Books
This is just a list of books that I find awesome.
Economics
These are the books that I learned the most from.
Freakonomics
My first non-fiction book. This book literally changed my life and made me start seeing microeconomics concepts in everyday life. Just ask my wife how often I mention "opportunity cost" to her. The follow-up, "Superfreakonomics", is also a must-read, but probably not as groundbreaking.
The Undercover Economist
There are so many remarkable events in the world that I would still be unaware of if not for Tim Harford. He's also great at showing the events in a different light and explaining the economic concepts behind them. I also recommend listening to Tim Harford's podcast Cautionary Tales.
Outliers
I'm a fan of Malcolm Gladwell. So I'm biased and find everything he writes to be good. But this book might still be his best and has the most lasting effects.
Sapiens
I thought I knew the history of humankind until I read this book. But it doesn't stop at telling the facts but also explains how extraordinary they are. I personally felt grateful after reading about everything that happened which brought humanity to this point.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
This is a finance and not an econs book, but I just don't want to create another section just for it. I've read several finance books by now, and find that they become repetitive after a while. This book cuts the great balance of being concise while covering all the important topics. If I could only read one finance book, this would be it.
Behavioral Science
These books help me be comfortable with my self-awareness.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
This is the OG of behavioral science books. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his body of work, most of which is described in this book. Most non-fiction books nowadays refer to this book, just highlighting how important it is.
Originals
This book came as a suggestion from Book Depository's algorithm based on the other books I've purchased, and it was spot on. This book gave me valuable advice just as I was transitioning from university to work life. I then also started following Grant's other work, such as the WorkLife and ReThinking podcasts and his newest book, Think Again.
Quiet
I've always known that I'm an introvert, but I definitely understand much more now what it means to be one. Societies tend to idealize extroverts, which makes introverts even more insecure. But Susan Cain greatly explains how introverts can thrive.
Biography
These people have the craziest and most inspiring stories.
Shoe Dog
I took it for granted that Nike was the biggest shoe brand in the world. I thought it has always been around and was always the largest, but Phil Knight actually fought hard to make it to the top. As a novice sneakerhead, it's a great history lesson on the major sport apparel brands. There was a time in my life that I only wore Onitsuka Tiger, so knowing that Nike started by making an alternative to it was 🤯.
Fiction
Because the best stories are often not true.
A Game of Thrones
I only started reading the Song of Ice and Fire books after watching the third season of the series and just couldn't wait to know how the story continued. But even though the series is great, the book is still much better. I've never read a book where each chapter is from a perspective of another character before. and George R.R. Martin really changed his style of writing every chapter so that you believe that you are that character.
Varia
These books are in a league of their own.
The Interior Design Handbook
Have you ever had these questions: How high should I hang a lamp above the dining table? How should I hang a picture on the wall? How should I place a carpet in the bedroom? This book can answer all your questions. Where other interior design books stopped at showing you nice pictures, this book gives you practical tips to improve your home and everyday life.
The WSJ Guide to Information Graphics
Being able to show convincing graphics is so important in a world that's more and more dependent on data. This book does not stop short of just showing examples of good charts, but also explains the underlying concepts that enables someone to convey their message through data representation.
