I read or listen to about 60-70 books a year. At least half of those I don't read cover to cover. There's no point and if you're trying to develop a habit of reading, you probably shouldn't make it painful. If a book sucks stop reading. These are a few books I've read cover to cover because they provided some value.

  • Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
    • If asked what book I'd recommend, without any other context, this would be it (even with more context, there's a good chance it'd still be this book). Annie is a poker champion and this book outlines how to think in terms of bets and why you should. Nothing in this life is as black and white as it seems, learn how to navigate the gray.
  • High Output Management - Andy Grove
    • This is a tactical systems oriented book about how to manage knowledge workers. It's a classic and should be mandatory reading for an new knowledge worker manager/leader.
  • Radical Candor - Kim Scott
    • Every manager should read this annually, maybe everyone. We'd be better off professionally and personally if we did.
  • Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
    • Meditations is a short read, easily doable on your next flight. It's a great reminder that not that much has really changed and we're a lot more a like than not.
  • The Power of Moments - Chip and Dan Heath
    • Experiences shape all our lives, the stories you tell your customers or the stories customers tell themselves shape your reality. This is a great book about how to be more intentional about the stories you and your company tell.
  • 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene
    • Accept reality, read the book. Don't use it to be a dick.
  • Nudge - Richard Thaler
    • Managers, leaders, product managers, and to a degree, everyone makes decisions that Nudge other people's behavior. Learn how to do it well and ethically. There is no abdicating this, you're building systems that influence others. If you don't make these decisions consciously, you'll just end up building a shitty system.
  • Factfulness - Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund
    • There are ups and downs but generally speaking we are actually making progress. It's important we continue but this book challenges some common assumptions and ultimately I appreciate the author's call for hope, calm, curiosity, and truth in our noisy world.
  • Black Swan - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    • Your view of the future is an illusion, an illusion of control. We won't predict the most impactful events in our future. But that doesn't mean you don't prepare.

Disclaimer: This article includes Amazon affiliate links: if you click on one of these links and purchase a product, I may make a small commission. This obviously has no impact on the curation of this list. I'll continue to update with a few more titles when I have a moment.