Patrick Collison Book Recommendations

The Beginning of Infinity

Explanations That Transform the World

by David Deutsch

"A really beautiful modern philosophy book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

A Pattern Language

Towns, Buildings, Construction

by Christopher Alexander

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

The Inner Game of Tennis

The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

by W. Timothy Gallwey

"A really good book that I very highly recommend." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Art of Doing Science and Engineering

Learning to Learn

by Richard W. Hamming

"One of my favorite books." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Dream Machine

by M. Mitchell Waldrop

"Particularly great." - Patrick Collison (Source)

How Asia Works

by Joe Studwell

"A really good book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

by Harold Abelson

"In the aggregate [with other programming books] hugely shaped me." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Perspective on McKinsey

by Marvin Bower

"Can’t shake the feeling that a consultant wrote this book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Mind-Body Problem

by Rebecca Goldstein

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Masters of Doom

How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

by David Kushner

"One of my favorite books about building software." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

by Charlie Munger

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Business Adventures

Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street

by John Brooks

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

A Course in Mathematical Analysis

by Douard Goursat

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens

Frank Oppenheimer and His Astonishing Exploratorium

by K. C. Cole

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

by Neil Postman

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

On the Shortness of Life

by Lucius Seneca

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

On Intelligence

How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines

by Jeff Hawkins

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Matterhorn

A Novel of the Vietnam War

by Karl Marlantes

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Mindstorms

Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas

by Seymour A. Papert

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Stories of Your Life and Others

by Ted Chiang

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Longitude

The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

by Dava Sobel

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

A Great Leap Forward

1930s Depression and U.S. Economic Growth

by Alexander J. Field Ph.D.

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming

Case Studies in Common Lisp

by Peter Norvig

"In the aggregate [with other programming books] hugely shaped me." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Stuff Matters

Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

by Mark Miodownik

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Global Catastrophic Risks

by Nick Bostrom

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Hard Landing

The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos

by Thomas Petzinger Jr.

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

The Enlightened Economy

An Economic History of Britain 1700-1850

by Joel Mokyr

"It's very good." - Patrick Collison (Source)

A Culture of Growth

The Origins of the Modern Economy

by Joel Mokyr

"All of [this author’s] work is great, but [this book] in particular really stands out to me." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters

The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa

by Jason Stearns

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Expert Political Judgment

How Good Is It? How Can We Know?

by Philip E. Tetlock

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Nature of Mathematical Modeling

by Neil Gershenfeld

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Old Way

A Story of the First People

by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Paris Review Interviews, I

16 Celebrated Interviews

by The Paris Review

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Feynman Lectures on Computation

by Richard P. Feynman

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

On Lisp

Advanced Techniques for Common Lisp

by Paul Graham

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Age of Ambition

Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China

by Evan Osnos

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

The Rise and Fall of American Growth

The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War

by Robert J. Gordon

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Tuxedo Park

A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II

by Jennet Conant

"It’s very good." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Asimov's New Guide to Science

by Isaac Asimov

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... Where is Everybody?

Seventy-Five Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life

by Stephen Webb

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Incompleteness

The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Godel

by Rebecca Goldstein

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Plagues and Peoples

by William McNeill

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Anthropic Bias

by Nick Bostrom

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Foucault's Pendulum

by Umberto Eco

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Feminine Mystique

by Betty Friedan

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

China Airborne

by James Fallows

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Dealers of Lightning

Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age

by Michael A. Hiltzik

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Educated Mind

How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding

by Kieran Egan

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Men, Machines, and Modern Times

by Elting E. Morison

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Scramble for Africa

White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912

by Thomas Pakenham

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Ocean Flying

A Pilot's Guide

by Louise Sacchi

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Plato at the Googleplex

Why Philosophy Won't Go Away

by Rebecca Goldstein

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Wind, Sand and Stars

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Justice as Fairness

A Restatement

by John Rawls

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Medieval Technology and Social Change

by Lynn White

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Technics and Civilization

by Lewis Mumford

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Arabs

A History

by Eugene Rogan

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Big Score

The Billion Dollar Story of Silicon Valley

by Michael S. Malone

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Secret Commonwealth

Book Of Dust, Book 2

by Philip Pullman

"Going to own up to being very excited that there's a new Philip Pullman book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

A Vast Machine

Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming

by Paul N. Edwards

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Sum

Forty Tales from the Afterlives

by David Eagleman

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan

by James Morier

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics

by Nicholas J. Higham

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Toward a Theory of Instruction

by Jerome Bruner

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Wittgenstein's Vienna

by Allan Janik

"Have also been enjoying [this book]." - Patrick Collison (Source)

A Decade of Research

Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, 1970-1980

by Giuliana ed. Lavendel

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Computer Lib

Dream Machines

by Theodore H. Nelson

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Democracy in America

by Alexis de Tocqueville

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Popper Selections

by Karl R. Popper

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Science

A History

by John Gribbin

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Spacetime and Geometry

An Introduction to General Relativity

by Sean Carroll

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Man Behind the Microchip

Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley

by Leslie Berlin

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Planet Remade

How Geoengineering Could Change the World

by Oliver Morton

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The C Programming Language

by Brian W. Kernighan

"In the aggregate [with other programming books] hugely shaped me." - Patrick Collison (Source)

I Didn't Do It for You

How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation

by Michela Wrong

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Quantum Computing since Democritus

by Scott Aaronson

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Long Way

by Bernard Moitessier

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Whole Earth Discipline

Why Dense Cities, Nuclear Power, Transgenic Crops, Restored Wildlands, and Geoengineering Are Necessary

by Stewart Brand

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Metamagical Themas

Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern

by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

The City in History

Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects

by Lewis Mumford

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region

by Harold Gilliam

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Modern Operating Systems

by Andrew S Tanenbaum

"In the aggregate [with other programming books] hugely shaped me." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Myth of the Machine

Technics and Human Development

by Lewis Mumford

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Out of Mao's Shadow

The Struggle for the Soul of a New China

by Philip P. Pan

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

River Town

Two Years on the Yangtze

by Peter Hessler

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Season of the Witch

Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love

by David Talbot

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics

by Gerald Jay Sussman

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Chip

How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution

by T. R. Reid

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Ocean of Life

The Fate of Man and the Sea

by Callum Roberts

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz

Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo

by Michela Wrong

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Midnight's Children

by Salman Rushdie

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Nixonland

The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

by Rick Perlstein

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Postcards from Tomorrow Square

Reports from China

by James Fallows

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Cowshed

Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution

by Ji Xianlin

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

The Hunters

by James Salter

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Dracula

by Bram Stoker

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Nixon Agonistes

The Crisis of the Self-Made Man

by Garry Wills

Patrick Collison labeled this book "particularly great." (Source)

Orality and Literacy

by Walter J. Ong

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Spastic Diplegia--Bilateral Cerebral Palsy

Understanding the Motor Problems, Their Impact on Walking, and Management Throughout Life

by Lily Collison

"Congrats, Mom!" - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Journalist And The Murderer

by Janet Malcolm

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Moral Mazes

The World of Corporate Managers

by Robert Jackall

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Pacific

Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers

by Simon Winchester

Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average." (Source)

Reasons and Persons

by Derek Parfit

"I don't totally agree, but I think it's a really interesting modern take on moral philosophy." - Patrick Collison (Source)

7 Powers

The Foundations of Business Strategy

by Hamilton Helmer

"Deeply incisive." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Freedom's Forge

How American Business Produced Victory in World War II

by Arthur Herman

"About the logistical efforts -- led mostly by high school dropouts and immigrants -- that yielded the Arsenal of Democracy." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Electronic Payment Systems for E-Commerce

by Donal O'Mahony

"Our childhood home in Limerick was previously inhabited by one of the authors of this book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Scientific Freedom

The Elixir of Civilization

by Donald W. Braben

"One of the best [books putting forth different visions for how science can be structured]." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Infidel and the Professor

David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought

by Dennis C. Rasmussen

"Great book." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Organizing Genius

The Secrets of Creative Collaboration

by Warren Bennis

"Talks a bit about this phenomenon of a really productive small group." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Precipice

Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity

by Toby Ord

"A great contribution." - Patrick Collison (Source)

A Shot to Save the World

The Inside Story of the Life-or-Death Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine

by Gregory Zuckerman

"[This book], about the creation of the COVID vaccines, is terrific." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Power Law

Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future

by Sebastian Mallaby

"By far the best book I've read on the sector." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Eugene Braunwald and the Rise of Modern Medicine

by Thomas H. Lee

"Very good (And Eugene Kleiner's first cousin!)." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Billion-Dollar Molecule

The Quest for the Perfect Drug

by Barry Werth

"Lots about entrepreneurship, science, pharmacology, risk, importance of work ethic, management practices, fundraising, and the impressive depth of US capital markets." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Genentech

The Beginnings of Biotech

by Sally Smith Hughes

"Enjoyed [this book]." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Talent

How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World

by Tyler Cowen

"They've seen how undergrad & grad programs, academic departments, YC, startups, Apple, and Pioneer do talent selection." - Patrick Collison (Source)

The Idea Factory

Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

by Jon Gertner

"Sets the context for the hardware inventions that directly led to Silicon Valley." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Financial Shenanigans

How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports

by Howard M. Schilit

John Collison called this "a well-targeted gift from [Patrick Collison]." (Source)

Designing Brand Identity

An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team

by Alina Wheeler

"It's excellent: exceptionally data-rich and comprehensive." - Patrick Collison (Source)

Generations

The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future

by Jean M. Twenge

"It's excellent: exceptionally data-rich and comprehensive." - Patrick Collison (Source)