Patrick O'Shaughnessy's Book Recommendations

"“Positioning” is one of the most important books I’ve read. “The basic idea is not to create something new and different, but to manipulate what’s already in the mind, to retie the connections that already exist.” E.g. this is how we came up with the term “Custom Indexing”"

"A really great book about communication."

"@ykovzel @peteweishaupt You can do in school. Make it a series of projects with guidance and sharing in between. The best book on sales is Influence by Cialdini. But even after reading that you have to go out it into practice."

"Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post."

"Here are the blocks for today's episode with @cdixon The original Bitcoin white paper is a fascinating read, as is the book "The Company""

"My favorite book on creativity."

"One of the most amazing books I’ve read in the last few years."

"I could not put this book down."

"If you want the most business oriented book on creativity, you cannot do better."

"Studies creative people and creates a common framework for creativity based on their lives and insights."

"If you prefer fast reads and only want to read one of these books, this is the one for you."

"When I am feeling conventional (happens often), Emerson’s essay 'Self Reliance' is my favorite antidote."

"This book teaches you how to craft a message."

"I especially loved the chapter on the people of the Anaconda, but every chapter was wonderful."

"There is no more readable or insightful philosopher than [this author]. This book covers just about everything."

"Bad title for a very interesting (if somewhat dated) book."

"Provides a concise history of humankind and outlines why we have the psychology we do today."

"Chock full of interesting and useful examples of subconscious behavioral triggers, including several specific to the stock market."

"One of my favorite books."

"You’ll love this book if you like any of the following: travel writing, philosophy, Zen, Buddhism, navel-gazing, the Himalayas."

"Plot, writing, characters, big ideas. This book has it all."

"What this book re-affirmed for me was the importance of 'committed' capital."

"As much the story of the Marine Corp as a biography of Brute Krulak."

"This guy was incredible."

"A fun book on gambling, odds, and finding suckers."

"I highlighted the living hell out of this book."

"Do you like chopping wood or building fires? If the answer is yes, then you will love this book."

"The memoir of a successful neurosurgeon who is diagnosed with lung cancer."

"Every investor should read this book."

"Lays out three key aspects of negotiation: framing, process, and empathy."

"Suggests a very contrarian approach which would require insane discipline to make work."

"Incredible book."

"Colorful and enjoyable."

"You can read this one in an hour or two."

"You can read this in 30 minutes it has several great reminders."

"A top five investing book of all time."

"Filled with great little side stories."

"If you liked Born to Run (another book by the same author), you’ll enjoy this story."

"This book, which you can read in a sitting, is a great overview of the process-driven mindset."

"I’ve never before so identified with a main character (Larry)."

"A short, relaxing essay that shows how walking leads to a better, fresher mindset."

"My favorite book about writing."

"Explains what skills will be most useful in the age of automation."

"My favorite essay from one of my biggest idols."

"I found more interesting-ness per page than anything else I’ve read in a long time."

"The best self-help book ever."

"A beautifully written post-apocalyptic novel."

"This is a mind f**k."

"A coming of age story that rings more true than any other I’ve ever read."

"A book collection of some of his best [essays]."

"Will help you understand your own behavior better."

"If you want a new way to think about yourself, your business, the market, or any other system of parts and interactions, this is the book for you."

"The only book I can think of that I read again immediately."

"A fictionalized autobiography of [the author], an alcoholic womanizer and fantastic writer."

"If you like factoids, this is a book for you."

"I love to read about human evolution because it reminds me how slow our biology changes."

"More approachable than Campbell's A Hero with a Thousand Faces."

"An old classic."

"Nails investor psychology."

"Just a short essay, but it is spot on."

"Fun, and it will definitely fire you up."

"If you like American History and/or stories of pushing the limits of human capability and endurance, this book is for you."

"The author is a quasi-Emerson/Thoreau for modern times."

"Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post."

"Definitely not for the faint of heart, but for professionals and committed individual investors, there is a lot of useful information."

"This story of an English professor fighting in mixed martial arts fights is a fun combination of history, psychology, and memoir."

"Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post."

"A great collection of ideas."

"Uses short stories/vignettes to play with concepts of time."

"The funniest travel book I’ve ever read."

"You should read the introductory section—it is so compelling."

"Simultaneously a book on history, psychology, influence, and salesmanship."

"One of the most enjoyable Christmas presents I’ve ever received."

"For those interested in an overview of markets and investing."

"One of my favorite books on the brain and the bizarre things it makes us do."

"An older book, but a wonderful history of our concept of risk."

"Refreshing and extremely helpful."

"I wrote a post about how much I loved this book."

"If you have watched and enjoyed any of Werner Herzog’s films, you will love this book."

"For anyone interested in accounting and the best calculation of earnings, there are many useful sections."

"A fascinating survey of how humans view and assess prices (hint, we stink at it)."

"It is like a list of first principles for effective communication of ideas."

"Because I like to laugh around the holidays."

"This book was the best I've ever read on the psychology of war."

"An obvious suggestion, because Zero to One is the talk of the town and sits at the top of bestseller lists everywhere."

"Does a great job framing the issues that will emerge in an increasingly automated world."

"One of my five favorite books of all time."

"This book will have you asking yourself many provocative and useful questions."

"Even though it has little to do with investing, I got so much out of it I thought I’d share."

"There are some arresting and beautiful poems that will make you think."

"The best book I’ve read in some time on value investing."

"Contains great lessons for investors because it highlights the importance of capital allocation."

"Might be the best book I’ve ever read."

"Brilliantly well written."

"The most fun book that I’ve read in a while."

"Touting advice from Buffett is so clichéd in the investment world, but for good a reason."

"Chronicles the South Sea Trading Company bubble of 1720."

"[This book] reads more like Indiana Jones that non-fiction."

"One of the most entertaining and useful business books I’ve ever read."

"Very straightforward and informative."

"Only for those interested in philosophy."

"My entire personal portfolio is dedicated to these ideas."

"The best book on investor behavior that I’ve ever read."

"One of the first books I read on investing when I was 22 and remains one of the best."

"BY FAR—the best collection of investing history lessons ever compiled."

"Explores the many problems that result from short-term thinking."

"One of my favorite books on value/distressed investing."

"Ever since finding this book, I’ve been fascinated with the history of money."

"Using excellent examples, [the author] explains that to make progress, you must fail often and fail productively."

"A perfect business book & memoir hybrid."

"Very short, and you really only need to read part 1."

"Bridgewater’s infamous [book]."

"[I] found it enlightening, useful, sobering, and often very scary."

"This is Moneyball 2.0."

"If you like the woods at all, pick this up immediately. You will never see the forest (the 'wood wide web') the same way again."

"If you are a 'content creator' or creative type, understanding the dynamics in these industries is key."

"Very interesting and readable."

"If you are interested in evolution this is an amazing read."

"This is a 30-minute read. A collection of wonderful short essays from one of the greatest humans ever."

"Provides a new way of looking at our motivations, and details how we constantly try to signal certain qualities to friends, family, and potential mates."

"Intense, but it is the best book I’ve read about how we learn and communicate."

"A look inside startup culture, filled with hijinks."

"This book has the best foreword I can recall. Read the entire thing."

"It was published in the late 1990’s, but is enjoying a very well-deserved resurgence."

"I absolutely loved it."

"A history of my favorite company and its enigmatic leader."

"If you aspire to create a business—to make something—I can think of no better book to inspire you."

"About the 'platform' business model which has stormed the world in the form of Uber, Airnb, Github, and so many others."

"If you like 'big history' books, in the vein of Sapiens, Tragedy & Hope, or The Decline of the West, you will love this one."

"A clear, incredibly well thought out message: don’t build systems unless you absolutely need to."

"A great book on writing."

"If you dislike (most) business books like I do, but want to learn about the business of business, this book is a great tool."

"Every business could benefit from [this author's] framework for service and hospitality."

"Had great detail on the business history of the video game industry."

"One of the most interesting series of interviews ever."

"A valuable lesson that never gets easier to implement: There’s always some looming hard conversation that you haven’t had with someone yet, but need to. Have that conversation as soon as possible. Life improves through difficult conversations. This book helps:"

"If you care about health care, philanthropy, drive, or success, read this book."

"@GavinSBaker One of my favorite business books ever because it’s so detailed."