Alex and Books 📚
What book has had the greatest impact on your thinking? #BookTwitter
Book mentions in this thread
Votes: 29
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
James Clear presents strategies to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that help lead to an improved life.Votes: 20
Man's Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
Zero to One
by Peter A. Thiel
The billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur behind such companies as PayPal and Facebook outlines an innovative theory and formula for building the companies of the future by creating and monopolizing new markets instead of competing in old ones. 200,000 first printing.Votes: 17
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Votes: 17
Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman
Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121—180) embodied in his person that deeply cherished, ideal figure of antiquity, the philosopher-king. His Meditations are not only one of the most important expressions of the Stoic philosophy of his time but also an enduringly inspiring guide to living a good and just life. Written in moments snatched from military campaigns and the rigors of politics, these ethical and spiritual reflections reveal a mind of exceptional clarity and originality, and a spirit attuned to both the particulars of human destiny and the vast patterns that underlie it. From the Hardcover edition.Stay Tuned
by Jenniffer Weigel
Television journalist Jenniffer Weigel takes readers on a humorous, yet deeply moving journey as she struggles to find her own spiritual path during the illness and death of her father, popular sportscaster Tim Weigel. During his illness, while Tim turns to alternative treatments like chi gong and reiki sessions, Jenniffer reads Neale Donald Walsch, starts a spiritual diet plan, and uses the law of attraction to find free parking spaces. After his death, she does everything she can to have one more conversation with her dad from the “other side.” Stay Tuned is a witty, irreverent trip through popular spiritual beliefs and the insights of masters and celebrities, including conversations with don Miguel Ruiz, James Van Praagh, Caroline Myss, Deepak Chopra, and Russell Crowe. This is the funny, heart-breaking, and touching story of one skeptical journalist’s transformation from “cynical daughter” to “spiritual woman.”Votes: 10
The lessons of history
by Will Durant
2 distinguished historians express their evaluation of the nature of the human experience and what may be learned from itVotes: 5
How Not to Die
by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Votes: 5
The Brothers Karamazov
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The violent lives of three sons are exposed when their father is murdered and each one attempts to come to terms with his guilt.Votes: 5
Sapiens
by Yuval Noah Harari
**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER** 'Interesting and provocative... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack Obama What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human in the perfect read for these unprecedented times. Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us. In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going. 'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species' Bill Gates **ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY**Votes: 4
Basic Economics
by Thomas Sowell
The bestselling citizen's guide to economics Basic Economics is a citizen's guide to economics, written for those who want to understand how the economy works but have no interest in jargon or equations. Bestselling economist Thomas Sowell explains the general principles underlying different economic systems: capitalist, socialist, feudal, and so on. In readable language, he shows how to critique economic policies in terms of the incentives they create, rather than the goals they proclaim. With clear explanations of the entire field, from rent control and the rise and fall of businesses to the international balance of payments, this is the first book for anyone who wishes to understand how the economy functions. This fifth edition includes a new chapter explaining the reasons for large differences of wealth and income between nations. Drawing on lively examples from around the world and from centuries of history, Sowell explains basic economic principles for the general public in plain English.Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
by Betty Edwards
Helps the reader gain access to right-brain functions, which affect artistic and creative abilities, by teaching drawing through unusual exercises designed to increase visual skills. Simultaneous. Hardcover available. 35,000 first printing.Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill
An updated edition of the best-selling guide features anecdotes about such modern figures as Bill Gates, Dave Thomas, and Sir John Templeton, explaining how their examples can enable modern readers to pursue wealth and overcome personal stumbling blocks. Original. 30,000 first printing.Votes: 3
The Black Swan
by Nassim Nicholas Nicholas Taleb
What have the invention of the wheel, Pompeii, the Wall Street Crash, Harry Potter and the internet got in common? Why are all forecasters con-artists? What can Catherine the Great's lovers tell us about probability? Why should you never run for a train or read a newspaper? This book is all about Black Swans: the random events that underlie our lives, from bestsellers to world disasters. Their impact is huge; they're impossible to predict; yet after they happen we always try to rationalize them. A rallying cry to ignore the 'experts', The Black Swan shows us how to stop trying to predict everything - and take advantage of uncertainty.Votes: 3
Principles
by Ray Dalio
Votes: 3
Finite and Infinite Games
by James Carse
“There are at least two kinds of games,” states James P. Carse as he begins this extraordinary book. “One could be called finite; the other infinite.” Finite games are the familiar contests of everyday life; they are played in order to be won, which is when they end. But infinite games are more mysterious. Their object is not winning, but ensuring the continuation of play. The rules may change, the boundaries may change, even the participants may change—as long as the game is never allowed to come to an end. What are infinite games? How do they affect the ways we play our finite games? What are we doing when we play—finitely or infinitely? And how can infinite games affect the ways in which we live our lives? Carse explores these questions with stunning elegance, teasing out of his distinctions a universe of observation and insight, noting where and why and how we play, finitely and infinitely. He surveys our world—from the finite games of the playing field and playing board to the infinite games found in culture and religion—leaving all we think we know illuminated and transformed. Along the way, Carse finds new ways of understanding everything, from how an actress portrays a role to how we engage in sex, from the nature of evil to the nature of science. Finite games, he shows, may offer wealth and status, power and glory, but infinite games offer something far more subtle and far grander. Carse has written a book rich in insight and aphorism. Already an international literary event, Finite and Infinite Games is certain to be argued about and celebrated for years to come. Reading it is the first step in learning to play the infinite game.Votes: 2
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Yogananda (Paramahansa)
Becoming
by Michelle Obama
Journal/Notebook/Diary Life is a constant journey of learning, growing, blooming and becoming the best version of yourself. Use the "Becoming" journal to write down your reflections, dreams, to-do lists, meeting, conference or school notes - or just enjoy creative writing. The "Becoming" journal makes a great gift for all occasions - baby and bridal showers, birthdays, holidays, conference giveaways, and more. Glossy cover 100 lined pages Wide-ruled lines Large 8x10 size CLICK ON OUR AUTHOR'S NAME, THE OTHER SIDE OF BUSINESS, TO CHECK OUT MORE BEAUTIFUL JOURNALS FOR WEDDINGS, BABY SHOWERS, INSPIRATION, TRAVEL, SORORITIES, RECIPES, GRADUATION, KIDS AND MORE!The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. Includes reading-group guide. Reprint. A best-selling book.Rich Dad Poor Dad
by Robert T. Kiyosaki
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, the #1 Personal Finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dad: his real father, whom he calls his poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Robert’s poor dad struggled financially all his life, and these two dads these very different points of view of money, investing, and employment shaped Robert’s thinking about money.Robert has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people, around the world, think about money and investing and he has become a global advocate for financial education and the path to financial freedom. Rich Dad Poor Dad (and the Rich Dad series it spawned) has sold over 36 million copies in English and translated editions around the world.Rich Dad Poor Dad will explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich challenge the belief that your house is an asset show parents why they can’t rely on the school system to teach their kidsabout money define, once and for all, an asset and a liability explain the difference between good debt and bad debt teach you to see the world of money from different perspectives discuss the shift in mindset that can put you on the road to financial freedomThe Rebel
by Albert Camus
The Rebel is Camus's 'attempt to understand the time I live in' and a brilliant essay on the nature of human revolt. Published in 1951, it makes a daring critique of communism - how it had gone wrong behind the Iron Curtain and the resulting totalitarian regimes. It questions two events held sacred by the left wing - the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917 - that had resulted, he believed, in terrorism as a political instrument. In this towering intellectual document, Camus argues that hope for the future lies in revolt, which unlike revolution is a spontaneous response to injustice and a chance to achieve change without giving up collective and intellectual freedom.Alchemy
by Rory Sutherland
The legendary advertising guru—Ogilvy UK’s vice chairman—and star of three massively popular TED Talks, blends the science of human behavior with his vast experience in the art of persuasion in this incomparable book that decodes successful branding and marketing in the vein of Freakonomics, Thinking Fast and Slow, and The Power of Habit. When Rory Sutherland was a trainee working on a direct mail campaign at the famed advertising firm OgilvyOne, he noticed that very small changes in design often had immense effects on the number of consumer responses. Yet no one he worked with knew why. Sutherland began taking stock of each effective yet nebulous trick—”the thing which has no name”—he discovered. As he rose in the advertising industry, he began to understand why these things had no name: no one was interested in quantifying them, cataloguing them, or really investigating them. So, he did it himself. Like classic behavioral economists Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, Sutherland peels away hidden, often irrational human behaviors that explain how the world around us functions. In How to Be an Alchemist he examines why certain ads work and the broader truths they tell us about who we are. Why do people prefer stripy toothpaste, and how might that help us design retirement plans that young people would actually buy? Why do we think orange juice is healthy, and how does the same principle guide our feelings about nuclear reactors? Why do budget airlines advertise services they don’t offer—and what might insurance companies learn from them about keeping healthcare costs low? Filled with startling and profound conclusions, Sutherland’s journey through the world of advertising and its surprising lessons for human behavior is insightful, brilliant, eye-opening, and irresistibly fun.Votes: 1
A New Earth
by Eckhart Tolle
Awaken your life's purpose in 2019 with the help of A New Earth, the international bestseller. 'An otherworldly genius' Chris Evans' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show _________ Are you ready to put aside ego and be awakened? Right now the world is filled with angry, raging egos. But there is a better way and in A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle provides the spiritual framework for all of us to move beyond ourselves in order to make this world a better, more evolved place to live. Shattering modern ideas of ego and entitlement, self and society, Tolle lifts the veil of fear that has hung over us during this new millennium, and reveals a path to happiness and health that every reader can follow. Awaken your purpose, discover your potential, and change your life. 'A wake up call for the entire planet. A New Earth helps us to stop creating our own suffering and obsessing over the past and what the future might be and to put ourselves in the now' Oprah WinfreySophie's World
by Jostein Gaarder
A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning--but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.