4 ms·

Why Nations Fail (amazing!) Chimpanzee Politics (interesting) Corporate Confidential (paranoid, but worth a read) Developer Hegemony (red pill for developers

Why Nations Fail (amazing!) Chimpanzee Politics (interesting) Corporate Confidential (paranoid, but worth a read) Developer Hegemony (red pill for developers!!!) Bargaining For Advantage (reasonable) Tempo: Timing, Tactics and Strategy in Narrative-Driven Decision Making (abstract as hell but rewarding) Thinking Fast and Slow (loved it) The Elephant In The Brain (seriously underrated) The Brain That Changes Itself (inspirationally freaky) The Power of Habit (good!) The Secret Barrister (mildly disturbing) Thinking In Systems (huge fan of this book!) A Short History of Truth (meh...) Man's Search For Meaning (brooo... I am so sorry) Thinking In Bets (meh.. really meh) The Road To Ruin (alright. Interesting even.) Lying For Money (lots of fun!) Great Answers To Tough Interview Questions (what it says on the tin) Traction (good overview of marketing tactics) Lean Customer Development (pretty good) The Mom Test (eye opening) Lean B2B (solid playbook) Principles (instant classic)

wastedhours 8y ago
> Developer Hegemony Thanks for giving me another Xmas gift idea - bought! The interesting thing for me about books like that is whether it inspires or makes you more down about the situation, what's that one like?
- james_s_tayler 8y ago
  It's a fantastic read but it depends on the reader. I think it will leave some people thinking why oh why didn't I take the blue pill? Hahaha.
rcarrigan87 8y ago
Concur on Thinking in Bets, very meh
Numberwang 8y ago
Could you give more details on 'Thinking In Systems'? There are a lot of books with similar or the same title.
jonahx 8y ago
> Man's Search For Meaning (brooo... I am so sorry) ??
- Delmania 8y ago
  First hand account of being in a concentration camp. Frankl was lucky in that he was shipped from Auschwitz, but it was still a brutal existence.
  - jonahx 8y ago
    Yes I know what it is, I was questioning the "brooo... " comment, which seemed so tonally inappropriate and weird in what otherwise seemed like a thoughtful list.
    - james_s_tayler 8y ago
      Cos I addressed that one to the author, not the audience. It's like I imagine he's standing right in front of me and what my visceral response would be to him. From one human to another I'm sorry we're capable of putting each other through that. That book is just unyieldingly bleak in the most gripping way. And he was such a good guy right til the very end.
      - jonahx 8y ago
        I see, and I believe your intentions weren't bad. But as some constructive criticism I'd say the optics are not good. The phrase "brooo" just feels tone-deaf and minimizing here. And unless you are the most charmingly clueless surfer dude on the planet, I don't think it works when the survivor is standing in front of you either.
      - qntty 8y ago
        Most people who use bro are being at least a little ironic. It's a weird register to use for a Austrian man born in 1905. Wouldn't be a big deal except that it's literally the Holocaust. Not personally offended, just explaining why most people will probably not take it the way you mean.
kenned3 8y ago
Read your list, we have a bunch of books in common Why Nations Fail (was an interesting read!) Thinking Fast and Slow (This was on a lot of trader desks and was a good read.) The Elephant In The Brain (this is the first audiobook i have ever listed to, agree, highly underrated.) Principles (many years ago, I worked at BW for around 4 years... It was required reading, but remains one of my top recommended books. I actually own a copy of his original principals, and still bought the hard cover. Dalio's deep thinking is amazing).
- james_s_tayler 8y ago
  I've got another one in my bookshelf I'm about to tackle next called "In Defense Of Troublemakers". It's about how group dynamics also produce irrationality and why dissent is dangerous but necessary. I'd say you'd probably really enjoy it too.
essive 8y ago
Good list! You should add Orientalism by Said and Open Society and Its Enemies by Popper - both classics!

wastedhours 8y ago

> Developer Hegemony Thanks for giving me another Xmas gift idea - bought! The interesting thing for me about books like that is whether it inspires or makes you more down about the situation, what's that one like?

james_s_tayler 8y ago
It's a fantastic read but it depends on the reader. I think it will leave some people thinking why oh why didn't I take the blue pill? Hahaha.

rcarrigan87 8y ago

Concur on Thinking in Bets, very meh

Numberwang 8y ago

Could you give more details on 'Thinking In Systems'? There are a lot of books with similar or the same title.

jonahx 8y ago

> Man's Search For Meaning (brooo... I am so sorry) ??

Delmania 8y ago
First hand account of being in a concentration camp. Frankl was lucky in that he was shipped from Auschwitz, but it was still a brutal existence.
- jonahx 8y ago
  Yes I know what it is, I was questioning the "brooo... " comment, which seemed so tonally inappropriate and weird in what otherwise seemed like a thoughtful list.
  - james_s_tayler 8y ago
    Cos I addressed that one to the author, not the audience. It's like I imagine he's standing right in front of me and what my visceral response would be to him. From one human to another I'm sorry we're capable of putting each other through that. That book is just unyieldingly bleak in the most gripping way. And he was such a good guy right til the very end.
    - jonahx 8y ago
      I see, and I believe your intentions weren't bad. But as some constructive criticism I'd say the optics are not good. The phrase "brooo" just feels tone-deaf and minimizing here. And unless you are the most charmingly clueless surfer dude on the planet, I don't think it works when the survivor is standing in front of you either.
    - qntty 8y ago
      Most people who use bro are being at least a little ironic. It's a weird register to use for a Austrian man born in 1905. Wouldn't be a big deal except that it's literally the Holocaust. Not personally offended, just explaining why most people will probably not take it the way you mean.

kenned3 8y ago

Read your list, we have a bunch of books in common Why Nations Fail (was an interesting read!) Thinking Fast and Slow (This was on a lot of trader desks and was a good read.) The Elephant In The Brain (this is the first audiobook i have ever listed to, agree, highly underrated.) Principles (many years ago, I worked at BW for around 4 years... It was required reading, but remains one of my top recommended books. I actually own a copy of his original principals, and still bought the hard cover. Dalio's deep thinking is amazing).

james_s_tayler 8y ago
I've got another one in my bookshelf I'm about to tackle next called "In Defense Of Troublemakers". It's about how group dynamics also produce irrationality and why dissent is dangerous but necessary. I'd say you'd probably really enjoy it too.

essive 8y ago

Good list! You should add Orientalism by Said and Open Society and Its Enemies by Popper - both classics!