If it actually works, I’d passionately take on a full-time job where I march around on the streets, wave my arms and chant “please read these books!” all day long, because the world would definitely become a better place if more people read those books, and this is the most natural and efficient approach I could come up with.
Which is why I’m usually very happy when people ask for book recommendations. It’s the kind of advice I would want from a friend, if I were confused about something. Ask me illuminating questions so I could make my own decisions. Give me a keyword to research on. Recommend a book.
I don’t just want solutions. I want to know how to get there.
So how does one equip their mind with the ability to navigate through chaos, obstacles and uncertainties; to see through complex problems, apply critical thinking and explain them in clear terms?
Start from here:
The Art of Learning
- the love of life and learning
- how to navigate obstacles and deal with chaos
Mindset, Mastery, Flow
- learning theories
- cognitive psychology
Economics in One Lesson
- economic theories
- explain complicated matters with clean reasoning
Harry Potter and the Method of Rationality
- magic with the method of science
- cognitive science
- humanism
- narcissism
Hackers and Painters
- explain complicated matters with clean reasoning
- economic theories
- startup related
- programming related
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
- automation
- abstraction upon abstraction
- programming related
Ideas and Opinions, Justice, Lying, The Moral Landscape, What Life Should Mean to You
- critical thinking
- world view
- right & wrong
Can’t Buy My Love, Trust Me, I’m Lying, The Four, Abundance
- advertising & marketing
- future
- capitalism
- economic systems
- technology development
Intuitive Eating, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
- system/environment vs. individual
- psychology experiments
- pathology
- addiction
- empathetic way of thinking
When the Body Says No, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Boundaries
- pathology
- differentiation
- social psychology
- self-awareness
- clear communication
- passive aggression explained
Nonviolent Communication, Never Split the Difference, Verbal Judo, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- win-win, cooperative way of thinking
- effective communication
- empathy
- criminal psychology
Attached, The Power of Two, He’s Just Not That Into You, Scary Close
- attachment theories
- win-win, cooperative way of thinking
- effective communication
- dating and relationships
Hold On to Your Kids
- attachment theories
- education and child rearing
- interesting take on rebellion in adolescence
The Gift of Fear, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
- criminal psychology
- thrilling story telling way of writing
- system/environment vs. individual
- clear communication
- empathy
- trauma
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!, What Do You Care What Other People Think?
- Richard Feynman
- biography
- funny
Deep Work
- productiveness
- system/environment vs. individual
The Geography of Bliss
- thought-provoking
- happiness
Fooled by Randomness, Antifragile
- see the world through the lens of probability of events
- voice vs. noise
- uncertainties
- chaos
Out of Control
- social systems
- economic systems
- technological development
- system/environment vs. individual
- future
- chaos
Mistakes Were Made, Subliminal
- social psychology
- self-awareness
The Social Animal, The Lucifer Effect
- social psychology
- self-awareness
- system/environment vs. individual
And how to read them:
- don’t read from cover from cover, unless the whole book is just everything you need
- pick the topics of your interest, read the chapters you’re interested in
- time wasted on chapters you’re not interested in could be spent on reading something that’s both fun and informative
- no need to agree
- what one does need is the ability to process information even when they disagree with it
- see where they contradict and agree with each other, and think
- find a way to either reread the interesting parts or try out the theories
Personally I would:
- highlight while I read, on kindle
- sort the notes with Kindle Clippings Processor (which groups notes by book name and sort them by location and timestamp), and collect/reread the juicy parts when I feel like pondering on specific topics (with Evernote, one ever-note per book)
Rereading helps tremendously with digestion. The once alien concepts gradually become emotionally integrated as part of your own. But even if you don’t reread, every line of information you ever absorbed anywhere will have a cozy corner somewhere deep in your mind, somehow. Subconsciousness works marvellously like that.
Go knock yourself out with delicious books. Bon voyage!
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