Bookshelf

Below is a fairly complete catalog of the books I have read (and some which is are in my reading list). I've only read about 3/4th of the books here.

Technology and Startup

  1. Life 3.0 — Max TegmarkWhat increasingly capable AI could mean for humanity’s future.
  2. The Elegant Universe — Brian GreeneAn introduction to string theory and the search for a unified physics.
  3. The Innovators — Walter IsaacsonThe people and collaborations behind the digital revolution.
  4. Zero to One — Peter Thiel and Blake MastersBuilding something new rather than competing to copy what already exists.
  5. The Innovator’s Dilemma — Clayton M. ChristensenWhy successful companies can struggle to respond to disruptive technologies.
  6. The Genesis Machine — Amy Webb and Andrew HesselHow synthetic biology could reshape medicine, industry, and daily life.
  7. Chip War — Chris MillerThe history and geopolitics of the semiconductor industry.
  8. 7 Powers — Hamilton HelmerSeven ways a business can build a lasting competitive advantage.
  9. Secrets of Sand Hill Road — Scott KuporHow venture capital works and what founders should understand about it.
  10. The Hard Thing About Hard Things — Ben HorowitzThe difficult decisions that come with building and running a company.
  11. Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital — Carlota PerezHow technological waves and financial cycles reshape economies.
  12. How to Create a Mind — Ray KurzweilA theory of how the brain recognizes patterns and what it suggests for AI.
  13. The Coming Wave — Mustafa Suleyman and Michael BhaskarThe opportunities and containment challenges of powerful emerging technologies.
  14. Nexus — Yuval Noah HarariA history of information networks, from ancient stories to artificial intelligence.
  15. Homo Deus — Yuval Noah HarariSpeculation about humanity’s future amid biotechnology and artificial intelligence.
  16. AI 2041 — Kai-Fu Lee and Chen QiufanTen fictional scenarios exploring how AI might change everyday life.
  17. Intellectual Property: A Very Short Introduction — Siva VaidhyanathanAn introduction to copyright, patents, trademarks, and their social tradeoffs.
  18. Blockchain Bubble or Revolution — Neel Mehta, Aditya Agashe, and Parth DetrojaA look at the promises and limitations of blockchain technology.
  19. Inference Engineering — Philip KielyHow to serve AI models efficiently in real applications.
  20. Principles of Building AI Agents — Sam BhagwatA practical introduction to agents, tools, memory, and workflows.
  21. The Memory LayerA saved technical resource on memory; its exact scope still needs confirmation.
  22. How to Be a Founder — Alice Bentinck and Matt CliffordFinding a cofounder, shaping an idea, and taking the first steps toward a company.
  23. The Mom Test — Rob FitzpatrickHow to ask customers useful questions without inviting polite reassurance.
  24. The SaaS Playbook — Rob WallingLessons in building, pricing, and growing a bootstrapped software company.
  25. Zero to Sold — Arvid KahlBuilding and growing a bootstrapped business with customers at its center.
  26. Start Small, Stay Small — Rob WallingA practical guide to building a software business without venture capital.

Philosophy

  1. The Stranger — Albert CamusA detached outsider confronts judgment, meaning, and the absurd.
  2. The Metamorphosis — Franz KafkaA man’s transformation exposes the fragility of his place in his family.
  3. Siddhartha — Hermann HesseA young man searches for wisdom beyond teachers and doctrines.
  4. Sophie’s World — Jostein GaarderA philosophical mystery that introduces the history of Western thought.
  5. Mindfulness in Plain English — Bhante Henepola GunaratanaA straightforward guide to meditation and paying attention.
  6. The Prince — Niccolò MachiavelliA pragmatic examination of political power and the ruler’s choices.
  7. Beyond Good and Evil — Friedrich NietzscheA challenge to inherited ideas about morality, truth, and philosophy.
  8. Time and Free Will — Henri BergsonAn inquiry into lived time, consciousness, and freedom.
  9. The History of Sexuality, Volume 1 — Michel FoucaultHow institutions and discourse shape sexuality and power.
  10. Madness and Civilization — Michel FoucaultHow Western societies have understood and confined madness.
  11. Discipline and Punish — Michel FoucaultThe shift from public punishment to prisons, surveillance, and discipline.
  12. Annihilation of Caste — B. R. AmbedkarAn uncompromising argument against caste and its religious foundations.
  13. Moral Letters to Lucilius — SenecaLetters on friendship, mortality, and living according to Stoic principles.
  14. Meditations — Marcus AureliusPrivate reflections on duty, perspective, and living with uncertainty.
  15. Bhagavad-gita As It Is — A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaA translation and commentary on the Gita from a devotional perspective.
  16. Nietzsche — Michael TannerA short introduction to Nietzsche’s life and philosophical ideas.
  17. Feminism Is for Everybody — bell hooksAn accessible introduction to feminist ideas and their everyday implications.
  18. Freedom from the Known — J. KrishnamurtiAn invitation to question conditioning, authority, and inherited beliefs.
  19. Nausea — Jean-Paul SartreA novel about existence, contingency, and the strangeness of ordinary life.
  20. Notes from Underground — Fyodor DostoyevskyA bitter narrator examines pride, freedom, and self-defeating behavior.
  21. Crime and Punishment — Fyodor DostoyevskyA young man wrestles with guilt and moral responsibility after a murder.
  22. The Trial — Franz KafkaA man faces an opaque legal system without learning what he is accused of.
  23. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories — Franz KafkaStories of alienation, bureaucracy, and unsettling transformations.
  24. 1984 — George OrwellA totalitarian state wages war on memory, language, and independent thought.
  25. Fahrenheit 451 — Ray BradburyA society that burns books and the fireman who begins to question it.
  26. The Buddhist Handbook — John SnellingAn introduction to Buddhist teachings, traditions, and practice.
  27. The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation — William HartAn introduction to Vipassana meditation as taught by S. N. Goenka.
  28. From Sex to Superconsciousness — OshoTalks on sexuality, awareness, and spiritual transformation.
  29. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor — Donald J. RobertsonStoic philosophy and modern psychology through the life of Marcus Aurelius.

Biographies

  1. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. — Ron ChernowThe life of Rockefeller, from oil empire to philanthropy.
  2. Andrew Carnegie — David NasawThe steel magnate’s rise, contradictions, and later philanthropy.
  3. Einstein: His Life and Universe — Walter IsaacsonEinstein’s life, scientific imagination, and relationship with his times.
  4. Steve Jobs — Walter IsaacsonThe life of Apple’s cofounder, from product design and creative ambition to his demanding leadership.
  5. Leonardo da Vinci — Walter IsaacsonHow Leonardo’s curiosity connected art, anatomy, engineering, and the study of nature.
  6. The Code Breaker — Walter IsaacsonJennifer Doudna’s life and the discovery of CRISPR, with the scientific rivalries and ethical questions of gene editing.
  7. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist — Roger LowensteinBuffett’s life and the development of his approach to investing.
  8. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life — Alice SchroederAn extensive biography of Buffett’s work, relationships, and ambitions.
  9. Poor Charlie’s Almanack — Charles T. MungerCharlie Munger’s talks on judgment, incentives, and mental models.
  10. Kushner, Inc. — Vicky WardAn investigation into the Kushner family’s business and political influence.
  11. The Fund — Rob CopelandAn investigation into Ray Dalio, Bridgewater, and the culture behind the firm.
  12. The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison — Mike WilsonA portrait of Oracle’s founder and his combative rise in software.
  13. Elon Musk — Walter IsaacsonA biography of Musk’s companies, ambitions, and personal life.
  14. Shoe Dog — Phil KnightThe uncertain early years of building Nike.

History

  1. Guns, Germs, and Steel — Jared DiamondAn explanation of historical inequalities centered on geography and environment.
  2. The Origins of Political Order — Francis FukuyamaHow states, the rule of law, and political accountability developed.
  3. The Idea of India — Sunil KhilnaniAn examination of the political ideas behind modern India.
  4. The Worldly Philosophers — Robert L. HeilbronerThe lives and ideas of the thinkers who shaped economic thought.
  5. This Time Is Different — Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. RogoffCenturies of financial crises and the recurring belief that this time is different.
  6. More Money Than God — Sebastian MallabyA history of hedge funds and the people who shaped them.
  7. Mass Flourishing — Edmund S. PhelpsHow innovation and participation can give work meaning and economies vitality.
  8. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century — Yuval Noah HarariQuestions about technology, politics, and meaning in the present century.

Others

  1. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel KahnemanThe shortcuts and biases that shape intuitive and deliberate thinking.
  2. The Future of Capitalism — Paul CollierProposals for addressing the social divides of contemporary capitalism.
  3. The Case Against Education — Bryan CaplanThe argument that education often signals ability more than it builds skills.
  4. Understanding CapitalismAn exploration of how capitalism works; the specific edition is unconfirmed.
  5. Business Adventures — John BrooksTwelve business stories about decisions, institutions, and human behavior.
  6. Nation of Victims — Vivek RamaswamyA critique of victimhood narratives in American public life.
  7. Woke, Inc. — Vivek RamaswamyA critique of corporate activism and its relationship with business incentives.
  8. खोल दो / ठंडा गोश्त — Saadat Hasan MantoTwo stories confronting violence, trauma, and the human cost of Partition.
  9. The Remains of the Day — Kazuo IshiguroA butler looks back on loyalty, regret, and a life devoted to service.
  10. The Lonely City — Olivia LaingLoneliness explored through the lives and work of artists in New York.
  11. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas AdamsAn absurd journey through space after Earth meets an inconvenient end.
  12. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas AdamsCollected comic adventures through an extraordinarily unreasonable universe.
  13. Fight Club 2 — Chuck PalahniukA graphic-novel sequel about identity, family, and the return of Tyler Durden.
  14. The Forty Rules of Love — Elif ShafakTwo intertwined stories about love, transformation, and Rumi’s world.
  15. Eleven Minutes — Paulo CoelhoA novel exploring desire, intimacy, and the search for love.
  16. NakedA saved title whose author and edition still need confirmation.
  17. The Mind-Gut Connection — Emeran MayerHow the brain, digestion, and gut microbes interact.
  18. Influence — Robert B. CialdiniThe psychological principles behind persuasion and saying yes.
  19. Emotional Intelligence — Daniel GolemanWhy recognizing and managing emotions matters in work and relationships.
  20. Fragile Power — Paul L. HokemeyerThe emotional difficulties that can hide behind wealth and fame.
  21. The 48 Laws of Power — Robert GreeneHistorical examples of the tactics people use to acquire and retain power.
  22. What Every BODY Is Saying — Joe Navarro and Marvin KarlinsAn introduction to observing nonverbal behavior and body language.
  23. Models — Mark MansonAn approach to dating built around honesty and vulnerability.
  24. Getting the Love You Want — Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly HuntAn approach to understanding relationship patterns and building connection.
  25. Grit — Angela DuckworthWhy sustained effort and commitment matter alongside talent.
  26. Deep Work — Cal NewportHow to protect focused attention in a world full of distractions.
  27. Tools of Titans — Timothy FerrissHabits and lessons collected from performers, founders, and other practitioners.
  28. Braving the Wilderness — Brené BrownBelonging without abandoning your values or sense of self.
  29. Emotional First Aid — Guy WinchPractical ways to respond to rejection, loneliness, guilt, and other emotional injuries.
  30. Your Brain on Porn — Gary WilsonThe author’s account of pornography use, compulsive habits, and recovery.
  31. Treating Pornography Addiction: The Essential Tools for Recovery — Kevin B. SkinnerA clinician’s approach to understanding and treating compulsive pornography use.
  32. What It Takes to Be Free — Darius ForouxReflections on independence, personal choices, and living on your own terms.
  33. Solving the Procrastination Puzzle — Timothy A. PychylSmall changes for getting past the habit of putting things off.
  34. How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale CarnegiePractical lessons in listening, persuasion, and dealing with people.
  35. How to Talk to Anyone — Leil LowndesPractical techniques for conversation and connecting with other people.
  36. The Fine Art of Small Talk — Debra FineHow to start conversations and make everyday social situations easier.
  37. Self-Knowledge — Mark MansonReflections on understanding your values, motivations, and identity.
  38. The Nerd’s Guide to Being Confident — Mark MansonA practical look at confidence, self-perception, and personal values.
  39. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — Mark MansonChoosing what matters and accepting limits instead of chasing constant positivity.
  40. Hit Reverse — Jash DholaniBrief reflections that challenge familiar assumptions about life.