Books Recommended by Derek Sivers
The War of Art
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Steven Pressfield
Source: "Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what “Resistance” is. This book is about that. Read it." - Derek Sivers
Seeking Wisdom
From Darwin to Munger
Peter Bevelin
Source: "A great overview of the lessons of Charlie Munger (partner of Warren Buffett) - and his approach to checklists of multi-disciplinary models to guide clear thinking." - Derek Sivers
Without Their Permission
The Story of Reddit and a Blueprint for How to Change the World
Alexis Ohanian
Source: "[This author] talking about the internet is like Sid Vicious talking about punk. Analysts merely adopted it, but Ohanian was born in it, molded by it, and is the voice of it." - Derek Sivers
Mindwise
How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want
Nicholas Epley
Source: "Many new brilliant insights, especially about over-estimating the differences between you and others, thereby separating into us-vs-them tribalism." - Derek Sivers
The Time Paradox
The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life
Dr. Philip Zimbardo
Source: "Profound idea that everyone has a primary time focus: either Future-focused, Present-focused, or Past-focused. Fascinating implications of each." - Derek Sivers
A Guide to the Good Life
The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
William B. Irvine
Source: "I found when reading it that the quirky philosophy I've been living my life by since 17 matches up exactly with a 2000-year-old philosophy called Stoicism." - Derek Sivers
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Todd Gilbert
Source: "Harvard professor of psychology has studied happiness for years, and shares factual findings that will change the way you look at the world." - Derek Sivers
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Source: "If you liked 'Predictably Irrational' or 'Stumbling on Happiness' or any of those pop-psychology books, well, this is the Godfather of all of their work." - Derek Sivers
Geek in Japan
Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony
Hector Garcia
Source: "[This is the book I've given most often as a gift] because I’m fascinated with understanding the mindset of a place." - Derek Sivers
The E-Myth Revisited
Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
Michael E. Gerber
Source: "Absolutely everyone who is an entrepreneur or wants to be one needs to read this book." - Derek Sivers
Sum
Forty Tales from the Afterlives
David Eagleman
Source: "Awesomely creative think-piece. 40 very short fictional stories about what happens when you die." - Derek Sivers
Ruby on Rails Tutorial
Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series
Michael Hartl
Source: "Though I’ve worked my way through many Rails books, this is the one that finally made me 'get' it." - Derek Sivers
The 4-Hour Workweek
Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
Tim Ferriss
Source: "Brilliant reversal of all of the 'how to manage all your crap' books." - Derek Sivers
A.J. JacobsBlake MycoskieCaterina FakeCharles PoliquinDaniel PinkDavid Heinemeier HanssonDerek SiversEric WeinsteinEv WilliamsGary KellerJason SilvaLaura R WalkerMarc AndreessenMarc GoodmanMark BellMaurice AshleyMike Maples, Jr.Mike ShinodaRolf PottsTim DraperTristan HarrisWalter IsaacsonLewis HowesOn Writing Well
An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
William Zinsser
Source: "Great blunt advice about writing better non-fiction. So inspiring." - Derek Sivers
How to Talk to Anyone
92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships
Leil Lowndes
Source: "Wonderful considerate book about conversational people skills." - Derek Sivers
Tricks of the Mind
Derren Brown
Source: "Great, little book [...] that I highly recommend." - Derek Sivers
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less
Nicholas Boothman
Source: Derek Sivers mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
Power Schmoozing
The New Etiquette for Social and Business Success
Terri Mandell
Source: Derek Sivers mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
How To Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Source: Derek Sivers mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
Show Your Work!
10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
Austin Kleon
Source: Derek Sivers recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book.
FAQ
Did Derek Sivers recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has Derek Sivers must-read recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestions.
How do you know Derek Sivers mentioned these books?
Every suggestion made by Derek Sivers is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to the books.
Did Derek Sivers actually create this list?
No. This reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from Derek Sivers, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
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