📚 Books I recommend
Top 3 per category, with a quick why. Must-reads marked with a star ⭐
Biographies & Memoir
Long Walk to Freedom ⭐
Nelson Mandela ·
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Leadership forged through struggle, principle, and patience
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight ·
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Nike’s scrappy origin story leading to today's success
Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age
W. Bernard Carlson ·
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Context-rich portrait of a visionary engineer and his era
Behavior & Decision-making
Behave ⭐
Robert Sapolsky ·
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From neurons to societies, a layered map of human behavior
Thinking, Fast and Slow ⭐
Daniel Kahneman ·
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Biases and dual-system thinking, explained for daily decisions
Think Again
Adam Grant ·
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Make rethinking a habit - curiosity over conviction
Science & Medicine
The Code Breaker ⭐
Walter Isaacson ·
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CRISPR, Doudna, and the ethics driving biotech’s frontier
Infinite Powers
Steven Strogatz ·
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How calculus quietly underpins modern life
Outlive
Peter Attia ·
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Longevity science translated into actionable routines
Tech & Society
Why Nations Fail ⭐
Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson ·
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Institutions explain prosperity of nations
Chip War
Chris Miller ·
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Semiconductors as geopolitics with supply chains as power
The Innovators
Walter Isaacson ·
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Team-driven breakthroughs behind the digital revolution
Startups & Venture Capital
Venture Deals
Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson ·
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VC terms and process made legible for novices
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick ·
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Simple rules for getting honest customer feedback
The Power Law
Sebastian Mallaby ·
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How venture capital shaped modern tech and silicon valley
I’ll swap as I keep reading — let me know if I’m missing a gem