What nonfiction books do you keep rereading?

Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols 2nd Edition - Radia Perlman

Every 2-3 years, particularly in the periods when I'm not actively in network engineering, I re-read this book from start-finish - and it just completely centers my mindset with regards to pretty much every fundamental topic in Network Engineering. There almost didn't need to be a 2nd Edition - most of the major topics were covered in 1st edition - the only major difference is the use of lots of protocol examples. The core material itself is timeless.

Here is just one gem from Chapter 5 - "Hubs, Switches, Virtual Lans and Fast Ethernet"

"I originally resisted adopting the term switch. Unlike thing, switch sounds like a word you'd apply to a well-defined concept, so it makes people assume that there is a crisp definition that everyone else knows. I thought the world was already confusing enough with the terms bridge and router. Unfortunately, people coined the word switch assuming they were inventing a new concept, somehow different from a bridge or a router. And there were various independent product concepts named switch. As "switch" vendors expanded the capabilities of their products, the products wound up being functionally the same as bridges and routers, usually a hybrid or superset. One cynical (and ungrammatical) definition I use for switch is "a marketing term that means fast." Almost all products these days are some hybrid or superset of bridges and routers. So maybe it's right for the industry to settle on a new word, switch, as a more generic term for a box that moves data."

"Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager". Many knowledge workers manage projects on a daily or weekly basis, yet most, including myself, don't have formal training in it and will profusely reject the title "Project Manager". The book gives a no-bullshit guide to manage things—deliverables, deadlines, schedules, and scope—and how to lead people—team members, customers, etc.

"The Emperor of All Maladies". A haunting, personal, and intimate biography of cancer. Having been on the peripherals of several cancer patients, I find the book an incredible overview of the disease, and how to deal with its physical, mental, and societal consequences.

I'm re-reading Tracy Kidder's "The Soul of a New Machine" at the moment. It's about Data General and the development of a new minicomputer. I read it at the dawn of my IT career in the 1990s and found much of was still relevant then. (the book was written in 1981) Thirty years later, I'm mostly just nodding as I follow along; yep, yep, yep. "Engineering" is a distant second to corporate politics and office pecking order.

Reading Brian Shul's "Sled Driver" autobiography on the tablet. Shul was an SR-71 pilot, and the book is about 10% Shul and 90% SR-71. It reads fast and it's interesting, with unexpected bits of information.

Just finished David Goggins' "Can't Hurt Me." It's supposed to be a "motivational" autobiography. I can't say I felt motivated. Most of his problems were self-inflicted, and he treated his family and children like dirt.

The Abolition of Man - C. S. Lewis

All Things Considered - G. K. Chesterton

Some others I daren't mention.

Category Theory for Programmers - Bartosz Milewski

The Design of Relational Databases - Heikki Mannila, Kari-Jouko Raiha

If you like history you should check out 19th Century Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt's collection of essays Force and Freedom - I read it every 2 years or so. It's great summary of the different sources of power in society and how they interact during different periods. Highly recommended.

"In Force and Freedom, Burckhardt reduced the main elements of history to the state, religion, and culture, discussing the hypothetical and actual supremacy of each over the other two. “Culture” comes out best, religion worst in his value system, but the state has its dangers too..."

https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/historians-europ...

Glenn Gould Reader, a collection of writings by Canadian pianist Glenn Gould

Eye, Brain, Vision by David Hubel, IMO an excellent introduction to visual neuroscience for the layperson and a really, really nice example of good scientific writing

Huygens and Barrow, Newton and Hooke by VI Arnold, for the density of ideas

Perceptrons by Minsky and Papert, mainly as an example of clear mathematical exposition

Escape from Freedom[1]! the meat of Fromm's thesis is that modern societies have attained a lot of "negative freedom" (i.e. freedom from necessities and/or authorities), but the corresponding growth in "positive freedom" (freedom to express oneself authentically and genuinely) has been lackluster. the result is that we become "burdened" by the responsibilities of freedom, unable to handle it without feeling overwhelmed. instead, we resort to escape mechanisms: e.g. by seeking refuge in authoritarian leaders, or by conforming to societal standards and expectations. both are detrimental, Fromm says, as they undermine individual freedom. Fromm urges that we should pay more attention to our thoughts and actions, and to be more wary of them, as they may or may not be genuine expressions of our inner selves.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_Freedom

The Bible. Even if you don't care for it's spiritual implications, there is a rich history that is used by archaeologists, and many face-value lessons of cause and effect, and even recommendations on how to manage a business and employees. The beautiful non-spiritual message is that humans don't change, but we can still learn from histories mistakes.

Trade Wars are Class Wars by Klein and Pettis

I was originally pointed to this book as an answer to my persistent question "I love manufacturing, but it seems like the US economy hates manufacturing, why?" and while it did give me a satisfactory grasp of the macroeconomics involved, it also became my reference for a handful of trade policy / macroeconomic points that are, shall we say, less frequently bubbled up by The Submarine (in reference to the Paul Graham essay).

- Zero to One, Peter Thiel

Always makes me feel that I’m not ambitious enough. And that too many smart people are in the wrong industry (finance).

- The Dip, Seth Godin

Don’t give up. Unless you’re in a cul-de-sac.

- Obviously Awesome, April Dunford

Your competitor is often not who you think it is.

The Soul Of A New Machine, by Tracy Kidder - The history of computing fascinates me, and this is one of my favorite books on the topic.

Hackers, by Steven Levy - Again, computing history, and especially relevant to me because I started personal computing in the mid-80s and like reading about the stuff I missed. Levy is always fun to read. There are a lot of good books on the microcomputer revolution, this one is just my favorite.

Bird By Bird, by Anne Lamott - It's not just a book about writing, but a book about living. Lamott is a born storyteller, and every one of her non-fiction books is inspiring and highly readable.

On Writing, by Stephen King - I am not a King fan. The only fiction piece he's written I come back to is The Stand. But the story of how he became a writer, and his life as a writer, gives me hope for my own writing. And his advice is valuable; even if I don't like his books, I can't argue with his success.

Why are most of you just listing books? At least explain why you reread those particular books, that's what's actually valuable here.

The Foxfire books ever since I was little. It's a series of books documenting traditional skills like crop growing, fiddle making, blacksmithing, plumbing, foraging, cooking, etc. as done by rural people in Appalachia. They contain all kinds of valuable information in them as well as a good source of life skills & fun hobbies. I recommend them to everyone.

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It - Chris Voss

Clear actionable direction on how to negotiate.

The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch. Has an exceptionally high density of good ideas.

The first time I read it, I didn't love it and only engaged with it superficially. But gradually I began thinking about it more and came back to it, and I read it with more attention. After re-reading it several times I think it is one of the deepest and most important books I have ever read. It has changed how I see the world.

The War of Art by Pressfield, Natural Meditation by Dean Sluyter, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián are books I often come back to ever couple of years.

When I reread these, I always pick up some details that I missed in the earlier reads:

- On the shortness of life - Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Growth - Show your work and Steal like an artist - Domain modeling made functional

Wow, this is interesting, very few books I've read more than once! Even fewer are non fiction, but they sure do explain a lot about me:

- Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker helped me process a number of assaults that happened to me as a child

- Designing Data Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann helped me understand intuitively how databases work and how to use eventual consistency to handle workloads

- The Highly Sensitive Person: How To Thrive when the World Overwhelms You by Elaine Aron this helped me process my and my families neurodivergence.

- Structure And Interpretation of Computer Programs by Ableson and Sussman. Great book, it's how I learned to love Lisp. I felt like I grew 10x in skill from completing all the homework.

- Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe. This is the book that got me into powerlifting as a regular part of my fitness. I used this to heal my back, neck, and wrist pain. Changed my life.

- Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney. The GOAT of plein air painting himself teaches so much about how light works on complex forms. I've dog-eared this book.

- Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux. A great look into how to build and run a self organizing team. Very insightful for when I was leading several teams and needed inspiration for something other than the typical chain of command.

- The Classroom Management Book by Harry Wong. This book taught me so much about how humans work. I still apply lessons from this book 20 years later.

- Real World Haskell by O'Sullivan, Goerzen, Stewart. This taught me a lot about Haskell, and got me into all the neat effects needed to make a function pure but still handle IO/async, etc.

- Peopleware by DeMarco, Lister. My go to book for people management and a philosophy of project management

- Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples by Gottman. I love this book for teaching me how to be a better spouse and friend.

- The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing by Larimore, Lindauer. A great guide to building a permanent portfolio that will return consistent gains with the market. Simple in hindsight, thanks to this book. Best book on investing I've ever read.

- How to Take Smart Notes by Ahrens. Introduces the zettlekasten system for thinking and creativity. Very inspiring, got me to start a personal file that I keep going to this day, five years later.

- Twenty Small Sailboats to Take you Anywhere by Vigor. I read this book over and over, dreaming of buying a small boat and sailing around the world. Maybe this year...

I'm about to reread Nixon Agonistes. It's always relevant, but in a year that has come eerily to resemble 1968, it's especially so.

More about the book here: https://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2005/11/gary_willss_nix.html

Walden, in which the author, Henry David Thoreau, builds a cabin in the woods and lives there for two years, two months, and two days. He gives up many of modern life’s luxuries and makes some incredibly profound observations on how much unnecessary bloat we have in modern life. It was published in 1854 yet remains relevant.

Henry David Thoreau was part of the Transcendentalist movement, so the book reflects a lot of that philosophy. I am revisiting it after first reading it a decade ago and am finding it really fascinating now that I’m older and have spent a bit of time in the workforce and in society.

I've re-read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie so many times. It is now my comfort book. I’m on a quest to have a list of less than 10 of the best books I can re-read, recommend to others - https://brajeshwar.com/books/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...

"Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine. About Adams and Carwardine travelling the world to document several animals on the brink of extinction (by then 1988). Very entertaining and raising questions about the responsibility of human globalization. An all-time favourite.

"Never In Anger" by Jean Briggs. About her living 17 months among Inuit in the 1970ies, documenting how the Inuit see emotions and raise their children without any shouting or violence.

"Shots in the Dark - Japan, Zen, and the West" by Shōji Yamada. About the culture exchange between Japan and the West in the early 20th century and how several perceptions of Zen got constructed in the process.

"Gödel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstaedter. About core ideas in logic, music and art, and their connections. I always find something new there.

"In Praise of Mastery" / "芸談" by Tanizaki Jun’ichirō. An essay about the japanese pursuit of mastery. It's a fascinating window into the arts perception in late 19th century Japan.

Webster's Dictionary of 1913. A great resource for looking up original meanings of words. I find it very useful for naming stuff in programming.

"Woe Is I" by Patricia O'Conner. A witty grammar book. O'Conner's entertaining style makes it easy to grasp the grammar topics and come back for more.

The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times - Rene Guenon (1945).

An esoteric book that summarises everything as a direction which moves away from quality and towards quantity. Here is an excerpt that uses this system to analyse modern workplace anonymity:

"[...] tendency to uniformity demands that individuals shall be treated as mere numerical 'units', thus realizing equality by a leveling down, for that is the only direction in which equality can be reached 'in the limit' [...] Anyone who wonders what happens to the individual in such conditions will find that [...] he is so to speak reduced to his substantial aspect, and this amounts to saying that he becomes scarcely more than [...] 'a body without a soul'. From such an individual the qualitative or essential aspect has indeed almost disappeared ('almost', because the limit can never actually be reached); and [...] the individual really no longer has any 'name' that belongs to him, because he is emptied of the qualities which that name should express; he is thus really 'anonymous', but in the inferior sense of the word. This is the anonymity of the 'masses' of which the individual is part and in which he loses himself, those 'masses' that are no more than a collection of similar individuals, regarded purely and simply as so many arithmetical 'units'. 'Units' of that sort can be counted, and the collectivity they make up can thus be numerically evaluated, the result being by definition only a quantity; but in no way can each one of them be given a denomination indicating that he is distinguished from the others by some qualitative difference."

"The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by Gottman. It's not the best writing in the world yet it's based on 50 years of actual research.

"Peopleware" by Tom DeMarco. It's a book every manager should read about how, maybe, you can create a team that jells.

"The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker. Examines the necessities of knowledge work. What every manager and employee should read.

Thinking Forth. It's one of the few nonfiction books I've actually read completely, let alone revisited.

I used to look at dictionaries and a few reference books fairly often, but these days I use dictd and chop up the electronic versions of the reference books and pull up the page I'm looking for from the command line when I can.

Systemantics by John Gall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemantics

Every year, I come back to "On The Shortness of Life" by Seneca to ground myself to the fact that life keeps on happening and I have to remind myself that life is long enough if I think about it...

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez is a personal favorite. I re-read every year or so to make sure I'm thinking about my real personal goals. It also makes me trim the fat from my personal budget again each time I read.

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart D. Ehrman. It’s a great read about early scribe practices and known problems with different manuscript translations in the New Testament.

For the last several years, I've kicked off my annual book list by re-reading Ben Franklin's _Autobiography_. I just love the conversational tone and how wide-ranging it is, and there's a surprising amount of still-practical day-to-day advice in there.

Honorable mention to _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ (I agree with other comments that earlier editions are better) and _Getting Things Done_.

Thanks for starting this thread! Lots of good recommendations here.

Offhand I can think of a few that I've read at least 2-3 times. And in a couple of cases, maybe as many as 4 or 5 times. There are probably some others that just aren't jumping to mind, but suffice it to say that these are all books I've found very valuable.

The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve Blank

The Discipline of Market Leaders - Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

Society of Mind - Marvin Minsky

Mastering the Complex Sale - Jeff Thull

How to Measure Anything - Douglas Hubbard

The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins

For me is

the psychology of money

getting things done, first edition

How to Win Friends and Influence People (Unfortunate title for one of the best books on plain common sense when it comes to interacting with people)

"Who Am I?" by Ramana Maharshi

Happy by Derren Brown - not a self help book, more an introduction to classical Greek and Roman philosophy framed around stoicism and a dash of Epicureanism. While it does include mental exercises you can do to aid in a stoic sense of self, I've never found the need to do them, but have definitely become more stoic, and by extension happier, as a result of reading it.

"The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America", by Daniel Boorstin

Computer Power and Human Reason by Joseph Weizenbaum. It's a true classic.

Weizenbaum wrote the first AI chat program, Eliza, sixty years ago. I read his book shortly after it came out in 1976, and several times since, most recently last year after ChatGPT etc. arrived. I was impressed again how pertinent and prescient it is.

A fifty year old book about AI is still relevant because it is mostly about peoples' motivations for building and using AI, their expectations for it, and their responses to it. These haven't changed in fifty years and don't depend on the technology in the AI, or what it can actually do.

Weizenbaum recognizes that making and using computer technology has moral and ethical consequences and isn't afraid to say so. He argues that computers should not be used for some purposes, whether or not they can be made to work.

Atomic Habits.

It's a simple book that can be summarized in an essay, but listening to it repeatedly while driving helps me keep my life on track.

Energy Systems: A Very Short Introduction by Nick Jenkins (2019) Oxford University Press.

I am very interested in figuring out how to reduce the cost of energy and given my background is only in CS and Economics, I frequently have to reference texts like this until I have a better understanding to move beyond

"Range: How generalists triumph in a specialized world" "How to win friends and influence people" "The History of Western Philosophy" Russell...though the Anthony Kenny series is at least as good. "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" open at any page and there is an interesting story.

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

Letting Go - David R Hawkins

Both books provide amazing reminders for the best ways to approach life and handle stress.

Atomic Habits by James Clear - The art of showing up has been effective and it worked for me.

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy - You get what you've put your soul into

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight - I love the storytelling by the author, you can hear Phil telling this story himself.

The Discourses of Epictetus - This is useful to re-read frequently while thinking about any new challenges in my life, as these are powerful tools for managing hardship and generally living well.

When I say no, I feel guilty by Manuel J. Smith - a book on assertive and non-manipulative communication. This has been incredibly valuable for improving my personal relationships and work. It's also allowed me to recognize and defend myself against emotional manipulation, which is more common than I realized. For many people that is the main way they communicate- by trying to control others with guilt through manipulation.. and I used to be both unaware and extremely vulnerable to it. It is useful to re-read and practice frequently, as these are skills that require practice.

Zero to one

The lean startup

The 4-hour workweek

The subtle art of not giving a f*ck

--

What I've found out, biographies are the best thing for me because I always want to know what happens next, but I also learn invaluable lessons from the biographee (just googled this term now and it exists!), so it's a nice mix of story and self-help

- Antifragile

- Masters of Doom

- Atomic Habits

- How to Read a Book

- Books by Austin Kleon

I'm sure i'll remember more, but these were the ones that popped into my head. I'm trying to switch it up a little and start reading older books and get hooked so that I'm can reread those.

Profiles in Courage by JFK (probably ghost written)

I go back to the section on Daniel Webster and the compromise of 1850 a lot. It always stuck with me how much courage it took to advocate for compromise and peace rather than head into a civil war.

The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday

Holiday, in most of his books, makes stoic philosophy relatable and gives examples of we'd be familiar with in modern day. It's a fairly easy read, and I gift it the most as well.

As a software engineer, I found his less popular book Perennial Seller to also be very good. It describes his writing style, which honestly is very similar to coding, but also talks about his approach to marketing his books, which drives the content.

Play Bigger by Al Ramadan (and a few others) which talks about category design. I haven't tried their newer books, but I'm somewhat tempted.

In no particular order...

0. Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony, by Akio Morita, Edwin M. Reingold, Mitsuko Shimomura

1. The Practice of Programming (TPOP) , by Brian W. Kernighan, Rob Pike

2. Wings of Fire, by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari

I think Xenophon's Anabasis is an excellent treatise on leadership and crisis management, and his Hellenica is also a great look at the sources of and risks to moral authority.

Black Swan by Nassim Taleb

* On Liberty - John Stuart Mills

* 6 Meditations - Rene Descartes

I find it strange when people recommend censorship and somehow equate that to advancing democratic norms. Most recently I saw such perverted absurdities here on HN when Israelis users were justifying the expulsion of unfriendly news media. I cannot help but go back to Mills.

The Bhagavad Gita

Bible is one of few obvious choices of foundational books.

The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti: a good introduction to radical pessimism. If you get into it, it's a good idea to move on to Eugene Thacker, whose writing is deeper and less polemical.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972 by Hunter S. Thompson: gives a better understanding of the political contexts that led to our current politics. Somehow, we keep re-living this election over and over again.

The Myth of Sisyphus By Albert Camus. A great philosophy book, not that hard to read, about the absurdity of life. Camus talks about suicide in this context, and why life still has meaning despite its absurdity. The Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. As the title implies, it talks about caring less about what other think (while not being a narcissist). And how it can make you more happy and more likeable.

The Structure of World History, Karatani

Jacques Barzun - From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present (2001)

The Ancient City by Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (1864)

Intellectuals By Paul Johnson

Daniel J. Boorstin - The Discoverers

The Great Courses - The Industrial Revolution (audiobook/lectures)

Decline of the West - Spengler

Statistical Mechanics by Pathria. Every read teaches me something new and reminds me how little I know.

I am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj. Recorded discourses with him, in q&a format.

This is the most powerful spiritual text I’ve encountered to date. Instantly places me in a state of deep understanding. I open it on a weekly basis.

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine is great. I read it a couple of years ago and just recently listened to the audiobook. It definitely gives you a different perspective on how to approach life.

Most gave been mentioned, but as they probably won't be I'll include these:

- The Extended Circle - an Anthology of Humane Thought by Jon Wynne Tyson

- Letters from the Desert by Carlo Carretto

1. The Wellness Sense - Om Swami

2. The subtle art of not giving a f*ck - Mark Manson

There are a few more but these are the actual killers.

"A History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

The Mental Game of Poker

Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation by Jonathan Kozol

Growing up in a sheltered middle-class home, it was my first awakening to 'the real world'

How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie. Influence - Robert Cialdini.

Like it or not, we enter into "adversarial" situations every day.

The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Isaacson's Steve Jobs. It's incredibly well executed in terms of writing and structure. A piece of art.

I can usually pick up any Michael Lewis book and be entertained even if it's the 5th timing reading it.

Garner's Modern American Usage.

The Incerto by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

I don't generally read nonfiction related to or targeted at start ups/tech/silicon valley/self help kinda stuff.

James Rhodes' (pianist) books 'Instrumental' and 'Fire on All Sides' (both memoirs) are, well, I hesitate to call them 'comfort reads' because they are harrowing. They're comforting in the sense that he brings to light some extremely confronting things (take the content warnings seriously!) and does it with earnestness, a deep desire to educate, a brilliant sense of humour, and despite never having gone through any of the things he has, the books are somehow extremely relatable. His passion for music is contagious as well.

As for general things I keep coming back to? Pretty much everything Bertrand Russell wrote. Mark Fisher, Judith Butler, too. Lots of Ancient Greek chaps, of course. Lots of philosophy.

I do sometimes read 'idiomatic ' type books for languages I'll probably never use. It's not all that impactful when not actually trying to program in the language but they're usually well written, interesting, and the ideas/philosophies/approaches to programming for the language can be valuable.

I don't tend to reread many books in general. C.S. Lewis and Tolkien's fictional series are probably the only exceptions. However, I do frequently reread books from the Bible, typically the English Standard Version. And yes, I would make the claim that all of these are non-fictional books/letters.

- Jonah: for its description of God's desire to have compassion on a group of people who don't know him, by leaving Jonah with no other option than telling those people about Him.

- Ecclesiastes: For "The Teacher's" many vignettes about how life is a quickly-dissipating vapor, and his pointing to ways to find satisfaction in it.

- Mark: Mark tells the story of Jesus' life and ministry in a no-nonsense, get-to-the-point kind of way.

- Romans: Paul gives a treatise on: the main problem of mankind, the inability of men to live up to any standard of behavior, the source of any confidence that anyone can have that God might be pleased with them, the way the Christian church relates to the people of Israel, and how to live in unity with people with whom you have disagreements.

- 1 John: John never got over the fact that he was loved by Jesus, and this letter is his recapitulation of that same love toward others.

[Jonah]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%201&versi...

[Ecclesiastes]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1&...

[Mark]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1&version=...

[Romans]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&versio...

[1 John]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1&versio...

My Life, by Isadora Duncan

I have meditations, letters from a stoic and discourses on rotation.

Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.

Timeless advice on money and life management

1984 by George Orwell

PeopleWare. I read it and then re-read it every year.

folklore.org - Anecdotes about the development of Apple's original Macintosh, and the people who made it (123 stories), A. Hertzfeld

The Conquest of Bread - Kropotkin

seneca's letters from a stoic, marcus aurelius' meditations, the pragmatic programmer by david thomas & andrew hunt

Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant.

If you know you know.

The Bastiat Collection. Emerson's essays.

Joe Studwell - How Asia works, and all Nick Lane.

The first is, despite its name, a manual for countries on how to win at capitalism. A must read to understand what works and what doesn't in macroeconomics.

About Nick Lane, he's an English biochemist working on cutting-edge investigation regarding the cell and origin of life. His work is very deep and leaves me with a sense of awe, of what nature and natural selection has 'built' and why life is the way it is.

The Culture Code - Daniel Coyle

"Chanakya Niti"- best for Leadership/Business/DecisionMaking/Life overall

The Rama Charit Manasa

Bhagavatam

Bhagavad Gita

Chaitanya Caritamrta

Mahabharata

The Alignment Problem

"White Line Fever"

Honestly? Probably some kind of user manual, technical reference or cookbook.

Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer"

Cicero's "How to Grow Old"

John Derbyshire's "Prime Obsession"

The Coming of Neo-Feudalism - Joel Kotkin (its a brainful)

Algorithns to live by - Brian Christian

Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel khaneman

The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom - James Burnham