This was a hard-hitting book about the perversion of incentives at an individual and systemic level. I was put off by the unwarranted personal attacks that Taleb made. But his larger message of being a value-creator with skin in the game (instead of being a rent-seeker) is something I have tried to take to heart.
Find the book on GoodreadsI read this book at the beginning of my professional career, and it had a deep impact on the way I approach work. Spending hours on polishing your craft and investing in an ecosystem that maximizes flow-states often has no short-term impact. But it does wonders for long-term growth and sustainability. Would recommend this to anyone who is starting their career.
Find the book on GoodreadsRead this book after a startup that I had started after college shut down – largely because I was not resilient and capable enough when things got hard. Ben Horowitz's excellent book made it clear that running a company is always hard, and helped set far more realistic expectations as I created Loki.ai.
Find the book on GoodreadsHitchens' excellent book created a significant impact in my college years, and made me far more comfortable with taking the less-trodden path. Would recommend it to all young people.
Find the book on GoodreadsAntifragile is a fascinating analysis of how humans and systems can be beyond resilient – they can be antifragile, becoming stronger every time they break a little. This is a great book for investors, entrepreneurs, atheletes – and competitors of all ilks.
Find the book on GoodreadsProvides a robust framework to understand one's own biases and preferences. A must-read for students and practioners of marketing and communication.
Find the book on GoodreadsThe book was a prescient take on how computing will change the world. Paul Graham thought that software was eating the world long before most of us did. Fascinating overview of how changes in technology have changed and will change economic and societal realities.
Find the book on GoodreadsThe best book I've read – by far – about assessing new opportunities. The core concept of the book (inception - i.e., going from 0 to 1 - is an entirely different endeavour from scaling - i.e., going from 1 to n) was a useful way to think about business. Recommended for all entrepreneurs.
Find the book on GoodreadsAn incredibly prescient novel about how technology and consumerism shapes society. If you work in tech and aren't much into fiction – would strongly recommend that you still read this (along with 1984 and Flowers for Algenon).
Find the book on GoodreadsA hard-hitting book about how the "elite" who want to do good while doing well often have no skin in the game. The book keeps the reader honest. Highly recommended for anyone in a position of power or influence.
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