Books Recommended by Max Levchin
Thinking in Bets
Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts
Annie Duke
Source: "I read this book all the way through because I found the premise so intriguing. [The author] is a well-known poker player and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet." - Max Levchin
High Growth Handbook
Elad Gil
Source: "[The author] has no-nonsense, highly applicable advice to any operator transitioning a company from the proverbial garage to the next stage and beyond." - Max Levchin
The Complete Stories, Vol 1
Isaac Asimov
Source: "The Last Question is a famous sci-fi short story, and quite possibly one of the best sci-fi stories ever written. [The author]’s degree of forward-thinking is something to behold." - Max Levchin
The Three-Body Problem (3 books)
Cixin Liu
Source: Max Levchin recommended this series on LinkedIn.
The Middleman
A Novel
Olen Steinhauer
Source: "Explores a scenario involving domestic terrorism in the U.S. and tackles the complex question of how crises like this benefit the parties involved." - Max Levchin
The Coddling of the American Mind
How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
Greg Lukianoff
Source: "Highlights the need to continue to have such discussions about sensitive topics instead of ignoring them for the sake of comfort." - Max Levchin
Lake Success
A Novel
Gary Shteyngart
Source: "Follows a hedge fund manager who tries to distance himself from an insider trading investigation." - Max Levchin
The Art of Computer Programming (4 books)
Donald Knuth
Source: "I have a certain permanent love for [this series]." - Max Levchin
The Power of Habit
Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Charles Duhigg
Source: "Compiles a bunch of great academic neuroscience and applied psychology research on habit formation." - Max Levchin
Black Edge
Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street
Sheelah Kolhatkar
Source: "Documents the SEC’s investigation into hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and several individuals including Steven Cohen." - Max Levchin
Crucial Conversations
Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Kerry Patterson
Source: "A now-venerable guide to having tough conversations in a way that engages the debaters." - Max Levchin
The House of Morgan
An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
Ron Chernow
Source: "Trying new routine: starting day by reading few pages from a history book. Currently, [this book]." - Max Levchin
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Ben Horowitz
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
Jim Collins
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Harold Abelson
Source: "Easier to read [than "The Art of Computer Programming"] end-to-end quickly." - Max Levchin
The Ascent of Money
A Financial History of the World
Niall Ferguson
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
When Genius Failed
The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
Roger Lowenstein
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
Too Big to Fail
The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System--and Themselves
Andrew Ross Sorkin
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini
Source: One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
FAQ
Did Max Levchin recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has Max Levchin must-read recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestions.
How do you know Max Levchin mentioned these books?
Every suggestion made by Max Levchin is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to the books.
Did Max Levchin actually create this list?
No. This reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from Max Levchin, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
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