📚 Books
I love to read, but I don't really read for pleasure alone. Rather, I read to learn and gain mental models that help me view the world and my work differently.
The books listed below are some of my favorites. Every single one of them has changed the way I view and live my life on a regular basis.
For a full and updated list of books I've read and am reading, see my Bookshelf.
Range
This book comes first for a reason. I'd say it's fundamentally responsible for how I prioritize my growth both personally and professionally. It's strongly convinced me of the value of having a wide range of pretty much everything (experiences, talents, etc.), and of the pitfalls of specialization.
I bring this book up an embarassing amount of times in every day conversations and in meeting new people. It's genuinely so applicable to so many topics!
I'd say this is my favorite book of all time.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The weirdest part about this book is that judging by the title, it sounds like such a selfish book to read. Almost manipulative to society and peers.
But then you get into it, and as long as you are OK revisiting topics that some might write off as obvious, it genuinely refreshes your outlook on how to interact socially.
Yes, it has the side effect of making people like you more. But it does so in a way that inspires you to be a better person -- sincerely.
The Mom Test
Like I said above, it's all about mental models.
The mental model here is how to interview customers about a product. It sounds simple, but the way I would do so before and after reading this book are radically different.
The Pragmatic Programmer (20th Anniversary Edition)
Having read "Range" before deciding to pick a programming book to read, I ended up on this one. I wanted a book that could give me decades-lasting tools in the ephemeral world of software.
Not only did it give me mental models of programming (e.g. thinking of a program as a series of inputs and outputs), but it also made me take action right away -- I went on a tear of learning Unix/Bash and Vim after reading this book. So that was fun.
I think this book will be as close as I have to a "source of truth" when it comes to programming. And I think it'll be incredible in that role.
Sapiens
The more and more I learn about history, the more conviction I get that any approach or opinion or decision to make needs to look first at what's happened in the past in similar scenarios.
Having read Sapiens, I feel a lot more confident about knowing how humans got to where we are today, the patterns that have repeated, and just how insanely exponential change is today. I'll probably go back and read this a few times -- if not to brush up on these ideas, then at least for a thoroughly entertaining read.
Atomic Habits
Habits are what make us. After all, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.
So, this book is basically source material for habits. It's genuinely crazy how little we / our will power controls, and how much our environment shapes us.
Breath
Breathe with your nose -- pretty much no matter what.
And breath more slowly, deeply, and less too.