The P2P Reading List (2024 December)
Read the best books first, otherwise you will find you do not have time.—Henry David Thoreau
The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell
Who is considered a happy person, according to a philosopher? In the words of the author:
The happy man is the man who does not suffer from either of these failures of unity, whose personality is neither divided against itself nor pitted against the world. Such a man feels himself a citizen of the universe, enjoying freely the spectacle that it offers and the joys that it affords, untroubled by the thought of death because he feels himself not really separate from those who will come after him. It is in such profound instinctive union with the stream of life that the greatest joy is to be found.
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko Willink
Jocko's other books, Extreme Ownership and Discipline Equals Freedom, provide useful principles; this handbook puts them into practice. I appreciate Jocko detailing suggestions for a range of leadership situations.
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
A curious trip (pun intended) into the history and practice of psychedelics research. There is also a Netflix documentary.
You Can't Screw This Up by Adam Bornstein
Books in the dieting space tend to take an extreme view. Adam Bornstein's piece is a refreshing one as it doesn't.
Changing on the Job: Developing Leaders for a Complex World by Jennifer Garvey Berger
Jennifer Garvey Berger describes leadership development through adult development theory (more on this topic soon!), i.e., how people at different developmental stages see themselves and the world. She states that adult development theory is not a silver bullet—even if you don't care about leadership development, still read it for the intellectual humbleness the author exposes through statements like this. Still, I find it a very useful mental model.
If you are interested in all the books that piqued my interest, you can also visit my Goodreads profile.