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Josh Waitzkin Recommended Books
Josh Waitzkin has recommended 16 books. Browse the complete reading list with quotes and sources below.
Joshua Waitzkin is an American chess player, martial arts competitor, and author.
(Read more on Wikipedia)16 Books Recommended
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Grit
The Power of Passion and Perseverance
by Angela Duckworth
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
6 people
Tim Ferriss recommended this bookTim Ferriss
"Really about teaching your kids to focus on hard work and not intrinsic capability." - Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's recommendation of this book 
Keith Rabois recommended this bookKeith Rabois
"Although the title may make it appear intuitive, the reading is much more insightful and applicable than you might guess." - Keith Rabois
Keith Rabois's recommendation of this book 
Tobi Lütke recommended this bookTobi Lütke
"Great book. I think she actually talks about me in it ?" - Tobi Lütke
Tobi Lütke's recommendation of this book 
Tom Bilyeu recommended this bookTom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
Tom Bilyeu's recommendation of this book 
Jodie Cook recommended this bookJodie Cook
"Enthusiasm and knowledge are totally useless without grit." - Jodie Cook
Jodie Cook's recommendation of this book 
Ali Abdaal recommended this bookAli Abdaal
Ali Abdaal recommended this book on his website.
Ali Abdaal's recommendation of this book
Dreaming Yourself Awake
Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Dream Yoga for Insight and Transformation
by B. Alan Wallace
"A phenomenal discussion, very systematic discussion of the art of lucid dreaming in this way that fuses East Asian philosophy with western science." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu
"Inspired my study of softness and receptivity as a counterpoint to my mad passions." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Also recommended by
9 people
Rick Rubin recommended this bookRick Rubin
"Always what you need to read at that particular period of time. It’s a magic book, in that way, in that it always fits." - Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin's recommendation of this book 
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book.
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book 
Michael Gervais recommended this bookMichael Gervais
"[The author's] depth of teachings are complicated to decode and provide foundations for wisdom." - Michael Gervais
Michael Gervais's recommendation of this book 
Brian MacKenzie recommended this bookBrian MacKenzie
"Once you get to a certain level, it’s like, wow." - Brian MacKenzie
Brian MacKenzie's recommendation of this book 
Stewart Brand recommended this bookStewart Brand
Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.
Stewart Brand's recommendation of this book 
Jason Nemer recommended this bookJason Nemer
"Oftentimes before meditation, I’ll just open [this book] randomly to a page and read about something and then just have that be what I steep in as I sit." - Jason Nemer
Jason Nemer's recommendation of this book +3
More recommendations
- Soman Chainani
"I remember reading it and being like okay, this makes no sense. But you just keep reading it again and again and slowly, I started to get the point of it." - Soman Chainani
- Jack Dorsey
One of Jack Dorsey's answers to "what are the books that had a major influence on you?"
- Jack Ma
Jack Ma always carries a copy of this book.
- Soman Chainani
Mindset
The New Psychology of Success
by Carol S. Dweck
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
9 people
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Dweck and her research have helped my foundation colleagues and me understand more about the attitudes and habits that allow some students to persevere in school despite big challenges." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book - Tobi Lütke recommended this book
Tobi Lütke
Mentioned on "The Knowledge Project" podcast.
Tobi Lütke's recommendation of this book 
Satya Nadella recommended this bookSatya Nadella
"Whatever change we’ve been able to achieve is because the cultural meme we picked was inspired by [this book]." - Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella's recommendation of this book 
Tony Robbins recommended this bookTony Robbins
Tony Robbins mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
Tony Robbins's recommendation of this book 
Ev Williams recommended this bookEv Williams
"One of those ideas that is obvious only once you know it." - Ev Williams
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book 
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this bookDustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.
Dustin Moskovitz's recommendation of this book +3
More recommendations
- Kathryn Minshew
"Read this book & love the idea!" - Kathryn Minshew
- Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
- Mark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
- Kathryn Minshew
Shantaram
by Gregory David Roberts
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
4 people
Richard Branson recommended this bookRichard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book 
Kevin Kelly recommended this bookKevin Kelly
"You get an incredibly vivid, immersive, deep, and in some ways uplifting view of India and the underworld in India, into that part of Asia." - Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly's recommendation of this book 
Whitney Wolfe Herd recommended this bookWhitney Wolfe Herd
"I don’t know what it is about [this book]. I can’t summarize it in one sentence. But it just gives you a peek into the soul of humanity. [It's a book] that I’ve gifted frequently, and I love." - Whitney Wolfe Herd
Whitney Wolfe Herd's recommendation of this book 
Phil Jackson recommended this bookPhil Jackson
"Great mysterious read of another culture." - Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson's recommendation of this book
The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti
A Mahayana Scripture
by Vimalakirti
Josh Waitzkin mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)
Tribe
On Homecoming and Belonging
by Sebastian Junger
"I think [this book] is really important right now." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Also recommended by
3 people
Joe Rogan recommended this bookJoe Rogan
"Fucking epic. I can't recommend it enough." - Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan's recommendation of this book - Tim Ferriss recommended this book
Tim Ferriss
"I read in about a day and a half. I just ingested it rapid fire." - Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's recommendation of this book 
Emma Watson recommended this bookEmma Watson
On the "books read" section of Emma Watson's GoodReads profile.
Emma Watson's recommendation of this book
Peak
Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
by Anders Ericsson
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person
Tony Hsieh recommended this bookTony Hsieh
"Great book." - Tony Hsieh
Tony Hsieh's recommendation of this book
The Drama of the Gifted Child
The Search for the True Self
by Alice Miller
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
2 people
Whitney Cummings recommended this bookWhitney Cummings
"If you’re a creative person, if you have any kind of anxiety or discomfort, just read it." - Whitney Cummings
Whitney Cummings's recommendation of this book 
Dr. Gabor Maté recommended this bookDr. Gabor Maté
"All about the fact that stuff happens to us as children, negative things happen. Then, we adapt to those things by taking on certain defensive ways of being." - Dr. Gabor Maté
Dr. Gabor Maté's recommendation of this book
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
An Inquiry Into Values
by Robert M. Pirsig
"Inspired my cultivation of dynamic quality as a way of life." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Also recommended by
8 people
Jordan Peterson recommended this bookJordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book 
Paul Graham recommended this bookPaul Graham
Paul Graham mentioned this book on Twitter.
Paul Graham's recommendation of this book 
Drew Houston recommended this bookDrew Houston
"[There are] engineers who [dismiss] all these things that can’t be fit into an algorithm, or that don’t have some kind of mathematical rigor underpinning them, [this book] is about that question." - Drew Houston
Drew Houston's recommendation of this book 
Bryan Johnson recommended this bookBryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson recommended this book on Twitter.
Bryan Johnson's recommendation of this book - Ev Williams recommended this book
Ev Williams
"One of the few novels I’ve ever read twice." - Ev Williams
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book 
Austen Allred recommended this bookAusten Allred
"Didn’t get it first time." - Austen Allred
Austen Allred's recommendation of this book +2
More recommendations
- Fred Wilson
"A great one." - Fred Wilson
- Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson recommended this book on Twitter.
- Fred Wilson
Ernest Hemingway on Writing
by Ernest Hemingway
"The most potent little book of wisdom on the creative process that I have run into." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person
Matt Mullenweg recommended this bookMatt Mullenweg
"I got from this [book from 'The Tim Ferriss Show' podcast, actually.]" - Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg's recommendation of this book
On the Road
by Jack Kerouac
"Opened up the ecstatic beauty of life’s little moments to me as a teenager." - Josh Waitzkin (Source)
Also recommended by
5 people
Steve Jobs recommended this bookSteve Jobs
Daniel Kottke said he and Steve Jobs definitely read this book prior to the India trip.
Steve Jobs's recommendation of this book 
Walter Isaacson recommended this bookWalter Isaacson
"Read [this book]." - Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson's recommendation of this book 
Bob Dylan recommended this bookBob Dylan
"It changed my life like it changed everyone else’s." - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's recommendation of this book - Ev Williams recommended this book
Ev Williams
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book 
Lex Fridman recommended this bookLex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
Lex Fridman's recommendation of this book
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
3 people- Jordan Peterson recommended this book
Jordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book 
Christopher Hitchens recommended this bookChristopher Hitchens
"Influenced me very greatly." - Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens's recommendation of this book 
Brian Dean recommended this bookBrian Dean
"Tragic story by one of the best to ever do it." - Brian Dean
Brian Dean's recommendation of this book
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
7 people- Jordan Peterson recommended this book
Jordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book 
Jack Dorsey recommended this bookJack Dorsey
One of Jack Dorsey's answers to "what are the books that had a major influence on you?"
Jack Dorsey's recommendation of this book 
Phil Keoghan recommended this bookPhil Keoghan
"Every year, I read [this book]. It’s so easy to read, and it has such a strong message." - Phil Keoghan
Phil Keoghan's recommendation of this book 
PewDiePie recommended this bookPewDiePie
"I thought it was fun to read." - PewDiePie
PewDiePie's recommendation of this book - Lex Fridman recommended this book
Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
Lex Fridman's recommendation of this book 
Mark Manson recommended this bookMark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
Mark Manson's recommendation of this book +1
More recommendations
- Jack Edwards
"Very fishy option." - Jack Edwards
- Jack Edwards
Green Hills of Africa
by Ernest Hemingway
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
The Dharma Bums
by Jack Kerouac
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book. (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person- Steve Jobs recommended this book
Steve Jobs
Daniel Kottke said he and Steve Jobs definitely read this book prior to the India trip.
Steve Jobs's recommendation of this book
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