Books Recommended by David Heinemeier Hansson
Turn the Ship Around!
A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
L. David Marquet
Source: "A wonderful book about a naval [Admiral] that was running one of the worst performing U.S. nuclear submarines and turned it around to be the best performing U.S. submarine." - DHH
The Pathology of Normalcy
Erich Fromm
Source: "[The author] has touched on the idea that certain types of mental illness can be looked at in part as the sane reaction to an insane world." - DHH
Political Order and Political Decay
From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy
Francis Fukuyama
Source: "Traces back nation states all the way back to 4,000 years B.C. and goes through all the case studies of the rise of China and so forth." - DHH
Give and Take
Why Helping Others Drives Our Success
Adam Grant
Source: "I almost gave up on the book immediately, but then I'd find a sentence that perked my interest, then read a little more." - DHH
Hate Inc.
Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
Matt Taibbi
Source: "Telling the story of how TV, newspapers, and now the internet has reverted to the old partisan ways of the original media outlets." - DHH
I and Thou
Martin Buber
Source: "Treating humans as ends in themselves, not means to an end is perhaps the defining characteristic of humanism." - DHH
The Road to Wigan Pier
George Orwell
Source: "It’s amazing how much of the abusive ideology revealed in his account of the miners is still present in today’s gig economy." - DHH
Drive
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Daniel Pink
Source: "Takes some of those same ideas about motivations and rewards and extrapolates them in a little bit." - DHH
The Talent Code
Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
Daniel Coyle
Source: "Main complaint seems to be 'this is a layman's description of not-new ideas'. I'm just fine with that." - DHH
The Lost Writings
Franz Kafka
Source: "You're not here for a complete story, a narrative, but to bathe yourself in [the author]'s mind." - DHH
The Management Myth
Why the Experts Keep Getting it Wrong
Matthew Stewart
Source: "A funny mix of stories, but it's worth the trip for the historical account of scientific management alone." - DHH
The Myth of the Spoiled Child
Coddled Kids, Helicopter Parents, and Other Phony Crises
Alfie Kohn
Source: "A great book [...], which is even more specific about nurturing and supporting kids and so forth." - DHH
A Doll's House
Henrik Ibsen
Source: "Classic Danish play from the 19th century [...] Surprisingly relevant for today." - DHH
Escape from Freedom
Erich Fromm
Source: "One of my all-time top ten favorite books. Applies well in both business and politics." - DHH
Bullshit Jobs
A Theory
David Graeber
Source: "Essentially a victory lap of the original essay and the response it provoked." - DHH
A Guide to the Good Life
The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
William B. Irvine
Source: "An easy way to learn about [Stoicism] and recognize why this resonates." - DHH
Understanding Exposure
How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
Bryan Peterson
Source: "Probably one of the first primers I read on [improving my photography]." - DHH
Punished by Rewards
The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes
Alfie Kohn
Source: "Outlines all the scientific research on why incentive systems don't work." - DHH
The Origins of Political Order
From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
Francis Fukuyama
Source: "[This book and "Political Order and Political Decay" is] a fantastic two-part book." - DHH
Either/Or
A Fragment of Life
Søren Kierkegaard
Source: "[The author]'s funny, he's straight forward (even when sarcastic), he's INTERESTING." - DHH
FAQ
Did David Heinemeier Hansson recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has David Heinemeier Hansson must-read recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestions.
How do you know David Heinemeier Hansson mentioned these books?
Every suggestion made by David Heinemeier Hansson is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to the books.
Did David Heinemeier Hansson actually create this list?
No. This reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from David Heinemeier Hansson, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
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