Joshua Waitzkin's Book Recommendations

"Since I was a child, the desolate out islands of the Bahamas have been a home, none more dear than the shark-infested, storm-ravaged, cursed utopia of Rum Cay. . . . Deep Water Blues churns with the beauty, desperation, violence, and yearning of those fighting to survive on a speck of land in an eternal sea. As a reader, I am on fire. As a son, I could not be more proud"

"Incredibly important…There is deeply embodied grit, which is born of love, purpose, truth to one's core under ferocious heat, and a relentless passion for what can only be revealed on the razor’s edge; and there is the cool, patient, disciplined cultivation and study of resilience that can teach us all how to get there. Angela Duckworth's masterpiece straddles both worlds, offering a level of nuance that I haven’t read before."

"An outstanding collection of provocative essays. Psychologists, writers, and anyone who likes to read, think, and learn will enjoy this profoundly revealing window into the creative process."

"One of the most important books in the world to focus on quality than inequality, learning to find art in anything, deeply, deeply brilliant, philosophical book."

"One of the most beautiful novels I ever read by Gregory David Roberts, is one I've gotten to know very well, just an ecstatically beautiful book."

"Hugely just unbelievable deep."

"Jack Kerouac has a huge impact on my life, On the Road, Dharma Bums. His books were initially tapped me into the idea that life could be ecstatically beautiful."