The P2P Reading List (2024 November)

Read the best books first, otherwise you will find you do not have time.—Henry David Thoreau

How to Profit by One's Enemies by Plutarch

The Ancient Greeks already knew that we can learn a lot from our enemies. They will be brutally honest regarding our weaknesses and motivate us to improve.

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford

If you love Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, this is a book for you. Matthew Crawford, a cubicle-dwelling knowledge worker turned motorcycle mechanic, draws lessons from manual work. An intellectual himself, he does not despise academia, though he highlights that modern knowledge work misses the grounding of a mechanic. You have either fixed a motorcycle or not. However, Frederick Taylor's scientific management fails in the office as productivity and mastery are vaguely defined.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

An ecological and geographical inquiry into history to answer the question: why did Europeans rise to lead the modern empires? The book is a bit repetitive to remind the reader of the big themes. Nonetheless, this is among the most formative history books I have ever read.

Unplugged by Brian Mackenzie

A sane and down-to-earth reflection and guide into the dead-ends and merits of fitness technology.

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield

The basics of writing screenplays, ads, fiction, and nonfiction. Classic Steven Pressfield.

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If you are interested in all the books that piqued my interest, you can also visit my Goodreads profile.