Naval Ravikant Book Recommendations

The Rational Optimist

How Prosperity Evolves

by Matt Ridley

"The most brilliant and enlightening book I've read in years." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

by Charlie Munger

"I always recommend [this book] as my top business book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Thing Explainer

Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

by Randall Munroe

"Explains all these very complicated concepts, [but] only using the 1000 most common words in the English language." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Three-Body Problem (3 books)

"Great series." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Good Calories, Bad Calories

Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

by Gary Taubes

"One of my top 3 books of all time." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Sex at Dawn

How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships

by Christopher Ryan

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

Superintelligence

Paths, Dangers, Strategies

by Nick Bostrom

"I wouldn’t just read [this book] breathless and wide-eyed and believe everything." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Boys (6 books)

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Total Freedom

The Essential Krishnamurti

by Jiddu Krishnamurti

Naval Ravikant's answer to "if you want anyone to read a favorite book you've read, which would it be?" (Source)

Economics in One Lesson

The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics

by Henry Hazlitt

"Great book. Required reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Art of Manipulation

by R. B. Sparkman

"Without judgment, he just lays down how con men work." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Foundation (7 books)

"I loved reading it as a kid." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Compleat Strategyst

Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy

by J. D. Williams

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "any particular Game Theory books you recommend?" (Source)

No bullshit guide to math and physics

by Ivan Savov

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Math, Better Explained

Learn to Unlock Your Math Intuition

by Kalid Azad

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Lord of the Rings (4 books)

"Loved [this series] and other fiction when younger." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Stories of Your Life and Others

by Ted Chiang

"Drop everything and read [Understand]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Think on These Things

by Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Decades ago, it didn’t make sense. Years ago, it changed my life, but I felt late." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Reality Is Not What It Seems

The Journey to Quantum Gravity

by Carlo Rovelli

"Best book I've read in [2017]. Physics, poetry, philosophy and history packaged in a very accessible form." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Enlightenment Trilogy (3 books)

"[The author] is to spirituality what Rick and Morty is to children’s cartoons." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman

"Learn about the inner mindset and external state of someone who was absolutely brilliant." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Sovereign Individual

Mastering the Transition to the Information Age

by James Dale Davidson

"Best book I've read since Sapiens (far less mainstream, though)." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Genius

The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

by James Gleick

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

Incerto (5 books)

"Good books are worth re-reading. Great books are worth re-buying." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

"One of my favorite books of all time." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

"Best book I've read in [2015]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Wind, Sand and Stars

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"One of my all time favorite books. I quote it all the time." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Sandman (13 books)

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

"So good that it may as well be non-fiction." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Beginning of Infinity

Explanations That Transform the World

by David Deutsch

"My favorite recent discovery." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Elephant in the Brain

Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

by Kevin Simler

"Fantastic read." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 books)

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this series. (Source)

The Wealth of Nations

by Adam Smith

Naval Ravikant's answer to "any good book about economy for a beginner?" (Source)

The Book of Life

Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti

by J. Krishnamurti

"A very difficult read, but once you see it, you can't unsee it." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Calculus Made Easy

by Silvanus P. Thompson

"I love [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Sprawl (3 books)

Naval Ravikant mentioned this series on Twitter. (Source)

The Red Queen

Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Thinking Physics

Understandable Practical Reality

by Lewis Carroll Epstein

Naval Ravikant's answer to "physics book for grade school or graduate students?" (Source)

Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

"Wow it's dark." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Rick and Morty (12 books)

"Original Rick and Morty comic books by the same writers. Just as funny, different content. Must read!" - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Undercover Economist

Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor - and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

by Tim Harford

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

Live Your Truth

by Kamal Ravikant

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

How to Teach Your Baby Math

by Glenn Doman

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Story of Philosophy

by Will Durant

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

The Origins of Virtue

Human Instincts and The Evolution of Cooperation

by Matt Ridley

Naval Ravikant's answer to "one book recommendation on Game theory?" (Source)

"What Do You Care What Other People Think?"

Further Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman

"Good if you liked the first one." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

God's Debris

A Thought Experiment

by Scott Adams

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

The Evolution of Cooperation

by Robert Axelrod

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "any particular Game Theory books you recommend?" (Source)

Hagakure

The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai

by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha

An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book

by Daniel Ingram

Naval Ravikant's answer to "any book recommendation on happiness from a Buddhism perspective?" (Source)

Thermoinfocomplexity

A New Theory: Origin of Life and Evolution of Complex Adaptive Systems

by Behzad Mohit

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

Falling into Grace

Insights on the End of Suffering

by Adyashanti

"Very good." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track

The Letters of Richard P. Feynman

by Richard P. Feynman

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish" podcast. (Source)

Distress

by Greg Egan

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

A Pattern Language

Towns, Buildings, Construction

by Christopher Alexander

"Love [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Princeton Companion to Mathematics

by Timothy Gowers

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Evolution of Everything

How New Ideas Emerge

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Lessons of History

by Will & Ariel Durant

"A fantastic book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Waking Up

A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

by Sam Harris

"Loved [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion

by Robert Cialdini

"Fundamental and had a lot to teach." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

How Innovation Works

Serendipity, Energy and the Saving of Time

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Truth about Carbs

How to Eat Just the Right Amount of Carbs to Slash Fat, Look Great Naked, & Live Lean Year-Round

by Nate Miyaki

"Amazing." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

by Carlo Rovelli

"Terrific." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Macintosh Way

by Guy Kawasaki

"[This book] led me into tech!" - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now

by Gordon Livingston

"A fun, light read." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Genome

The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Book of Why

The New Science of Cause and Effect

by Judea Pearl

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The God Proof

by Jeffrey Kegler

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Six Easy Pieces

Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher

by Richard P. Feynman

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Book of Five Rings

by Miyamoto Musashi

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

Kind of the Story of My Life

by Scott Adams

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Great Book of Amber

The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10

by Roger Zelazny

"Formative books for me. Read and re-read them over the years." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Lifecycle of Software Objects

by Ted Chiang

"Another masterpiece of SciFi by [this author]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

René Girard's Mimetic Theory

by Wolfgang Palaver

"It’s more of an overview book because I couldn’t make it through his actual writings." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Thinking, Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman

"Fine book but it didn’t need to be an entire book. A blog post would have gotten the point across." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Courage

The Joy of Living Dangerously

by Osho

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Snow Crash

A Novel

by Neal Stephenson

"Best cyberpunk novel ever written. Slightly dated but very prescient." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Striking Thoughts

Wisdom for Daily Living

by Bruce Lee

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Book of Nothing

Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe

by John D. Barrow

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Order of Time

by Carlo Rovelli

Naval Ravikant's answer to "best book on concept of time?" (Source)

Infinite Powers

How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe

by Steven Strogatz

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

How to Teach Your Baby to Read

by Glenn Doman

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Power of Habit

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

"Interesting, not because of its content necessarily, but because it’s good for me to always keep on top of mind how powerful my habits are." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

What is Life?

With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches

by Erwin Schrodinger

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Why Information Grows

The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies

by Cesar Hidalgo

"An important book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Exhalation

Stories

by Ted Chiang

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

100 Best-Loved Poems

by Philip Smith

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Permutation City

A Novel

by Greg Egan

"[The author]'s very dry but full of great ideas." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Prophet

by Kahlil Gibran

"A beautiful book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Who We Are and How We Got Here

Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past

by David Reich

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Third Wave

An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future

by Steve Case

"[The author] is doing the behind the scenes work to support entrepreneurship in America." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

War Nerd

by Gary Brecher

"On a lighter but still very educational note, check out [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

12 Rules for Life

An Antidote to Chaos

by Jordan Peterson

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "what are you reading right now?" (Source)

Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic

by Osho

Naval Ravikant's answer to "recommend autobiographies?" (Source)

Letters from a Stoic

by Lucius Seneca

"That’s what I read [by Seneca]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Gay Science

With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs

by Friedrich Nietzsche

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "what are you reading right now?" (Source)

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind

by Julian Jaynes

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

Q.E.D.

Beauty in Mathematical Proof

by Burkard Polster

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Art of the Living Dead

by Adrian Hanft

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Awareness

The Perils and Opportunities of Reality

by Anthony De Mello

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Direct Truth

Uncompromising, non-prescriptive Truths to the enduring questions of life

by Kapil Gupta

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "what are you reading right now?" (Source)

The Fabric of Reality

The Science of Parallel Universes--and Its Implications

by David Deutsch

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Fallen Leaves

Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God

by Will Durant

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Dream Yoga

Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep

by Andrew Holecek

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Gödel, Escher, Bach

An Eternal Golden Braid

by Douglas R. Hofstadter

"Amazing book, but good luck finishing it." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Illusions, Book 1

by Richard Bach

"Has a bit of the Siddhartha flavor." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Power of Myth

by Joseph Campbell

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

Science and Method

by Henri Poincaré

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

A Cultural History of Physics

by Károly Simonyi

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Nature Via Nurture

Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

"Classic. I love [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Untethered Soul

The Journey Beyond Yourself

by Michael A. Singer

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Ficciones

by Jorge Luis Borges

"Buy [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Bhagavad Gita

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

by Sri Swami Satchidananda

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "you don't read the Indian epics?" (Source)

Dreamstate

A Conspiracy Theory

by Jed McKenna

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Enchiridion

by Epictetus

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Freedom from the Known

by Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Just as good [as Think on These Things]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Essential Writings

by Mahatma Gandhi

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

The Heart of Yoga

Developing a Personal Practice

by T. K. V. Desikachar

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Fables

The Deluxe Edition Book One

by Bill Willingham

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Lord of Light

by Roger Zelazny

"The only sci-fi novel that I know of where the protagonist is a Buddha." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Agile Gene

How Nature Turns on Nurture

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí

by Salvador Dali

"Really fun, most egotistical author of all time." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

V for Vendetta

by Alan Moore

"Genius, a cogent defense of anarchy." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Diaspora

by Greg Egan

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Great Challenge

Exploring the World Within

by Osho

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 3 Osho books?" (Source)

The Surrender Experiment

My Journey into Life's Perfection

by Michael A. Singer

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field

How Two Men Revolutionized Physics

by Nancy Forbes

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "what are you reading right now?" (Source)

Tao of Philosophy

by Alan Watts

Naval Ravikant mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast. (Source)

Absolute Tao

Subtle is the way to love, happiness and truth

by Osho

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

At Home in the Universe

The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

by Stuart Kauffman

"I’ve read it a long time ago. Time for a re-read." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Convict Conditioning

How to Bust Free of All Weakness-Using the Lost Secrets of Supreme Survival Strength

by Paul Wade

"Bought the book, will try it." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing, Book 1

by Hunter S. Thompson

"It was entertaining, but I sort of gave up after a bit." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Francis Crick

Discoverer of the Genetic Code

by Matt Ridley

"Everything by [this author] is worth reading." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Pre-Suasion

A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade

by Robert Cialdini

"Good but closer to a single-themed book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Diamond Age

Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

by Neal Stephenson

"Great book." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Transmetropolitan

Book One

by Warren Ellis

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Vasistha's Yoga

by Swami Venkatesananda

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

A Novel

by Neal Stephenson

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Unwritten

The Deluxe Edition Book One

by Mike Carey

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

by Jorge Luis Borges

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

Watchmen

by Alan Moore

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?" (Source)

Great Short Poems

by Paul Negri

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

The Jack Vance Treasury

by Jack Vance

Naval Ravikant tweeted about this book. (Source)

A Soldier of the Great War

by Mark Helprin

"For historical fiction, I like [this book]." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

by Frank Miller

"Favorite childhood comic." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Soon I Will Be Invincible

A Novel

by Austin Grossman

Naval Ravikant's recommendation for "good humourous fiction." (Source)

The Salmon of Doubt

Dirk Gently, Book 3

by Douglas Adams

"Recommended." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Sun Rises in the Evening

by Osho

"Bit mystical but he’s not wrong." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

"If I'm going to read fiction, might as well start at the top." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Homo Deus

A Brief History of Tomorrow

by Yuval Noah Harari

"Didn't finish it. Good book but not as seminal as Sapiens." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Planetary

Book One

by Warren Ellis

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "favorite comic books?" (Source)

The Path to Love

Spiritual Strategies for Healing

by Deepak Chopra

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "what are you reading right now?" (Source)

Principles

Life and Work

by Ray Dalio

"As with most non-fiction, the meat was in the beginning." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Power of Now

A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

by Eckhart Tolle

"[This book] is the OG." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

How to Change Your Mind

What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

by Michael Pollan

Naval Ravikant's answer to "do you have any advice for dealing with the death of a parent?" (Source)

Nexus

Nexus, Book 1

by Ramez Naam

"Fantastic." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

The Network State

How To Start a New Country

by Balaji Srinivasan

"The future convergence of networks and governments, from one of the most brilliant thinkers alive." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It

by Kamal Ravikant

"My brother wrote it, so I'm biased. But it's brilliantly written." - Naval Ravikant (Source)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland, Book 1

by Lewis Carroll

Naval Ravikant's answer to "first book which started your lifelong journey of reading?" (Source)