A mix of programming, non-fiction, and fiction. Notes are short + biased.
George Orwell
Short + razor-sharp
classics allegory dystopia politics
Atul Gawande
Simple + high-impact
Why checklists work in complex, high-stakes work.
productivity medicine decision-making
Luciano Ramalho
Deep + Pythonic
A thorough tour of writing idiomatic Python.
python programming language-features
John Steinbeck
Epic + human
A multigenerational story of identity, choice, and good vs evil.
classic literary-fiction family morality
Alexandre Dumas
Big + addictive
Betrayal, prison, reinvention- and a masterclass in long-game revenge.
classic adventure revenge historical-fiction
Charlotte Brontë
Gothic + intimate
A fiercely independent heroine, moral backbone, and slow-burning tension.
classic gothic romance coming-of-age
Bill Bryson
Curious + fun
A fast, readable tour of the universe- from atoms to evolution.
science popular-science history curiosity
Albert Camus
Sharp + unsettling
Camus on the absurd- and the question of how to live anyway.
philosophy existentialism absurdism meaning
John Ralston Saul
Dense + provocative
A critique of technocracy and how ‘reason’ can become a mask for power.
philosophy society history power
Leo Tolstoy
Short + devastating
A brutally honest look at mortality, denial, and what a ‘good life’ means.
classic existentialism mortality russian-literature
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Massive + profound
A family drama that turns into questions about God, morality, and freedom.
classic philosophy faith russian-literature
Kazuo Ishiguro
Quiet + haunting
A meditation on duty, dignity, and the cost of emotional restraint.
literary-fiction memory regret identity
Paulo Freire
Radical + foundational
A classic on power, education, and liberation.
education politics philosophy critical-theory
Walter Rodney
Sharp + historical
A major work on colonial exploitation and global inequality.
history colonialism africa political-economy
Vincent Bevins
Investigative + disturbing
Explores U.S.-backed anti-communist purges and their global impact.
history geopolitics cold-war
Edward S. Herman; Noam Chomsky
Analytical + provocative
Introduces the propaganda model of media.
media politics propaganda
Naomi Klein
Investigative + sweeping
Argues that crises are exploited to push radical market reforms.
economics politics globalization
Richard P. Rumelt
Clear + practical
Explains why most 'strategies' are actually vague goals.
strategy business decision-making
Malcolm Gladwell
Narrative + counterintuitive
Why humans systematically misunderstand strangers.
psychology communication society
Bessel van der Kolk
Clinical + compassionate
Explores how trauma reshapes the brain and body.
psychology trauma neuroscience
Kate Moore
Tragic + investigative
A landmark workplace safety story.
history labor medicine
Mark Kurlansky
Curious + surprising
How a simple mineral shaped economies and empires.
history food trade
Caroline Criado Pérez
Eye-opening + research-heavy
How data gaps systematically disadvantage women.
data gender society
Yuval Noah Harari
Big-picture + provocative
A sweeping story of how Homo sapiens shaped the world.
history anthropology civilization
Chris Miller
Strategic + contemporary
Explains the global semiconductor power struggle.
technology geopolitics semiconductors
William Goldman
Playful + adventurous
A cult classic adventure with humor and romance.
fantasy adventure humor
Hanya Yanagihara
Disturbing + philosophical
A fictional memoir about discovery, ethics, and corruption.
literary-fiction morality science
Will Durant; Ariel Durant
Short + distilled
A compressed summary of patterns across civilizations.
history philosophy civilization
James C. Scott
Insightful + contrarian
Why large-scale centralized planning repeatedly fails.
politics systems governance planning
Robert A. Caro
Epic + investigative
A legendary biography explaining how power actually works.
power politics biography infrastructure
Neil Postman
Sharp + prophetic
How entertainment culture reshapes public discourse.
media culture politics
Douglas Hofstadter
Mind-bending + playful
Explores consciousness, recursion, and intelligence.
logic cognition mathematics philosophy
Cal Newport
Practical + strict
Helped me redesign my mornings.
focus habits
Eckhart Tolle
Calm + grounding
More exercises and reflections than theory.
spirituality mindfulness self-help
Ali Almossawi
Playful + intellectually sharp
A visual guide to common logical fallacies and how flawed reasoning sneaks into everyday arguments.
logic critical-thinking fallacies reasoning
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Provocative + skeptical
Rare events, big consequences, and hindsight stories.
risk uncertainty decision-making
Ramachandra Guha
Big + richly detailed
A sweeping narrative of India post-1947.
history india politics
Atul Gawande
Simple + high-impact
Why checklists work in complex, high-stakes work.
productivity medicine decision-making
Angela Duckworth
Motivating + research-backed
A mix of studies, stories, and practical framing.
psychology habits motivation
Bill Bryson
Curious + fun
A fast, readable tour of the universe- from atoms to evolution.
science popular-science history curiosity
Albert Camus
Sharp + unsettling
Camus on the absurd- and the question of how to live anyway.
philosophy existentialism absurdism meaning
John Ralston Saul
Dense + provocative
A critique of technocracy and how ‘reason’ can become a mask for power.
philosophy society history power
Paulo Freire
Radical + foundational
A classic on power, education, and liberation.
education politics philosophy critical-theory
Walter Rodney
Sharp + historical
A major work on colonial exploitation and global inequality.
history colonialism africa political-economy
Vincent Bevins
Investigative + disturbing
Explores U.S.-backed anti-communist purges and their global impact.
history geopolitics cold-war
Edward S. Herman; Noam Chomsky
Analytical + provocative
Introduces the propaganda model of media.
media politics propaganda
Naomi Klein
Investigative + sweeping
Argues that crises are exploited to push radical market reforms.
economics politics globalization
Richard P. Rumelt
Clear + practical
Explains why most 'strategies' are actually vague goals.
strategy business decision-making
Malcolm Gladwell
Narrative + counterintuitive
Why humans systematically misunderstand strangers.
psychology communication society
Bessel van der Kolk
Clinical + compassionate
Explores how trauma reshapes the brain and body.
psychology trauma neuroscience
Kate Moore
Tragic + investigative
A landmark workplace safety story.
history labor medicine
Mark Kurlansky
Curious + surprising
How a simple mineral shaped economies and empires.
history food trade
Caroline Criado Pérez
Eye-opening + research-heavy
How data gaps systematically disadvantage women.
data gender society
Yuval Noah Harari
Big-picture + provocative
A sweeping story of how Homo sapiens shaped the world.
history anthropology civilization
Chris Miller
Strategic + contemporary
Explains the global semiconductor power struggle.
technology geopolitics semiconductors
Will Durant; Ariel Durant
Short + distilled
A compressed summary of patterns across civilizations.
history philosophy civilization
James C. Scott
Insightful + contrarian
Why large-scale centralized planning repeatedly fails.
politics systems governance planning
Robert A. Caro
Epic + investigative
A legendary biography explaining how power actually works.
power politics biography infrastructure
Neil Postman
Sharp + prophetic
How entertainment culture reshapes public discourse.
media culture politics
Douglas Hofstadter
Mind-bending + playful
Explores consciousness, recursion, and intelligence.
logic cognition mathematics philosophy
Ramesh S. Balsekar
Radical + nondual
A modern commentary on the Ashtavakra Gita exploring nonduality and the illusion of individual doership.
philosophy spirituality advaita vedanta
George Orwell
Short + razor-sharp
Apt for the current global climate
political-satire allegory dystopia
George Orwell
Short + razor-sharp
classics allegory dystopia politics
André Aciman
Lyrical + intimate
memory, desire, and a very specific kind of longing.
literary-fiction romance coming-of-age
Amish Tripathi
Fast + mythic
Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy.
mythological-fiction fantasy indian-fiction
Amish Tripathi
Mystery + momentum
Book 2 of the Shiva Trilogy.
mythological-fiction fantasy indian-fiction
Amish Tripathi
Mystery + momentum
Book 3 of the Shiva Trilogy. first series ever
mythological-fiction fantasy indian-fiction
J. D. Salinger
Classic + raw
relatable teenage angst
classic coming-of-age literary-fiction
Hanya Yanagihara
Massive + emotionally heavy
Known for its intensity- plan accordingly.
literary-fiction friendship trauma
John Steinbeck
Epic + human
A multigenerational story of identity, choice, and good vs evil.
classic literary-fiction family morality
Alexandre Dumas
Big + addictive
Betrayal, prison, reinvention- and a masterclass in long-game revenge.
classic adventure revenge historical-fiction
Charlotte Brontë
Gothic + intimate
A fiercely independent heroine, moral backbone, and slow-burning tension.
classic gothic romance coming-of-age
Leo Tolstoy
Short + devastating
A brutally honest look at mortality, denial, and what a ‘good life’ means.
classic existentialism mortality russian-literature
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Massive + profound
A family drama that turns into questions about God, morality, and freedom.
classic philosophy faith russian-literature
Kazuo Ishiguro
Quiet + haunting
A meditation on duty, dignity, and the cost of emotional restraint.
literary-fiction memory regret identity
William Goldman
Playful + adventurous
A cult classic adventure with humor and romance.
fantasy adventure humor
Hanya Yanagihara
Disturbing + philosophical
A fictional memoir about discovery, ethics, and corruption.
literary-fiction morality science