Mindset
15 books
The Obstacle Is the Way The Obstacle Is the Way
My favourite Ryan Holiday book. The things that are painful or the things you try to avoid are generally the way forward. That applies in business and in life. Great historical examples from Marcus Aurelius to Steve Jobs.
Can't Hurt Me Can't Hurt Me
Goggins had every reason to be a victim and chose not to be. Fanatical grit and determination to go against everything life threw at him. The idea that most people are only operating at about 40% of what they're capable of is worth sitting with. A great read whenever you want to push yourself, whether that's in sport or business. Also read Never Finished.
Atomic Habits Atomic Habits
The plane analogy stuck with me. One degree off course and over time you're thousands of miles from where you wanted to be. Small habits compound, good or bad. And it's about systems, not motivation. When you're tired or under pressure, you fall back to whatever systems you have in place.
Four Thousand Weeks Four Thousand Weeks
We get roughly 4,000 weeks. Most of us won't even get that. My dad died at 56. This book makes you stop pretending you'll get to everything and start choosing what actually matters. Empty your inbox and it just fills up again. You're never going to win that race.
Never Finished Never Finished
Goggins is all military grit and mental toughness. Your mind will always want you to stop before you need to. This book is a reminder that you've always got more in the tank.
Ego Is the Enemy Ego Is the Enemy
A great reminder of how successful people lose their way when ego takes over. Yes men, believing your own hype, then it all comes crashing down. I've seen it happen. Shoshin - beginner's mind. Never think you know everything.
Be Useful Be Useful
A self-made man who excelled in three completely different careers. Simple, practical mindset. Have a vision and go after it. The title comes from his dad - be useful and it will take you a long way.
Stillness Is the Key Stillness Is the Key
Different perspectives from history on the same thing I learned from Vipassana. Disconnect from the noise, figure out your core values, and make sure you're heading somewhere that actually makes you happy.
Start with Why Start with Why
Ask yourself why you're actually doing something. Not for validation, not because everyone else is. Dig into it. It applies to life, business, everything. If the why isn't right, the rest won't follow.
Greenlights Greenlights
Written from 35 years of journals. McConaughey is far more philosophical than you'd expect. The bit I still think about: find your person and hold on to them.
Courage Is Calling Courage Is Calling
Part of Holiday's Stoic virtues series. Everyone feels fear. The difference is what you do with it. Full of historical examples of people who acted when it would have been easier not to.
Discipline Is Destiny Discipline Is Destiny
The second in Holiday's Stoic virtues series. Discipline isn't about restriction, it's what gives you freedom. Talent is common. The discipline to use it properly is rare.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Naval strips everything back to first principles. A calm mind, a fit body, and a house full of love can't be bought. Happiness is a skill, not something that happens to you. Read widely, think for yourself.
Breathe: A Life in Flow Breathe: A Life in Flow
Having done twenty years of martial arts, the Gracie family has always fascinated me. Generations of fighters raised to compete. But it's Rickson's simplicity that stands out. He lost everything, rebuilt from nothing, and lives a stripped-back life with deep philosophical views. The warrior mindset runs through every page.
Ikigai Ikigai
What are you good at, what are you passionate about, what does the world need, and can you make money from it. Spend your life finding that sweet spot in the middle. In Japanese there's no word for retirement. Just keep pursuing your purpose and live simply.
Business
14 books
Shoe Dog Shoe Dog
Knight borrowed $50 from his dad and built Nike. But it nearly died about fifteen times along the way. Honest about the failures, the bank fights, the near-misses. Made me feel better about how many times mine nearly did too.
The 48 Laws of Power The 48 Laws of Power
Greene is one of my favourite authors and Ryan Holiday's mentor. He uses history to show how power, strategy, and influence actually play out in real life. You won't agree with every law, but they make you think about the decisions you're making in business and life. The kind of book you keep coming back to.
Zero to One Zero to One
The idea that going from zero to one is much harder than one to ten is worth understanding. Thiel breaks down what makes a business a monopoly, with technology being a key moat that makes it hard for competitors to copy. Startups should aim for small markets they can dominate. A lot of this still holds up, but it does raise the question of how these moats stand in a world where AI can build technology faster than ever.
Pre-Suasion Pre-Suasion
The follow-up to Influence. Cialdini shows that deals aren't won in the close, they're won in the setup. Everything you do before the ask matters more than the ask itself.
Linchpin Linchpin
Your individuality is your edge. No one else has your skill set, your personality, your perspective. With AI replacing more and more, this is a good time to read it.
Mastery Mastery
Greene breaks down what it actually takes to master something. Find your unique skill set, commit to the long game, and don't shortcut the process. Patience and obsession in equal measure.
Life 3.0 Life 3.0
A good holistic look at AI and where it might be heading. Covers it from every angle. It may date quickly given how fast things are moving, but as a generalist overview it's hard to beat.
Supremacy Supremacy
The AI arms race told through the people actually building it. Like Life 3.0, it may date quickly, but as a look at what's driving the race it's a good read.
Confessions of the Pricing Man Confessions of the Pricing Man
Simon's core argument is that price is the most powerful profit lever in any business, more than volume or cost cutting. Most businesses price based on cost or what competitors charge, and both miss the point. Founders consistently undercharge because they lack confidence in their own value. Changed how I price everything I sell.
Discover Your True North Discover Your True North
Similar themes to Ikigai but from a leadership angle. Know your values, lead from who you actually are, and don't get distracted by status and external rewards.
Die with Zero Die with Zero
We are the sum of our experiences, not our savings. Perkins makes you rethink your relationship with money. Give to your kids while you're alive, not when you're dead. Find the balance between the squirrel saving everything and the ant spending it all. None of us are guaranteed 80 years.
How to Get Rich How to Get Rich
Probably the best common sense business book I've ever read.
Influence Influence
One of my favourite books of all time. Cialdini breaks down why people say yes and the psychology behind it. I notice the techniques everywhere now, including when they're being used on me.
How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Win Friends and Influence People
Written in 1936 and still completely relevant. Carnegie's principles on how to connect with people are timeless. Nothing about it has dated.
Adventure
2 books
Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know
The greatest living explorer. Fiennes has done things most people can't even imagine. Reminded me that ordinary life is a choice, not a default.
Beyond Possible Beyond Possible
The previous record for all 14 eight-thousanders was nearly 8 years. Nims did it in 6 months. Former Special Forces, sold his house to fund it, started before the money was even in place. Military grit, entrepreneurial risk, and a genuinely humble guy.
Health & Healing
14 books
Dopamine Nation Dopamine Nation
Read this around the same time as Lighter. Lembke makes you realise addiction isn't just alcohol and drugs. It's patterns you don't even notice. There's a fine line between passion and obsession, especially in business.
Letting Go Letting Go
Hawkins put into words what I learnt doing Vipassana. Most of what weighs you down are emotions you're choosing to hold onto. Simple concept, hard to practise, but worth understanding.
The Body Keeps the Score The Body Keeps the Score
I read this after my Vipassana retreat and it made complete sense of what I'd experienced. Van der Kolk has spent decades proving that trauma lives in the body, not just the mind. Talking about it isn't always enough. If you've ever felt something shift physically during meditation or therapy, this book explains why.
How to Change Your Mind How to Change Your Mind
This is where Pollan started. He went in as a sceptic and came out genuinely curious about what psychedelics can do for the mind. The clinical research on depression and addiction is hard to ignore. If you're interested in the subject, start here and then read This Is Your Mind on Plants.
Bigger Leaner Stronger Bigger Leaner Stronger
So much noise and smoke and mirrors in the fitness industry. This cuts through all of it. Evidence-based training, the importance of nutrition, and what actually gets results. No fads, just science.
Breath Breath
The breath controls the mind, the mind controls the body. Vipassana, martial arts, yoga - they're all saying the same thing. This book explains why.
Lighter Lighter
Pueblo is raw and vulnerable about his own journey. Generational trauma, therapy, self-discovery. Through that process he found writing. I was on a similar path when I read this and it resonated.
Attached Attached
Wish I'd read this when I was 20. Understanding attachment styles helps you make sense of yourself and other people. It's a fundamental skill that will shape better relationships going forward.
Entangled Life Entangled Life
Learning about healing through plant medicine led me down the rabbit hole of fungi and mushrooms. This is a great introduction to that world. Fascinating and we know so little about it.
This Is Your Mind on Plants This Is Your Mind on Plants
A follow-up to How to Change Your Mind but broader in scope. Pollan looks at caffeine, opium, and mescaline and asks why one is legal and another isn't. Gives you a wider perspective on plant medicine and who gets to draw the line between medicine and drug.
The Art of Living The Art of Living
Read this after I exited a business and got a bit lost. Simplified everything. Got me back to walks, nature, plants, meditation. Probably the reason I ended up doing Vipassana.
Why We Sleep Why We Sleep
Most people treat sleep as the thing that gets cut. I did too. This book changed that. Now I prioritise sleep and build everything else around it.
Brain Rules Brain Rules
Helps you understand how the brain actually works so you can get the most from it. We remember the start and the end but forget the middle. Full of brain hacks backed by science.
Psychedelics Psychedelics
Unlike most books on psychedelics, this comes from a clinical perspective. Nutt was the UK government's chief drug advisor. The breakthroughs happening in clinical trials are fascinating and this gives you the science rather than just personal experiences.