Like my write-up on Henry Ford and some of my other “teacher’s reference guides“, I …

Summary 12 rules for how to balance chaos and order, how to live a meaningful …

Summary This book is about how to better create, predict, and act upon innovation breakthroughs. …

Summary That, ultimately is what this book is about: organizational literacy, the reading and writing …

Summary Schopenhauer walks us through the art of ordering our lives to gain the maximum …

Summary The artist’s journey begins with the hero’s journey, it is merely the beginning and …

Summary To plumb the disparate discoveries about intuition – the powers and the perils and …

Summary Our heart has an intelligence which impacts our physical/mental/emotional health more than most people …

Summary Change is never “out there”, it can start where you are, right where you …

Summary Bob Gore, son of founder Bill Gore, recounts the early days at WL Gore …

The book and concepts were rich enough that I did a bit more of an …

Summary An incredible in depth look at sleep, the research behind it, and its vast …

Summary This is Ken Langone’s love song to capitalism. Everyone can and should dream big …

Summary Michael Pollan’s deep dive into consciousness altering substances Key Takeaways One way to study …

Summary Dyson wants to tell his story to inspire other inventors and to share his …

Summary The history and philosophy of The Home Depot from the founders themselves Key Takeaways …

Summary “The universe has created an ability to self-replicate using the surrounding materials to make …

Summary A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging …

Summary Charles Koch describes his management philosophy, Market Based Management, how it has evolved over …

Summary Malone is considered the grandfather of the cable industry but many also saw him …

Summary A deep look into Tiger’s history, family, career and lifestyle, helping us understand how …

Summary This book is about what goes on in a doctor’s mind as he or …

Summary Alan Watts introduces Zen Buddhism to a western audience by discussing zen’s history, the …

Summary The life of George Mecherle and his founding of State Farm Insurance Key Takeaways …

Summary Behind the scenes look at what really happened in the collapse of one of …

Summary “This book will show you how to accept your future dream as your current …

Summary “Since Darwin’s day, we’ve been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. …

Summary Mo Gawdat uses his engineering and mathematics background to study happiness and make it …

Summary “This is, in a nutshell, the Johnstone doctrine: you are not imaginatively impotent until …

Summary “Boyd has had a bigger impact on fighter tactics, aircraft design, and theory of …

Summary An incredible insight into the takeovers and social organization of a chimp colony in …

Summary JD Vance wrote this book not because he’s accomplished anything extraordinary, but because he’s …

Summary John Chatterton and Richie Kohler risked their lives to explore a sunken WWII sunken …

I got so much out of this book that I made a bit of a …

Summary The discovery of the Second Foundation and its impact on the Foundation and its …

Summary The series is about the people on these many different worlds who are all …

Summary The story and people behind the incredible success of drilling and surveying giant Schlumberger. “Conrad was a …

There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.

Summary Gaal Dornick travels to the Galactic Empire’s capital to work with Hari Seldon on …

Summary Giorgio Vasari  the effective founder of art history, describes the lives and works of some …

Summary Sam Zell discusses what has made him successful in building his commercial real estate companies as …

Summary Kiewit Brothers Company was established in 1884 by Peter Kiewit and his brother Andrew …

Summary This book proposes a thesis and draws consequences from it. The thesis is: the …

Summary Although it may not seem like it, violence has seen a steady downward trend …

Summary An introduction to engineering and what engineers do for the non-technical Key Takeaways The …

Summary Discusses how emotional rather than rational people really are and how to use this …

Summary Bill Buford recounts his time with Mario Batali and in Italy as he learns to cook …

Summary The authors describe some of the self-justification mechanisms people often use to help them …

Summary Robert Price, Sol Price’s son, recalls his father’s history, personality and journey founding FedMart and The …

Summary This is a book about the similarities in symbology between diverse religions and cultures. …

Summary Author wrote this book to broadly summarize the life of Jesus and to explain …

Summary The life and story of Amelia Earhart Key Takeaways The author spends a lot …

This teacher’s reference guide is a bit unique in that it was only one book …

Summary Leonardo was the original Renaissance Man, excelling in everything from botany to athletics to …

Summary Human relations are often paradoxical and not logical and this book explains why many …

Summary An in depth analysis of The Great Atlantic & Pacific – one of the …

Summary Sam Walton recounts his background and Walmart’s path to retail dominance Key Takeaways Sam’s Rules for …

Summary Katz describes the rise and fall of Sears and the men who helped revolutionize …

Summary Today you must be your own CEO and take responsibility for your own growth …

Summary The author describes what he learned about life from Morrie, his favorite professor, who …

Summary The author describes some of the history of the New Zealand All Blacks and …

Summary All leaders face a challenge of leadership. The old models and paradigms no longer …

Summary Not a how to guide for investing but Howard’s investing philosophy, his guideposts Key …

Summary Arturo Bandini narrates his life and struggles as a writer in LA Key Takeaways …

Summary This book will teach you how to make something which stands the test of …

Summary The life and accomplishments of Darwin through his own eyes Key Takeaways I have …

Summary Don Quixote is obsessed with what he has read about chivalry and decides to …

Summary This books dives into the power of networks and how the interconnectedness of everything …

Summary “As we mentioned earlier, given the present day geography of our planet—the distribution of …

Summary Trump’s philosophy on negotiation, business and more as well as some of his background …

Summary Hart succinctly and engagingly describes why history is so important to study and, yet, …

Summary A bitter satire aimed at the oppressive Stalin-era Russian regime of the 1930’s. It …

Summary A historical novel by Michener is a survey of the Jewish people and the …

Summary A placebo affect is when we believe in some external stimulus which changes our …

Summary There are 17 major principles of success and one must first be aware of …

Summary Gregory David Roberts tells his amazing life story from his jail break in Australia …

Summary There are some simple, universal laws which link all complex systems and this book …

Summary The history of the fall of the rulers of India up until the 19th …

Summary A story based in India which unfolds while the conflict between Russia and Britain …

Summary “It is the thesis of this book that neither mastery nor satisfaction can be …

Summary A fun and honest recounting of the highs and lows of Steve Martin’s early …

Summary If you’re purely copying someone, you haven’t truly learned from them. Of course, it’s …

Summary Peter Matthiessen recounts his travels to India, Nepal and the Himalayas and his spiritual …

Summary Paul Graham, founder of Viaweb and Y-Combinator, gives an inside view on the computer …

Summary The personal, distilled wisdom and beliefs of Will Durant on life’s important topics. Answered …

Summary Choudary explains how technology, democratization of connectivity and rise of data-driven decision making systems are …

Summary Frederick Taylor Gates, the senior business and philanthropic advisor to John D. Rockefeller, recounts …

Summary Gaiman’s recounting of Norse mythology from the genesis story to details around the different …

Summary Most of us are taught from a young age that if you work hard …

Summary A recount of the wars behind the rise and fall of the 20th century’s …

Summary A resilient structure or system is one which can bounce back to its original …

Summary Platform companies generate value by using technology to facilitate exchanges between groups which benefits …

Summary Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in our universe and that improving …

Summary A detailed overview of University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith’s philosophy. One …

Summary A written description of the est training program. “Realizing that one creates one’s own experience …

Summary This book seeks to describe how and why platforms are coming to dominate the …

Summary Phil Knight recounts the formation, history, culture and vision of one of the most …

Summary McCullough’s master story-telling skills are evident through this epic tale of the construction of …

Summary Kelly takes the unusual view of describing technology as a natural system, much like …

Summary Matchmakers create and release value by connecting different groups and reducing transactional and other …

Summary Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow, and Stan Humphries, Chief Economist, detail their findings based on the …

Summary The story of Richard Liu and his founding of one of the world’s largest …

Summary Duncan Clark describes the history of Jack Ma, his personality, how and why he …

Summary “An organic collection of writings that are meant to convey the essence of Bruce Lee’s art …

Summary Transcript of Bruce Lee interview with Pierre Berton, Ted Thomas and Alex Ben Block …

Summary “Productivity is about recognizing choices that other people often overlook. It’s about making certain …

Summary The story of Sam “The Banana Man” Zemurray who created Cuyamel Fruit from the …

Summary A compilation of DFW’s writings on tennis Key Takeaways It can be amazing how early in …

Summary A compilation of Alan Watts’ speeches on a broad number of topics Key Takeaways …

Summary A thought experiment via dialogue on some of life’s big questions Key Takeaways We …

Summary A collection of Bruce Lee’s thoughts and aphorisms broken out into eight different sections, …

Summary Compilation of Bruce Lee’s quotes, teachings and philosophy Key Takeaways Remember, success is a …

Summary A compilation of some of Bruce Lee’s most famous quotes Key Takeaways Be happy, …

Summary “Basically, I have always been a martial artist by choice and actor by profession. …

Summary A broad view of Bruce Lee’s life and personality through personal correspondence with friends …

Summary This book describes in meticulous detail Lee’s ever-evolving workout regimens and favorite exercises Key …

Chip Conley, founder of a boutique hotel chain called Joie de Vivre, describes his business principles and how they can help you reach your full potential and self-actualize

A dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on how to turn ephemeral joy into an enduring trait

Bruce Lee’s commentaries on the martial way

A beautiful book based on the award-winning documentary, Bruce Lee: In His Own Words

This book is meant to serve as an introduction to Bruce Lee as a student of life, a designer of his own destiny. It goes into detail about Bruce’s development as a martial artist as well as his intellectual growth

A compilation of Bruce Lee’s interviews from 1958-1973

Studying some of the most prolific people in history to glean some of their patterns and daily routines to perhaps adopt into your own life

Goethe is one of Germany’s most famous writers but also specialized in anatomy, geology and botany. This book is a collection of his thoughts and maxims, all of which are meant to provoke reflection

Examines Pixar’s storytelling techniques to uncover the techniques and mechanisms which make them so successful

A comprehensive overview of Pixar’s history, it’s storytelling process, its relationship with Disney and more

Jewel’s background, obstacles overcome, beliefs and values all laid bare for the world to see. She hides nothing in this open account of her life

Quick book describing some of the attitudes, beliefs, practices and more that set Pixar apart and give it the best shot to keep innovating and producing the highest quality movies

Through a fictional narrative, Connellan describes what makes Disney great and how some of those learnings can be implemented into a variety of different businesses

Disney was able to entertain billions of people the world over. His background doesn’t point the way to how he achieved this, His parents were plain people, young Walt showed no brilliance as a student, and his drawings were often uninspired but in the end he is one of the most successful entertainers in businessmen in history

Disney’s influence is hard to overstate. He completely changed American culture and its consciousness by bringing in a lighter, more fun world during tough times. He completely changed animation and helped invent graphic design. His concept of a theme park was completely novel too as it was a totally immersive, imaginative experience

Michael Barrier gives a detailed account of Walt Disney’s background, personality, accomplishments, flaws and impact on the world

The incredible story of the Eisner era – it’s successes and debacles

Natural selection is important, but it has not labored alone to craft the fine architectures of the biosphere. Self-organization is the root source of order and is not merely tinkered, but arises naturally and spontaneously because of the principles of self-organization. Self-organization works together with natural selection to help shape and drive evolution in species

Consumers have become more thoughtful and hyperbolic marketing is more likely to backfire today. More refined advertising and better knowledge of what customers truly want is necessary. This book explores the companies that are different by taking this more refined path

Holland walks us through how coherence emerges from unstructured agents in environments of continuous flux; coherence under change and complex adaptive systems (CAS)

A primer on problem solving on scales from local to global, how systems exist and react in the real world while acknowledging that all models are false although they help us simplify and at times make better predictions

Hagstrom walks the reader through why and how to incorporate fundamental principles from multiple fields to become a better thinker, decision maker, investor, etc.

The Fifth Discipline describes what a learning organization is and why it is vital in today’s world. It combines 5 core disciplines to help any organization gain a competitive advantage

Explanations of complexity, self-organization, emergence, order and chaos and some of the pioneers behind this work. It also details the history of the Santa Fe Institute

Joe Kane describes his adventure trekking through the Amazon from its source in the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean

Describes some of the world’s most respected investors’ proven, proprietary frameworks for finding, researching, analyzing, and implementing the best value investing opportunities

Katherine Graham, long time CEO of The Washington Post, recounts her story, her struggles and her rise to running this acclaimed newspaper

The autobiography of Les Schwab, founder of the Les Schwab supermarket tire store – his background, philosophy and views on life and business

Summary Self-organized criticality (SOC) is a new way of viewing nature – perpetually out of …

A primer on problem solving on scales from local to global, how systems exist and react in the real world while acknowledging that all models are false although they help us simplify and at times make better predictions

Seeks to explain how large scale, complex, organized and adaptive behavior can follow from simple rules among many individuals

Strogatz describes the universality of sync in nature, human biology, social networks, etc. and how it might come to be. “For reasons I wish I understood, the spectacle of sync strikes a chord in us, somewhere deep in our souls. It’s a wonderful and terrifying thing. Unlike many other phenomena, the witnessing of it touches people at a primal level. Maybe we instinctively realize that if we ever find the source of spontaneous order, we will have discovered the secret of the universe.”

Summary A beautiful question is an ambitious yet actionable question that can begin to shift …

LaBerge is the father of lucid dreaming and in this book he describes why lucid dreaming is beneficial, how to enter the state consistently and what to do once you’re in the state.

A good summary of some of history’s most influential intellectuals, how they were influential and some of the darker sides of their personalities

Story told of Ashe vs. Graebner during their US Open semi-final with some of their background and thoughts intertwined

Summary Man thinks he lives by virtue of the forces he can control, but in …

Summary Chernow’s goal is to make Washington as close to the living, breathing figure he was …

Will and Ariel Durant provide an unparalleled multi-disciplinary recount of history, covering major themes, events and people. This 100 page book is an incredible summary of their 10,000+ page series, The Story of Civilization.

Summary Deep work – professional activities performed in a state free of distractions which push …

Summary Stone attempts to describe the Amazon story, its founder and how Wall St. and …

Summary Dobelli lays out some of the most common and disastrous mental biases we are …

Through real life examples, many of them centered around Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Peter Bevelin helps the reader learn how to think better, make fewer poor decisions understand ourselves and others better. Discusses mental models, human fallibilities, heuristics, instincts, human psychology, biology and more.

A very interesting dialogue between Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, the “librarian” and the “seeker” of knowledge. The dialogue discusses how to live a successful, happy and fulfilling life, what to avoid in life and in business and how to improve mental biases and heuristics in order to make better decisions

Summary Bevelin compiles Buffett’s investor letters as well as other good sources of value investing …

Summary Interesting biography on the philosopher/politician who was responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence, …

Summary Good biography on John Adams, his contributions, life, personality Key Takeaways Adams was a …

Summary Strauss details his life and how he dealt with his desires for others while …

Summary Relates the story of the 2001 TMT bubble from the perspective of Marathon Asset Management Key …

Harvey Firestone discusses some of his background, philosophy and business practices which helped him build one of the most successful companies of the early 20th century

Summary Bevelin takes quotes and examples from Sherlock Holmes as examples of several tools and …

Summary The life and work of Alexander Hamilton told in a way that only the …

Summary No matter the domain, the highly successful have a kind of ferocious determination that …

Summary “I believe there are some basic truths, discernible by philosophical reflection, which undergird any sort of …

Summary An exciting and inspiring book which lays out a detailed process for how you …

Summary Really engaging book on the importance of mindfulness and meditation and the principal tenets …

Summary A rally good overview of Brazil’s history and founding, it’s political background, agricultural prowess, …

Summary Logic of failure – certain tendencies in our patterns of thought that, while appropriate …

Summary General Stanley McChrystal was in command of the Joint Special Operations and director of operations in …

Summary Great compilation of some of the world’s most influential, powerful, innovative people of all …

Summary Miguel Ruiz Jr follows in his fathers footsteps with the Toltec way of life …

Summary Describes SEAL combat operations and training through Jocko’s and Leif’s eyes and applies this …

Summary Dr. Hyman details very convincing evidence on why eating the right types of fats …

Summary 101 tips and learnings the author got out of culinary school Key Takeaways A …

Summary Beautifully written book which strongly advocates for mindfulness in everything we do – from …

Summary First book written by an insider that looks under the hood of the industry …

Summary Great resource on what foods to eat more of and avoid and how to …

Summary The incredible, multi-dimensional story of Robert Moses who helped shape New York through its …

Summary Dreaming Yourself Awake describes the two most effective forms to control dreams though lucid …

Summary A good introduction into tai chi and why/how it is practiced Key Takeaways Practicing …

Ken Iverson took over Nucor when he was 39 and compounded the business at incredible rates for decades. On top of it, he did it in the steel industry which is not known for its attractive returns. Iverson lays out his management principles which center around employee trust and loyalty, decentralization, honesty, limited hierarchy and bureaucracy and aligning the employees and manager’s interest through partnership.

Summary The Battle of Thermopylae told from the point of view one of the Spartan …

Summary Paul Kalanithi describes his journey of becoming a neuroscientist and when he is finally …

Summary People tend to operate as either givers, matchers or takers. In today’s increasingly connected …

Summary Mukunda experiences a miraculous recovery at a young age and after that is set …

Summary Dhando investing is all about value investing – maximum rewards with minimal risk. Dhando …

Summary Provides a brief summary of 50 decision models, or mental frameworks, on how to …

Reichheld lays out a very convincing argument for why creating an ecosystem which attracts and rewards loyal customers, employees and investors is the ultimate moat for any organization

Summary The Biocybernaut institute helps you increase your alpha waves through highly specialized neurofeedback training. …

Summary Lowe details Charlie’s life through his early career as a lawyer, later partnership with …

Summary Wulf describes Humboldt’s amazing ability to see the big picture of nature and how …