23 Book Recommendations From Someone Who Quit Reading Books
I was once offered a book publishing deal and turned it down.
What was crazy about it was that once upon a time, it was a dream of mine to publish a book.
Books have helped shape how I think in an utterly profound way... and yet the more I've read about history and understood about how the 1% have run this world, the more I've come to realise just how complicated the history of the book is.
I'm still not sure if, net-net, books have been a beneficial tool for humanity to invent.
How much have you personally studied the history of the book?
Obviously, it's not taught as a traditional subject inside of our education system.
It's also usually left out of the random learning people do for fun whilst scrolling the internet.
How come such a vital and important tool of the world is itself so understudied?
The answer is that the 1% don't want us to know how they've built their world. If you haven't clocked yet that the main purpose of books, as in the physical tool, throughout history has been to help the 1% teach each other how to dominate, oppress, and pwn the people... it'll certainly change the feelings you get when you walk past a bookstore once you do.
You know who loved teaching the 1% how to dominate, oppress, and pwn the people?
Aristotle.
Yeah, his shtick wasn't about excellence through habits. It was about helping the 1% build effective tyrannies by getting the people tricked into the right habits... of internal and external oppression.
That's why his book is on this list. I think it's important to read the literal playbook of the creators of capitalism if you ever want to help do anything about it.
If there is a point to reading books, it's to help you understand life and the world, and it's also to help you understand that if you're not careful, you can be a good person who reads 50 books a year, loves working at your AI climate startup, and you can still be getting buckets for the big business structures you apparently exist to dismantle every day of the week.
These books span all different genres and areas of life, and I really think even the most well-read book nerd could learn a lot from these books. Hopefully they might help you gain some of the wisdom needed to see that ultimately, all of the coolest lessons you can learn in this world can't be learned from books.
They can only be learned from people and life.
Matt
Ps - I haven't linked any of the books to a particular store, so you'll have your own preference. Please note that in some instances, no one has written a good enough book about the research area or subject matter I'd like to introduce you to, so I've given you the best entry point I can. Also, some of the recommendations are not books, but hopefully that's ok.
Enjoy the books. They are in no particular order.
1. The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber
Okay, so a few things you can say out loud to that might show you're a noob about history.
1. Civilisation is as natural as something like a tree or river and has been net-net positive as an invention by the few cultures that did it.
2. There is only one way to define time.
It's quite hard to get through the full impact of both of these arguments in one book, but this one does a good job. If you're a person who read Better Angels Of Our Nature or Sapiens and want a more grown-up approach to what I like to call The History of History - this book is a great start.
2. First Footprints: The Epic Story of the First Australians by Scott Cane
What is more impressive:
1. Sending 12 dudes to the moon for 300 billion.
2. 300-600 million people living together as a culture for ~50,000 years without war, slavery, or a single piece of trash.
Remember when we all had the right to eat food for free? It's one of the biggest things the 1% wipes from history.
*
3. The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics was written by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith
There was a time in my life I believed democracy was the coolest way people could ever imagine making a government. I'm now much wiser. And that doesn't mean I'm a communist lol. It means I think the way forward is for us to realise nations and governments are a lot older than Ancient Athens.
You know who didn't get a vote in the OG Democracy?
1. Women.
2. Slaves.
3. Foreigners.
k.
Yeah, history is a bit more complicated than the Disney version we got taught in school.
You can also watch this video, which is based on it. I haven't fully watched that video, just the first 3 mins, but I've read the book and it blew my mind. The video seems to get the gist of the book.
4. The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease was by Daniel E. Lieberman
How dope is having a HUMAN BODY! Did you know how ridiculous the journey of your body has been to become... your body?
If we
If we ask where your body started, of course we have to talk about the Big Bang.
Cos obvs we were both there when the universe was the size of a pin. You and me.
Now, quite a bit has happened since then.
Your atoms were stars for a while. Same as mine.
Then they were in a cloud-type thing for a bit.
And then that cloud-type thing got over being a cloud and decided to get in shape.
And so your atoms were now all become the earth.
And then so and so and something and something and you're now reading this list.
It's cool to learn about your body. This book will help.
5. The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor was written by Eddie Jaku
*If you've been through extreme trauma, be careful with this book.
I met this guy twice before he died at the casual age of 101.
I met him once when he was 87, and one time I spoke to him on the phone about 8 months before he passed. We spoke for 3 minutes.
He changed my life, and I really think people from everywhere can learn from his lesson.
It sounds so trivial when I say this, but as someone with PTSD from when I broke my neck growing up... he taught me that even in a life as challenging as mine, I need to #killmyexcuses and find joy no matter what.
I'm so grateful to him and will never forget him teaching me that around the time I broke my neck at 17.
Eddie died a successful businessman, would have definitely been a millionaire, and went to the gym twice a week in his nursing home at 100 years old. What are your excuses again?
Five books that are so helpful to business owners, I think non-business owners should read them as well.
Two types of business.
1. When you run out of money, go find a rich person. Probably golfing? Sell them part of your company and inherit a boss stuck in a passionless marriage who is going to want you to work really, really hard. They will solve your problems through connections.
2. When you run out of money, go find a customer. Where are all the customers? Who knows. Welcome to the land of lead gen. Time to go find out. You will inherit a boss called your customers. They will also want you to work really, really hard. They will solve your problems through referrals.
I personally think only the second type are real. The first are usually just causing problems.
6. Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz
Cash flow crisis?
This book will help so much.
7. Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It... and Why the Rest Don't was written by Verne Harnish
But how go from one person to many people?
This book will help so much.
8. The Excellence Dividend: Principles for Prospering in Turbulent Times by Tom Peters
How do I get so good my staff like my product so much they actually want to sell it and want to work for me, and even when things get hard we still survive?
This book will help so much.
9. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
But I'm such a good consultant/artist/skill worker and smashed my previous job.
Why is business so hard for me?
This book will help so much.
10. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
There are multiple routes to a proper execution system. The reason I chose this one is because of his intense focus on the importance of not using your brain for keeping all your to-do lists but using your brain for creativity and focus.
Lastly, you need to sit with the paradox that businesses are things that were originally invented by shifty folk...
11. The Corporation Documentary
Haven't read the book, have watched a documentary based on the book. Just important to understand where businesses really come from and that you should be focused on helping people.
12. This Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_human_migrations
Like. What?
Are we all kidding?
Look at how we really moved over the world.
Why did so much war happen in Europe but not in Australia until Europeans came to Australia?
12. What the Colonists Never Knew: A History of Aboriginal Sydney by Dennis Foley and Peter Read
* If you've been through extreme trauma, be careful with this book.
Research the Vagabonds Act and unpack the time when big business could arrest you for not having a job.
Read that sentence again.
I know Dennis personally. I don't believe in the concepts of heroes, but I admire him deeply. He has welcomed me to the country that I live in :)
13. When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought by Jim Holt
* No need to actually read this book
So, we all leave school with this idea that math is black and white and everything in math is true and concrete and makes sense.
Except for the fact that we have proven that some things are true that we can never fully prove true. And math will always find statements like that. The reason this is important is that it kinda sorta 100% a little bit proves that reason, logic, and rationality are actually not very good tools.
Like we've proven logic, reason, and rational thinking are defunk tools with math done by a guy who walked home with Albert Eienstien every day.
Basically, have you ever heard of someone talk about why first principles thinking is the ultimate way of thinking? Well, the big mathematical problem with that is that there is an assumption in that - which is that all truths can be put into principles.
This proves that impossible. Which is quite important.
Okay, don't read the book. Just here so I can talk about Kurt.
14. helpingcultureheal.com program
Shameless plug. Well, I mean it's free.
Also not a book, but you should go watch the video titled The Sinister Side Of Our Kids Stories Ft Harry Potter And The Lion King.
The next 3 books are grouped to help you realise your brain actually can change, and ergo, so can you if you put the effort in.
15. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. by Daniel Coyle.
16. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge
17. Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
More dope books...
18. Songspirals: Sharing Women's Wisdom of Country Through Songlines by the Gay'wu Group of Women
Enough said.
19. The Second World War, Volume 1: The Gathering Storm by Winston S. Churchill
* No need to actually read this book, but maybe you should, you know?
Okay, so I put this here mostly because I like saying things about British History to British people that they think cannot be true. This guy caused a famine that killed millions.
Are you sure we shouldn't talk about it?
20. The Republic by Plato and Politics by Aristotle.
When are we going to talk about the fact that Plato is the reason we don't see women, people of colour, or regular people in our Art?
And he founded the ultimate ancestor of the academic system that trained at least one or two decision-makers down throughout history?
Read politics.
I haven't read it cover to cover as I got the gist... but I've read a LOT of it and quote it a lot to people. He is the reason we use the term academic and hate women in our Art.
Also read Politics by Aristotle. First maybe 800 words? Then just skip to the chapter on Tyranny.
Aristotle is so famous he gets name-dropped by Taylor Swift. I think we should talk about his fame and the truth of his work.
21. All the books you do not need to finish
Quit books that are trash. Not everyone is a great writer, and it's not that hard to publish a book.
22. All the books you won't read
Seriously. Stop reading books and start building your dream life.
23. None of it matters if you're empty inside
For real.