Books
A curated list of books that have shaped my thinking and understanding of life, business, and spirituality.
I love to read. I believe reading empowers you. While highly inefficient and slow compared to downloading information online onto a computer, I think it's a worthwhile time to sit down with a book and consume some thought-out material.
Why read?
Reading enables you to broaden your perspective on life. It enables you to map out the world of knowledge and see things in a new light you never thought of or saw before. With this in mind, in the background you're developing a powerful skill—consilience—which is the ability to connect various pieces of information across vast domains in new combinations. Here is where innovation and insight is born.
That's why I read.
Must reads:
Mastery - Robert Greene
This book is foundational to anyone on the pursuit of self-actualization and mastery in life. I find that as I progress in life, different parts of the book hit more and resonate than I first have come across. As you advance, the book grows, adapts, and speaks to you. Chapters and words before will speak to you in a new light you did not understand before. I view this book as a sort of instruction manual on how to progressively develop and become the person you're meant to be in life.
The Laws of Human Nature – Robert Greene
One of my favorite reads on learning and understanding human nature. Use this source to develop your understanding of being human, finding points of leverage in human nature to your advantage, or catching yourself from a fatal mistake.
Lectures on Ancient Philosophy - Manly P. Hall
This book has played a massive role in shaping my views on reality, existence, and spirituality.
The Life Divine - Sri Aurobindo
A powerful book on spirituality and metaphysics. I largely agree with the direction of evolution the author spoke on in this book, but not absolutely. Rather than evolution heading towards some sort of divine supra-human—if that's even possible—I believe the next stage of human evolution will be transhumanist by merging with AI or some sort of alien technology not yet discovered.
Homo Deus - Yuval Noah Harari
The future of the Homo sapien.
Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari
A great book on understanding why the Homo sapien has come thus far in evolution. There's a lot of fundamental principles about humans you can learn here. One example I can point to is that by understanding why humans unite under fictions/stories, you can leverage that information to build something…anything from communities, businesses, religions, beliefs, and so on.
Words to the Wise - Manly P. Hall
There are a lot of weirdos in the spiritual space. Anything from fraudsters, wackos, druggies, delusionals, cult leaders, or liars. If you're not careful, you can really be misdirected and/or go insane. What saved me was a book like this which gave me a level-headed view on how to approach this space with a clear mind. On top, I believe coming into spirituality or philosophy with a healthy dose of reason can go far.
The Wave Principle of Human Social Behavior and the New Science of Socionomics - Robert R. Prechter Jr.
A fascinating exploration of the engine of human progress and the mystical interplay between the laws of nature and human evolution. This is a great starting point to learn about Socionomics but I also recommend his book Elliott Wave Principle and his entire set on the study of Socionomics.
The Beginning of Infinity - David Deutsch
This multidisciplinary book reshapes how you view reality, shifting your perspective from zero-sum thinking to a positive-sum mindset. Deutsch argues that progress is infinite, emphasizing that every problem is an opportunity for innovation—a perspective invaluable for entrepreneurs. If you struggle with a scarcity mindset around resources, this book will challenge you to see limitations as catalysts for ingenuity, inspiring new ways to acquire and utilize resources. It's a transformative read for anyone seeking to understand the power of human problem-solving and the infinite possibilities of progress.
Stealing Fire - Steven Kotler & Jamie Wheal
A compelling dive into altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and the flow state, this book explores how these states unlock extraordinary levels of performance and insight. It reinforces my working hypothesis on the idea that specific brain chemistry combinations can trigger "superhuman" or "godlike" states of consciousness—referred to as enlightenment, zazen, or superconsciousness in spiritual and holy traditions. Stealing Fire bridges the gap between ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience.
The Art of the Impossible - Steven Kotler
Read this book if you're on the path of self-actualization and seek to perform at your peak.
Paths Beyond the Ego - Roger Walsh & Frances Vaughan
Collection of essays around transpersonal psychology. There's a lot of interesting insights around consciousness here.