27 Best Philosophy Books
We analyzed 9+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 27 best philosophy books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Philosophy books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best philosophy books" and study the top 9+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
27 Best Philosophy Books
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Meditations
Also recommended by
19 people
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"One of my favorite books of all time." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book
Tobi Lütke recommended this bookTobi Lütke
"My most read book." - Tobi Lütke
Tobi Lütke's recommendation of this book
Jack Dorsey recommended this bookJack Dorsey
"Finished reading." - Jack Dorsey
Jack Dorsey's recommendation of this book
Anna Kendrick recommended this bookAnna Kendrick
"I kind of thrive on stress, so I’m almost embarrassed by how comforting I find this book." - Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick's recommendation of this book
Sam Altman recommended this bookSam Altman
"Great read." - Sam Altman
Sam Altman's recommendation of this book
Neil Strauss recommended this bookNeil Strauss
Neil Strauss recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book.
Neil Strauss's recommendation of this book +13
More recommendations
- Arianna Huffington
"I find [this book] so inspirational and instructive, it lives on my nightstand." - Arianna Huffington
- Stewart Brand
Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.
- Chip Conley
"I have given [this book] away to a number of people." - Chip Conley
- Ryan Holiday
"The private thoughts of the most powerful man in the world, admonishing himself on how to be better, more just, more immune to temptation, wiser." - Ryan Holiday
- Adam Robinson
"Someone would get more benefit from reading ten books multiple times. Like [this book]." - Adam Robinson
- Austen Allred
Austen Allred recommended this book on his website.
- Shane Parrish
"Really helped foster my interest in philosophy." - Shane Parrish
- Joe Rogan
"It's really wild when you think about how long that guy lived and how applicable some of his thoughts are today." - Joe Rogan
- Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
- Mark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
- Ankur Warikoo
"Incredible book." - Ankur Warikoo
- James Clear
"[One of] the 10 best nonfiction books of all-time." - James Clear
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Arianna Huffington
The Republic
Also recommended by
6 people
Mark Zuckerberg recommended this bookMark Zuckerberg
On the "favorite books" section of Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook profile.
Mark Zuckerberg's recommendation of this book
Sam Altman recommended this bookSam Altman
One of Sam Altman's answers to "What are some of the best books you recommend for a young startup founder?"
Sam Altman's recommendation of this book
Maria Popova recommended this bookMaria Popova
"I’m actually gobsmacked that this isn’t required in order to be sworn into office, like the Constitution is required for us American immigrants when it comes time to gain American citizenship." - Maria Popova
Maria Popova's recommendation of this book
Vlad Tenev recommended this bookVlad Tenev
"I like the classics such as The Republic by Plato and The Art of War by Sun Tzu." - Vlad Tenev
Vlad Tenev's recommendation of this book
Nolan Bushnell recommended this bookNolan Bushnell
"[One of my ten favorite books] I might think of if I were asked the question at an interview this minute." - Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell's recommendation of this book
Mark Manson recommended this bookMark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
Mark Manson's recommendation of this book
Man's Search for Meaning
Also recommended by
36 people
Jordan Peterson recommended this bookJordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book
Jocko Willink recommended this bookJocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 78
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book
Esther Perel recommended this bookEsther Perel
"The book I’ve probably gifted the most is [this book], since I’m 16." - Esther Perel
Esther Perel's recommendation of this book
Emma Watson recommended this bookEmma Watson
"Loved it. Really loved it." - Emma Watson
Emma Watson's recommendation of this book
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"Wow it's dark." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book
David Blaine recommended this bookDavid Blaine
"One of my favorite books." - David Blaine
David Blaine's recommendation of this book +30
More recommendations
- Terry Crews
"Incredible." - Terry Crews
- Jimmy Fallon
"Talks about the meaning of life, and I believe you come out a better person from reading it." - Jimmy Fallon
- Tony Robbins
"Taught me that if you change the meaning, you change everything." - Tony Robbins
- Simon Sinek
"Single most important book you can read." - Simon Sinek
- Michael Gervais
"Outlines methods to discover deep meaning and purpose in life." - Michael Gervais
- Daniel Pink
"A hugely important book for me." - Daniel Pink
- Ev Williams
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
- Bryan Johnson
"His basic point is no matter the conditions we surround ourselves in, we can author our life." - Bryan Johnson
- Dustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.
- Sam Altman
This book was on Sam Altman's bookshelf.
- Chelsea Handler
"One of those beautiful accounts of a terrible time in our history. His calm and sagaciousness, while witnessing one horror after another played out during his time in three separate concentration camps, is awe inspiring." - Chelsea Handler
- Ryan Holiday
"Looks at how we find purpose by dedicating ourselves to a cause, learning to love and finding a meaning to our suffering." - Ryan Holiday
- Maria Popova
"A meditation on what the gruesome experience of Auschwitz taught [the author] about the primary purpose of life: the quest for meaning, which sustained those who survived." - Maria Popova
- Aniela Gregorek
"A book I have gifted to many people because it changed the way I think about human suffering and grace in life." - Aniela Gregorek
- Fedor Holz
"[From it] I interpreted that we cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to cope with it, and that having meaning in our life is essential." - Fedor Holz
- Turia Pitt
"[If people are] doing a bit of soul searching, hands down [I give them this book]." - Turia Pitt
- Chip Conley
"If I were to take the meaning of [this book], and turn it into an equation, it would be despair equals suffering minus meaning." - Chip Conley
- Dave Elitch
Dave Elitch mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
- PewDiePie
"A great tool to help people. [...] In case something really bad happens, I feel like, from reading this book, I'm better equipped to handle it." - PewDiePie
- Shane Parrish
"As hard as you think your life is, it pales in comparison to Auschwitz." - Shane Parrish
- Phil Jackson
"An important book for me." - Phil Jackson
- Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
- Lex Fridman
"I reread [this book] quite often." - Lex Fridman
- Mark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
- Alastair Humphreys
"Slim but packed with wisdom that I often come back to. I really recommend you read it." - Alastair Humphreys
- Steve Kerr
"Incredibly inspiring." - Steve Kerr
- Robin Black
"One of the great books ever written exists because of one of the worst times in human history. From suffering comes beauty." - Robin Black
- Jim Kwik
"Illustrates that it’s not our circumstances but the decisions we make that diminish or develop us." - Jim Kwik
- Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt recommended this book on his website.
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Terry Crews
Tao Te Ching
Also recommended by
10 people
Rick Rubin recommended this bookRick Rubin
"Always what you need to read at that particular period of time. It’s a magic book, in that way, in that it always fits." - Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin's recommendation of this book
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book.
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book
Michael Gervais recommended this bookMichael Gervais
"[The author's] depth of teachings are complicated to decode and provide foundations for wisdom." - Michael Gervais
Michael Gervais's recommendation of this book
Josh Waitzkin recommended this bookJosh Waitzkin
"Inspired my study of softness and receptivity as a counterpoint to my mad passions." - Josh Waitzkin
Josh Waitzkin's recommendation of this book
Brian MacKenzie recommended this bookBrian MacKenzie
"Once you get to a certain level, it’s like, wow." - Brian MacKenzie
Brian MacKenzie's recommendation of this book
Stewart Brand recommended this bookStewart Brand
Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.
Stewart Brand's recommendation of this book +4
More recommendations
- Jason Nemer
"Oftentimes before meditation, I’ll just open [this book] randomly to a page and read about something and then just have that be what I steep in as I sit." - Jason Nemer
- Soman Chainani
"I remember reading it and being like okay, this makes no sense. But you just keep reading it again and again and slowly, I started to get the point of it." - Soman Chainani
- Jack Dorsey
One of Jack Dorsey's answers to "what are the books that had a major influence on you?"
- Jack Ma
Jack Ma always carries a copy of this book.
- Jason Nemer
The Prince
Also recommended by
8 people
Neil deGrasse Tyson recommended this bookNeil deGrasse Tyson
"To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson's recommendation of this book
Stewart Brand recommended this bookStewart Brand
Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.
Stewart Brand's recommendation of this book
Ryan Holiday recommended this bookRyan Holiday
Ryan Holiday recommended this book on his blog.
Ryan Holiday's recommendation of this book
Eric Ripert recommended this bookEric Ripert
"A fascinating study and still wholly relevant." - Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert's recommendation of this book
Fred Wilson recommended this bookFred Wilson
Fred Wilson recommended this book on his blog.
Fred Wilson's recommendation of this book
Garry Tan recommended this bookGarry Tan
"Methods still valuable and can be used for good." - Garry Tan
Garry Tan's recommendation of this book +2
More recommendations
- Ryan Shea
Ryan Shea recommended this book on his website.
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Ryan Shea
History of Western Philosophy
And Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day
Also recommended by
1 person
Sam Harris recommended this bookSam Harris
"Just a great example of how English should be written and just a great voice to have in your head as a result." - Sam Harris
Sam Harris's recommendation of this book
Sophie's World
A Novel About the History of Philosophy
Letters from a Stoic
Also recommended by
4 people
Tim Ferriss recommended this bookTim Ferriss
"[The author] is an outstanding thinker and this is, I think, one of his most accesible books." - Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's recommendation of this book
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"That’s what I read [by Seneca]." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book
Ryan Holiday recommended this bookRyan Holiday
"After Marcus Aurelius, this is one of my favorite books." - Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday's recommendation of this book
Jerzy Gregorek recommended this bookJerzy Gregorek
"From [this book], I learned self-mastery: to constantly improve myself so I would be ready for any possible disaster." - Jerzy Gregorek
Jerzy Gregorek's recommendation of this book
The Complete Essays
Also recommended by
2 people
Alain de Botton recommended this bookAlain de Botton
"I’ve given quite a lot of copies of [this book] to people down the years." - Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton's recommendation of this book
Shane Parrish recommended this bookShane Parrish
"Really helped foster my interest in philosophy." - Shane Parrish
Shane Parrish's recommendation of this book
Beyond Good And Evil
Meditations on First Philosophy
Nicomachean Ethics
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
An Inquiry Into Values
Also recommended by
9 people
Jordan Peterson recommended this bookJordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book
Paul Graham recommended this bookPaul Graham
Paul Graham mentioned this book on Twitter.
Paul Graham's recommendation of this book
Drew Houston recommended this bookDrew Houston
"[There are] engineers who [dismiss] all these things that can’t be fit into an algorithm, or that don’t have some kind of mathematical rigor underpinning them, [this book] is about that question." - Drew Houston
Drew Houston's recommendation of this book
Josh Waitzkin recommended this bookJosh Waitzkin
"Inspired my cultivation of dynamic quality as a way of life." - Josh Waitzkin
Josh Waitzkin's recommendation of this book
Bryan Johnson recommended this bookBryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson recommended this book on Twitter.
Bryan Johnson's recommendation of this book
Ev Williams recommended this bookEv Williams
"One of the few novels I’ve ever read twice." - Ev Williams
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book +3
More recommendations
- Austen Allred
"Didn’t get it first time." - Austen Allred
- Fred Wilson
"A great one." - Fred Wilson
- Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson recommended this book on Twitter.
- Austen Allred
A Treatise of Human Nature
Being and Nothingness
Critique of Pure Reason
The Myth of Sisyphus
Reasons and Persons
Also recommended by
3 people
Sam Harris recommended this bookSam Harris
"Brilliant and written as though by an alien intelligence." - Sam Harris
Sam Harris's recommendation of this book
Will MacAskill recommended this bookWill MacAskill
"One of the most important books written in the 20th century." - Will MacAskill
Will MacAskill's recommendation of this book
Patrick Collison recommended this bookPatrick Collison
"I don't totally agree, but I think it's a really interesting modern take on moral philosophy." - Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison's recommendation of this book
The Book of Joy
Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
Also recommended by
3 people
Jack Kornfield recommended this bookJack Kornfield
"A wonderful book." - Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield's recommendation of this book
Ellen DeGeneres recommended this bookEllen DeGeneres
"When the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu write a book, you gotta read it." - Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres's recommendation of this book
Alanis Morissette recommended this bookAlanis Morissette
"A beautiful book." - Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette's recommendation of this book
Discourses and Selected Writings
Also recommended by
1 person
PewDiePie recommended this bookPewDiePie
"A good introduction to stoic philosophy." - PewDiePie
PewDiePie's recommendation of this book
The Analects
Also recommended by
1 person
Patrick Bet-David recommended this bookPatrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
Patrick Bet-David's recommendation of this book
The Confessions of St. Augustine
The Dialogues of Plato
The Essential Epicurus
Letters, Principal Doctrines, Vatican Sayings, and Fragments
The Problems of Philosophy
Think
A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy
What Does It All Mean?
A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy
Sources
- 1
23 Of The Best Philosophy Books You Must Read (2022)
becomeawritertoday.com
- 2
15 of the Best Philosophy Books for Beginners | Book Riot
bookriot.com
- 3
The Best Philosophy Books Of All Time [Updated For 2022!]
taylorpearson.me
- 4
29 of the Best Philosophy Books of All Time: An Ultimate List
bookbub.com
- 5
49 Best Philosophy Books of All Time for Beginners
calvinrosser.com
- 6
Best philosophy books
hastyreader.com
- 7
11 Essential Philosophy Books That Will Open Your Mind - Lifehack
lifehack.org
- 8
The Best Philosophy Books, Chosen by an Expert in the Field
explorethearchive.com
- 9
An Introduction to Philosophy – The Best 5 Books to Read | Philosophy Break
philosophybreak.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.





































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