If a book isn’t good enough to read twice, it wasn’t worth reading once. I’ve read all of these books at least twice, or plan on reading them again soon. If I read only the first chapter and then chucked it, you won’t find it here.
This list is organized by first-order knowledge first, then second-order knowledge.
First-Order Knowledge First
First-order knowledge helps us better understand and apply second-order knowledge.
Here are three examples of categories I use to define first-order knowledge:
- The Study of Meta-Learning: Learning how to learn, or transforming knowledge into action as quickly as possible.
- The Study of Epistemology: Understanding what we can and can’t know so that we can make better decisions in selecting knowledge.
- The Study of Experience: Understanding the types of knowledge that will most effectively improve the Quality of human experience, and the types that may not.
These three areas above will help you make the best decisions in applying yourself to any other area of knowledge; Putting first things first can 100x or 1,000x your results in whatever you’re working on.
Second-order knowledge (specific information, techniques, research, & practices) can then be fed into this foundational first-order knowledge base.
Backward approaches (second-order knowledge first) lead to slow forms of progress and can create confusion. This will also waste your time unless you’re reading for pure enjoyment. We should alternate between first and second-order knowledge over the course of our lives.
First Order Knowledge Reading List
Again, first-order knowledge helps us better understand and apply second-order knowledge.
Read and apply books in these categories first. Once you have gained confidence in using information effectively by reading a few of these, return to second-order knowledge areas and apply your first-order knowledge to them (but don’t forget to come back later!).
Meta-Learning (on Learning How to Learn, or Accelerated Learning)
- The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Joshua Waitzkin
- The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge
- Heart Breath Mind: Conquer Stress, Build Resilience, and Perform at Your Peak by Dr. Leah Lagos
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Tim Ferris
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
- The Art of Memory by Frances Yates
Epistemology (on Knowing What We Can and Can’t Know)
- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Taleb
- Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Taleb
- Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Taleb
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Persig
- Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals by Robert M. Persig
- On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence: Unpublished and Selected Writings by Robert M. Persig
Experiential & Behavioral Psychology
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Second-Order Knowledge Reading List
Filter the knowledge found within the second-order resources below through learned first-order knowledge. If you don’t have a first-order knowledge base, learn one.
Health, Fitness, & Nutrition
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD
- Body by Science: A Research-Based Program for Strength Training, Body building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week by Dr Doug McGuff & John Little
- The New Evolution Diet: What Our Paleolithic Ancestors Can Teach Us about Weight Loss, Fitness, and Aging by Arthur De Vany
- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Relationships & Human Connection
- The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
- The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
- The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
- The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson
Practical Philosophy (on Solving Life’s Problems)
- A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
- The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
- Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
- Hell Yeah or No By Derek Sivers
Business, Marketing, & Sales
- Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers
- The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferris
Other
- Ultimate Skiing: Master the Techniques of Great Skiing by Ron LeMaster