Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
A List of 50 Books
to help you understand everything in the Universe
. . . and a dozen more To Expand Your Brain
to help you understand everything in the Universe
 | 1 thru 10 |
Venture capitalist Hemant Mohapatra posted a question on LinkedIn in Spring of 2018 asking for suggestions of books that will help us to understand 'the world at large'. He reviewed the many answers and compiled a list of 50 books. He decided to break the list into five categories (he says) inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of the Vitruvian Man: Core, Mind, Torso, Legs & Soul. That list of 50 was posted in June 2018. This hand-coded hyperlink page removes those categories, but leaves the entries in the original order (both ways, the entries are in random order). The book links are here greatly expanded.
Books 1 thru 10
"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" [2/2015]
New York Times bestseller by Yuval Noah Harari
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICN066A/
"The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of The World" [12/2007]
by bestselling author Niall Ferguson
https://www.amazon.com/Ascent-Money-Financial-History-World/dp/B002XVDFOW/
"Meditations" [Second Century C.E.]
by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius [121-180 C.E.]
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/1945644583/
"A Short History of Nearly Everything" [2003] by Bill Bryson
https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything-ebook/dp/B000FBFNII
"Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens The Racial Divide,
and Threatens Our Future" [3/2017] by Thomas M. Shapiro
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBVBXZT/
https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Inequality-Americas-Destroys-Threatens/dp/0465046932/
"The Commanding Heights: The Battle For The World Economy" [1998]
by Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Yergin, with Joseph Stanislaw
entry at Wikipedia
 | "The Commanding Heights: The Battle Between Government & The Marketplace That Is Remaking The Modern World" [1998] Kindle Edition from Simon & Schuster Digital Sales [2002 edition] for $14.99 Free Press/Touchstone 9½x6½ pb [2/99] for $2.94 {sic} Simon & Schuster 9½x6½ hardcover [2/98] out of print/100+ used |
 | "Commanding Heights: The Battle For The World Economy" PBS 6-hour tv mini-series [April 2002] WGBH color DVD [5/2002] 3 disks - out of prodn/used WGBH color VHS [5/2002] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used PBS series webpages |
"Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty" [3/2012]
by Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058Z4NR8/
https://www.amazon.com/Why-Nations-Fail-Origins-Prosperity/dp/0307719219/
"The Selfish Gene" [1976] by Richard Dawkins
https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-New-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0192177737/ 2nd edition hardcover
"The Wealth of Nations" [1776] by Adam Smith [1723-90]
Smith's masterpiece is the foundation of modern economic thought
 | "An Inquiry Into The Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations" [1776 classic]
Kindle Edition from Oregan Publng [1/2018] for 49¢ {sic} illustrated Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [8/2013] for 99¢ {sic} Bantam Classics mass pb [3/2003] for $8.09 Digireads 8¾x6 pb [2009] for $17.99 Modern Library 8¼x5½ hardcover [1/94] for $18.32 book entry at Wikipedia |
"The Silk Roads: A New History of The World" [8/2015] by Peter Frankopan
https://www.amazon.com/Silk-Roads-History-World-Illustrated/dp/1547600217/
Books 11 thru 20
"Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" [2/2017]
New York Times bestseller by Yuval Noah Harari
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBQ33VE/
https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Deus-Brief-History-Tomorrow/dp/0062464310/
"Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" [1997] by Jared Diamond
 | Two years on the N.Y. Times bestseller lists; won the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction
Kindle Edition from W.W. Norton [3/2017] for $9.18 Kindle Edition from W.W. Norton [1999 edition] for $9.18 W.W. Norton 9¼x6 pb [3/2017] for $13.38 W.W. Norton 9¼x6 pb [4/99] for $14.99 W.W. Norton 9½x7 hardcover [7/2005] for $16.35 book entry at Wikipedia |
 | "Guns, Germs, and Steel" TV mini-series [P.B.S. July 2005] three 55-minute episodes: 'Out of Eden', 'Conquest', and 'Into The Tropics' Co-produced & co-directed by Cassian Harrison & Tim Lambert; narrated by Peter Coyote; featuring Jared Diamond National Geographic Video color DVD [7/2005] for $0.00 full credits at IMDb • official movie homepage |
"The Arabs: A History" [yr]
definitive history of the modern Arab world by award-winning historian Eugene Rogan
https://www.amazon.com/Arabs-History-Eugene-Rogan/dp/0465071007/
"Principles: Life and Work" [yr]
New York Times bestseller by Wall Street tycoon Ray Dalio
https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021/
"Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger" [yr]
Expanded Third Edition by Peter D. Kaufman, Ed Wexler
https://www.amazon.com/Poor-Charlies-Almanack-Charles-Expanded/dp/1578645018
"This Brave New World: India, China, and The United States" [5/2016] by Anja Manuel
https://www.amazon.com/This-Brave-New-World-United/dp/1501121979/
"Energy and Civilization: A History" [MIT Press 5/2017] by Vaclav Smil
A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies…
http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Civilization-History-Vaclav-Smil-ebook/dp/B08BSZC81R/
http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Civilization-History-MIT-Press/dp/0262035774/
"The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times To The French Revolution" [2011]
a New York Times Notable Book, a Globe & Mail Best Books of the Year title, a Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction title … by Francis Fukuyama
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00457X7VI/
"Political Order and Political Decay: From The Industrial Revolution To The Globalization of …" [2014]
New York Times bestseller by Francis Fukuyama
https://www.amazon.com/Political-Order-Decay-Industrial-Globalization/dp/0374535620/
"Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are The Keys To Understanding The True Nature of The…" [yr]
Robert Lanza is one of the most respected scientists in the world
https://www.amazon.com/Biocentrism-Consciousness-Understanding-Nature-Universe/dp/1935251740/
Books 21 thru 30
"Barking Up The Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is …" [May 2017]
Wall Street Journal bestseller by Eric Barker
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KT104RI/
"What To Do When Machines Do Everything: How To Get Ahead In A World of A.I., Algorithms, Bots, and…" [2/2017]
The essential playbook for the future of your business == by Malcolm Frank, Paul Roehrig & Ben Pring
https://www.amazon.com/What-When-Machines-Everything-Algorithms-ebook/dp/B01N7UAGFJ
"Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations" [11/2016]
New York Times Bestseller * Los Angeles Times Bestseller One of The Wall Street Journal's 10 Books to Read Now = by Thomas L. Friedman
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F1Z0QHA/
"Crossing The Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products To Mainstream Customers" [7/1999]
the bestselling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries == by Geoffrey A. Moore, Foreword by Regis McKenna
https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0066620023/
"The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms To Fail" [11/2013]
named one of 100 Leadership & Success Books to Read in a Lifetime by Amazon Editors == by Clayton M. Christensen
https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation-ebook/dp/B012BLTM6I/
"Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior" [5/2009]
A leading evolutionary psychologist probes the unconscious instincts behind American consumer culture = by Geoffrey Miller
https://www.amazon.com/Spent-Sex-Evolution-Consumer-Behavior-ebook/dp/B0023SDQFI/
"Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder" [yr]
a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb's landmark Incerto series
http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto-ebook/dp/B0083DJWGO/
also included on the Books To Expand Your Brain list { see below }
"The Black Swan, Second Edition: The Impact of The Highly Improbable" [yr]
a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb's landmark Incerto series
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Second-Improbable-Incerto-ebook/dp/B00139XTG4/
also included on the Books To Expand Your Brain list { see below }
"Only The Paranoid Survive: How To Exploit The Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company" [yr]
Andy Grove, founder and former CEO of Intel, shares his strategy for success as he takes the reader deep inside the…
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Exploit-Challenge-ebook/dp/B0036S4B2G/
"The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference" [2/2000]
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads = by Malcolm Gladwell
https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316316962/
Books 31 thru 40
"Thinking, Fast and Slow" [yr] by DanielKahneman
Major New York Times bestsellerWinner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award in 2012
https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman-ebook/dp/B00555X8OA/
"Letters From A Stoic (The Epistles of Seneca)" [10/2021]
In ancient Rome, Seneca the Younger rose to power as a politician and statesman during the middle of his life.
http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Epistles-Seneca-Digireads-Com-Classic-ebook/dp/B00E0VXJ30
http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Stoic-Illustrated-Three-Volumes/dp/B09HR94VGW/
"Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World
- and Why Things Are Better Than You Think" [3/2018]
by Hans Rosling
http://www.amazon.com/Factfulness-Reasons-World-Things-Better-ebook/dp/B0756J1LLV
"The Arthashastra" [written 200 BCE-200 CE, rediscovered in 1905]
an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, said to have been written by Kautilya, also known by
the name Chanakya or Vishnugupta, the prime minister of India's first great emperor, Chandragupta Maurya
https://www.amazon.com/Arthashastra-Kautilya/dp/1530830656/
"Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much" [9/2013]
by Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir
surprising and intriguing examination of how scarcity - and our flawed responses to it - shapes our lives, our society
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BMKOO6S/
http://www.amazon.com/Scarcity-Having-Little-Means-Much/dp/0805092641/
"From Third World To First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000" [10/2000]
Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965 = by Lee Kuan Yew
https://www.amazon.com/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
"Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption In An American Prison" [3/2016] = by Shaka Senghor
New York Times bestseller from a member of Oprah's SuperSoul 100. An unforgettable memoir of redemption and second …
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-My-Wrongs-Redemption-American-ebook/dp/B014NZJPDU/
"My Years With General Motors" [1963] by Alfred P. Sloan Jr.
This edition has no photos nor charts. A free GM_Charts_Supplement.pdf can be downloaded from enetpress.com
http://www.amazon.com/Years-General-Motors-Alfred-Sloan-ebook/dp/B00S8U0ADG/
http://www.amazon.com/Years-General-Motors-Alfred-Sloan/dp/0385042353/
"Supernormal: The Untold Story of Adversity and Resilience" [11/2017]
by clinical psychologist and author Meg Jay
http://www.amazon.com/Supernormal-Untold-Story-Adversity-Resilience-ebook/dp/B06XFR3D5S/
"When Breath Becomes Air" [1/2016] by Paul Kalanithi, Foreword by Abraham Verghese
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Pulitzer Prize FINALIST * For readers of Atul Gawande, Andrew Solomon, and Anne Lamott …
https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi-ebook/dp/B00XSSYR50/
Books 41 thru 50
"The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" [11/2010]
winner of the Pulitzer Prize,
and now a documentary from Ken Burns on PBS = by Siddhartha Mukherjee
https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439107955/
"The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined" [10/2011] by by Steven Pinker
selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Angels-Our-Nature-Violence/dp/0670022950/
"Man's Search For Meaning" [1946]
psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps
https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI/
also included on the Books To Expand Your Brain list { see below }
"Black Fortunes: The Story of The First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires" [1/2018]
telling the little-known stories of six pioneering African American entrepreneurs = by Shomari Wills
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Fortunes-African-Americans-Millionaires/dp/0062437607/
"Enlightenment Now: The Case For Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress" [7/2018] by Steven Pinker
http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Now-Science-Humanism-Progress/dp/0141979097/
"Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" [1993] by Robert B. Cialdini, PhD
the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say 'yes'
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials-ebook/dp/B002BD2UUC/
"Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships" [9/2006] by Daniel Goleman
"Emotional Intelligence" was an international phenomenon, appearing on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year
http://www.amazon.com/Social-Intelligence-Science-Human-Relationships/dp/0553803522/
"Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of The Mass Media" [yr]
by Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky
http://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Consent-Political-Economy-Media-ebook/dp/B0055PJ4R0/
"Skin In The Game: Hidden Asymmetries In Daily Life" [yr] by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A bold new work from the author of "The Black Swan" that challenges many of our long-held …
https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Game-Hidden-Asymmetries-Daily-ebook/dp/B075HYVP7C/
"The Moral Animal: Why We Are, The Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology" [8/1994] by Robert Wright
Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00486U8N6/
and a dozen more To Expand Your Brain
James Altucher posted a list of "The Ten Most Important Books To Expand Your Brain" on LinkedIn in September 2015;
his list of 18 books includes many interesting works, so they have been added here; note that three books are on both lists.
====================
“MASTERY” by Robert Greene
====================
“BOLD” by Peter Diamondis & Steven Kotler
“Abundance” by the same two
“Tomorrowland” by Steven Kotler
“The Rational Optimist” by Matt Ridley
Altucher says that “Abundance” is like a sequel to “The Rational Optimist”
====================
“OUTLIERS” by Malcolm Gladwell
====================
“WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM” by Steven Johnson
also “How We Got To Now” by Steven Johnson
====================
“MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING” by Victor Frankl
already included on list of 50 { at #43 }
====================
“BORN STANDING UP” by actor-comedian Steve Martin
while you are at it, throw in “Bounce” by Mathew Syed, who was the UK Ping Pong champion when he was younger
and throw in “An Astronaut’s Guide To Earth” by Commander Chris Hadfield
====================
“ZERO TO ONE” by Peter Thiel
Thiel is the founder of PayPal and first investor in Facebook; he simply shares his theories on building a billion dollar business.
====================
“QUIET” by Susan Cain
====================
“ANTIFRAGILE” by Nassim Taleb
already included on list of 50 { at #27 }
and throw in his “The Black Swan”
already included on list of 50 { at #28 }
and “Fooled By Randomness”
====================
L i n k s
list maker & venture capitalist Hemant Mohopatra personal/official website
Lightspeed Venture Partners [est. 2000] India Branch
Lightspeed Venture Partners entry at Wikipedia
list as posted online
not to be confused with Hemant Mohopatra, a poet of India
here on the '50 Books To Help You Understand Everything In The Universe' Page
at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
top of page • 1 thru 10 • 11 thru 20 • 21 thru 30 • 31 thru 40 • 41 thru 50 •
a dozen more books To Expand Your Brain • links
v v
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