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
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
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
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
David Deutsch
Source: "Greatly expanded my sense of the potential power of human knowledge." - Sam Harris
Hitch-22
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
Christopher Hitchens
Source: "You can get the benefit of both his voice and his writing if you listen to [this audiobook]." - Sam Harris
Superintelligence
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
Enlightenment Now
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
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
Henry Shukman
Source: "Beautifully written." - Sam Harris
