Why am I passionate about this?

As I was writing The Coincidence Makers I found out I am not writing about coincidences, at all. I found out I was writing about fate and free will, about the way we make choices, and how these choices affect us, define us and change us. Choices and the way they build our happiness is the theme of this list, which is made out of books that I read before or during the writing process of my own (fiction) book, and probably influenced it, one way or another.


I wrote

The Coincidence Makers: A Novel

By Yoav Blum,

Book cover of The Coincidence Makers: A Novel

What is my book about?

Guy, Emily, and Eric are three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carryingā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

Yoav Blum Why did I love this book?

More is not always better. More choices, more optionsā€”although they are what we crave to have and even see them as part of our definition of "freedom" sometimesā€”can be devastating and paralyzing. As I was writing my own book, which deals a lot with choices and the way we make them, Barry Schwartz's clear and smart book was a reminder about how narrowing down our options can be a good thing.

By Barry Schwartz,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Paradox of Choice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions-both big and small-have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and allā€¦


Book cover of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Yoav Blum Why did I love this book?

Don't worry, this is not a conspiracy book. This is an optimistic book about the ways we can help people make better choices by designing the system around them betterā€”preventing car crashes, promoting better nutrition, and even increasing the pool of organ donors. It is a fascinating read about small changes around us that can create big differences.

By Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Nudge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now available: Nudge: The Final Edition

The original edition of the multimillion-copy New York Times bestseller by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Richard H. Thaler, and Cass R. Sunstein: a revelatory look at how we make decisionsā€”for fans of Malcolm Gladwellā€™s Blink, Charles Duhiggā€™s The Power of Habit, James Clearā€™s Atomic Habits, and Daniel Kahnemanā€™s Thinking, Fast and Slow

Named a Best Book of the Year by TheEconomist and the Financial Times

Every day we make choicesā€”about what to buy or eat, about financial investments or our childrenā€™s health and education, even about the causes we championā€¦


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Book cover of I Am Taurus

I Am Taurus by Stephen Palmer,

The constellation we know as Taurus goes all the way back to cave paintings of aurochs at Lascaux. This book traces the story of the bull in the sky, a journey through the history of what has become known as the sacred bull.

Each of the sections is written fromā€¦

Book cover of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Yoav Blum Why did I love this book?

People consider themselves as rational beings, but we are notā€”in more than one surprising way. Ariely is giving us examples and sharing stories that show us how irrational we can sometimes really be. Reading this book cannot just allow us to see things more clearly when we make our choices in life. It can also allow us to understand others, and in a weird and funny way maybe even help us be more compassionate when facing other people's mistakes.

By Dan Ariely,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked Predictably Irrational as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.

Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions?

In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason forā€¦


Book cover of Stumbling on Happiness

Yoav Blum Why did I love this book?

Knowing what we want can be tricky. In order to do that, we need to imagine our future selves and guess what they will be satisfied with. Surprisingly, knowing what you want might be much trickier than you think. Gilbert's book is full of insights and scientific discoveries about human nature that are fascinating, witty, and many times insightful. Happiness is a state of mind, and the mind is full of surprises.

By Daniel Gilbert,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Stumbling on Happiness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bringing to life scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, this bestselling book reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there. 

ā€¢ Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink?

ā€¢ Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to regain their sight?

ā€¢ Why do dining companions insist on ordering different meals instead of getting what theyā€¦


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Book cover of Dream It, Design It, Live It: The Ultimate Guide to Manifesting Your Next-Level Life

Dream It, Design It, Live It by Diana Drake Long,

Dream It, Design It, Live It will empower you to create more happiness, abundance, and fulfillment while honoring your values for self-care, life-work balance, and living your truth.

Diana Drake Long is recognized as one of the world's master coaches, and her Dream It, Design It, Live It system givesā€¦

Book cover of Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

Yoav Blum Why did I love this book?

As we all want to be happy, there are different ways we can get there. Ironically, chasing happiness, trying to perfect our lives, and making sure everything is "good" and "positive" might be the worse way to do it. The chase after happiness is not the way to get it. Ben Shacharā€”an expert when it comes to positive thinking and happinessā€”teaches us how to stop the race, in order to get the peace of mind and happiness that we seek.

By Tal Ben-Shahar,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Happier as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"There are few self-help books more resolutley down to earth than Happier...Ben Shahar provides straightforward guidelines for integrating habits of gratitude and accepting negative emotions into daily life" Observer, Jan 2012


Explore my book šŸ˜€

The Coincidence Makers: A Novel

By Yoav Blum,

Book cover of The Coincidence Makers: A Novel

What is my book about?

Guy, Emily, and Eric are three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targetsā€”scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and meā€¦

But a secret mission, a killer who can't hurt a fly, and memories from previous lives are going to change all that and teach them about the true nature of fate, free will, and the real meaning of love.

Book cover of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
Book cover of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Book cover of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

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