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Best Books About Being a Human
17 items
By
Karo Zieminski
My favorite mind-bending reads about who we are, how we got here, and why we build - history, anthropology, psychology, and the stories that shape us.
7
My favourite by Harari. The clearest, most gripping story of how we became us—from myth-making apes to globe-shapers.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Humans aren’t rational. We’re reliably irrational in ways you can design for.
Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded
The best deep dive into why humans act the way we do—from neurons to culture.
Behave: The Biology of Humans - Sapolsky
A sweeping explanation of why societies developed so differently.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: Fates of Societies
Your brain has two modes—this book shows how they run (and sometimes ruin) your decisions.
Thinking, Fast and Slow: Kahneman, Daniel - Books
Tiny tweaks, compounding gains—this is the most actionable guide to behavior change I’ve used.
Atomic Habits: Easy Way to Build & Break Habits
The classic playbook for why people say “yes”—and how to use it ethically.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Science explained with humor and wonder. Pure delight.
A Short History of Nearly Everything: Bryson, Bill
Introverts aren’t broken; they’re a superpower in disguise. Helped me redesign meetings and roles for different energy types.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts - Susan Cain
A narrative doorway into the science of judgment and decision-making.
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Minds
You'll learn about instincts that distort your worldview, and how to fix them.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong
A provocative rethink of how societies formed. You may argue with it; that’s half the fun.
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
Useful for macro-thinking about prosperity, incentives and policy.
Why Nations Fail: Origins of Power & Poverty
How culture and psychology co-evolved to create modern Western minds. Makes user research feel hilariously WEIRD-biased.
The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically
A practical guide for working across cultures. Focus on communication, feedback, trust.
The Culture Map: Breaking Global Boundaries
A history of genetics that reads like a novel. Ethics, identity, and the future, told with care.
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha
Perfect for strategy minds who love synthesis, you can re-read yearly, it's pure distillation.
The Lessons of History
