Books Recommended by Balaji Srinivasan
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Seeing Like a State
How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
James C. Scott
Source: "There’s a sense in which the term 'real name' is a misnomer. A better term is a state name — a name which makes you legible to the state." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersCatching Fire
How Cooking Made Us Human
Richard Wrangham
Source: "Talks about how the invention of fire allowed humans as species to outsource our metabolism to the fire and allocate more of our scarce calories to the brain." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderSchaum's Outline of Principles of Accounting I
Joel J. Lerner
Source: "It’s amazing how many people have studied accounting or something, but you just give them Schaums and ask them to do the first 10 problems in accounting, they struggle." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderThe Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 books)
Richard P. Feynman
Source: "If you take all the people who could understand the Feynman Lectures, they could probably appreciate Hamlet. But not conversely." - Balaji Srinivasan
3 recommendersRules for Radicals
A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals
Saul D. Alinsky
Source: "The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersThe Craft
How the Freemasons Made the Modern World
John Dickie
Source: "Anyone working on NFT collections should understand the history of the Freemasons. Many of their rituals could be usefully updated for the digital era." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderTechnological Revolutions and Financial Capital
The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages
Carlota Perez
Source: "People get really amped about a technology, then you try to actually do it, you find it’s actually hard, most people get demoralized and they quit." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersThe Internet of Money (3 books)
Andreas Antonopoulos
Source: "One of the best books on Bitcoin for a broad audience." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersHistory Has Begun
The Birth of a New America
Bruno Macaes
Source: "[The author's] thesis is that America is increasingly becoming a virtual society, focused on make-believe above all. I have to agree." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersHow the Internet Happened
From Netscape to the iPhone
Brian McCullough
Source: "Reminds us that the tech era is very new, only really about 10 years old, and only began in earnest with iPhone adoption." - Balaji Srinivasan
2 recommendersUnelected Power
The Quest for Legitimacy in Central Banking and the Regulatory State
Paul Tucker
Source: "Decent book — by a central banker! — on the lack of legitimacy of central banking and the regulatory state writ large." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderThe Gulag Archipelago (3 books)
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Source: "What the Soviet Union was actually like." - Balaji Srinivasan
China Coup
The Great Leap to Freedom
Roger Garside
Source: "Makes the case that Xi could be felled by his internal enemies (possible!) and that this will lead to democratization (IMO implausible)." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderThe Truth Machine
The Blockchain and the Future of Everything
Paul Vigna
Source: "An accessible explanation of how blockchains allow us to establish certain kinds of truths even in adversarial environments." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderVisual Complex Functions
An Introduction with Phase Portraits
Elias Wegert
Source: "Fun book proposes plotting all complex functions as colored contour plots. Kind of an obvious idea, but it's carried through systematically here." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderThe Changing World Order
Why Nations Succeed and Fail
Ray Dalio
Source: "How today’s America resembles the Dutch and British empires of the past in terms of its monetary overextension." - Balaji Srinivasan
Netflixed
The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs
Gina Keating
Source: "Blockbuster tried to buy Hollywood Video, but the FTC called this off on antitrust (!) grounds. By 2010 Blockbuster was bankrupt and Netflix was soaring." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderIndistractable
How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
Nir Eyal
Source: "Tackles the problem of modern distraction by empowering us to break the bad habits at the root of the issue." - Balaji Srinivasan
3 recommendersThe Cold Start Problem
How to Start and Scale Network Effects
Andrew Chen
Source: "Useful for anyone trying to bootstrap a new community or network, which is virtually every founder these days." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommenderThe Kill Chain
Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare
Christian Brose
Source: "The US military has a perfect record in its war games with China. China has won every round." - Balaji Srinivasan
1 recommender
FAQ
Did Balaji Srinivasan recommend all these books?
While this list primarily comprises books enthusiastically recommended by Balaji Srinivasan, it also includes a variety of titles that Balaji Srinivasan has mentioned or suggested in various contexts. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive reading list that reflects Balaji Srinivasan's literary influences, interests, and recommendations, though not every book on the list may be an explicit endorsement.
How do you know Balaji Srinivasan mentioned these books?
Our team meticulously verifies each book mention attributed to Balaji Srinivasan. This involves extensive research, including reviewing interviews, articles, podcasts, social media posts, and other public statements where Balaji Srinivasan has discussed their reading preferences. The sources validating these mentions are linked next to each book for transparency and to provide our users with the context in which Balaji Srinivasan referred to the book.
Did Balaji Srinivasan actually create this list?
No, Balaji Srinivasan did not personally compile this list. Our editorial team curates these reading lists by consolidating all verified mentions and recommendations from Balaji Srinivasan. We ensure the authenticity of the list by providing sources for each recommendation. These lists are intended to reflect Balaji Srinivasan's reading tastes and influences as accurately as possible.
Are these books endorsed or sponsored by Balaji Srinivasan?
The books listed are not part of any endorsement or sponsorship agreement with Balaji Srinivasan. They are selected based on genuine mentions and recommendations made by Balaji Srinivasan in various public platforms. Our goal is to provide readers with an authentic insight into the reading preferences of influential individuals.
How often is the list updated?
We update these lists regularly to include new recommendations or mentions by Balaji Srinivasan. Our team keeps a close eye on Balaji Srinivasan's latest interviews, writings, and public statements to ensure the list remains current and comprehensive.
Can I suggest a book to add to the list?
While we primarily focus on books directly mentioned by Balaji Srinivasan, we welcome suggestions from our readers. If you know of a book that Balaji Srinivasan has talked about but is not featured on our list, feel free to contact us with the source of the mention, and our editorial team will review it for potential inclusion.
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