Books I've Read

Most people rush the three decisions that shape their life; Naval makes you slow down before choosing wrong.

Pixar's co-founder argues a great team matters more than a great idea, and explains how to build one.

Dell beat rivals with better tech by mastering operations first; the priority order most founders get backwards.

Patagonia's founder explains how treating quality and values as strategy outperforms chasing profit.

Jordan's drive came from specific habits and pressures worth borrowing, not just raw talent.

Nike nearly died a dozen times; Knight's actual decisions show what separating a job from a calling costs.

A serial billionaire shares the hiring rules, deal filters, and leadership habits that actually built his companies.

How Nvidia built a structure where decisions move faster than competitors can plan.

One man survived the Death Railway, a hellship, and Nagasaki; then danced five nights a week at 90.

Jobs's best leadership lessons came from a decade of failure before his Apple comeback, not his famous wins.

If your team is struggling, this book argues the problem starts and ends with you.

Munger made fewer decisions than most investors and better ones; here is how he thought.

Being top 25% at two skills beats chasing greatness at one, and Andreessen explains how to build that stack.

If you're deciding whether to start something now or wait, Graham's notes make the tradeoffs concrete.

Two guys with no degrees beat the world to flight; their actual method is worth stealing.

One question, what would you do with 10x more agency, tends to unlock options you've been ignoring.

Sam Walton built the world's largest retailer by copying competitors and keeping costs lower than anyone thought possible.

Walsh built a dynasty by treating small details as the real standard, long before the trophy arrived.

Arnold used the same goal system for bodybuilding, movies, and governor; and it fits on an index card.

The startup that picked the harder technical path kept copying competitors' features in days, not months.

The iPhone keyboard engineer explains why showing real work beats describing ideas every time.

Marcus Aurelius ran an empire and kept a private journal to stay sane; the notes are short and still work.

Musk kept engineers next to welders on purpose; here's what that says about how he builds.

How Bezos actually ran Amazon: small teams, slow decisions kill growth, and missionaries beat mercenaries.

Sam Zell built a fortune on one rule: get paid for the risk you're taking, nothing more.

Musk's actual operating rules, in order, explain why most people copy him wrong.

The creator of the iPod says start pitching investors before you need money, so you negotiate from strength.

Most startups fail at sales, not product; Thiel's framework explains why that distinction changes everything you build.

In-N-Out's founder never borrowed money to grow; and built more loyalty than chains twice its size.

Kaku maps what AI, medicine, and space travel look like decade by decade through 2100.

If you're raising money, one clean funding number beats a range every time.

Kurzweil names a specific year when life extension stops being science fiction and starts being a personal decision.

AI raises the floor for weak performers, so becoming a genuine expert matters more now, not less.

Good managers lose to disruption because listening to customers and chasing profit are exactly the wrong moves.

Jobs built products by obsessing over simplicity and people; here is what that cost and what it built.

Linus built Linux by accident and managed thousands of contributors without a plan; his approach to serious work is worth a look.

Effectiveness is a habit you can build, not a trait you either have or don't.

A simple test for deciding when a worry has already cost more than it's worth.

One engineer's condensed notes on every principle in the most-cited people skills book.

Bill Gates promised software he didn't have yet; committing first is what made him find a way.

One question tells you if your money is actually working for you or just passing through.

A robotics engineer's filtered notes on which habits and career moves actually produce results.

Franklin stopped arguing and started asking questions; his career took off after that shift.