Patrick O'Shaughnessy Book Recommendations

The Act of Creation

by Arthur Koestler

"My favorite book on creativity." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Tiger

A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

by John Vaillant

"One of the most amazing books I’ve read in the last few years." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Shadow Divers

The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II

by Robert Kurson

"I could not put this book down." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

by Peter F. Drucker

"If you want the most business oriented book on creativity, you cannot do better." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Creativity

Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

"Studies creative people and creates a common framework for creativity based on their lives and insights." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

A Technique for Producing Ideas

A Simple Five Step Formula for Producing Ideas

by James Webb Young

"If you prefer fast reads and only want to read one of these books, this is the one for you." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Essays and Lectures

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When I am feeling conventional (happens often), Emerson’s essay 'Self Reliance' is my favorite antidote." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

Why That Is and What You Can Do About It

by Steven Pressfield

"This book teaches you how to craft a message." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Wayfinders

Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World

by Wade Davis

"I especially loved the chapter on the people of the Anaconda, but every chapter was wonderful." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Essays and Aphorisms

by Arthur Schopenhauer

"There is no more readable or insightful philosopher than [this author]. This book covers just about everything." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Double Your Profits

In Six Months or Less

by Bob Fifer

"Bad title for a very interesting (if somewhat dated) book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

"Provides a concise history of humankind and outlines why we have the psychology we do today." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Drunk Tank Pink

And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave

by Adam Alter

"Chock full of interesting and useful examples of subconscious behavioral triggers, including several specific to the stock market." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

by Joseph Campbell

"One of my favorite books." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Snow Leopard

by Peter Matthiessen

"You’ll love this book if you like any of the following: travel writing, philosophy, Zen, Buddhism, navel-gazing, the Himalayas." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

by Peter Matthiessen

"Plot, writing, characters, big ideas. This book has it all." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Concentrated Investing

by Allen C. Benello

"What this book re-affirmed for me was the importance of 'committed' capital." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Brute

The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine

by Robert Coram

"As much the story of the Marine Corp as a biography of Brute Krulak." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Boyd

The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

by Robert Coram

"This guy was incredible." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Perfect Bet

How Science and Math Are Taking the Luck Out of Gambling

by Adam Kucharski

"A fun book on gambling, odds, and finding suckers." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Dear Chairman

Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism

by Jeff Gramm

"I highlighted the living hell out of this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Norwegian Wood

Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way

by Lars Mytting

"Do you like chopping wood or building fires? If the answer is yes, then you will love this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi

"The memoir of a successful neurosurgeon who is diagnosed with lung cancer." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Capital Returns

Investing Through the Capital Cycle

by Edward Chancellor

"Every investor should read this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Diffusion of Innovations

by Everett M. Rogers

"Why do some ideas diffuse quickly through the world while others don’t?" - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Negotiating the Impossible

How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts (without Money or Muscle)

by Deepak Malhotra

"Lays out three key aspects of negotiation: framing, process, and empathy." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Dao of Capital

Austrian Investing in a Distorted World

by Mark Spitznagel

"Suggests a very contrarian approach which would require insane discipline to make work." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Deep Survival

Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

by Laurence Gonzales

"Incredible book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

Kind of the Story of My Life

by Scott Adams

"Colorful and enjoyable." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Consolations

The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

by David Whyte

"You can read this one in an hour or two." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The One Sentence Persuasion Course

27 Words to Make the World Do Your Bidding

by Blair Warren

"You can read this in 30 minutes it has several great reminders." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Misbehavior of Markets

A Fractal View of Financial Turbulence

by Benoit Mandelbrot

"A top five investing book of all time." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Quality Investing

Owning the best companies for the long term

by Torkell T. Eide

"There isn’t anything revolutionary in here, but for fundamental stock analysts out there, this book offers a lot to chew on." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Fooling Some of the People All of the Time

A Long Short (and Now Complete) Story

by David Einhorn

"Filled with great little side stories." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Positioning

The Battle for Your Mind

by Al Ries

"A really great book about communication." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Natural Born Heroes

Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance

by Christopher McDougall

"If you liked Born to Run (another book by the same author), you’ll enjoy this story." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Mastery

The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment

by George Leonard

"This book, which you can read in a sitting, is a great overview of the process-driven mindset." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

"I’ve never before so identified with a main character (Larry)." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Walking

by Henry David Thoreau

"A short, relaxing essay that shows how walking leads to a better, fresher mindset." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Writing Life

by Annie Dillard

"My favorite book about writing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Rise of the Robots

Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future

by Martin Ford

"Explains what skills will be most useful in the age of automation." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Self Reliance

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"My favorite essay from one of my biggest idols." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Impro

Improvisation and the Theatre

by Keith Johnstone

"I found more interesting-ness per page than anything else I’ve read in a long time." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Wisdom of Life

by Arthur Schopenhauer

"The best self-help book ever." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

"A beautifully written post-apocalyptic novel." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind

by Julian Jaynes

"This is a mind f**k." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Ham On Rye

A Novel

by Charles Bukowski

"A coming of age story that rings more true than any other I’ve ever read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Hackers & Painters

Big Ideas from the Computer Age

by Paul Graham

"A book collection of some of his best [essays]." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life

A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature

by Douglas T Kenrick

"Will help you understand your own behavior better." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Thinking in Systems

by Donella H. Meadows

"If you want a new way to think about yourself, your business, the market, or any other system of parts and interactions, this is the book for you." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Ask the Dust

by John Fante

"The only book I can think of that I read again immediately." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Women

A Novel

by Charles Bukowski

"A fictionalized autobiography of [the author], an alcoholic womanizer and fantastic writer." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Etymologicon

A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

by Mark Forsyth

"If you like factoids, this is a book for you." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Dragons of Eden

Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence

by Carl Sagan

"I love to read about human evolution because it reminds me how slow our biology changes." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

A Short History of Myth

by Karen Armstrong

"More approachable than Campbell's A Hero with a Thousand Faces." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

"An old classic." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Money Game

by Adam Smith

"Nails investor psychology." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Managing Oneself

by Peter Drucker

"Just a short essay, but it is spot on." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Warrior Ethos

by Steven Pressfield

"Fun, and it will definitely fire you up." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Right Stuff

by Tom Wolfe

"If you like American History and/or stories of pushing the limits of human capability and endurance, this book is for you." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Let Your Life Speak

Listening for the Voice of Vocation

by Parker J. Palmer

"The author is a quasi-Emerson/Thoreau for modern times." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Thai Stick

Surfers, Scammers, and the Untold Story of the Marijuana Trade

by Peter Maguire

Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post. (Source)

Successful Investing Is a Process

Structuring Efficient Portfolios for Outperformance

by Jacques Lussier

"Definitely not for the faint of heart, but for professionals and committed individual investors, there is a lot of useful information." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Professor in the Cage

Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch

by Jonathan Gottschall

"This story of an English professor fighting in mixed martial arts fights is a fun combination of history, psychology, and memoir." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Value Investing

Tools and Techniques for Intelligent Investment

by James Montier

Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post. (Source)

The Value Investors

Lessons from the World's Top Fund Managers

by Ronald Chan

"A great collection of ideas." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Einstein's Dreams

by Alan Lightman

"Uses short stories/vignettes to play with concepts of time." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Last Chance to See

by Douglas Adams

"The funniest travel book I’ve ever read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Tragedy & Hope

A History of the World in Our Time

by Carroll Quigley

"You should read the introductory section—it is so compelling." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The True Believer

Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

by Eric Hoffer

"Simultaneously a book on history, psychology, influence, and salesmanship." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Letters of Note

An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience

by Shaun Usher

"One of the most enjoyable Christmas presents I’ve ever received." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Asset Management

A Systematic Approach to Factor Investing

by Andrew Ang

"For those interested in an overview of markets and investing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Incognito

The Secret Lives of the Brain

by David Eagleman

"One of my favorite books on the brain and the bizarre things it makes us do." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Against the Gods

The Remarkable Story of Risk

by Peter L. Bernstein

"An older book, but a wonderful history of our concept of risk." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Lateral Thinking

Creativity Step by Step

by Edward De Bono

"Refreshing and extremely helpful." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes

by Peter Bevelin

"I wrote a post about how much I loved this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Werner Herzog

A Guide for the Perplexed

by Paul Cronin

"If you have watched and enjoyed any of Werner Herzog’s films, you will love this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

It's Earnings That Count

Finding Stocks with Earnings Power for Long-term Profits

by Hewitt Heiserman

"For anyone interested in accounting and the best calculation of earnings, there are many useful sections." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Accidental Universe

The World You Thought You Knew

by Alan Lightman

"A beautifully written book about current findings (and worldviews) in physics." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Priceless

The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)

by William Poundstone

"A fascinating survey of how humans view and assess prices (hint, we stink at it)." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Scientific Advertising

by Claude C. Hopkins

"It is like a list of first principles for effective communication of ideas." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Success

by Martin Amis

"Because I like to laugh around the holidays." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

WAR

by Sebastian Junger

"This book was the best I've ever read on the psychology of war." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Zero to One

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

by Peter Thiel

"An obvious suggestion, because [this book] is the talk of the town and sits at the top of bestseller lists everywhere." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Lights in the Tunnel

Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future

by Martin Ford

"Does a great job framing the issues that will emerge in an increasingly automated world." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Upanishads

by Eknath Easwaran

"One of my five favorite books of all time." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Antifragile

Incerto, Book 3

by Nassim Taleb

"This book will have you asking yourself many provocative and useful questions." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Robert Collier Letter Book

by Robert Collier

"Even though it has little to do with investing, I got so much out of it I thought I’d share." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

A Year with Rumi

Daily Readings

by Coleman Barks

"There are some arresting and beautiful poems that will make you think." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Deep Value

by Tobias E. Carlisle

"The best book I’ve read in some time on value investing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

by William N. Thorndike

"Contains great lessons for investors because it highlights the importance of capital allocation." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Prize

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power

by Daniel Yergin

"Might be the best book I’ve ever read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Fourth Revolution

The Global Race to Reinvent the State

by John Micklethwait

"Brilliantly well written." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Fish That Ate the Whale

The Life and Times of America's Banana King

by Rich Cohen

"The most fun book that I’ve read in a while." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Essays of Warren Buffett

Lessons for Corporate America

by Lawrence A. Cunningham

"Touting advice from Buffett is so clichéd in the investment world, but for good a reason." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The First Crash

Lessons from the South Sea Bubble

by Richard Dale

"Chronicles the South Sea Trading Company bubble of 1720." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The River of Doubt

Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

by Candice Millard

"[This book] reads more like Indiana Jones that non-fiction." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

by Ed Catmull

"One of the most entertaining and useful business books I’ve ever read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Rational Expectations

Asset Allocation for Investing Adults

by William Bernstein

"Very straightforward and informative." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

As One Is

To Free the Mind from All Conditioning

by Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Only for those interested in philosophy." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

What Works on Wall Street

The Classic Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time

by James O'Shaughnessy

"My entire personal portfolio is dedicated to these ideas." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Inside the Investor's Brain

The Power of Mind Over Money

by Richard L. Peterson

"The best book on investor behavior that I’ve ever read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Contrarian Investment Strategies

The Psychological Edge

by David Dreman

"One of the first books I read on investing when I was 22 and remains one of the best." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Devil Take the Hindmost

A History of Financial Speculation

by Edward Chancellor

"BY FAR—the best collection of investing history lessons ever compiled." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Saving Capitalism From Short-Termism

How to Build Long-Term Value and Take Back Our Financial Future

by Alfred Rappaport

"Explores the many problems that result from short-term thinking." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Most Important Thing

Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor

by Howard Marks

"One of my favorite books on value/distressed investing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The History of Money

by Jack Weatherford

"Ever since finding this book, I’ve been fascinated with the history of money." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Adapt

Why Success Always Starts with Failure

by Tim Harford

"Using excellent examples, [the author] explains that to make progress, you must fail often and fail productively." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Shoe Dog

A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

by Phil Knight

"A perfect business book & memoir hybrid." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Shareholder Value Myth

How Putting Shareholders First Harms Investors, Corporations, and the Public

by Lynn Stout

"Very short, and you really only need to read part 1." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Principles

Life and Work

by Ray Dalio

"Bridgewater’s infamous [book]." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Body Keeps the Score

Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

by Bessel van der Kolk

"[I] found it enlightening, useful, sobering, and often very scary." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Big Data Baseball

Math, Miracles, and the End of a 20-Year Losing Streak

by Travis Sawchik

"This is Moneyball 2.0." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Hidden Life of Trees

What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World

by Peter Wohlleben

"If you like the woods at all, pick this up immediately. You will never see the forest (the 'wood wide web') the same way again." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Streaming, Sharing, Stealing

Big Data and the Future of Entertainment

by Michael D. Smith

"If you are a 'content creator' or creative type, understanding the dynamics in these industries is key." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Pre-Suasion

A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade

by Robert Cialdini

"Very interesting and readable." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion

by Robert Cialdini

Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this book on a blog post. (Source)

The Song of the Dodo

Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions

by David Quammen

"If you are interested in evolution this is an amazing read." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Gratitude

by Oliver Sacks

"This is a 30-minute read. A collection of wonderful short essays from one of the greatest humans ever." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Spent

Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior

by Geoffrey Miller

"Provides a new way of looking at our motivations, and details how we constantly try to signal certain qualities to friends, family, and potential mates." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Metaphors We Live By

by George Lakoff

"Intense, but it is the best book I’ve read about how we learn and communicate." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Chaos Monkeys

Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley

by Antonio Garcia Martinez

"A look inside startup culture, filled with hijinks." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

by Neil Postman

"This book has the best foreword I can recall. Read the entire thing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Sovereign Individual

Mastering the Transition to the Information Age

by James Dale Davidson

"It was published in the late 1990’s, but is enjoying a very well-deserved resurgence." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Finite and Infinite Games

by James Carse

"I absolutely loved it." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

by Brad Stone

"A history of my favorite company and its enigmatic leader." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Let My People Go Surfing

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

by Yvon Chouinard

"If you aspire to create a business—to make something—I can think of no better book to inspire you." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Modern Monopolies

What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy

by Alex Moazed

"About the 'platform' business model which has stormed the world in the form of Uber, Airnb, Github, and so many others." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Ascent Of Man

by Jacob Bronowski

"If you like 'big history' books, in the vein of Sapiens, Tragedy & Hope, or The Decline of the West, you will love this one." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Systems Bible

The Beginner's Guide to Systems Large and Small

by John Gall

"A clear, incredibly well thought out message: don’t build systems unless you absolutely need to." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Good Prose

The Art of Nonfiction

by Tracy Kidder

"A great book on writing." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Personal MBA

Master the Art of Business

by Josh Kaufman

"If you dislike (most) business books like I do, but want to learn about the business of business, this book is a great tool." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Setting the Table

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

by Danny Meyer

"Every business could benefit from [this author's] framework for service and hospitality." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

One Up

Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games

by Joost van Dreunen

"Had great detail on the business history of the video game industry." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

The Power of Myth

by Joseph Campbell

"One of the most interesting series of interviews ever." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)

Mountains Beyond Mountains

The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

by Tracy Kidder

"If you care about health care, philanthropy, drive, or success, read this book." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy (Source)