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Books that changed how I move through the world
15
items Every non-fiction book on this list changed the way I view and interact with the world in some profound or important way. I believe every book on this list to be both widely accessible and immediately impactful; this is not a prestige list filled wit...
Sections
4
Art & Creativity
History & Science
Health & Safety
Business & Productivity
Art & Creativity
Books about art, writing, and creative pursuits in general.
A comic book about comic books, and an essential work for anyone interested in how art, communication, and visual storytelling work. Topics include the interplay of text and images, how the masking effect makes cartoons more universal and relatable, ...
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
*The* essential usability classic by Don Norman, the designer who defined the practice of User Experience (UX) design at Apple in the early ‘90s. The concepts and process he details in this book will quite literally change the way you see and interac...
The Design of Everyday Things: Revised & Expanded by Don Norman
Essential reading for anyone who wants to get better at telling stories effectively. Most important, in my view, are the methods for condensing and streamlining a story to make it more digestible without changing its essential qualities.
Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need by Margot Leitman
This book strips game design back to its most basic concept: defining the verbs the player uses to interact with the game. It’s a deceptively simple idea that has deep implications that will change not only how you create games but also how you play ...
A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design by Anna Anthropy & Naomi Clark
I love magic—illusion, sleight of hand, mentalism, all of it. It’s the ability to add a little extra delight and wonder to the everyday world. Seeing magic through Staniforth’s eyes as he travels the world to reclaim his lost spark deepened and broad...
Here Is Real Magic: A Magician's Search by Nate Staniforth
Color is a complicated and fascinating subject.
Most works on color focus on theory and making palettes, but rarely get into the actual mechanics of color. If you’re interested in the science behind the theory, I can’t recommend this book strongly e...
What Is Color?: 50 Q&A on Color Science by Arielle Eckstut & Joann Eckstut
History & Science
Books covering subjects many of us did not adequately focus on in school.
A fantastic and engaging history of scientific discovery delivered with wit and warmth as only Bill Bryson can. It is engaging, informative, and provides a solid grounding in the development of critical thinking and the scientific method. The second ...
A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0
History has lessons for us about how to recognize the rising of a tyrannical state. Now more than ever before it is important to know and name those signs. Almost the shortest book on this list, it could prove to be the most consequential if enough p...
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
The theory presented is that the United States is best thought of as a collection of 11 separate nations—each with its own identity, self-mythology, and priorities. Though not without weaknesses, the arguments are compelling and will change how you t...
American Nations: History of Eleven Rival Regions by Colin Woodard
Health & Safety
These books focus on self improvement, quality of life, health, and security.
The book that taught me what being an introvert really meant, what makes us unique, and why it doesn’t mean we’re broken. I owe a lot of my ability to understand and accept myself as I am to the lessons in this book.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking
An accessible and deceptively deep introduction to practicing mindfulness in the modern world. I have complicated feelings about some parts of this book, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking a new (old) way to view and live in th...
Buddhist Boot Camp: Ancient Wisdom for Peace by Timber Hawkeye
Crude but impactful and immediately applicable.
It’s not about caring less; it’s about caring about the right things and letting the rest go. Easier said than done, but worth trying to achieve.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
I’ve become intensely interested in privacy and surveillance in recent years—for obvious reasons. This book is the one I would recommend first to anyone wanting an overview of protecting themselves online and IRL (in real life), or not sure where to ...
PRIVACY IN AMERICA: What Every American Needs to Know by MItch Jackson Esq.
Business & Productivity
Books about working smarter, not harder.
For many of us, modern work is broken; Reinventing Organizations seeks to codify and diagnose not only what is wrong, but how we might go about making it better. Even if you are not in a position to drive change, just having a framework to think abou...
Reinventing Organizations: Illustrated Invitation by Frederic Laloux & Etienne Appert
Everything you *actually* need to know about how Scrum methodology works. Whether you’re using a defined Scrum or Agile process, this small book is well worth reading. It’s also the shortest and likely cheapest book on this list, making good on the p...
Scrum: A Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction by Chris Sims & Hillary Louise Johnson