Barack Obama Recommended Books

On the "books read" section of Emma Watson's GoodReads profile.

"I was basically gasping as I read this saga of an ethnically Korean family in Japan." - Jia Tolentino

"Just so damn good." - Tim Ferriss

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book.

Ryan Shea recommended this book on his website.

"Gives a good critique of various classic thinkers that is accessible and accurately puts their views." - Tim Keller

"Technically historical fiction, but you’d be just as accurate calling it a thriller or a love story." - Bill Gates

"Just so good. Such a wonderful read." - Brian Koppelman

Melinda Gates recommended this book on Likewise.com.

"Magnificent." - Sarah Jessica Parker

"Hit me particularly hard." - Ezra Klein

"Would make your feminism so much more intersectional." - Jack Edwards

"A fantastic book, and I hope a lot of people read it." - Bill Gates

Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.

"Unmasks a lot of misperceptions that people have about the state of the world." - Howard Marks

Melinda Gates recommended this book on Likewise.com.

"Terrific book." - Michael Batnick

"One of the best books of the last 10 years." - Mike Maples, Jr.

"My favorite essay from one of my biggest idols." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy

"The first book I read by an African author. Achebe is unflinching in his portrayal of the challenges of change, the relationships of colonialism, and power/powerlessness." - Jacqueline Novogratz

"[The author's] classic." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Sarah Jessica Parker shared this book on Instagram.

"Makes a compelling case that all this [human] activity is leading to the sixth mass extinction in the Earth’s history." - Bill Gates

"Gave me a better sense of what it is like to be very poor in this country than anything else I have read." - Bill Gates

Taylor Swift told a fan she loved this book.

"" - Serena Izzo

"The perfect people for university aged people." - Jack Edwards

"I loved [this book]." - Brit Marling

"I thought I was pretty good at teaching myself—until I read [this book]. Her ability to learn on her own blows mine right out of the water." - Bill Gates

"An engrossing read, a fresh perspective on the power of an education, and it’s also a testament to the way grit and resilience can shape our lives." - Michelle Obama

Most Recommended Books reached out to Kathryn Minshew directly.

"Phenomenal." - Melinda Gates

Shauna Niequist recommended this book on Twitter.

"My personal favorite book of 2018." - Marty Cagan

Michelle Obama said this is one of the books on her nightstand in a "New York Times" interview.

"The perfect book to read along with a friend or family member." - Oprah Winfrey

"A moving look at how incarceration changes relationships." - Bill Gates

"WOW. Absolutely loved this book!" - Shauna Niequist

"I think this is one of the best books I've ever read." - Warren Buffett

"I would say this even if I weren’t married to the author: [this book] is a terrific read." - Bill Gates

"An urgent call to courage. It changed how I think about myself, my family, my work, and what’s possible in the world." - Brené Brown

"Such a valuable contribution to a topic that couldn't be more important to society today." - Satya Nadella

"It's excellent (and I'm not a big memoir person with a couple notable exceptions)." - Dick Costolo

"It's really describing how technology actually shapes and changes our brain." - Tara Brach

"One of the most prescient books of the digital age." - Ezra Klein

"COULD. NOT. PUT. DOWN." - Jennifer Aniston

"It's a strong story, with a great sense of time and place, and one that had me from start to finish." - George R. R. Martin

"['Insomnia'] is the twistiest & most gripping thriller since [this book]." - Joe Hill

"Belongs in the subgenre of hard science fiction, which means it emphasizes scientific accuracy." - Bill Gates

"A better book [than 'Snow Crash']." - Adam Savage

"I found I actually enjoyed [this book] a lot, but mostly because it was competence porn." - Chris Young

Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.

Alicia Keys recommended this book on Twitter.

"I want the whole world to read this book." - Oprah Winfrey

"Good for my heart, my head, and my soul." - Brené Brown

Selena Gomez recommended this book on Instagram.

Tyler Oakley recommended this book on Twitter.

"Hearing her deliver these blue-flame insights, one after another, that are so exactly right on the internet landscape, inspires. Highly recommend." - Kara Swisher

"October [2019] pick." - Natalie Portman

Most Recommended Books reached out to Kathryn Minshew directly.

"I gained a stronger and more visceral sense of the abuse and injustice many women experience today." - Bill Gates

"Believe the hype." - Olivia Wilde

Most Recommended Books reached out to Kathryn Minshew directly.

"I read all her books the week they come out and wait impatiently for the next." - Mindy Kaling

"Everyone should read some of [this author]... It's important..." - Shah Rukh Khan

One of J.K. Rowling's answers to "If you could bring only three books to a desert island, which would you pack?"

Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.

"Has all of the human traits; if you look somewhere you will find it, either in King Lear or Hamlet or Macbeth; it’s there." - Ricardo Semler

Christopher Hitchens mentioned Shakespeare's work in the "Hitch-22" book.

Fred Wilson recommended this book on his blog.

Michelle Obama said this is one of the books on her nightstand in a "New York Times" interview.

"Gives a deeply real, beautiful, intricate and electrifying look at what it means to be an immigrant right now." - Sarah Jessica Parker

Walter Isaacson said this was one of Steve Jobs' favorite books growing up.

"I'm probably not really ready for it yet, but I'm really glad I read it." - PewDiePie

"The classic I am supposed to have read but have had difficulty getting past the first page." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"My favorite book." - Penn Jillette

"Classic." - Jack Edwards

"About how he learned to believe the age-old-adage that 'less is more.'" - Arianna Huffington

"If you love basketball, the @warriors, intense tenacity, or understanding how a great team executes as one, you will love [this book]." - Bill Gurley

"Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted - the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves." - Vinod Khosla

One of Jack Dorsey's answers to "what are the books that had a major influence on you?"

Bob Iger told Variety this book was on his Reading List.

"A wonderful, challenging read." - Jon Stewart

"It’s a letter to his son about being a black male in America. I think it is required reading." - Cal Fussman

Sunny Hostin recommended this book on Twitter.

"America. Please. read." - Jay-Z

"I’ve now read [this book] three times." - Michelle Obama

"Fills me with admiration and awe." - Oprah Winfrey

"I love [this book]. Her writing style is incredibly poetic and complex." - Bozoma Saint John

"The characters’ dilemmas just rocked my world in high school." - Jesse Williams

"[The author] goes undercover and works in a penitentiary in Louisiana." - David Friedberg

"It's one of those rare books that divide your life into two parts: before you read it, and after." - Paul Graham

"To learn that it's easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself." - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Peter Thiel says The New Testament has influenced him more than The Old Testament.

Wim Hof's answer to "What do you give to people as gifts?"

"The first book that I found a lot of truth in it, and then I was able to share that with people." - Laird Hamilton

"Everybody, of course, should be familiar with [this book], which is a way of being taught through both parables and tales of people and their values." - Walter Isaacson

"One thing that really has stuck with me is that [this book] talks about that you should be grateful all the time." - A.J. Jacobs

"A service to the history it depicts, and puts the author in the very first rank of historical novelists." - Christopher Hitchens

"Every now and then a book comes along that reaches the marrow of your bones, settles in, and stays forever. This is one." - Oprah Winfrey

John Legend mentioned this book on Twitter.

"Magnificent." - Sarah Jessica Parker

Andy Cohen recommended this book on Twitter.

"It’s gorgeous, poetic, inventive, and political." - Natalie Portman

"I’ve been reading a lot of coaching books lately, and this is one of my favorites. Good tips on how to be an effective leader." - Noah Kagan

"If you’re an American, it’s just an unbelievable story of our country." - Cory Booker

"A noble edifice of work about the United States in the era of Martin Luther King." - Christopher Hitchens

"Epic." - Ryan Holiday

"It’s hard to turn off and I’ve read wat, dozens of civil war books, but never with a focus on this hero of heroes." - Hugh Hewitt

"I haven't been able to put down this memoir." - Melinda Gates

"About the entrenched deprivation of overlooked Americans born into poverty across the country." - Sarah Jessica Parker

"This book is one of my favorites." - Michelle Obama

"Anyone who wants to discuss how artificial intelligence is shaping the world should read this book." - Bill Gates

"A compelling guide to the challenges and choices in our quest for a great future of life, intelligence and consciousness—on Earth and beyond." - Elon Musk

"Best introduction to AI, accessible to sophisticated. Enjoyable to read." - Keith Rabois

"I recommend people read [this book]." - Lex Fridman

"It felt almost like reading a scifi." - PewDiePie

"Recommended reading for anyone interested in the future of humanity—and our planet." - Tracy DiNunzio