[1] Balthasar Gracian, "The Art of Worldly Wisdom"
Timeless classic, 300 short maxims containing sage advice, written in beautiful prose. One of those books you can read just a few pages whenever you feel like. Currently re-reading it for the third time since I first read it 10 years ago. Still updates my mental model.
[2] James Allen, "As a man Thinketh"
At 21 pages, by far the most impactful piece of work on an impact-to-effort ratio. Very simple, yet very true. Changed my mental model completely, also 10 years ago, and also a book I'm re-reading for the third time.
[3] Nassim Taleb, "Black Swan"
A much more modern business book on the now-mainstream concept of "Black Swan" events. But the true value of this book goes beyond the concept – it changed my view of statistics, knowledge, empirical scepticism, philosophy, cognitive biases, societal dynamics, and sure, made me quit investment banking.
[4] Brian Greene, "Fabric of the Cosmos"
Mind-blowing primer on physics, all the way from Newtonian physics, to General Relativity, to Quantum Mechanics, to String Theory (and beyond). Concepts explained without a single equation.
[5] Douglas Hofstadter, "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid"
What a unique masterpiece. Covers a wide range fascinating concepts through the three geniuses in Math, Art, and Music. Most mind-blowing is his meta-writing style, using short fictional dialogue interludes (sprinkled with easter eggs) to convey each concept in very subtle manner. The joy when you see it.
Timeless classic, 300 short maxims containing sage advice, written in beautiful prose. One of those books you can read just a few pages whenever you feel like. Currently re-reading it for the third time since I first read it 10 years ago. Still updates my mental model.
[2] James Allen, "As a man Thinketh"
At 21 pages, by far the most impactful piece of work on an impact-to-effort ratio. Very simple, yet very true. Changed my mental model completely, also 10 years ago, and also a book I'm re-reading for the third time.
[3] Nassim Taleb, "Black Swan"
A much more modern business book on the now-mainstream concept of "Black Swan" events. But the true value of this book goes beyond the concept – it changed my view of statistics, knowledge, empirical scepticism, philosophy, cognitive biases, societal dynamics, and sure, made me quit investment banking.
[4] Brian Greene, "Fabric of the Cosmos"
Mind-blowing primer on physics, all the way from Newtonian physics, to General Relativity, to Quantum Mechanics, to String Theory (and beyond). Concepts explained without a single equation.
[5] Douglas Hofstadter, "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid"
What a unique masterpiece. Covers a wide range fascinating concepts through the three geniuses in Math, Art, and Music. Most mind-blowing is his meta-writing style, using short fictional dialogue interludes (sprinkled with easter eggs) to convey each concept in very subtle manner. The joy when you see it.
[1] http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/aww/index.htm
[2] https://wahiduddin.net/thinketh/as_a_man_thinketh.pdf
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Swan_(Taleb_book)
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach
UPDATE: format