Books Recommended by CEOs

A sweeping narrative history of Homo sapiens from the Cognitive Revolution to the present. Harari argues that what makes humans dominate the planet is not physical strength but collective myths: shared fictions like money, religion, and nations that allow millions of strangers to cooperate. The book moves fast through 70,000 years, making big, debatable claims about agriculture, empire, capitalism, and happiness. It is less a history textbook than a provocative essay in chronological form, and best read as an argument rather than a reference.

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, NonFiction, Holocaust lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for decision-making, behavior, or human motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

A contrarian manifesto on building startups that create new categories rather than competing in existing ones. Thiel draws from PayPal and his investments in Facebook to argue that the best businesses are monopolies that avoid competition entirely. The book revolves around one question—What important truth do you believe that very few people agree with?—and uses it to interrogate everything from sales culture to the energy crisis. It reads like a sharp dinner argument with someone often right in a way that is uncomfortable to admit.

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, Finance, Clear, Thinking, Behavioral lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for decision-making, behavior, or human motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Business, Ceo, NonFiction, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Ceo, NonFiction, Fashion, Business, Biography lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

Do you feel stuck in life, not knowing how to make it more successful? Do you wish to become more popular? Are you craving to earn more? Do you wish to expand your horizon, earn new clients and win people over with your ideas? How to Win Friends and Influence People is a well-researched and comprehensive guide that will help you through these everyday problems and make success look easier. You can learn to expand your social circle, polish your skill set, find ways to put forward your thoughts more clearly, and build mental strength to counter all hurdles that you may come across on the path to success. Having helped millions of readers from the world over achieve their goals, the clearly listed techniques and principles will be the answers to all your questions.

A Roman emperor's private journal in which Marcus Aurelius wrestles with anger, mortality, duty, and the difficulty of staying calm while running an empire. The book is a collection of fragmentary reflections organized into twelve short books, each a conversation with himself about not being derailed by other people's frustrations or the fear of death. It reads like a Stoic devotional—repetitive by design, since Marcus was reminding himself of the same truths daily. There is no plot, no system. There is a man trying not to lose himself to the weight of the job.

The “brilliantly realized” (The New York Times Book Review) breakthrough novel from visionary author Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators Hiro lives in a Los Angeles where franchises line the freeway as far as the eye can see. The only relief from the sea of logos is within the autonomous city-states, where law-abiding citizens don’t dare leave their mansions. Hiro delivers pizza to the mansions for a living, defending his pies from marauders when necessary with a matched set of samurai swords. His home is a shared 20 X 30 U-Stor-It. He spends most of his time goggled in to the Metaverse, where his avatar is legendary. But in the club known as The Black Sun, his fellow hackers are being felled by a weird new drug called Snow Crash that reduces them to nothing more than a jittering cloud of bad digital karma (and IRL, a vegetative state). Investigating the Infocalypse leads Hiro all the way back to the beginning of language itself, with roots in an ancient Sumerian priesthood. He’ll be joined by Y.T., a fearless teenaged skateboard courier. Together, they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination.

“Available recommendation signals cluster around NonFiction, Physics, Science lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for big-picture nonfiction and accessible learning. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Business, ManagementLeadership, NonFiction, Entrepreneur lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

The foundational and wildly popular go-to resource for influence and persuasion—a renowned international bestseller, with over 5 million copies sold—now revised adding: new research, new insights, new examples, and online applications. In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini—New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion and the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Using memorable stories and relatable examples, Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy. With Cialdini as a guide, you don’t have to be a scientist to learn how to use this science. You’ll learn Cialdini’s Universal Principles of Influence, including new research and new uses so you can become an even more skilled persuader—and just as importantly, you’ll learn how to defend yourself against unethical influence attempts. You may think you know these principles, but without understanding their intricacies, you may be ceding their power to someone else. Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion: Reciprocation Commitment and Consistency Social Proof Liking Authority Scarcity Unity, the newest principle for this edition Understanding and applying the principles ethically is cost-free and deceptively easy. Backed by Dr. Cialdini’s 35 years of evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific research—including a three-year field study on what leads people to change—Influence is a comprehensive guide to using these principles to move others in your direction.

Readers of Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think seeking engagement for all reading groups can gain further insight with this essential resource as a guide to aid your discussions. New York Times bestselling book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think is written by the global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling. He defines factfulness as 'the stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts.' In Factfulness, Rosling, a Professor of International Health, offers a radically new explanation to the simple questions about global trends. He explains why this happens. He also reveals the ten instincts that collectively distort our perspective. Bill Gates says that Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think is "one of the most important books I've ever read." Gates says that this book is "an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world." In this comprehensive look into Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, you'll be equipped to prepare with the following: Discussion aid which includes a wealth of prompts and information Overall plot synopsis and author biography Thought-provoking discussion questions for a deeper examination Creative exercises to foster alternate "if this was you" discussions And much more! Note to readers: This is a companion guide based on Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. This is meant to enhance and aid your reading experience, not to replace it. We strongly encourage you to purchase the original book before purchasing this unofficial companion guide.

“Available recommendation signals suggest this title has discovery traction, but there is not enough safe category context to make a stronger reader-fit claim.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around NonFiction, Fiction, Adventure, History, Action lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for imaginative storytelling, atmosphere, or character-driven reflection. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Fiction, Teen, Young lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for imaginative storytelling, atmosphere, or character-driven reflection. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

'The most inspiring book I've ever read' Bill Gates, 2017 'A brilliant, mind-altering book ... Everyone should read this astonishing book' Guardian 'Will change the way you see the world' Daily Mail Shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2012 Wasn't the twentieth century the most violent in history? In his extraordinary, epic book Steven Pinker shows us that this is wrong, telling the story of humanity in a completely new and unfamiliar way. From why cities make us safer to how books bring about peace, Pinker weaves together history, philosophy and science to examine why we are less likely to die at another's hand than ever before, how it happened and what it tells us about our very natures. 'May prove to be one of the great books of our time ... he writes like an angel' Economist 'Masterly, a supremely important book ... For anyone interested in human nature, it is engrossing' The New York Times 'Marvellous ... riveting and myth-destroying' New Statesman 'A marvellous synthesis of science, history and storytelling, written in Pinker's distinctively entertaining and clear personal style ... I was astonished by the extent to which violence has declined in every shape, form and scale' Financial Times 'An outstandingly fruitful read, with fascinating nuggets on almost every page' Sunday Times, Books of the Year

The novel opens with a scene introducing Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky ("Stiva"), a Moscow aristocrat and civil servant who has been unfaithful to his wife Darya Alexandrovna ("Dolly"). Dolly has discovered his affair with the family's governess, and the household and family are in turmoil. Stiva's affair and his reaction to his wife's distress show an amorous personality that he cannot seem to suppress. In the midst of the turmoil, Stiva informs the household that his married sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina, is coming to visit from Saint Petersburg. Meanwhile, Stiva's childhood friend, Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin ("Kostya"), arrives in Moscow with the aim of proposing to Dolly's youngest sister, Princess Katerina Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya ("Kitty"). Levin is a passionate, restless, but shy aristocratic landowner who, unlike his Moscow friends, chooses to live in the country on his large estate. He discovers that Kitty is also being pursued by Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky, an army officer. Whilst at the railway station to meet Anna, Stiva bumps into Vronsky who is there to meet his mother, the Countess Vronskaya. Anna and Vronskaya have traveled and talked together in the same carriage. As the family members are reunited, and Vronsky sees Anna for the first time, a railway worker accidentally falls in front of a train and is killed. Anna interprets this as an "evil omen." Vronsky, however, is infatuated with her. Anna is uneasy about leaving her young son, Sergei ("Seryozha"), alone for the first time. At the Oblonsky home, Anna talks openly and emotionally to Dolly about Stiva's affair and convinces her that Stiva still loves her despite the infidelity. Dolly is moved by Anna's speeches and decides to forgive Stiva... (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

“Available recommendation signals cluster around About, China, Fiction, First, Contact lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for imaginative storytelling, atmosphere, or character-driven reflection. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

"In a world where freedom is a forgotten word, and individuality is sacrificed for stability, humanity has traded its soul for comfort and control. Genetic engineering determines your fate, and the soothing grip of 'soma' keeps you blissfully compliant. But what happens when a man from outside this perfect society begins to question its foundations? Through the eyes of 'John the Savage,' Aldous Huxley explores a chilling dystopia where progress and happiness come at the ultimate cost: our humanity. Brave New World is a haunting vision of the future that forces us to confront the price of utopia."

Matt Ridley, acclaimed author of the classics Genome and Nature via Nurture, turns from investigating human nature to investigating human progress. In The Rational Optimist Ridley offers a counterblast to the prevailing pessimism of our age, and proves, however much we like to think to the contrary, that things are getting better.

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Finance, NonFiction, Business lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Business, Leadership, NonFiction, Entrepreneur lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BOOKS AND WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE _______________________________ 'Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice' Gabriel García Márquez's great masterpiece is the story of seven generations of the Buendía family and of Macondo, the town they built. Though little more than a settlement surrounded by mountains, Macondo has its wars and disasters, even its wonders and its miracles. A microcosm of Columbian life, its secrets lie hidden, encoded in a book, and only Aureliano Buendía can fathom its mysteries and reveal its shrouded destiny. Blending political reality with magic realism, fantasy and comic invention, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the most daringly original works of the twentieth century. _______________________________ 'As steamy, dense and sensual as the jungle that surrounds the surreal town of Macondo!' Oprah, Featured in Oprah's Book Club 'Should be required reading for the entire human race' The New York Times 'The book that sort of saved my life' Emma Thompson 'No lover of fiction can fail to respond to the grace of Márquez's writing' Sunday Telegraph

“Available recommendation signals cluster around NonFiction, History, For, Men lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for big-picture nonfiction and accessible learning. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals suggest this title has discovery traction, but there is not enough safe category context to make a stronger reader-fit claim.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, NonFiction, Philosophy, Business, Personal Development lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for decision-making, behavior, or human motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Leadership, Management, NonFiction, Business, Sports lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Finance, NonFiction, Entrepreneur, Business, Investing lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for business judgment, leadership, or practical strategy. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, NonFiction, Philosophy, Physics, Science lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for decision-making, behavior, or human motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

“Available recommendation signals cluster around NonFiction, Biographies, History, Physics, Science lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for big-picture nonfiction and accessible learning. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis, Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life. • "Agassi’s memoir is just as entrancing as his tennis game.” —Time “Honest in a way that such books seldom are.” —The New York Times Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib. Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father, by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved wealth, celebrity, and the game’s highest honors. But as he reveals in this searching autobiography, off the court he was often unhappy and confused, unfulfilled by his great achievements in a sport he had come to resent. Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, his marriage to Brooke Shields, his growing interest in philanthropy, and—described in haunting, point-by-point detail—the highs and lows of his celebrated career.

Foreword by Bill Gates LinkedIn cofounder, legendary investor, and host of the award-winning Masters of Scale podcast reveals the secret to starting and scaling massively valuable companies. What entrepreneur or founder doesn’t aspire to build the next Amazon, Facebook, or Airbnb? Yet those who actually manage to do so are exceedingly rare. So what separates the startups that get disrupted and disappear from the ones who grow to become global giants? The secret is blitzscaling: a set of techniques for scaling up at a dizzying pace that blows competitors out of the water. The objective of Blitzscaling is not to go from zero to one, but from one to one billion –as quickly as possible. When growing at a breakneck pace, getting to next level requires very different strategies from those that got you to where you are today. In a book inspired by their popular class at Stanford Business School, Hoffman and Yeh reveal how to navigate the necessary shifts and weather the unique challenges that arise at each stage of a company’s life cycle, such as: how to design business models for igniting and sustaining relentless growth; strategies for hiring and managing; how the role of the founder and company culture must evolve as the business matures, and more. Whether your business has ten employees or ten thousand, Blitzscaling is the essential playbook for winning in a world where speed is the only competitive advantage that matters.

"[The best document] in human history that [is] the product of a committee." - Christopher Hitchens

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, NonFiction, Autobiographies, Autobiography, Politics lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for decision-making, behavior, or human motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

What happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment? As our world begins to look more and more like Orwell's 1984, Neil's Postman's essential guide to the modern media is more relevant than ever. "It's unlikely that Trump has ever read Amusing Ourselves to Death, but his ascent would not have surprised Postman.” -CNN Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals. “A brilliant, powerful, and important book. This is an indictment that Postman has laid down and, so far as I can see, an irrefutable one.” –Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Social Sciences, ificial, Intelligence, NonFiction, Artificial lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for creative discipline, craft, or artistic motivation. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

A New York Times bestseller Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence Will artificial agents save or destroy us Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life.The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It...

The Pulitzer Prize?winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.?As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to ...

In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand?and, if possible, answer?the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To ...

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling homecanned peaches and sleeping with her "headforthehills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's ...

“Available recommendation signals cluster around Fiction, Teen, Young, Science Fiction, Adult lists, suggesting this book may fit readers looking for imaginative storytelling, atmosphere, or character-driven reflection. Treat this as discovery context, not a quality guarantee.”

From the visionary, New York Times bestselling author of New York 2140 comes a nearfuture novel that is a gripping exploration of climate change, Technology,, politics, and the human behaviors that drive these forces. Established in 2025, the purpose of the new organization was simple: To advocate for the world's future generations and to protect a...

In Evicted, Princeton sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of 21stcentury America's most devastating problems. Its unforgettable sc...

A debut from Forbes' third most powerful woman in the world, Melinda Gates, a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment.For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission. Her goal, as cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. ...

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller! What are venture capitalists saying about your startup behind closed doors And what can you do to influence that conversationIf Silicon Valley is the greatest wealthgenerating machine in the world, Sand Hill Road is its humming engine. That's where you'll find the biggest names in venture capital, including fame...

A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were?and still are. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book. When it ...

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average."