Books Recommended by Sam Harris
The Qur'an
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Source: "Read it in a weekend and you will be informed about the central doctrines of Islam in a way that you may not be and it’s good to be informed, given how much influence these ideas have currently in our world." - Sam Harris
Mortal Questions
Thomas Nagel
Source: "There are some very good essays in there that were very influential in philosophy and should be more influential in the culture, generally." - Sam Harris
I Am That
Nisargadatta Maharaj
Source: "He said a few crazy things, as many gurus do. But if you stick to what he was claiming about the nature of experience, I think you’re on firm ground." - Sam Harris
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
Source: "If you just want to forget about the future and lose yourself in the book that forever changed how narrative nonfiction is written, read [this book]." - Sam Harris
Humiliation
William Ian Miller
Source: "Just on the phenomenon of being humiliated and differentiating it from embarrassment and other similar emotions." - Sam Harris
History of Western Philosophy
And Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day
Bertrand Russell
Source: "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
Machete Season
The Killers in Rwanda Speak
Jean Hatzfeld
Source: "If you want to see what it’s like when things go about as wrong as they can go, read [this book]." - Sam Harris
Behave
The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Robert M. Sapolsky
Source: "I highly recommend. It really is the most accessible discussion of brain science you will find." - Sam Harris
The Beginning of Infinity
Explanations That Transform the World
David Deutsch
Source: "Greatly expanded my sense of the potential power of human knowledge." - Sam Harris
Hitch-22
A Memoir
Christopher Hitchens
Source: "You can get the benefit of both his voice and his writing if you listen to [this audiobook]." - Sam Harris
God Is Not Great
How Religion Poisons Everything
Christopher Hitchens
Source: "You can get the benefit of both his voice and his writing if you listen to [this audiobook]." - Sam Harris
Superintelligence
Paths, Dangers, Strategies
Nick Bostrom
Source: "Made me worry that machine knowledge could ruin everything." - Sam Harris
Reasons and Persons
Derek Parfit
Source: "Brilliant and written as though by an alien intelligence." - Sam Harris
The Last Word
Thomas Nagel
Source: "Champions rationality in a very compelling way." - Sam Harris
What We Owe the Future
William MacAskill
Source: "Altogether thrilling and necessary." - Sam Harris
Enlightenment Now
The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
Steven Pinker
Source: Sam Harris picked this as the first book in his Book Club.
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Todd Gilbert
Source: "A good book which I recommend." - Sam Harris
The Flight of the Garuda
The Dzogchen Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
Keith Dowman
Source: "Especially beautiful and wise." - Sam Harris
On Having No Head
Douglas Edison Harding
Source: "A very useful little volume." - Sam Harris
One Blade of Grass
Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir
Henry Shukman
Source: "Beautifully written." - Sam Harris
FAQ
Did Sam Harris recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has Sam Harris' book recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestion (from places like interviews or his Making Sense podcast).
How do you know Sam Harris mentioned all of these?
Every book recommendation made by Sam Harris is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to each book in this list.
Did Sam Harris actually create this reading list?
No. This recommended reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from Sam Harris, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
Why can't I view how many stars these books have on Amazon?
Our first rule is "don't try to out-Amazon Amazon". This is why we don't waste any brain cells trying to copy the features they already do such a good job at (no special share features, no save to a reading list, no avg rating or stars, etc...).
13 books
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