David Heinemeier Hansson's Book Recommendations

"Perhaps my favorite novel of all time."

"Five novels I think about all the time - 1984: States crave control - The Trial: Bureaucracies eats people - The Stranger: Alienation is a vantage point - Animal Farm: Revolutions usually corrupt - Brave New World: Caste systems fence morality"

"It’s amazing how much of the abusive ideology revealed in his account of the miners is still present in today’s gig economy."

"Been reading Orwell’s Road to Wigan Pier, and it’s amazing how much of the abusive ideology revealed in his account of the miners is still present in today’s gig economy. Paying for your own equipment (lamps v cars), no compensation for travel (in mine v between passengers)."

"Telling the story of how TV, newspapers, and now the internet has reverted to the old partisan ways of the original media outlets."

"Apropos everything, you should read @mtaibbi's Hate Inc book for a good historical summary of media delusions, malpractice, and ill intent from the Iraq War through the financial crisis through Russiagate. Could scarcely be more relevant than right now."

"A funny mix of stories, but it's worth the trip for the historical account of scientific management alone."

"This reminded me that I needed to recommend the fantastic book The Management Myth by Matthew Stewart. In it, you get the bullshit history of Scientific Management, along with an exposé on just the kind of fraud that its popularizer, F. Winslow Taylor."

"Outlines all the scientific research on why incentive systems don't work."

"An easy way to learn about [Stoicism] and recognize why this resonates."

"A wonderful book about a naval [Admiral] that was running one of the worst performing U.S. nuclear submarines and turned it around to be the best performing U.S. submarine."

"A good one."

"A great book [...], which is even more specific about nurturing and supporting kids and so forth."

"Traces back nation states all the way back to 4,000 years B.C. and goes through all the case studies of the rise of China and so forth."

"[This book and "Political Order and Political Decay" is] a fantastic two-part book."

"One of my all-time top ten favorite books. Applies well in both business and politics."

"A fantastic book [...] that was great inspiration to me."

"Probably one of the first primers I read on [improving my photography]."

"Essentially a victory lap of the original essay and the response it provoked."

"[The author] has touched on the idea that certain types of mental illness can be looked at in part as the sane reaction to an insane world."

"Main complaint seems to be 'this is a layman's description of not-new ideas'. I'm just fine with that."

"@janmikula We don’t have to invent an antitrust regime in a Twitter thread. This is a very well-documented and researched problem. Start with this book to understand its history and what remedies that have worked in the past."

"Much celebrated."

"The 1964 book When Prophecy Fails covers this phenomenon in detail: Once a person has been ensnared by a false in-group belief, disconfirmation in the form of facts or events, often lead to more fervent beliefs."

"I implore you to read this book. It’s like opening your eyes after getting unplugged from the matrix. It’s bright and jarring at first, but you’ll want to know."

"The book “Bad Blood”, about the Theranos fraud, is an indictment not just of Holmes and her co-conspirators, but Silicon Valley culture as a whole. All its worst stereotypes and tendencies animated by dislikable characters. Recommended reading!"

"@noahkrueger @brittballard Check the Why We Sleep book."

"Five novels I think about all the time - 1984: States crave control - The Trial: Bureaucracies eats people - The Stranger: Alienation is a vantage point - Animal Farm: Revolutions usually corrupt - Brave New World: Caste systems fence morality"

"Another great book on philosophy in the current age."

"Don't think I've ever bought a book so quickly after seeing it released!"

"Takes some of those same ideas about motivations and rewards and extrapolates them in a little bit."

"Classic Danish play from the 19th century [...] Surprisingly relevant for today."

"Treating humans as ends in themselves, not means to an end is perhaps the defining characteristic of humanism."

"[The author]'s funny, he's straight forward (even when sarcastic), he's INTERESTING."

"You're not here for a complete story, a narrative, but to bathe yourself in [the author]'s mind."

"I almost gave up on the book immediately, but then I'd find a sentence that perked my interest, then read a little more."