassim once what the best job is. He said night
watchman. Because you dont really have to do anything, nobody is watching you,
and you get to pursue your dreams.
Anti-fragility is ultimately about pursuing your dreams.
D) MASTERY - by Robert Greene
I think Robert Greene has memorized every single history book ever written. I dont
know how he does it.
But using thousands of anecdotes from every eldInternet

in every part of history,
connection problem.heHide this message.
identies the masters of that eld and how they did it.
I want to be better at the things I love. This book and the next on this list accurately
describe how to do it.
Oh, and if you like Mastery, read The 48 Laws of Power - another beautiful book
by Greene.
E) PEAK - by Anders Ericsson
Professor Ericsson was initially given his 15 minutes when Malcolm Gladwell
described Anders important 10,000 hour rule when describing how world-class
performers achieve their success.
But Anders sets the record straight and describes EXACTLY what is required to
achieve world class excellence.
He outlines his entire theory of deliberate practice (have a teacher, get feedback
constantly, try to improve every day) and gives constant examples of how this makes
one better.
F) ANYTHING YOU WANT by Derek Sivers and THE WAR OF ART by Stephen
Presseld
I put them on the same letter. They are simple, easy to read (one sitting) and basically
provide the basic principles you need to start a business, write a book, live the life you
want to live without too much stress and with the ability to break down the resistance
that inevitably comes your way. I couldnt decide between the two books so put them
both here.
G) SICK IN THE HEAD by Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow has made, produced, written, some of the funniest movies ever.
It turns out he was obsessed with comedy since he was a little kid and spent his
formative years from 13 years old on (when he interviewed Seinfeld) interviewing his
favorite comedians.
I love seeing that dedication. And to see how one of the greatest humorists of our time
spent his life mastering the art of comedy is a wonderful read.
H) THE SURRENDER EXPERIMENT by Michael Singer
All self-help books are BS. I want to know the writer LIVED IT. And I want it to be
unique and actionable.
Michael Singer, when he was a young man, bought an acre, lived in his van and
planned to spend the rest of his life surrendering to whatever happened.
Well, he did it. His rst book, The Untethered Soul, was an Oprah-driven bestseller,
but I like this one even better. This is his story of what happened after he rst set up
in that hidden one acre.
His rise in both business and spirituality. His overcoming extreme adversity. His
calmness now, 45 years later.
After I read the book, I had to visit him. I ew down there and spent a week with him.
Out of all the self-help authors Ive ever read, hes the only one that is the real deal.
I) POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - the Science of Happiness and Flourishing
Not a well-known book because it is largely academic. But for the past 2030 years a
few academics have nally gotten around to studying the only thing is really
important - how to be content in life.
The book is great to read. But Ill summarize:
You want well-being, which is made up of three components:
a) Improving competence in an area you love
b) having good relationships
c) every day attempting to have more and more freedom.
J) HELP, THANKS, WOW, by Anne Lamott.
Just because. With those three words you can solve a lot of problems.
All of the above books Ive read at least twice. Sometimes much more. Theyve all also
made my life better.
Everyone has a dierent list, of course. This ones mine. Right now. Tomorrow it
might change but the tattoo on my brain these books have made will last forever.
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Peter Flom, "When I get a little money I buy books. If any is left, I buy food
and clothes" Erasmus
Answered Mar 11, 2014
Originally Answered: What are your top five greatest nonfiction books of all time?
"Nonction" is a big category - so here's a variety
Politics, biography - The Years of Lyndon Johnson - Robert Caro (4 volumes so far)
Psychology etc - The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit -
Melvin Konner
Mathematics and esp. math education - A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart.

A Review
Everything - Ideas: A History of Thought from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson
Music, math, logic, recursion etc. - Godel Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by
Douglas Hofstadter.
Upvote 9 Downvote
Don Graham, Long-Ago member of the Pulitzer Prize board

Answered Jun 1, 2016
Originally Answered: What are the best non-fiction books of all time?
They would include:
The histories of Thucydides, Herodotus, Polybius, and Livy.
Montaigne, Essays
Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Boswells The Life of Samuel Johnson
Darwin, The Origin of Species.
And for me, Shelby Footes The Civil War.
Upvote 6 Downvote
Chris Graviss, Radiologist, Anarcho-capitalist

Originally Answered: What are the most informative non-fiction books you've ever read?
The below book, somewhat similar to Freakonomics and Gladwell's work oers
intersting insight into decision making processes. And he spent time, albeit brief,
at Stanford

Thinking, Fast and Slow is a 2011 book by Nobel Memorial Prize winner in
Economics Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted
over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky .[1] [2] It covers all three
phases of his career: his early days working on cognitive bias , his work on prospect
theory , and his later work on happiness .
The book's central thesis is a dichotomy between two modes of thought: System 1 is
fast, instinctive and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more
logical. The book delineates cognitive biases associated with each type of thinking,
starting with Kahneman's own research on loss aversion . From framing choices to
substitution, the book highlights several decades of academic research to suggest that
we place too much condence in human judgment.
Upvote 7 Downvote
Nela Canovic, Been reading them all my life, and sometimes in my dreams.
Explore these 5 categories of non-ction books to feed your intellect and

discover:
a dierent approach to the meaning of life
the importance of building goals and a life strategy
how to master skills you need to succeed
how to boost your levels of happiness
the best ways to feed your brain and optimize its performance

CATEGORY ONE. Expand your mind by discovering how other people approach
life and create their personal philosophy.
Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: the psychology of survival

and nding strength to live in circumstances where most would give up. It is
written as a real life story by a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. It is also
one of the most humbling reading experiences of my life. I recommend it to
every human being.
The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer: a roadmap to achieving

happiness, an exploration of what letting go can do to one's life (it's not what
you think! so be prepared to be challenged as you read this), and a discovery
of what happens when we tune out the noise of our busy lives.
The Untethered Soul (also) by Michael A. Singer: transforming your

relationship with yourself and the world around you, a practical guide to
letting go of painful experiences, living mindfully, and freeing yourself from
habitual thoughts, emotions and energies that limit your growth, your work,
and the quality of your life.
Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm by Thich Nhat
Hanh: a practical guide to nding peace, reducing our daily stress levels and
overcoming fears, written in a voice that is kind, calm, reassuring, and wise -
a true mark of a spiritual leader.
CATEGORY TWO. Positively change the way you look at challenges, the work you
do, the skills you need, and your abilities to master anything you set your mind
to.
Mastery by Robert Greene: a book that in essence debunks the myth that it
takes a genius with innate talent to produce work of timeless quality. Greene
gives examples of some of the biggest minds through history, and shows us
that it is focus, true passion and most of all dedicating ourselves to doing
deep work that can make us successful in what we do.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: a book that

focuses on how the view we adopt for ourselves profoundly aects the way
we lead our life. Dweck explains the dierence between a xed mindset
(believing that our qualities are set in stone - we can only have a certain level
of intelligence, a certain type of personality, or a certain moral character,
which we need to prove over and over) and growth mindset (believing that
the hand we are dealt is just the starting point in our development, and that
our qualities are things we can cultivate through our eorts, in other words
we can change and grow through application and experience).
Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg: Being busy doesnt always mean
we are being productive. In fact, there are ways to work smarter instead of
harder. Duhigg provides powerful real-life examples of why its important to
develop motivation to accomplish our goals, how we can strengthen focus by
building mental models, and how daily rituals can give us space and time to
think about the bigger picture and what our true goals ought to be.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: learn from high-achievers and what makes

them dierent, and discover whether its genius, talent, or mastering a skill
through overcoming a diculty that makes them be the best in their eld.
CATEGORY THREE. Boost your strategic and leadership skills to help your
career or personal development.
The Prince by Machiavelli: learn in depth about human

Internet behavior,
connection politics,
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and gaining power.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu: think ahead, develop tactics to manage
conict, and ensure victory.
Turning Pro by Steven Presseld: nd out how to go from amateur to a

complete professional, and what it takes to gain respect from others as well
as yourself.
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to
Stick) by Seth Godin: learn the importance of working on the resistance
you feel when faced with a challenging situation, instead of simply giving up.
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb: understand the impact of the
highly improbable and our error of placing too much weight on the odds that
events from the past will repeat themselves.
CATEGORY FOUR. Flex your happiness muscle by treating happiness like a habit
and by actively working on becoming happier every day.
Get ideas from one of Harvard University's most popular lecturers, Tal Ben-Shahar,
who writes books on positive psychology and gives examples how you can apply it to
your daily life:
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Happiness
Choose the Life You Want: The Way To Lasting Happiness Moment by
Moment
CATEGORY FIVE. Feed your brain with power foods to boost your cognitive
powers and strengthen your memory.
Power Foods for the Brain: An Eective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind
and Strengthen Your Memory by Neal D. Barnard, MD. This book
includes a list of foods for optimizing your brain performance, as well as
mental and physical exercises that can sharpen and strengthen cognitive
skills and improve memory.
Upvote 150 Downvote
Oscar Romero
Thank you Nela---I have read some of them and will denitely try to read the ones I h
Anthony Ferreri, 10+ years in the Industry as Producer, AD

Answered Nov 17, 2012
Originally Answered: What is your list of must-read non-fiction books?
The Four-Hour Workweek, above all at this moment because a lot of my friends are
becoming awake to the notion that their jobs are prohibitive of their lives.
Mary Croft's e-book, "How I Clobbered Every Cash-Conscating...". It's a good

primer for how to navigate through admiralty jurisdiction and commerce. I wish more
of my friends would ask me to tell them about this area of life. I'm by no means an
expert, but I know a few things that would be extremely interesting and rewarding to
them.
The Bible
Interneton
I wish I could say there were more, but aside from books connection problem.
law (which Hide this message.
are incredibly
painful and dry to read), I haven't picked up many books recently that have helped.
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Manish Bhattacharya, Avid reader

Answered Sep 3, 2016
Theres one thing common among all the global leaders and successful business
magnets, they read.
Ive personally experienced the power of reading and these 5 are my personal
favourite non-ction.
1. Think and Grow rich (Buy Think and Grow Rich Book Online at Low Prices
in India ) : This classic book by Napoleon Hill is in books you must read
before you die list. It has hands on step by step guide to change your life.
2. How to Win Friends and Inuence People (Buy How to Win Friends and
Inuence People in the Digital Age Book Online at Low Prices in India ):
One of best seller of all time. It teaches you how to deal with people and
increase your social inuence.
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad (Buy Rich Dad Classics Box Set Book Online at Low
Prices in India ) : Lessons on managing your wealth and dierentiating
between liabilities and assets.
4. Zero to One (Buy Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Book Online at Low Prices in India ): This is 21st century bible for starting a
business/ startup.
5. Business Adventures (Buy Business Adventures Book Online at Low Prices

in India ): Bill Gatess review of this book > The Best Business Book Ive Ever
Read
If you have came across any such books, please do recommend in comments.
Upvote 69 Downvote

Vraj Patel upvoted this

Rohit Shinde, MS in CS at Rutgers University, GSoC 2015
Answered Apr 19, 2014
Here are some books which I feel are mind expanding.
Note: Some of them may already have been mentioned in answers below, but I hope
there is at least one new book you found out through this list.
1. Why Does the World Exist? - Jim Holt
It asks the question "Why is there a world when there should be nothing?" It
is related to metaphysics. It is also tinged with philosophy and is quite a good
read.
2. Bulnch's Mythology - Thomas Bulnch
This book retells the Greek Myths in all their glory. Learn about Zeus, Venus,
Hera and other Olympian Gods. These gods are fallible too. After reading this
book, you will have a greater understanding of the Greek mythology. It is also
interspersed with Roman Mythology.
3. Supernormal: Science, Yoga and the Evidence for Extraordinary

abilities - Dean Radin
Can yoga and meditation unleash our inherent supernormal mental powers,
such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition? Is it really possible to
perceive another person's thoughts and intentions? Inuence objects with
our minds? Envision future events? And is it possible that some of the
superpowers described in ancient legends, science ction, and comic books
are actually real, and patiently waiting for us behind the scenes? Are we now
poised for an evolutionary trigger to pull the switch and release our full
potentials? These and many more questions are answered in this book. It is
certainly a very engrossing read.
4. Alone Together - Sherry Turkle
In Alone Together, MIT technology and society professor Sherry Turkle

explores the power of our new tools and toys to dramatically alter our social
lives. Its a nuanced exploration of what we are looking forand sacricing
in a world of electronic companions and social networking tools, and an
argument that, despite the hand-waving of todays self-described prophets of
the future, it will be the next generation who will chart the path between
isolation and connectivity.
5. The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less - Barry Schwartz
In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice--the

hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish--
becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In
accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic
explosion in choice--from the mundane to the profound challenges of
balancing career, family, and individual needs--has paradoxically become a
problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with
choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.
6. The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting

Young Women - Jessica Valent
The Purity Myth presents a revolutionary argument that girls and women are
overly valued for their sexuality, as well as solutions for a future without a
damaging emphasis on virginity. Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
7. Prisoner's Dilemma - William Poundstone
A layman's introduction to Game Theory. It is based on the work by Von

Neumann. And its thoroughly interesting.
8. The Ethical Brain: The Science of our Moral Dilemmas - Michael S.

Gazzaniga
In The Ethical Brain, preeminent neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga

presents the emerging social and ethical issues arising out of modern-day
brain science and challenges the way we look at them. Courageous and
thought-provoking -- a work of enormous intelligence, insight, and
importance -- this book explores the hitherto uncharted landscape where
science and society intersect
9. Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conict - Michael Klare
International security expert Michael T. Klare argues that in the early

decades of the new millennium, wars will be fought not over ideology but
over access to dwindling supplies of precious natural commodities. The
political divisions of the Cold War, Klare asserts, have given way to a global
scramble for oil, natural gas, minerals, and water. And as armies through...
(more)
Upvote 363 Downvote
Robert J. Kolker
That is some list! Thanks to you I will have my nose stuck in some book until the mid
Christine Peng, works at Goldman Sachs

Updated May 21, 2010
Guns of August (Barbara Tuchman) -- about the causes and very human follies that
snowballed into WWI. Apparently Kennedy used it as a basis for what to do during the
Cuban Missile Crisis.

A People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn) -- pretty much what the title
says. U.S. history from the POV of the down-trodden, instead of the gloried view
from the people in power.
Upvote 32 Downvote
Srashtasrita Das, Untold Books to read and A pen to express: It is all that
you need
Originally Answered: Which is the best non fictional book you've ever read?
Wings of Fire
-It will always be one of the best non ctional book one can come across.
An Autobiography by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, lled with scientic knowledge for the
people, in the course of description of his lifes journey so far, has elucidated
explanations of many queries that might have dawned upon an individual at some
point of his/her life. It has further insight into many spiritual topics of discussion,
intertwined with scientic facts and gures. A beautifully authored book that will
hold your interest, charm and admiration till the end, it is a must-read for all.
A perfect non ctional book, for children and adult alike, I would request everyone to
read it at least once in a lifetime.
1k Views 7 Upvotes
Upvote 7 Downvote
Chadria LaBouvier, trap artist.

Answered May 29, 2013
Too many to list, so I'll do the top 3 that I've read this year:
Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg. A relatively short and quick read (3 - 5 days) that is
candid, refreshing and very useful. It's not just for women either; I know both men
and women that are very concerned about creating a healthier and more productive
work-life relationship. Some have criticized it as being saccharine and catering to only
wealthy women who have a multitude of options, but I and a lot of girlfriends - and
guyfriends- across the economic spectrum have found it to be really helpful in terms
of knowing when and how to take advantage of opportunities ("lean in"), pointers on
achieving what I like to call "maximum results with minimum interference" and
navigating tricky situations like salary negotiation promotions, nding mentors, etc.
again, highly recommended.
A First Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental
Illness, by Nassir Ghaemi. This is probably my favorite this year - it's brilliant,
hilarious and incredibly thought provoking. Ghaemi does an excellent job of dening
what exactly mental illness is - the susceptibility of reoccuring episodes of depression,
mania, not the fact that one is always depressed or manic. He points out that many of
the 8 leaders (unfortunately, all men: General Sherman [he torched Atlanta],
Churchill, MLK, JFK, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Ted Turner) were more often
times than not, sane. However, their battles with their own depression and despair (in
the cases of MLK and Gandhi that were so acute, they both attempted suicide as
Internet
teenagers), gave them an abnormal ability to identify and connection
understandproblem.
humanHide this message.
suering and human nature. It is through the pain of depression that these leaders
were able to develop superhuman reserves of compassion and empathy that mentally
normal people do not have. He posits that during moments of crisis and
innovation, particularly in politics and business, we are usually better o being
led by mentally ill leaders than by mentally normal ones. He then proceeds to
dissect the evidence, genetic history, symptons and course of illness to further
analyze the eect that those things had on each particular leader, particularly their
capacity for compassion, realism, resilience and empathy. Ghaemi also looks at
mentally normal leaders, such as Tony Blair and George Bush and also explains why
though sane, their normalcy and lack of mental illness would have better suited them
for maintaining a status quo - not innovating it. For anyone interested in
leadership and expanding and tapping their own creativity and ability to
connect with other people, a highly recommended and fascinating read.
On The Shortness of Life, by Seneca. (Now, some might think a long

essay/meditation is not non-ction, but considering that all things - and the
inspiration behind many great men and ideas - all goes back to the Classics, I think it
can stay.)
Seneca, probably the most famous of all the Stoics, really digs in deep with the Stoic
obsession with nature (Providence, Fortune, etc) and time and writes some really
amazing stu. It's divided into three sections: On the Shortness of Life, Consolation to
Helvia and On Tranquility of Mind.
Seneca is particularly interested in the mind warping eects of arrogance, which
allows the ego to believe that it possesses and is owed more than what it has. That
attachment to things - which he believes only belongs to Providence - is incredibly
destructive, as all things, even people, are only on loan to us. It is the memory, the
experience - which only we are responsible for - is all that we truly own in this life.
The largest section is Consolation to Helvia, which is a brilliant and simple meditation
on grief and letting go and once we allow ourselves to let go of the things that we
believe that we are owed - including some emotions - we can see that even disaster
can be a gift. My favorite section of the book.
Highly recommended as well. It's a very short read, but every page is
meaningful.
Currently Reading and So Far, So Good:
The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy,
by David Nasaw
A rst rate, very comprehensive biography of the mastermind of the Kennedy family
dynasty. A great business read.
Upvote 31 Downvote
Rick Bruno
Based on your recommendation, I just ordered Seneca. Thanks!
Say Keng Lee, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer in Strategy,

Change & Future-Focus
Over the last eight months or so, I have had taken the wonderful opportunity to share
my favourite books in myriad posts on Quora, covering a relatively broad spectrum of
topics, mainly in the personal as well as professional genre:
What I have done here is to put all of them together for quick and easy reference,
under the following specic headings, as my consolidated response to your question:
CREATING WEALTH: Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
I am no multi-millionaire in cash terms, but here's my reading list:
1) Money: Master the Game, by Anthony Robbins;
2) Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, by Thomas Corley;
3) Secrets of Millionaire Mind: Master the Inner Game, by T Harv Eker;
4) Rich Rad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki;
5) The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley;
6) Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to... Financial Independence (*), by Vicki
Robin/Joe Dominguez;
7) The Law of Success (*), by Napoelon Hill;
(*) my most favourites!
DEVELOPING CHANGE-READINESS
My recommendations, not in any particular order, but you can start with the one
marked with (*) rst:
1) Future Edge, by Joel Arthur Barker;
2) Peak Learning: A Master Course in Learning How to Learn, by Ron Gross;
3) The 7 Habits of Highly Eective People, by Stephen R Covey;
4) You Don't Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way, by Laya Saul (*);
5) Dinosaur Strain, by Mark Brown;
6) Thinkertoys, by Michael Michalko;
7) Before You Think Another Thought, by Bruce Doyle;
8) 7 Levels of Change, by Rolf Smith;
9) Leaders Make the Future, by Bob Johansen;
10) Strategy of the Dolphin, by Dudley Lynch;
In my view, these books will get you change-ready and future-savvy.
DEVELOPING PARADIGM PLIANCY:
Here are my personal recommendations:
1) Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning & Life, by Richard Paul
& Linda Elder;
2) Future Edge, by Joel Arthur Barker;
3) The Dinosaur Strain: Survivor's Guide to Personal & Business Success: by Mark
Brown;
4) Before You Think Another Thought, by Bruce Doyle;
5) Choosing the Future: The Power of Strategic Thinking, by Stuart Wells;
6) Conceptual Blockbusting; A Guide to Better Ideas, by James Adams;
7) Mindfulness, by Ellen J Langer;
DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING:
My take, drawn from my personal library, not in any particular order:

1) Asking the Right Question, by Neil Brown;
2) Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life,
by Richard Paul & Linda Elder;
3) Being Logical, by Dennis McInerny;
4) The Art of Thinking, by Rolf Dobelli;
5) The Five Elements of Eective Thinking, by Edward Bunger;
6) Don't Believe Everything You Think, by Thomas Kida;
7) Thinking Fast & Slow, by Daniel Kahneman;
8) A Rulebook for Arguments, by Anthony Weston;
9) A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger;
10) The Organised Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, by
Daniel Levithin;
DEVELOPING CREATIVITY:
A quick one, from my personal library amassed over the years since the late 80's -
many of the selections are actually classics, and my evolving creative horsepower
stands on all the giants who wrote them!:
1. Thinkertoys, by Michael Michalko;
2. Lateral Thinking, by Edward de Bono;
3. 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques, by James Higgins;
4. Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox, by Rchard Fobes;
5. The Innovative Leader, by Paul Sloane;
6. Creative Problem Solving, by Arthur van Gundy;
7. Synectics: The Development of Creative Capacity, by William J J Gordon;
8. The Practice of Creativity, by George Prince;
9. Creativity, Innovation & Quality, by Paul Plsek;
10. The Creative Edge, by William Miller;
11. Flash of Brilliance, by William Miller;
12. The Thinker's Toolkit, by Morgan Jones;... (more)
Upvote 39 Downvote
Tom Vogel, journalism, PR, Latam.

I started this answer with another idea in mind and ended up unloading a list of non-
ction reading about Latin America. Im not quite sure how this came about and have
since learned that one cant answer the same question twice.
So heres my clumsily inserted and incongruous preface to my Latin Americanist
reading list which continues after xxxxxxxxxxxxx below.
My favorite work of nonction written by someoneInternet

I knowconnection problem.to
- with apologies Hide
all this
of message.
my other friends who have written some fantastic books:

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey,
Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts" by
Julian Rubinstein (1994) - a classmate (1992) from the Columbia
University J-School .
Ballad is the story of Transylvanian hockey player Attila Ambrus which sounds like
the start of a really bad movie but is actually one of the most hilarious true stories
I've ever heard (not counting anything Ive ever heard or seen
in a bar after 2am).
Attila was a terrible hockey player and even worse bank robber who, through a series
of coincidences, bravado and dumb luck, became a folk hero and, after Julian
nished his book, fodder for a fantastic "true story" lm that has yet to be lmed.
Describing the best parts in this book would ruin the fun for those who have yet to
read it. Let me put it this way, there's a moment, deep into the tale, when all seems
lost for Attila as the authorities shut down all escape routes. How he manages to elude
capture is one of the funniest and most surprising plot turns I've ever heard of -
ction and non-ction, written or lmed, heard in a bar or not.
A reviewer on Amazon called Ballad part "Pink Panther, part The Unbearable
Lightness of Being, part Slap Shot - spot-on if you add a dollop of "Sexy
Beast" and the funniest and most improbable parts of Guy Ritchie's
"Snatch."
I very much look forward to seeing the lm someday.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Some suggested reading for Latin Americanists and anyone studying the
development of the developing economies" of the world - with the caveat
that this is by no means a balanced list, just some highlights that came to
mind.
Hernando de Sotos's "The Other Path" (1986) and "The Mystery of Capital" (2001)
- two fascinating and compelling takes on the economic and bureaucratic obstacles
facing the poor of "developing nations."
Thomas Rourke (a pseudonym for Daniel Joseph Clinton) "Gomez,

Tyrant of the Andes" (1937 - out of print) - a breezily-written yet terrifying portrait
of a Latin American caudillo. Essential reading for anyone covering Latin America
today, especially Venezuela ... if you can nd a copy.
John Heming's "Conquest of the Incas" (1970) - one of the denitive historical
accounts of this epic moment in Latin American history.
Eduardo Galleano "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of

Pillage of a Continent" (~1970) - some, including me, may have issues with
how Galleano presents the "facts" but this is one of those books you
need to know about if you want to understand more than one side of the Latam
story. Venezuela's Chavez gave US President Obama a copy.
Thomas Skidmore - on Brazil: "Five Centuries of Change" (~2000); "Black into
White: Race and Nationality in Brazilian Thought." (1974) - the rst a good primer
on Brazilian history for those not familiar with it, the second a landmark book on race
in Brazil. Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Mario Vargas Llosa - "A Fish in the Water: A Memoir" - (~1997) - interesting for his
account of his run for president of Peru in 1990 in which he was defeated by the now-
incarcerated former President Alberto Fujimori.
Andres Oppenheimer "Castro's Final Hour" (1993) - it wasn't quite yet Castro's nal
hour but the book is an engrossing and fascinating portrait of how things worked in
Cuba, especially after Russia pulled billions of dollars of nancial subsidies (some
since replaced by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez).
Tina Rosenberg - "Children of Cain: Violence and the Violent in Latin America"
(1993) an excellent collection of vignettes examining the issue of violence,
particularly political violence, in Latin America of the 1980s to early 1990s.
Things have changed for the better in many places and seriously deteriorated in
others. Central America, for example, was wracked with the political violence of the
cold war in "our back yard."
Today a number of Central American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador

and Honduras, are once again seeing tremendous spikes of violence. This time the
bad guys aren't soldiers, military advisers, guerrillas, rebels or other political activists
but drug cartels and associated criminal organizations.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - "News of a Kidnapping" (~2000) - a straight forward

journalistic account by a legendary novelist (who started out as a journalist) of a
seminal event in Colombia's battle against the drug cartels of the 1980s-early 1990s.
International Relations Non-Fiction Latin America Race Relations Economics

Central America Brazil Andean Region Peru Colombia What are the best books to read
for someone who wants to write a nonction book?
Upvote 2 Downvote
Tapasweni Pathak upvoted this

Auren Homan, SafeGraph CEO. fmr LiveRamp CEO. Started & sold 5
companies
Answered Aug 5, 2014
There are my favorites:
Against the Gods

The Remarkable Story of Risk
by Peter L. Bernstein
The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000
by Niall Ferguson
Coming Apart
by Charles Murray
Churchill: A life
by Martin Gilbert
Dicult Conversations
by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Economics Facts and Fallacies

by Thomas Sowell
The Eective Executive

by Peter F. Drucker
Exodus
by Leon Uris
(ction)
Fooled by Randomness
by Nassim Taleb
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069

by William Strauss & Neil Howe
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Jack Weatherford
How the Mind Works

by Steven Pinker
Inuence: The Psychology of Persuasion

by Robert B. Cialdini
John J. McCloy: Chairman of the Establishment

by Kai Bird
Just and Unjust Wars

by Michael Walzer
Justice
by Mike Sandel
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat : And Other Clinical Tales
by Oliver Sacks
The Moral Animal : Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary
Psychology
by Robert Wright
The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century

by George Friedman
Night
by Elie Wiesel
The Nurture Assumption

by Judith Rich Harris
Outliers
by Malcolm Gladwell
Path to Power: Early Life of Lyndon Johnson Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
by Robert A. Caro
A Piece of the Action

How the Middle Class Became the Money
by Joseph Nocera
The Prize
The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power
by Daniel Yergin
Revolution 1989
Victor Sebestyen
The Signal and the Noise

by Nate Silver
Social Animal
by David Brooks
Stumbling on Happiness
by Daniel Gilbert
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman
Thinking Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman
Too Big to Fail

Andrew Ross Sorkin
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories
from Rwanda
by Philip Gourevitch
We the Living
Ayn Rand
(ction)
Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping

by Paco Underhill
A World Lit Only by Fire : The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance - Portrait of an Age
by William Manchester
Upvote 409 Downvote
Jonathan Hamel, Mobile/Web Project Executive

Memoirs of a British Agent by R.H Bruce Lockhart
The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution lived by a British Diplomat in Moscow. Awesome
discussions between the authors and major gures of the regime (Lenin, Trotsky).
Einstein, His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

The rst biography to tackle Einstein's enormous volume of personal correspondence
that heretofore had been sealed from the public.
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson

An accessible and entertaining book on the history of nance.
The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara W.Tuchman

The accurate portrayal of diplomacy and communications methods of the early 20th
century (radio emissions, cryptography, transatlantic cables, etc.) makes it a must
read.
Animal Farm by George Orwell

Probably the most accurate portrayal of communism ever written.
Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden (known for 'Black Hawk Down')

The story behind the chase and assassination of Pablo Escobar, the most elusive
cocaine tracker ever. (He ran for oce and oered to reimburse Columbia's
national debt ($US 9 billion) How bold is that?
A movie based on the book is in the making staring Christian Bale.

Upvote 2 Downvote
Aditya Vis, Loves books on culture and travel

Originally Answered: Which non fiction book has the best story?
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
It's an amazing narrative of an Afghan girl who built a business empire under the
oppressive Taliban regime.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood: Marjane Satrapi: 9780375714573: Amazon.com:

Books
Persepolis is an good narrative as well. About Marjane Satrapis memoir of growing up

in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, her migration to France and life there, etc.
Both the books are easy to read and they should be found in bookstores or libraries.
916 Views 2 Upvotes
Upvote 2 Downvote
Hunter McCord, works at Amtrak
Some of my favorite business books Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Innovators Dilemma (Great book for strategy, should be required for any
MBA strategy class)
The Tipping Point (Fascinating book on why trends take o)
My years at General Motors (great read from Alfred Sloan who was
ahead of his time in many of his organizational/business decisions)
Crossing the Chasm (Must read for those in high-tech and wanting to know
about the Product Lifecycle)
Blue Ocean (Interesting book on how to think dierently in business)
Hard Facts-Jerey Pfeer/Robert Sutton-This book looks at many commonly

accepted business rules/wisdom and disputes many of it through their
evidence-based management concept
The Halo Eect: ... and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive
Managers-Fascinating book that shows how we deceive ourselves in business
that there was always a brilliant decision that led to a positive outcome
Against the Gods-Bernstein/Random Walk down Wall Street (Malkiel)-Both

must reads on understanding Risk, Financial Returns, and Wall Street bett
Upvote 5 Downvote
Judy Wang, books are my friends

Updated Jul 8, 2011
1. Anything written by Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air, Where Men Win Glory,
Under The Banner of Heaven, Into The Wild). He is an amazing writer, one of
my favorites, and possesses a rare and dazzling gift to draw you into any
story. I suspect if I ever met him, I could probably listen to him tell me a story
about mud on the bottom of his shoe for at least an hour.
2. Drive by Daniel Pink / Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert /

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius -- really fascinating reads about human
nature. (I am overgeneralizing, but they are all well worth the read.)
3. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan -- all Americans should have to

read this one.
4. Anything by David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, When You Are Engulfed
in Flames, etc). He is hands down one of the funniest writers alive. you will
LOL and want to tell your friends you did.
5. Letters of the Century -- some are funny, some are inspiring (MLK, Jr. from his
jail cell), but all are real.
Upvote 25 Downvote
Yarin Kessler, Founder, PDF Buddy

Answered Apr 21, 2014
Getting Things Done by David Allen (The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: David
Allen: 9780142000281: Amazon.com: Books ) - the seminal book on productivity,
Internet
and straight up the most important NF book I've ever readconnection problem. Hide this message.
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Upvote 1 Downvote
V.V. (Sugi) Ganeshananthan, novelist, journalist, professor, napper

Hiroshima, which was originally published as an entire issue of the New Yorker, with
a black cover. By John Hersey. As an issue of The New Yorker, it sold out within a few
hours. As a book, it's a devastating classic.
Upvote 10 Downvote
Hien Lam, Coach | Author | Speaker | Co-Founder of Chillpill

(www.chillpill.io)
Here are 3 books Id recommend you check out
1. The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
3. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
The Art of Happiness is great because it teaches the important lesson that you dont
have to search for happiness - its already inside you.
The Martian is a wonderful story about perseverance and attacking problems,

learning from failures, and continuing on.
David and Goliath really changes your perspective about what its like to be the
underdog. It inspires you to believe that as the little guy, you have the competitive
advantage. Its very motivational.
I think youll enjoy the books. Hope you enjoy the book recommendations.
Good on the CAT!
If youre interested in learning ways to get more focused, prioritize your goals, and
improve your productivity: Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Check out my FREE procrastination course
You can also get my latest ebook about the 10 most common habit mistakes holding
you back for FREE.
Get your copy here
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James L Moyer, Creator of www.TheAutodidactLife.com - A blog on

learning and self-improvement
Originally Answered: What are some of the best non-fiction books?
A fantastic non-ction book is How to Win Friends and Inuence People by Dale
Carnegie.
The great thing about this book is it really helps you take the focus o of yourself and
put it on other people. I am an introvert by nature, but following Dale Carnegie's
advice really helps me be more socially condent.
4 Reasons I love this book and would highly recommend it, especially for those new
to the self-help genre.
1) It's old. It was rst published in 1936. It isn't some avor of the day self-help book.
It's principles have stood up to scrutiny for 80 years. In fact, many contemporary self-
improvement texts borrow liberally from the core ideas in this book.
2) It's short. We are busy people, and Dale Carnegie said what he wanted to say
briey. You can easily read the entire book in one setting if you choose (though that is
not the way I recommend to read it; I'll explain why in a moment.)
3) It's dense with advice. Some books I read are essentially a long dissertation on
just a single principle. How to Win Friends and Inuence People is packed with
practical advice, and virtually every page introduces new information for the reader.
That is why I do not suggest reading it all at once - Internet connection
you simply won't problem. Hide
absorb all itsthis message.
wisdom that way.
4) It's more about action than just ideas. If you want practical advice you can use,
this book works. Sometimes I read self-help books, nd myself agreeing intensely
with everything the author is saying, but struggle to envision how I can apply those
ideas to my life. Carnegie's book directly tells you how to act out it's principles with
example after example.
If you want the best results, only read a few pages at a time. Then practice that
principle for a week. Do it over and over until it becomes a habit. Then take on a few
more pages. Practice the next piece of advice for a week. Do this over and over until
you digest the entire book. This method takes time, but I guarantee you'll see a
signicant positive transformation of your personality if you stick at it for a few
months.
I talk more about this book on my blog The Autodidact Life - How to Get Smarter,
Faster, and Learn Anything
Upvote 20 Downvote
Rajnish Verma, Atleast 3 Books every month on any type of topic under the
sun
Originally Answered: What are the best non-fiction books?
Most of the good books are already covered. Let me add my two bits:
1. Apollo: The Race to The Moon
This is an amazing books written about the Apollo Program from the Manager's and
engineer's point of view. Its very informative but at the same time lucid and full of
anecdotes. Through out the course of book you learn various managerial and logistics
challenges the engineers had to face and the trade-os they had to make. You get to
learn and know more about characters such as George Low, Chris Kraft, Gene Kranz,
Tindall. Overall a great book to know about humankind's greatest achievements.
2. Man Eaters of Kumaon, Temple Tiger and Man Eating Leopard of

Rudraprayag
All these three books are written by Jim Corbett, Famed hunter and conservationist
from India and are available as a Omnibus. Although the book is about hunting
animals, its written like a thriller and also provide a rare glimpses into the times and
culture of British Raj Era in India.
3.Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
The book is about leveraged buy out of a RJR Nabisco, one of the biggest companies
at its time. The story takes time to build up but once it does, the book is un put
downable. Also, it provides a good insight into the cut throat world of Wall Street.
Internet
4. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate aboutconnection problem.
the Nature Hide this message.
of Reality
Traces the history of rst 50 years of Quantum mechanics from the days of Max
Planck till just before 2nd World War. Most interesting part of the book is about
debates between Einstein and Bohr, , de-facto creator and propagators of Quantum
Mechanics respectively.
Upvote 22 Downvote
Jim Gordon, I've read ten or twelve thousand books, and there is never
going to be enough time to read all of the ones ...
Must-read non-ction?
How about some interesting stu that I happen to have recently read?
I've put up a Quora board of "Jim's Recent Books"
with some representatives of MY quirky taste in books.
If you're interested in food, then in addition to the books I've reviewed, I'd
recommend:
Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay, by William
W. Warner
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, by Mark Kurlansky
Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most
Coveted Delicacy, by Inga Saron
Any of Michael Pollan's diatribes against factory-farmed foods or industrial ,

unnatural food. His books are actually pretty readable.
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Rafal Reyzer, Writer - RafalReyzer.com - walk the earth, love your life,
explore the unknown
You can nd the full list of 150+ life-changing books (including a large non-ction
section) on my blog.
My Top 5 Non-Fiction Books:
Richard P. Feynman Surely Youre Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Richard Feynman was one of the most curious characters of all time. Many people
claim that he was actually the smartest person who ever lived. Surely Youre Joking
Mr. Feynman gives you a glimpse into the life and works of the famous physicist.
Since he was a child, he always planned some type of mischief. Among other things,
he xed radios by thinking, deciphered Mayan hieroglyphs, visited strip clubs,
cracked safes, played bongos, and won a Nobel Prize (which he really didnt want to
accept). Its surely one of the most illuminating books Ive read. It will rekindle your
creativity and your sense of whats possible.
Thich Nhat Hanh How to Love

This little book can change your life especially if youre in a romantic relationship.
You can read it in one sitting, but you will want to muse about it for much longer, and
come back to it often. Written in simple language, it reveals great some insights about
love and human relationships. Reading even one page a day will get you closer to a
happy and harmonious life with your partner.
Mason Currey Daily Rituals, How Artists Work

Have you ever wondered about the daily routines of the greatest artists of all time? If
yes, then this is a book for you. Mason Currey took the time to collect and catalogue
the habits of the likes of Freud, Dickens, Fellini, or Mozart, to show how they
produced their great works. Its a truly fascinating read, and it clearly shows that in
the area of art, consistent self-discipline wins over the bursts of creative inspiration
every step of the way. Showing up and consistent self-discipline is key.
Alexandra Horowitz On Looking

Ive learned about this book from one of my favorite blogs, The Brain Pickings.
Written by a New Yorker, in a New York style, On Looking makes you notice things
you took for granted. The author takes eleven walks (mostly around NYC) with
experts in dierent areas. They will surely impress you by revealing the hidden
beauty of the urban landscape. Theres the font-man who cares about design. Theres
the petrologist (rock-expert) who makes you wonder how the skyscrapers came to be.
Finally, theres a dog that learns about the world through the sense of smell. After
reading On Looking you will never see your city in the same way.
Shawn Achor The Happiness Advantage
Ive read many books about happiness, but this one is the best. Shawn Achor takes
you on a journey through modern scientic research about the area of happiness.
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Theres no psychobabble here only facts revolving aroundconnection problem.
the emerging Hide
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positive psychology. As it turns out, happy people are far more productive and
healthy than the unhappy ones. From the pages of the book, youll learn about the
sources of happiness, and youll be able to use that knowledge to benet your life.
I hope that helps! Cheers!
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Jesse Richards, artist, author, Head of Product

1. Carl Sagan's Demon-Haunted World is my #1 favorite nonction book and one I

always recommend. It changed the course of my interests and eventually led to me
writing my own book. I think this is the book that would most change the world for
the better if every human were to read it.
2. Along similar lines, but much less polite and pointed specically at religion,
Christopher Hitchens's God is Not Great is an astounding piece of polemic. Any
religious person who can not come up with their own rebuttals to this book is living a
lie. I just nished listening to this audiobook last week, and though I was already an
atheist, it felt like I had been in an earthquake or prize ght and now needed to
recover.
3. Columbine is a fascinating work of reporting, the largest takeaway from which

may be just how distorted everything we hear from the media is. If they got EVERY
aspect of this story wrong, which is what the book puts forth, what else do we think
we know that is wrong?
4. Just Food challenges every food trend today. It makes the compelling case that
local food is bad, organic food is bad, and GMO foods are good. (Don't worry, it's
actually a little more nuanced than that.) I wholeheartedly agree with this, and after
reading this book you may too, but good luck convincing anyone else.
5. I added I Am Malala because this list wasn't heart-breaking enough yet. Read the
book and then look at the photo of her and her father on the back cover and try not to
get tears in your eyes. Every line of this book brings to mind the very best and very
worst of humanity simultaneously.
6. The Secret Peace is my own book, published in 2010. It posits progress: the world
is getting inevitably better. The book references thousands of sources to make this
dicult-to-swallow claim. You can read the rst chapter for free on
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret... .
7. Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature is like the Violence chapter from
my book, expanded to 700 in-depth but riveting pages. Yes, violence is declining:
surprisingly, right now is the most peaceful the world has ever been, by far.
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Mridul Kapoor, So many books, so little time.

Being India-specic here, I'd like to mention 2 books:

India After Gandhi, by Ramchandra Guha -- The book is a history of the
Indian nation, after it gained independence; so it is essentially a story of
India in a period 60 years since independence in 1947 (the book was
published in 2007). Guha presents an unbiased view about the success story
of India, as well as some of its glaring weaknesses.
India Unbound, by Gurcharan Das -- The book is about the transformation

of India and the economic journey after Independence. It is divided into 3
sections:
a. 1942-65 : where Jawaharlal Nehru's socialist ideas dominate,
b. 1966-91 : during which the 'Indian Dream' did nothing but fade, and
c. 1991-99 : the start of a new economic revolution, where the author nds a
reason to rejoice.
The author was CEO of Procter & Gamble India, and at various places in the
book, he provides interesting accounts of his own trysts with people,
bureaucracy et al. For me, the book had a lot of passages which I can happily
go back and re-read, and somehow feel inspired, in some way.
I'd also recommend works by Douglas Hofstadter (cognitive scientist). (I have read
only part of both the following books but found them really interesting)
Gdel, Escher, Bach (1979 book) -- In GEB he talks about the

mathematician Godel, artist Escher and the musician Bach, discussing
themes common to them. The book, on the whole, is more about concepts
relating to intelligence, symmetry, and mathematics
and
Metamagical Themas -- collection of articles written for Scientic American
by him. Themes include intelligence, social issues, philosophy, creativity. I
am a big fan of the stu about self-reference.
Speaking of self-reference and Douglas Hofstadter, I think there is no better tribute to

him than the following xkcd comic :-)
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Abhishek Kshirsagar, A voracious reader

Answered Sep 29 Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Note: Taken verbatim from one of my articles on InsideIIM.com , coz, well, I am just
a lazy person ;)
When Nidhi Malkan from InsideIIM, told me that my very rst article Books To
Read While Preparing For CAT , was well received, I was shocked. To be honest, I
had published it just for fun and when I look back at it, can denitely say that I have
come a long way. But she suggested that I should perhaps write the second part of that
article. I was a bit reluctant at rst, but then I said, why not? Even some really bad
movies (which shall not be named, just for the sake of avoiding controversies: Oh, an
MBA teaches you that really well) have sequels, so that article sure deserves one too.
So, here I am, presenting you a list of 5 books, which you might nd handy before you
go for an MBA, cause a little head-start never hurts.
(Note: I am going to add some books from the rst article too, as my glorious (?) rst
term has re-emphasised the importance of those books).
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand:
Oh, this book must top the list, as its going to be very, very useful to you. During your
2 years at the campus, you are going to meet some awesome individuals, who have
achieved some brilliant things in their lives and its denitely going to give you super-
complex and an overdose of jealousy. Before you even realise it, you will be running in
a rat race, solely because of the FOMO and peer pressure. You will apply to the clubs
that you never liked, go for the subjects you never wanted to learn and apply to the
jobs that you never wanted. But, you can save a lot of this mess, if you get your rst
principle right. And who can teach you that better than the protagonist of this novel,
Mr. Howard Roark?
Who will let you? Thats not the point. The point is who will stop me.
Purple Cow by Seth Godin: Have you heard about Kotler? You will.
Oh yes, you will, and youll probably curse him too. I still remember the night before
my Marketing Management exam, when I tried to read that 1000+ page book (well,
mostly stared at it, while cursing myself for not studying beforehand) and grasp the
relevant knowledge. But, what if youve already read a compressed version of Kotler?
Thats Purple Cow for you. While it doesnt cover all the concepts, but it teaches you
how to make your product (or even yourself) a success by being remarkable. If you
want to go into marketing, then this is a must-read book for you. And if you dont
want to go into marketing, then this book will save your ass in your rst term.
Day to Day Economics by Satish Deodhar:
Economics (along with Accounting) is going to trouble you a lot in your rst term.
While its an easy subject, but a few nd it dicult to comprehend or relate to day-to-
day life. This masterpiece, written by an IIM-A Prof., will explain all the nuances of
Economics in very easy and lucid language. Also, the Indian examples (you will
understand the importance of Indian in your rst term) given in this book will help
you to grasp this subject in a better way. After considering the terrible graphs youll
have to understand in the actual course, you will denitely appreciate the lucidity in
this book.
How to Win Friends and Inuence People by Dale Carnegie:
You ask any X, Y or Z about what should is the most important thing to do in during
an MBA and he/she will denitely tell you one thing (along with 10s of other
confusing things, of course): Networking. Trust me, they are right. Whatever you do in
future, the network that you create in your MBA days is going to be very helpful, and
this book will teach you a thing or two about networking. Dale Carnegie wrote this
self-help book in 1936 and till now, it has sold 30 million copies worldwide. It not only
teaches you to network but also how to inuence others, win clients and what not.
Btw, even Warren Buet, one of the most successful investors of the 20th century, had
Internetfor
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this book.
Start Me Up by Hemant Soreng:
So, do you remember your MBA interview? I think you said something like I want to
be an entrepreneur in future, right? Cool, but rst you need to know what its like to
be an entrepreneur. This book will denitely give you a glimpse of that. Its about an
IIM-B alumnus and his entrepreneurial journey (and a love-story as well). Written
with a touch of humour, this book will tell you about how your life goes for a toss
when you decide to be an entrepreneur, but will convey the message that you must
chase your dreams. Its so addictive that I managed to nish it within just a couple of
nights (of course, the days were spent in the-usual-MBA-kind-o-activities).
In the end, I would just like to quote (well, sing actually) a line from one of the Rolling
Stones song:
If you start me up, Ill never stop
And here are the References (Oh, my profs would be so proud of me):
Reference 1 Goodreads
How to Win Friends and Inuence People in the Digital Age .

http://Dalecarnegie.com . 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
Rolling Stones
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Stan Lubas, works at General Motors

Originally Answered: What are some of the best non-fiction books you have ever read?
Here are two books I absolutely loved to read. In no particular order, the rst is:
"The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition."
by Caroline Alexander, published by Knopf in 1998.
(Image Source: The Endurance )
We had seen God in His splendors, heard the text that Nature renders. We had reached
the naked soul of man. -Ernest Shackleton.
27 men. A frozen ocean. Thousands of miles from help. Locked in the depths of an
Antarctic winter.
Not a single soul was lost. Internet connection problem. Hide this message.
Ever since I was little, the polar regions have fascinated me greatly. Their remoteness,
austerity, and savage weather combined to stir my imagination. Tales of men like
Roald Amundsen, Ernest Shackleton, and others excited me, imagining the virgin
landscapes they trod at great cost, and the adventures they had.
And though his wasn't the rst to reach Antarctica, the life-changing experiences of
Shackleton and his crew are legendary, no pun intended.
Caroline Alexander puts you right there on a frigid ice oe in the Antarctic seas,
thousands of miles from civilization. And remember: this was the year 1914. Almost a
half-century before the sort of rescue craft we take for granted today, even existed!
There was no one to come after them. No GPS. No satellite communications. No
military jets or icebreakers to save the day.
Even in 2015, with the formidable resources and logistical might of modern militaries,
rescue from the Antarctic is a perilous undertaking.
With that in mind, put yourself in their shoes now. It was truly esh and blood and
the will to live, pitted against conditions so extreme that their survival was
miraculous.

The second book which I loved is a biography about the late General James Harold
"Jimmy" Doolittle (1896-1993) titled:
"I Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography." By James Doolittle.
Published by Bantam Books: Hardcover: 1991 / Paperback: 2001
(Image Source: I Could Never Be So Lucky Again )
I've always admired the Greatest Generation as a whole. Their's was a time of
unparalleled achievement in establishing the foundations of today's institutions
which we take for granted. Yet it was not without great risk and courage in the face of
the unknown. And General Doolittle was a man among men, who exemplied
discipline, ethics, hard work, intelligence, humility, and as he himself said, good old-
fashioned luck.
He died the year I graduated high school, though I did not know this until I read his
book, almost 30 years later. It shook me that such magnicent men as Gen. Doolittle
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Every man, Hideand
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child in America owes a debt to this man, and others like him. Not only militarily, but
also for the contributions he made towards the civilian sector, greatly furthering our
understanding of aerospace/aeronautical concepts.
I write this on the eve of Independence Day here in America, colloquially known as
Fourth of July. And it should be a time to recognize, not only the Founding Fathers,
but men like Gen. Doolittle and others who stood in harm's way these last 239 years.
In conclusion, both of these books make me want to become a better man.

They are that profound. You will not look at strength, determination, integrity, and
courage the same way again.
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Benjamin Davis, works at University of Lisbon

Social skills:
How to Win Friends & Inuence People by Dale Carnegie
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry
Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Personal development:
Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic

Abilities by Dean Radin
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulllment by Tal Ben-
Shahar
Finances:
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
World History:
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, Ron Rosenbaum
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the

Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
Geography:
Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts by Harm J. de Blij, Peter O.

Muller, Jan Nijman
How the States Got Their Shapes by Mark Stein
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Steve Buller, CPA, Employee To Entrepreneur
Answered Apr 18
I'm glad you've already focused on non-ction. Fiction is great for fun, creativity, and
popular culture, but non-ction is where you're going to gain
Internet the knowledge
connection you this
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to be a better person! There are so many books out there that you could never read
them all in your lifetime, so it can be hard to pick the right ones. First, let's break
down the type of book we're looking at even more... There are two types of books and
knowledge you should acquire:
1. Specic This relates to whatever industry or subject you work in. We call
this deep domain expertise. Because I dont know what area you work in, I
can list these. Fortunately, the standard, specic books are usually easy to
nd in a quick search.
2. General This relates to everything else. We call this broad base

knowledge. This is what most people lack, because our education system
makes it easy to become an expert in one subject, but, lets face it, the whole
gen ed thing kinda failed.
My short list is below. If you havent read any of these yet do it now! Once youve
done that, though nd a longer list with Tai Lopez . He reads a book a day, so hes
more of an authority than I. Not to mention hes a successful entrepreneur who Ive
learned a ton from.
Also, I make what I call book learning videos at my YouTube channel. So, if this is
your kind of thing see links to the ones that Ive already done below, and subscribe
to my channel here!
Self-Improvement Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins The

subtitle says it all: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional,
Physical, and Financial Destiny! Except, its not an impossible promise
Tony delivers. He shows you how your brain works, why it works against you
sometimes, and how to correct that. From understanding your real values to
changing habits through reprogramming your brain, read this book, and
take control of your life.
Psychology Poor Charlies Almanack by Charlie Munger Schools should

take notes from Charlie on how to make a text book fun. Mr. Munger is
billionaire partner of Warren Buet, and he is arguable one of the smartest
men alive. There is a ton of great stu in this book (I havent even nished
it!), but for starters, go to the back and read about the 25 cognitive biases that
explain why people behave the way they do in certain situations read this
book, and be master of your and others brains.
Inspiration Total Recall by Arnold SchwarzeneggerThe complete lack of of

understanding of who this man is amazes me. This is his autobiography, and,
simple put, this man knew how to 1) decide what he wanted, 2) learn how to
get it, and 3) do whatever it took to succeed and be the best. From Mr.
Olympia to the highest-paid action star in Hollywood to a real estate investor
to governor of California read this book, be inspired, and ask yourself
why not me?
Happiness On The Shortness of Life by Seneca This book is a big-picture

look at our lives. But, it also gives specic examples of how we can better
apply ourselves. My big take-away from it was this: How long your life is
depends on how much of it is your own. Read this book, be honest with
yourself, and dont let your life slip away from you.
History The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time by Will DurantMr.
Durant is my favorite history writer, and this is (clearly) a summary book. He
even gives a list of other great books to read. No matter what business youre
in, we can all gain perspective from history. What does history do? It repeats
itself so, read this book, and comprehend the big-picture that most
people miss.
Finance Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Written in 1997, Mr.
Kiyosaki made bold claims like your house is not an asset. Since then
weve learned the wisdom behind his words. He wrote a follow-up book in
2015 (Second Chance ) that kind of said is anyone listening yet? This book
should be required elementary school reading. If you havent, read this book,
and learn what the rich teach their kids about money that the poor and
middle class do not!
Communication How to Win Friends & Inuence People by Dale

Carnegie I guess Mr. Carnegie knew how catchy those how to titles were
before most of us In this book, he teaches 6 specic, tangible things you
can do to have an easier time with people. My favorite of them is to be
genuine. So many people try to hard to make friends instead of just being
one so read this book.
Focus The ONE Thing by Gary Keller If Seneca convinced you to use your
time wisely, then Mr. Keller will show you how to prioritize it by asking one
question: What is the ONE thing I can do that will make everything else
easier or unnecessary? Read this book, gain focus, and create a domino
eect in your life.
As much as I love booksthe cheapest way to change your life for the betterpart
of me hates writing these lists, because of the books that always get left out. Just know
that this list is one person, one day, in a certain mood, and there are countless other
great ones out there. Its a great place to start, though
Also, I dont DARE add this to the list, but I wrote a best-selling book as well, and my
business teaches people how to leap from employee to entrepreneur. This is a
business planning book, and then we have courses and products that teach you how
to build an online business around your area of passion. This book falls more in the
specic knowledge category =) If youre at all interested, you can grab a free copy
here!
Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur

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Stephanie Vardavas, 500+ books behind in my to-read list

Originally Answered: What are some really well-written nonfiction books?
My favorite category of nonction is biography/autobiography/memoir.
Others have mentioned Robert Caro's glorious multivolume biography of Lyndon

Johnson. It's really a magnicent work, as is his single volume biography of Robert
Moses, The Power Broker.
Some other favorites:

The Mitfords, by Mary Lovell (family biography)
Ghost of a Chance, by Peter Duchin (memoir)
Genius in Disguise, by Thomas Kunkel (biography of Harold Ross)
Oscar Wilde, by Richard Ellmann
Serious Pleasures, by Philip Hoare (biography of Stephen Tennant)

Personal History, by Katharine Graham (memoir)
George Cukor: A Double Life, by Patrick McGilligan
Palimpsest, by Gore Vidal (memoir)
Murrow, by A. M. Sperber
We Two, by Gillian Gill (joint biography of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert)
The Kid Stays In the Picture, by Robert Evans (memoir)
In categories other than biography, especially cultural history and travel, I can
recommend ANYTHING by Bill Bryson. Literally anything.
3.1k Views 19 Upvotes Answer requested by Mark Messick
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Thuy-Tien Le, MD/MPH candidate, bleeding heart do-gooder

On medicine/health, good for a general interest in medicine:
Mountains Beyond Mountains!!, Tracy Kidder
Complications, Atul Gawande
Better, Atul Gawande
Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande
Second Opinions, Jerome Groopman
Treatment Kind and Fair, Perri Klass (really good if you have any actual
interest in being a physician)
On international development:
The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier
Random stu that's just a really good read:

Time, Love, Memory, Jonathan Weiner
Tale of the Rose, Consuelo de St-Exupery
And I cannot believe that no one has said Dreams from My Father.
Upvote 5 Downvote
Lauren Smith
I am voting this up because of Tale of the Rose. Gorgeous writing.
Mithil Kamble, Doctoral student at RPI

Answered Oct 18, 2013
I can already see some fantastic books being mentioned here. I would like to add a few
books which are not generally discussed by virtue of not being popular (at least in
India).
1)In spite of the gods:

This book provides fascinating insight into contemporary India. The account is
entirely unbiased and backed by abundant research. We often say India is made up of
paradoxes. After reading the book I realized what we really mean by it and on how
many dierent levels it is applicable.
2)My friend the mercenary:
A thrilling account of civil war in Liberia from a British journalist who is guided by a
professional assassin. I have included this book here as the book provides a harrowing
insight into world that exists now, while I am writing this. It is an eye opener. If you
are interested in International politics, you will get bits and pieces about how African
region is being targeted by superpowers to exploit their resources.
(Having a little background on Boar war in Africa might help in understanding few
nuances.)
3)Phantoms in the brain:
The most amazing book I have ever read. If you are into psychology, neuroscience, AI,
cognitive science or just plain curious about brain. this is the thing.
Dr. Ramchandran, touted to be Marco Polo of neuroscience, takes on a journey that
changes our perception about almost everything. The book tries to answer the
ultimate question,'what is self?' through various peculiar examples. Like a person
claiming his paralyzed hand actually belongs to his dead brother.
I will try to update if and when when something more pops up.
Upvote 10 Downvote
Zac Scy, Reader & writer. What can I say? I love them words!
Originally Answered: Which is the best non-fiction book you have ever read?
Thanks for the A2A Yash Geryani! =)
Now, the book that changed my view of the world was Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers".
But since that's been mentioned I'd like to say Bren Brown's "The Power Of
Vulnerability".
I don't always weep when reading but there was something so amazingly honest and
true about that book that I just couldn't help myself.
If you're ready for it then I highly recommend you giving it a read.
Have a kick-ass eative day! =)
306 Views 3 Upvotes Answer requested by Yash Geryani
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Paul Doran, I've been reading and publishing book notes for 37 years.
Updated Jul 10, 2016
Everybody has their own list but this is mine. I also produce a daily 10m podcast
where I muse about something Ive read that day. Link here All podcasts Archives -
Timesby Book Notes
Mastery, by Robert Greene
Greene explains how to become a leader in any given eld by examining the lives and
pathways to success of historical masters such as Mozart, Einstein and Darwin, as
well as "living masters" such as Freddie Roach. I took a lot away from reading this
book.
Marcus Aurelius- Meditations.
Originally written only for his personal consumption. Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
oers a wide range of fascinating reections developed as the leader struggled to
understand himself and make sense of the universe.
Surrender Experiment: My journey into lifes perfection, by MIckey Singer
Mickey tells the extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual
awakening, he decided to let go of his personal preferences and simply let life call the
shots.
Mickey had one problem. How to silence that voice inside his head?! I know the
feeling. Which is why I picked this book up.
Its an odd book because I constantly found myself wondering if this guy was making
it all up. However, I checked him out and it all seemed credible. Which makes the
book entirely curious.
Michael Singer combines accounts of his own life journey to enlightenment - from his
years as a hippie-loner to his success as a computer program engineer to his work in
spiritual and humanitarian eorts - with lessons on how to put aside conicting
beliefs, let go of worries, and transform misdirected desires.
Chimp Paradox, by Steve Peters
What can I tell you? This book literally changed my life. Its my personal bible. I read
this book most days and use the exercises that Steve suggests. Hell, I even wrote a
book about my personal experiences of developing what Steve calls a Stone of Life.
Getting out of my own way, by Paul Doran. Look it up on Amazon Kindle.
Steve Peters explains the struggle that takes place within

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how to apply this understanding to every area of your life. Recognise how your mind
is working. Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts. Manage yourself
and become the person you would like to be.
The Chimp Mind Management Model is based on scientic facts and principles,
which have been simplied into a workable model for easy use. It will help you to
develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have
condence and choose your emotions.
Making the modern world, by Vaclav Smil
One of my favourite authors. Vaclav is also Bill Gates favourite author. He is a

distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environment at the University of
Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Vaclav writes with clarity and is a truly independent
thinker.
Making of the Modern World explores the options for mankind in a future of rapid
expansion of material ows. What I enjoyed most about this book is the history of
material use. It made me question what I thought I knew about mans relationship
with the environment.

For example- Molluscs are the biggest users of resources on the planet. They take
minerals from the Ocean and convert them into exo-skeletons. It also provides useful
perspectives on resource economics, environmental studies, energy analysis, mineral
geology, industrial organization, manufacturing and material science.
The Ascent of Money, by Niall Ferguson
August 23rd, 2015. Chinese markets are crashing and city types are panicking that
China is heading for nancial Armageddon. Every day it seems like the Chinese stock
market is falling o a cli.
What does it mean when we learn that the Chinese authorities are liquidating some of
their US treasury notes? To answer that question we need to fully understand the
structure of credit formation.
Its at times like these that it pays to understand something that m... (more)
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Ratnakar Sadasyula( ), Bookworm since I was a kid

Really good look at the events leading to the Independence of India, Partition and
Mahatma Gandhi's assasination. While it does have an Anglo Centric viewpoint in
some chapters, the book is worth a read for it's look at Partition from a human
perspective, in fact I feel the best part about the book. The perspectives of Gandhi,
Nehru, Lord Mountbatten, Sardar Patel and Jinnah are well covered too.
An excellent look at the Liberation of Paris, during the War, covering it from all
possible viewpoints- the Nazis, the French Resistance, Charles De Gaulle, the Allied
forces. Also the clashes between De Gaulle and other Allied leaders are well bought
out in the book.
One of the best books to start with, if you are seeking to get a background of the Arab-
Israeli conict, as it rst builds up to the entire conict, starting with the background
of the Jews, their search for a homeland, the British machinations, and then the
conict. And also presents a rather unbiased view of the conict, showing atrocities
on both sides.
Honestly speaking, biographies or even autobiographies of business icons or leaders,

often bore me. Most of them end up being hagiographies or do not really give any
great insights. This was one of the few that I really loved reading. It was not just for
Sony's rise from a humble electronics repair shop in war devastated Tokyo, to a mega
conglomerate. I loved the book, for the insights it gave into the Japanese way of doing
business, how the Japanese economy managed to rise from the ashes of World War II.
Internetto
For any one trying to do business with Japan, or seeking connection
enter theproblem.
market Hide this message.
there,
this book is a pretty good primer.
It's ironical that the best biography ever on an Indian mathematician, Srinivas
Ramanujan, was written by an American, Robert Kanigel. An excellent biography
covering Ramanujan's early life and then a very detailed look at his collaboration with
G.H..Hardy.
Again it's ironical, that the best account of one of the greatest kingdoms in Indian
history, comes from a foreigner Robert Sewell, as he covers the Rise and Fall of the
VIjaynagar Empire, right down to it's destruction after the Battle of Tallikota, a must
read.
One of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century, Richard Feynman, also equally
noted for his sense of humor, and his varied interests. This book takes a look at
Feynman's interests in topics as varied as safe cracking, linguistics, samba music to
his work on the Manhattan Project.
Pretty much long, but if you are seeking to know everything about the Third Reich,
Hitler, Holocaust, the Nazis, this is the book, that I would reccomend hands down.
William Shirer was a reporter in Berlin during the rise of Adolf Hitler and what he
provides here is one of the most comprehensive accounts of that era.
Upvote 26 Downvote
John Bagnall, Wordsmith; former communications & marketing

professional
Answered Mar 15, 2012
Originally Answered: What are your top five greatest nonfiction books of all time?
The Oxford English Dictionary
Accept no substitute. I use the online edition, as I can't aord and don't have the
space on my bookshelf for the printed edition. In the UK, membership of a local
public library may grant you access if you don't already have it via your university or
college. Ask them.
Danse Macabre Stephen King
On the nature of what scares us sh*tlessand why. A masterfully-guided journey
through the darkest niches of our universal race memories which sheds light on lots
more of the meaning of life.
Pictures On A Page Harold Evans
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this is a stunning insight into how the media
(and the interests behind the media) has exploited that power for good and ill. No
longer in print and a much sought-after volume, it's worthy going hungry for if you
get the chance to buy a copy. Otherwise, borrow one from your local library and start
to understand the contribution of photography to shaping our attitudes to our world.
The Unpublished David Ogilvy David Ogilvy
An inspiring compendium of the great advertising man's private musings which

doubles as one of the most insightful marketing and management manuals I've ever
read. Ogilvy understood and exemplied the science (and art) of ''brand'' well before
the buzzword ever came to infest most areas of our lives.
The Dambusters Paul Brickhill
This account of a wartime RAF raid on Nazi Germany, rst published in 1951, helped
crystallise my boyhood concept of many of the valueshonesty, courage,
determination, loyalty, individualism, teamwork, invention, self-sacrice and much
else besides I still hold dear some 50 years later. As a boy, I thrilled to it; now, I just
get misty-eyed and wonder whether such values might ever, one day, prevail again.
818 Views 2 Upvotes
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Chelsea Solan, Endlessly curious.

It's already been mentioned once, but Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North
Korea by Barbara Demick is hands down my favorite non-ction book.
It is not only fascinating because of the bizarre backwardness that the government
imposes, but I feel it is a book of vital importance as a way of making the rest of their
world open their eyes to the atrocities the North Korean people must endure. It
seems to me that (at least in popular media) North Korea is viewed as a joke country
with a crazy little dictator, but in reality Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jung-Il and now Kimg
Jung-un have, and still are, committing genocide of their own people, without so
much as a sideways glance from the rest of the world.
Another book along the same lines (though, I feel not as well written) is The
Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-
Hwan. An autobiography of a man who basically grew up in a North Korean prision
camp and had to watch the people he loved and cared for starve, suer and die
around him for ten years. It also chronicals his escape from North Korea and
resettlement in the Republic of Korea.
Both intense books, but extremely interesting and worth a read!

Upvote 4 Downvote
Scott Welch, I read every single day.

Updated Sep 18, 2015
Originally Answered: What are some really well-written nonfiction books?
I love reading non-ction. One book which comes immediately to mind is Charlie
Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a
Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times: George Crile: 9780802143419:
Amazon.com: Books
You also can't go wrong with The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama
Canal, 1870-1914: David McCullough: 9780671244095: Amazon.com: Books
Want to understand why Germany went to war? The Wages of Destruction: The
Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy: Adam Tooze: 9780143113201:
Amazon.com: Books
Here's what happened afterwards: Amazon.com: The Last Thousand Days of the
British Empire: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Birth of the Pax Americana
(9781596915312): Peter Clarke: Books
Some people have pretty interesting lives, and write well: Personal History: Katharine
Graham: 9780375701047: Amazon.com: Books
Some people write about terrible people, but in an interesting way: The Executioner's
Song: Norman Mailer, Dave Eggers: 9780446584388: Amazon.com: Books
Some people write non-ction that seems like ction: Amazon.com: Golden Boy:
Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood (9780312426262): Martin Booth: Books
Some people make very boring subjects interesting: The Ascent of Money: A Financial
History of the World: Niall Ferguson: 9780143116172: Amazon.com: Books
Some people write interesting books about making things: The Complete Modern
Blacksmith: Alexander Weygers: 9780898158960: Amazon.com: Books
There are even books that seem like unbelievable combination of things: how about a
non-ction reference book that adults love, disguised as a ction kids book: Paddle-
to-the-Sea (Sandpiper Books): Holling C. Holling: 9780395292037: Amazon.com:
Books
Try any one and let me know what you think!
Upvote 14 Downvote
Vish Desai, Parser of words

Updated Jun 5, 2014
I will recommend this one, for those inclined towards introspection and trying to nd
out more about how to attain inner peace:
How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Nonduality: James Swartz:
9781591810940: Amazon.com: Books
And for those of us who are inclined towards nding out how to make money:
The Intelligent Investor: The Denitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical
Counsel (Revised Edition): Benjamin Graham, Jason Zweig, Warren E. Buett:
9780060555665: Amazon.com: Books
Internet
The third book, this one a personal favorite, for people connection
trying problem.
to get an Hide
insight this message.
into
psychology:
If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! The Pilgrimage of Psychotherapy
Patients: Sheldon B. Kopp: 9780553278323: Amazon.com: Books
377 Views 1 Upvote
Upvote 1 Downvote
Andrew Stein, I like books.

Originally Answered: What are the most informative non-fiction books you've ever read?
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA: Tim Weiner: 9780307389008: Amazon.com:
Books It's a detailed history of the CIA done by a NY Times Pulitzer Prize winning
columnist. It documents the creation and use of the CIA going back to it's inception.
After reading this, the last 60 years of foreign policy and wars/conicts/etc by the USA
made sense to me.
If you like that, you can also check out Amazon.com: Enemies: A History of the FBI
(9781400067480): Tim Weiner: Books by the same author.
McMaa: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld . Fascinating history

of the international rise in organized crime, basically lling in power vacuums after
Communist countries failed.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea: Barbara Demick: The author
interviewed people who managed to escape North Korea who give amazing accounts
what it was like to live in North Korea. From the good old days in the 60s when it
looked like Communism was the right choice for them to the collapse of the
infrastructure and famine in the 90s and beyond. They also tell how they managed to
become disenfranchised with the regime, which was almost impossible to think, let
alone take action on. Most were convinced the rest of the world was even worst! They
discuss the troubles going from a culture where you had almost no choice in your
person life to a culture with seemingly unlimited choice. This is one of my favorite
books and I highly recommend it.
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save
the FinancialSystem--and Themselves: Andrew Ross Sorkin: Tells about how and
why the economy crashed in 2007. Long, tough read, but worth it for the insight and
examination of the decisions made by both industry and government.
The Men Who Stare at Goats: Jon Ronson: Amazon.com: Kindle Store Ignore the
movie that was based on the book and go straight to the book. Starts o as a light-
hearted documentation of some of the o-kilter non-violent things the Army was
working on. It gets more and more sinister as it goes on, going into things like the
CIA's experimentation with LSD, and "enhanced interrogation" techniques used in
Iraq.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals: Michael Pollan: Takes a
look at 3 dierent types of meals: modern (McDonalds burger, fries and soft drinks),
organic farming, and foraging. You'll learn fun things about high-fructose corn syrup
and industrial farming. Also, why cows shouldn't eat corn. :)
One Minute to Midnight: Michael Dobbs: One of the best accounts I've read on the
Cuban Missile Crisis, since it uses primary sources from USA, USSR and Cuba.
Internet
For better or for worst, I've become extremely cynical connection
throughout theproblem.
years. :)Hide this message.
So, if you want something more lighthearted, try You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried:
The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation which is exactly
what it says on the tin. :)
3k Views 6 Upvotes
Upvote 6 Downvote
Justin Gibson, researcher and reader of books

A recent one: Amazon.com: Madness and Memory: The Discovery of Prions--A New
Biological Principle of Disease by Dr Stanley Prusiner, Nobel laureate describing his
struggle to get the 'prion hypothesis' of disease accepted. It's a nice mix of science and
biographical detail.
517 Views 3 Upvotes
Upvote 3 Downvote
Karl Smithe, ex-IBMer, electronics/computer geek, SCI- Fanatic

Updated Apr 19, 2014
The Screwing of the Average Man by David Hapgood

http://www.amazon.com/screwing-a...
This is rather modern economics without theoretical never-never land crap, though it
is still pre-Internet. If lots of people had read this 35 years ago maybe we might not
have this mess today. But we still get economists talking a lot of pseudo-intellectual
junk like this.
http://www.reuters.com/subjects/...
When did economists debate whether or not they should compute and report
Demand Side Depreciation?
They never did. They don't say anything about it. Listen to most economists most of
the time and you would conclude they have never heard of "Planned Obsolescence".
What would have happened by now if double-entry accounting had been made
mandatory in our schools 50 years ago? NOBODY KNOWS! When have economists
debated this idea. Oh, they forgot.
The Tyranny of Words (1938) by Stuart Chase

Anxiety Culture: Tyranny of Words
The tyranny of words : Chase, Stuart, 1888-1985 : Free Download & Streaming :
Internet Archive
955 Views 3 Upvotes
Upvote 3 Downvote
Arun Vishwanathan, So many books, so little time!

Originally Answered: What are some good non-fiction books that I should read?
For the past two years, I have only been reading non-ctions. I will list the top 5
books, I have read. The 5 best non-ction books (my choice) :
1. The 48 Laws Of Power (The Robert Greene Collection)

Law 1: Never outshine the master Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends;
learn how to use enemies Law 3: Conceal your intentions Law 4: Always say
less than necessary.
Following some of these laws help you master people skills.
2. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

When Barack Obama was asked which book he could not live without in the
White House, his answer was instant: Team of Rivals. This monumental and
brilliant work has given Obama the model for his presidency, showing how
Abraham Lincoln saved America by appointing his ercest rival to key
cabinet positions. As well as a thrilling piece of narrative history, it's an
inspiring study of one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen.
3. Mastery (The Robert Greene Collection)

These stories will denitely capture the reader's attention because they are
very fascinating. Book contains many stories which may confuse the readers.
So, author has repeated some of the background information from time to
time in order to make things easy and clear. The author has picked historical
gures such as Leonardo Da Vinci as well as contemporary ones like Temple
Grandin, Paul Graham etc. This is not a book which has to be read in one-go
or in a week. Instead, this book should be read slowly and carefully as there
are many strategies laid down in the book. So in short you are given analysis
of success stories, which if you followed would make you a success as well.
4. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change

Okay so you have all the success stories analysed, but for you to implement
these strategies you must have a fertile mind and free from your habits. This
book will help you get out of the loop, and make you more aware of your
habits.
5. Thinking, Fast and Slow (Penguin Press Non-Fiction)

The book takes the readers on a fascinating journey by dissecting the mind
and goes onto explain two distinct systems that aects our way of thinking
and making choices. Of these two systems, one is intuitive, emotional yet fast
while the other one is more logical and deliberative.
So with these 5 books, Im sure you can transform yourself!
355 Views 1 Upvote Answer requested by Subhodeep Sarkar
Upvote 1 Downvote

Shubham Nayak, Re-building myself. It's exciting.
Originally Answered: What is the best non- fiction work you have read?
In June of 1945, Arline Feynman high-school sweetheart and wife of the hugely
inuential physicist, Richard Feynman passed away after succumbing to
tuberculosis. She was 25-years-old. 16 months later, in October of 1946, Richard wrote
his late wife the following love letter and sealed it in an envelope. It remained
unopened until after his death in 1988.
October 17, 1946
DArline,
I adore you, sweetheart.
I know how much you like to hear that but I don't only write it because you like it
I write it because it makes me warm all over inside to write it to you.
It is such a terribly long time since I last wrote to you almost two years but I
know you'll excuse me because you understand how I am, stubborn and realistic;
and I thought there was no sense to writing.
But now I know my darling wife that it is right to do what I have delayed in doing,
and that I have done so much in the past. I want to tell you I love you. I want to love
you. I always will love you.
I nd it hard to understand in my mind what it means to love you after you are
dead but I still want to comfort and take care of you and I want you to love me
and care for me. I want to have problems to discuss with you I want to do little
projects with you. I never thought until just now that we can do that. What should
we do. We started to learn to make clothes together or learn Chinese or getting
a movie projector. Can't I do something now? No. I am alone without you and you
were the "idea-woman" and general instigator of all our wild adventures.
When you were sick you worried because you could not give me something that you
wanted to and thought I needed. You neednt have worried. Just as I told you then
there was no real need because I loved you in so many ways so much. And now it is
clearly even more true you can give me nothing now yet I love you so that you
stand in my way of loving anyone else but I want you to stand there. You, dead,
are so much better than anyone else alive.
I know you will assure me that I am foolish and that you want me to have full
happiness and don't want to be in my way. I'll bet you are surprised that I don't
even have a girlfriend (except you, sweetheart) after two years. But you can't help it,
darling, nor can I I don't understand it, for I have met many girls and very nice
ones and I don't want to remain alone but in two or three meetings they all seem
ashes. You only are left to me. You are real.
My darling wife, I do adore you.
I love my wife. My wife is dead.
Rich.
PS Please excuse my not mailing this but I don't know your new address.
(Source: Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman )

883 Views 6 Upvotes
Upvote 6 Downvote
Christophe Grosjean, Agile Developer

Updated Aug 29, 2013
I've found Gregory Bateson really enlightning in many ways, many of his books are
worth reading as he is one the fathers of Cybernetics but focusing on the mind, not on
computers.
You could try this book, which is a collection of essays.

Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution,
and Epistemology
There is not so many people that can be described as a philosopher, anthropologist,

photographer, naturalist, and poet. As an hacker I especially love metalogues, a father
explaining fundamental concepts to his seven years old daughter. The game is to try
to write the text in such way it's form will match it's content. Somes are real successes
in my eyes.
Also many books from Paul Watzlawick (kind of disciple of Bateson) are really
enlightning. This one is a must read if you ever asked to yourself what's the dierence
between animal and human languages, or if as a spy you plane to meet some fellow
spy, giving a date but witout setting the place...
lf you only have an hour, also from Watzlawick you can try one of his two best-sellers.
Easy reading but still mind boggling.
or
1.5k Views 1 Upvote
Upvote 1 Downvote
Frank Dauenhauer
The Routledge History of Philosophy, available here as a free downloadable PDF: Page
Abbas Halai, o sole mio

Just a brief quick list from recent memory without mentioning those already
mentioned in other answers.
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity - Tariq Ali
Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World - Bruce

Schneier
Confessions of an Economic Hitman - John Perkins
Confessions of an Enron Executive - A Whistleblower's Story - Lynn Brewer &

Matthew Scott Hansen
Codes of the Underworld: How Criminals Communicate - Diego Gambetta
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero - Grant Morrison

Upvote 9 Downvote
Bob Hillman
Updated Dec 4, 2012
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by
Internet
Katherine Boo takes us deep into the lives of residents connection
of the world'sproblem.
poorest Hide this message.
slums.
Deeply researched, beautifully written, and aecting beyond words. What more can a
reader ask?
Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball
Machine by George Dohrmann is a must-read for basketball fans and anyone who
wonders if our young, standout athletes are being exploited. The answer is
denitively and resoundingly "yes," and I'll stand on LeBron James's coee table in
my Air Jordan's and say that.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick oers a

detailed look at life in North Korea as experienced by a handful of families over about
15 years. Repression, famine, crazed dictators -- this book has it all.
I am the target market for Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by
Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, so you may not want to take my word for it, but I was
so entranced by this one that I went through it in a couple of days.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis is, simply, a masterwork. I loved Liar's Poker and
Moneyball, but The Big Short may represent the apotheosis of Mr. Lewis's patented
blend of storytelling and reporting. Not only that, but he explained the mortgage
crisis in a way I could understand (and retain)!
Upvote 9 Downvote
Abhishek Nagar, I am a voracious reader and a regular blogger ->

zonebxforbooks.blogspot.in
Answered Mar 4
Being a great fan of non-ction books to improve myself intellectually ,I would like to
1
share followingHome Answer
books with you Notifications
. You can nd nonbook
these books in any fictionstore
bookand
CATin Ask Question
case you are looking online then visit Sell books online on our used bookstore, used
books sale online on BX-Store@bx-zone.com , the used book store of bx-zone where
you can buy/sell/exchange books with people around you.
Tuesdays with Morrie
I am certain that it is capable of making you fall in love with self-help books.
This book is about a student who meets his fatally sick teacher after nearly twenty
years and visits him every Tuesday to take life lessons.
You might fall into tears by the time you reach the last page of this book.
Mega living - Robin Sharma
If you are interested in getting over negative thoughts and introduce positive ones
then this book is a must read. You can read this book to connect with the positive
energy around you and learn to maintain a calm head.
Well, this book surely imparts great wisdom and hope; it is the best teacher you can
bring home to teach you how to improve your life.
Make yourself unforgettable - Dale Carnegie
By simply reading this book till the last page, one will get to know how a few petty
things in human's disposition obstruct him/her to become a person of Class.
Well, the word 'class' is often taken for granted butInternet

it requires a lot ofproblem.
connection eort toHide
develop.
this message.
Moreover to be a person of 'class', you do not have to strive to develop qualities but
quit a few negative habits of yours.
Zero to One - Peter Theil
The progress has come to a stand-still and globalization has impersonated it. Peter
Thiel has beautifully delivered this message through this book.
If you have plans of starting an enterprise of your own now or many years further
then you should have one copy in your collection.
The Warren Buet Way
We all know Warren buet who made his fortune from stocks. I know one cannot be
another Warren Buet by reading this book, but, if you are looking to create wealth
through investing in stocks then this is a great read.
You surely will get to know the approach of Warren Buet to investing, his portfolio in
the peak years of success and much more.
In case you need more help with the selection of books then here is a good article for
you -
20 books of dierent genres one must read in his/her 20s to move one level up in
smartness & wisdom
111 Views 1 Upvote Answer requested by Vineet Namanna
Upvote 1 Downvote
Brian Knapp, Christian, author of Creative Genius. Email

hi@brianknapp.me
One non-ction book that is worth reading is the godfather of pretty much all self-
help, business, and success related books - Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
The book has sold over 100 million copies over the years and yet it doesnt get as
much notice as books by Malcom Gladwell or Seth Godin.
Its too bad because Think and Grow Rich is a fascinating book. Some of Hills other
work is potentially more practical in nature, but Think And Grow Rich has a magic
to it that his other writing lacked.
Sometimes I think the title sounds so cheesy because its been ripped o so many
times over the last 80 years or so, but its still worth reading.
Pretty much all the principles Hill laid out in this book are relevant today and are
worth examination in your own life. At the very least, if you have any desire for
anything in life, this book can give you something to help you move toward it.
-Brian
P.S. I have you read Creative Genius yet?
563 Views 2 Upvotes
Upvote 2 Downvote
Gib Saunders, 40 years a librarian and a lifetime of reading.

One Man's Meat by E B White. Best known as the author of Charlotte's Web, White
was a xture at The New Yorker for decades. One Man's Meat is a collection of essays
written from a Maine saltwater farm in the late 30s and 40s. They are not limited to
the rural pastoral; those are there and are very good. But looming over the book is the
run up to World War II and White's thoughts on it. The book thus becomes a
fascinating time capsule by a great writer.
One Man's Meat
990 Views 6 Upvotes
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ll help me, a CAT 2015 aspirant, intellectually? - Quora

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Non-Fiction Reading Book Recommendations Books There's more on Quora...

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Judith Meyer, My MA was 50% French literature, 50% linguistics

how to start/nish projects

how to make more time

how to nd a job that matches your many interests

Tapasweni Pathak upvoted this

The Innovators Dilemma:

Fast Food Nation Internet connection problem. Hide this message.

Half of the Sky

A shocking look at how opressed women are in certain cultures.

The Art of War

A general framework for problem solving in any kind of competitive environment.

Learn more at upwardly.in

Ryan Holiday, Bestselling author of Perennial Seller & media columnist

What is your list of must-read fiction books?

Free trial at timedoctor.com

Betsy Megas, Mechanical engineer, do-it-herselfer

My very favorite is Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman.

Add a comment... Recommended All

The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

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Statue of Perseus and Medusa, Florence, Italy, (1545), by Benvenuto Cellini

Ever wonder what it was like to have a drink with Michelangelo?

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1 more comments from Karen Opas

Anjali Bhavan upvoted this

First o, why ction and why non-ction?

A) SAPIENS - Yuval Noah Harari

So many insights: particularly around the times of the knowledge revolution in

What a great and creative and intelligent book.

B) THE RATIONAL OPTIMIST by Matt Ridley

C) ANTIFRAGILE - by Nassim Taleb

Anti-fragility is ultimately about pursuing your dreams.

D) MASTERY - by Robert Greene

But using thousands of anecdotes from every eldInternet

E) PEAK - by Anders Ericsson

G) SICK IN THE HEAD by Judd Apatow

H) THE SURRENDER EXPERIMENT by Michael Singer

I) POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - the Science of Happiness and Flourishing

You want well-being, which is made up of three components:

a) Improving competence in an area you love

b) having good relationships

c) every day attempting to have more and more freedom.

J) HELP, THANKS, WOW, by Anne Lamott.

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Mathematics and esp. math education - A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart.

Everything - Ideas: A History of Thought from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson

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Don Graham, Long-Ago member of the Pulitzer Prize board

They would include:

Boswells The Life of Samuel Johnson

Darwin, The Origin of Species.

And for me, Shelby Footes The Civil War.

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