The P2P Reading List (2024 March)
Read the best books first, otherwise you will find you do not have time.—Henry David Thoreau
The Science of Running by Steve Magness
One part exercise science, one part cutting-edge research, and one part coaching best practices. The Science of Running is much more than a book for runners and coaches. It is a manifesto of how to navigate between the Scylla of scientific studies and the Charybdis of trends and magic "best practices"”
The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin
Chess-prodigy and martial arts champion Joshua Waitzkin narrates his two paths to excellence. Though not the most actionable piece of the self-help genre, the deep self-reflection provides ample food for thought if you want to elevate your game.
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
The best Cal Newport book so far, attuned to achieving mastery. Cal Newport masterfully contrasts success in knowledge work with the prevalent, industry-suited notion of productivity. Crisp, clear, and short - ready to be devoured fast.
Handbook for New Employees by Valve
I almost want to work for Valve after reading this neat short book. It's full of good questioons. Their philosophy emphasizes learning, asking the right questions, and a lattice structure without traditional hierarchy. They go against the grain by acknowledging that constant overwork indicates bad planning. This is how we should think about knowledge work.
Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin
Surprise one: how children are taught is not how pros swim. Surprise two: how pros swim is not the foolproof way. Terry Laughlin was a master of decomposing swimming for everyone.
Learn Like a Pro by Barbara Oakley & Olav Schewe
Barbara Oakley makes learning feel like play, both in her Coursera courses (with millions enrolled) and in her books. If you want a no-nonsense, science-based manual for learning, don't look further.
Running Rewired by Jay Dicharry
To practice what I preach, I started asking whether I approach running correctly (spoiler: I am not). Jay Dicharry's book is a good user manual for figuring out how to do it.
Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
I am sorry to have to point this out; many scientists and others think good ideas will win out automatically and need not be carefully presented. They are wrong; many a good idea has had to be rediscovered because it was not well presented the first time, years before!—Richard W. Hamming
Following the above advice, I started to explore what makes great stories. Chip and Dan Heath deconstruct the components of sticky ideas. If your work requires coming up with ideas, it's highly recommended.
Great Thinkers by The School of Life
Most heard about Nietzsche or Goethe, but there are certainly thinkers outside the mainstream. You might be surprised by what principles you can learn from architects or fashion designers. I was.
If you are interested in all the books that piqued my interest, you can also visit my Goodreads profile.