Tim Ferriss Book Recommendations

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

by Jack Weatherford

"Has been recommended to me by several billionaires." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman

"One of my favorite books." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Checklist Manifesto

How to Get Things Right

by Atul Gawande

"A great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Dune (6 books)

"Perhaps the most incredibly detailed and oddly believable fictional landscape I’ve ever encountered." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Awareness

The Perils and Opportunities of Reality

by Anthony De Mello

"When I feel myself bleeding into overwhelm or feeling scattered, this is one of the first break-glass-in-case-of-emergency steps that I take." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Musashi

An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

by Eiji Yoshikawa

"Teaches you about critical thinking, strategizing, and ultimately, that there is more to life than merely surviving." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas

An Entrepreneur's Guide

by Dan S. Kennedy

"Like steroids for your entrepreneurial cortex." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Art of Asking

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

by Amanda Palmer

"I was so inspired by the book that I put it down to start asking people around me for all of the help that I'd been too ashamed or embarrassed to ask for." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Emergency

This Book Will Save Your Life

by Neil Strauss

"I find the topics endlessly fascinating." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Blue Ocean Strategy

How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

by W. Chan Kim

"Study [this book]." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Wild

From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Cheryl Strayed

"One of my favorites." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Artist's Way

Morning Pages Journal

by Julia Cameron

"Nearly every morning, I sit down with a hot cocktail of turmeric, ginger, pu-erh tea, and green tea. Next, I crack open [this book]." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Biography of the Dollar

How the Mighty Buck Conquered the World and Why It's Under Siege

by Craig Karmin

"After 50 pages, I was able to hold my own discussing currency trading with a vice president at JP Morgan Chase." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read

The Proven Way to Beat the "Pros" and Take Control of Your Financial Future

by Daniel R. Solin

"The title may not deliver but it is a smart investment book, at the very least." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Tribe

On Homecoming and Belonging

by Sebastian Junger

"I read in about a day and a half. I just ingested it rapid fire." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Benjamin Franklin

An American Life

by Walter Isaacson

"I’ve recommended [this book] to thousands and thousands of people." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

by Charlie Munger

Tim Ferriss mentioned this book on Twitter. (Source)

On Writing Well

An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction

by William Zinsser

"I have read this book more than a dozen times, more often for thinking than for writing." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

In Other Words

The Science And Psychology Of Second-language Acquisition

by Ellen Bialystok

"Adults can learn languages much faster than children83 when constant 9–5 work is removed." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Play It Away

A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety

by Charlie Hoehn

"For all Type-A driven readers — especially those who struggle with the shut-off switch — this one is for you." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Joy on Demand

The Art of Discovering the Happiness Within

by Chade-Meng Tan

"Fantastic." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Open

An Autobiography

by Andre Agassi

"Such a fantastic book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Exhalation

Stories

by Ted Chiang

"Just so damn good." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

by Milan Kundera

"A tremendous work." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

"The best audiobook I've ever heard." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Magic of Thinking Big

by David J. Schwartz

"I still personally read the first two chapters of this book whenever doubt creeps in." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Bird by Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

by Anne Lamott

"Fantastic book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Obstacle Is the Way

The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

by Ryan Holiday

"It has helped me to turn problems upside-down, become the calm within the storm, and even uncover unique opportunities." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Lying

by Sam Harris

"A great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Simple & Direct

by Jacques Barzun

"Great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

COAN The Man, The Myth, The Method

The Life, Times & Training of The Greatest Powerlifter of All-Time

by Marty Gallagher

"A fucking great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Power of Habit

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

"A very good book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Letters from a Stoic

by Lucius Seneca

"[The author] is an outstanding thinker and this is, I think, one of his most accesible books." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

by Mohsin Hamid

"A fun novel." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

More Money Than God

Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite

by Sebastian Mallaby

"A fantastic book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Healing Journey

Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy

by Claudio Naranjo

"The introduction alone is worth the price of admission with the book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children

by John Wood

"If you ever wonder what you can do to really change the world [...] this is a book you need to read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Prophet

by Kahlil Gibran

"A fantastic book. I would recommend people get the edition with the illustrations by the author." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Vagabonding

An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

by Rolf Potts

"The book that got me to stop making excuses and pack for an extended hiatus trip overseas." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

by Dale Carnegie

"Surprisingly sophisticated." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Secrets of Power Negotiating

Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator

by Roger Dawson

"I would suggest getting the audio if you can." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Levels of the Game

by John McPhee

"About one epic tennis match." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Liar's Poker

by Michael Lewis

"A very exciting book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Little, Big

by John Crowley

"One of the best novels I’ve ever read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Six Thinking Hats

by Edward de Bono

"I found helpful." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Happy Money

The Science of Happier Spending

by Elizabeth Dunn

"It answers the question 'can money buy happiness?'" - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Ride of a Lifetime

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

by Robert Iger

"The negotiation stories with Steve Jobs alone make this book worth the read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Violate Them at Your Own Risk

by Al Ries

"I have reread this before every product launch that I have done." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Letters to a Young Poet

by Rainer Maria Rilke

"Very powerful book that I recommend to everyone." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

A Walk in the Woods

Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

by Bill Bryson

"A great way to invigorate." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

We Learn Nothing

Essays

by Tim Kreider

"[A] dazzling collection of humor and insight." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Grit

The Power of Passion and Perseverance

by Angela Duckworth

"Really about teaching your kids to focus on hard work and not intrinsic capability." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Rework

by David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson

"I encourage people to think of as an 'Elements of Style' for building profitable businesses in a web-savvy world." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Zorba the Greek

by Nikos Kazantzakis

"Highly highly recommend." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Getting to Yes

Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

by Roger Fisher

"A really important concept to grasp." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Neverending Story

by Michael Ende

"That was my favorite book growing up for three or four years in elementary school." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Delivering Happiness

A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

by Tony Hsieh

"What I also enjoyed is that it's entirely in Tony's voice." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Extreme Ownership

How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

by Jocko Willink

"I am really enjoying this book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Stranger in a Strange Land

by Robert A. Heinlein

"Incredible." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Stories of Your Life and Others

by Ted Chiang

"Incredible collection of short stories." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Art of Spirited Away

by Hayao Miyazaki

"Awe-inspiring and shows the depth of world-creation that makes [the author] a legend." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Lessons of History

by Will & Ariel Durant

"It’s excellent." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The E-Myth Revisited

Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

by Michael E. Gerber

"If you’re stuck in your own business, this book can help you get unstuck." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Consciousness Medicine

Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth

by Françoise Bourzat

"Brand-new, but I’m already on my second read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Motherless Brooklyn

by Jonathan Lethem

"One of my absolute favorites." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Payoff

The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations

by Dan Ariely

"The real-world stories are heart wrenching and keep the pages turning." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

by Junot Díaz

"A fun read with lots of geek culture, great history, and oh, it also won the Pulitzer Prize." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Moth Presents All These Wonders

True Stories About Facing the Unknown

by Catherine Burns

"Reading one short (2–5-page) story over tea or coffee in the morning is a nice jumpstart to the day." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Where Mountains Roar

A personal report from the Sinai and Negev Deserts

by Lesley Hazleton

"I was given the excerpts by a tour guide while trekking through the Negev not long ago." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

One Simple Idea

Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work

by Stephen Key

"An excellent book about licensing." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

In Praise of Shadows

by Junichiro Tanizaki

"A weird little book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Radical Acceptance

Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha

by Tara Brach

"It exceeded all expectations." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

"If 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Star Wars' had a love-child, it would read something like this." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Don't Shoot the Dog!

The New Art of Teaching and Training

by Karen Pryor

"There are principles in this that you can take away, even if you have no interest in training a dog, having a dog, or dogs in general." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Fahrenheit 451

A Novel

by Ray Bradbury

"If you wonder why some people take censorship so seriously, this book will give you the answer." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Night Sky with Exit Wounds

by Ocean Vuong

"Fantastic." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

On Grief and Grieving

Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss

by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

"Very useful for preparing yourself for the inevitable losses that you will face." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Plants of the Gods

Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers

by Richard Evans Schultes

"A fantastic book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Getting Real

The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application

by 37signals

"It does have a software focus, but all of it can be applied to entrepreneurs in general." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Save The Cat!

The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

by Blake Snyder

"A very helpful book as a starting point when thinking of screenwriting and also calls me on my own bullshit." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Art of Memoir

by Mary Karr

"Highly recommended if you work with the written word in any capacity." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Getting Past No

Negotiating in Difficult Situations

by William Ury

"I think [this book and 'Getting to Yes'] go together really, really nicely." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

High Fidelity

by Nick Hornby

"After his girlfriend leaves him for another man, Rob embarks on a journey of self-discovery and evaluation by contacting ex-girlfriends to see what went wrong in each relationship." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Hansel and Gretel

A TOON Graphic

by Neil Gaiman

"[People] should read it before their kids read it." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

I Wrote This Book Because I Love You

Essays

by Tim Kreider

"I’ve been eager to revisit [the author]'s work, and I’m now digging into [this book]." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Solve for Happy

Engineer Your Path to Joy

by Mo Gawdat

"This good/bad chapter is worth rereading." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Principles

Life and Work

by Ray Dalio

"I highly, highly recommend this book. It has already changed how I think about making decisions in my life and in my business." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Travels with Charley

In Search of America

by John Steinbeck

"Beautifully written, simply written, and hilarious." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Of Wolves and Men

by Barry Holstun Lopez

"Incredible book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

"Consider reading or rereading this short gem." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Things They Carried

by Tim O'Brien

"Be forewarned that it contains beautiful prose and graphic violence in equal measure." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

A Collaboration with Nature

by Andy Goldsworthy

"It’ll blow your mind." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Draft No. 4

by John McPhee

"One of the best books about non-fiction writing that I’ve ever read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

by Ben Horowitz

"A great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

by Eric Jorgenson

"Will give you a good taste of what that cocktail of bullets looks like in Naval’s head." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

How to Change Your Mind

What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

by Michael Pollan

"One of my favorite books of the last five years." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Daily Rituals

How Artists Work

by Mason Currey

"There were gems everywhere, and I underlined nearly every page." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Biocentrism

How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe

by Robert Lanza

"Although I disagree with some of the things in the book, it’s an interesting read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

One Blade of Grass

Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir

by Henry Shukman

"I definitely recommend people check it out. [The author's] stories are insane." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Writing Down the Bones

Freeing the Writer Within

by Natalie Goldberg

"A great book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Four Thousand Weeks

Time Management for Mortals

by Oliver Burkeman

"Quite unlike anything I’ve ever read." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Ender's Game

Ender Saga, Book 1

by Orson Scott Card

"Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses." - Tim Ferriss (Source)

Suggestible You

The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal

by Erik Vance

"An excellent book." - Tim Ferriss (Source)