31–40 of 248 posts
Atlas Shrugged for reasons I will not disclose.
I used to think Atlas Shrugged was a great book, same way I used to think Fight Club was the greatest movie ever made. Both are still fun though.
Fight Club is another great movie as well.
This might sound odd for those who know it, but the "48 Laws of Power" I've always felt worth recommending. It gives insight into how the power-hungry think and act, and is a valuable tool for helping to recognizing when a sociopathic/narcissistic person is trying to manipulate or undermine you. I think it crumbled away some of that social naivety I used to have, but in a good way. It made me more empathetic to peopl…
Then if you like it go to: The logical thinking processes; A systems approach to complex problem solving by Dettmer.
And finally if you need to improve not only you thinking but that of a group in an open discussion go to: Dialog Mapping by Cocklin
Already a semester or two (of real analysis, linear algebra, experimental physics, theoretical physics) would get one very far I think.
As for books, https://theoreticalminimum.com/ might be a great starting point.
I'd argue that not reading, but doing/implementing/experimenting with things made me a better problem solver. If you "just" read on a topic you will maybe learn to recite what you know, but you will not yet be able to differentiate between different solutions or give reason why a solution is good or not. Of course reading or attending a class is a very good starting point, but it's not the way i learned thinking or s…
For example, learning sorting by doing is a waste of time, it will take you years to "experiment" yourself into quicksort.
Learning and applying what you learned is the key.
Thinking, Fast and Slow: introspection about how the mind may work, common biases and traps. I often think about the fast/slow system divide and notice when I just want to coast along doing fast thinking.
The Scout Mindset: very neatly describes a way of being which I rarely attain, but aspire to.
John Rawls: A theory of justice. It's attempt to derive a theory of justice (obv.) using methods borrowed from analytic philosophy was hugely influential. Whether you agree with Rawls' conclusions or not it's a brilliant, meticulously argued book, albeit incredibly dense.
The book is basically a bible among top tier management consulting firms as it has some fantastic principles for breaking down complex problems and communicating it to others (e.g. MECE; Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)
Before having children, I thought I was fairly empathetic and introspective, but raising a child helped me realize how superficial those traits in myself were.
I'm being completely honest when I say this book made me a better leader and project manager - having a better understanding of the motivations of others, incentivizing those looking to you for guidance based on their own goals/desires, providing those with tools they need to succeed, and taking a macro view of a problem and allowing those under me to flourish and find creative ways to solve problems that take advantage of their strengths and idiosyncrasies.
I'm in no way suggesting that you infantilize those around you, just that teaching my toddler to shit opened my eyes to the way I approached problems, and Brandi Brucks' book helped me approach things differently with great success!