Reading List
Rationale
I believe that every blogger should have a publicly available reading list. Books offer a way for people to systematically gain knowledge on specific topics. If said blogger is a known expert in a field, it is likely that they have consumed a lot of literature related to the field. Publicizing the books they have read would thus help people understand what they have to do to become experts themselves.
The books I have listed here are primarily non-fiction (I stopped reading fiction a while back). They relate to a variety of topics, and I believe that each occupies a place of high esteem among other writings of the same topic. Enjoy! :)
Books
Zero to One: Notes on Startups or Building the Future by Peter Thiel
- This is a comprehensive primer for anyone interested in entering or understanding the startup space. Thiel, while controversial in recent times, provides a concrete overview of modern ventures and how they drive us towards building a better future.
- He uses the dot-com bubble both as a marker for the dawn of the Information Age companies and a framework for what to do and not to do while deliberating on whether or not to start a venture.
- Next, he dives into a few important concepts when it comes to ideation, competitor analysis, and financing a startup. Some of these concepts include the last mover advantage, monopoly-driven innovation, and the power law of venture capital.
- The last part of the book explores Thiel’s understanding of what the future will be for two types of ventures: AI and Environmental (“Green”) startups. Overall, I found this to be extremely useful in terms of providing a general framework for the drivers of innovation and any common pitfalls that people face while in the process.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Mindfulness: An 8 Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
The Theory of Poker by David Schlansky
- Too often I found myself clueless in terms of what my move should be in a poker game. It was then I decided that I needed to gain an understanding of the basic mathematics, betting patterns, and psychology of poker. I highly recommend this to anyone who’d like to do the same.
- Schlansky begins by covering the fundamentals of the math behind the game including expected values, odds, and equity. He then takes a ‘semi-digression’ to cover the fundamental theorem of poker, which is a simple rule that dictates the profit or loss that one makes while playing poker. He concludes the book with common playing strategies such as semi-bluffs, slowplaying, and check-raising. As a no-limit holdem player, I found his constant switching of games from holdem to Omaha to seven-card stud when he provided examples to be quite annoying. But, in terms of general principles, Schlansky does a fantastic job.