10 Books that Changed How I See the World (Reading List)

1. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl was a psychologist who was forced into the concentration camps during WWII. This book tells his story and outlines his theory of human psychology called “logotherapy”.

From Frankl, I learned that peace, satisfaction, & meaning are not found in the material world, but come from within.

2. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson, a major figure in the transcendentalist movement, conveys deep and complex ideas through beautiful writing.

From Emerson I learned that the energetic place an action is coming from is more important than the action itself. This one idea completely changed how I understand and evaluate morality.

3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The act of reading this book is in itself a meditation, and so I have read it many times.

In a sense, it’s not about the content (though there is a lot of helpful information in there) but about letting Tolle’s simple message land.

It is a preliminary must-read for anyone interested in meditation.

4. The Status Game by Will Storr

This book opened my eyes to the fundamental social dynamic of status seeking. If you dig into the root motivations of much of our behavior, from posting selfies to pursuing our careers to giving to charity, you’ll find one single goal: gaining status.

This was one of those books where once you read it, you cannot go back; you cannot unsee the Status Game.

5. Sapiens: by Yuval Noah Harari

The thesis of Sapiens is a high level exploration of the social forces and inventions that drove humanity from tribal hunter gatherers all the way into the contemporary era.

From Harari, I learned that society as we know it today is not an accident but a process spanning tens of thousands of years. I also learned that dogs are the only animal which was domesticated before the invention of farming.

6. Spiral Dynamics by Christopher Cowan & Don Beck

Spiral Dynamics is a psychological and sociological theory of motivation and value systems. The model is “integral” which means that each level must be built on the level before it.

This model for understanding individuals and societies is probably one of the most groundbreaking I have ever come across.

7. Waking Up by Sam Harris

In Waking Up, Sam Harris lays out the spiritual path to awakening or non-dual awareness without the myth or ritual of religion. This book takes buddhist principles of meditation and understanding the self in an accessible way to Westerners.

The beauty of this book is it’s emphasis on first hand experience rather than belief or knowledge.

8. The Evolution of Desire by Dr. David Buss

I first read this book in preparation for a research study in evolutionary psychology in college.

What I wasn’t expecting was to gain a much more holistic understanding of male and female relationships. Through coevolution, men and women created each other.

9. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

From Marcus Aurelius, the great philosopher emperor, I learned to be unperturbed.

This book taught me that the purpose of life is not to feel good and accumulate praise or wealth.

Instead, you should embrace adversity, stick to your virtues, live in the present, and contemplate deeply the impermanence of this life.

10. 12 Rules for Life by Dr. Jordan Peterson

Oftentimes we love the idea of becoming the best version of ourselves, but when it comes down to it, we don’t have any of the foundation.

This book is that foundation.

If you’re at the beginning of your journey, you start here. And if you’re further along on your path but have gotten lost, you return here.