My favorite books that will help you think better

Why am I passionate about this?

My goal has been to focus on timeless lessons and insights for work and life. We can do this by mastering the best of what other people have already figured out. I want to share the insights and wisdom that make things easier, not harder. I have spent years making high-stakes decisions as a CEO, advisor, and public company board member. I continue to teach, coach, and guide CEOs wanting to perform at the top of their game. I am the Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author of Clear Thinking and the founder of Farnam Street Media, Latticework Publishing, and Syrus Partners. 


I wrote...

Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results

By Shane Parrish,

Book cover of Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results

What is my book about?

You don’t need to be smarter than others to outperform them if you can out-position them. Anyone looks like a genius when they’re in a good position, and even the smartest person looks like an idiot when they’re in a bad one.

Clear Thinking is not just another self-help book—it’s a transformative guide that hands you the tools to master your own fate, sharpen your decision-making, and set yourself up for unparalleled success. The most effective way to enhance your decision-making is by starting from a position of strength. With a proven framework and practical strategies, Clear Thinking is your roadmap to navigating any situation with poise and intelligence.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Shane Parrish Why did I love this book?

If you want to see how small changes can make a huge impact, pick up this book.

Atomic Habits explores the power of compounding in personal development. Unlike the temptation of quick fixes, the book emphasizes the long game. It redefines habits as the key to success and failure, highlighting that time maximizes their impact. Even the smallest changes can accumulate into significant transformations.

This book is an eye-opening exploration of how small, consistent actions can lead to extraordinary outcomes.

By James Clear,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Atomic Habits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the…


Book cover of Men and Rubber: The Story of Business

Shane Parrish Why did I love this book?

This is one of the books I give away the most. The lessons are timeless and still hold true today.

Harvey S. Firestone was one of the leaders of American industry. In a testament to his thoughtful corporate leadership, Firestone tires are still on cars everywhere. Many of the insights he shares on how to start and run a company are as relevant today as when they were originally written.

By Harvey S Firestone,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Men and Rubber as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This printing of Men and Rubber: The Story of Business by Harvey S. Firestone is part of the Farnam Street Timeless Classics Series, where we continue with our goal of 'mastering the best of what other people have figured out.' This is one of the books I give away the most.


Book cover of Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Shane Parrish Why did I love this book?

Charlie Munger is perhaps the smartest man I don’t know.

This book is a curated collection of his speeches and talks that can’t help but leave you smarter. Munger’s wit and wisdom come across on every page.

This book will improve your thinking and decisions. Read and re-read.

By Charles T. Munger, Peter D. Kaufman (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poor Charlie's Almanack as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the legendary vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, lessons in investment strategy, philanthropy, and living a rational and ethical life.

"A timeless classic that will change how you approach life. There is a billion-dollar education inside this book."
-Shane Parrish, founder of Syrus Partners and Farnam Street

"Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up," Charles T. Munger advises in Poor Charlie's Almanack. Originally published in 2005, this compendium of eleven talks delivered by the legendary Berkshire Hathaway vice-chairman between 1986 and 2007 has become a touchstone for a generation of investors and…


Book cover of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

Shane Parrish Why did I love this book?

This is a book I constantly recommend when it comes to how you think about money and growing wealth.

This isn’t a get-rich-quick guide, but a breakdown of how you view your financial position and what lenses you can apply to make the best decisions to position yourself for the best outcome. Luck and risk will always be a factor, but if you prepare for these and work them into your plan, you’ll be prepared for anything.

By Morgan Housel,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Psychology of Money as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people.

Money-investing, personal finance, and business decisions-is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together.

In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan…


Book cover of Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Shane Parrish Why did I love this book?

If you want to understand what it’s like to start and run a business–the uncertainty, the sweat, the stress, the self-doubt–I’d recommend picking up this book.

It’s a memoir, so you’re certainly getting just one side of the story. But Knight doesn’t hesitate to flog himself throughout the book–he comes off as energetic, hardworking, risk-taking, and willing to enter a moral gray area to make Nike a success.

A captivating read for anyone interested in the world of business through a different lens.

By Phil Knight,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Shoe Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like ... It's an amazing tale' Bill Gates

'The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller' Warren Buffett

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual…


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Tiny Tales: A Year of Daily Prompted Stories

By Beth C. Greenberg,

Book cover of Tiny Tales: A Year of Daily Prompted Stories

Beth C. Greenberg Author Of First Quiver

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Writer Perpetual Student Encourager Frustrated Golfer Puzzler

Beth's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Tiny Tales is a collection of 365 bite-sized stories and poems, written each day of 2023 to a one-word prompt created by one of the official #vss365 (very short story, 365 days a year) ambassadors on Twitter ("X").

Tweet-sized (280 characters or fewer) storytelling (aka "Twitterature") inspires experimentation and variety, and that is exactly what you'll find in this collection of compositions ranging from true stories to playful limericks, romantic fiction to war-inspired tales, wistful observations from a long-ago childhood to fantastical imaginings of a distant future.

Whether you want to read a story a day or use the prompts (included in their original order at the end of the book) as a springboard to jumpstart your own writing, Tiny Tales will keep you entertained and inspired throughout the year. It is a perfect gift to yourself or for any aspiring or avid writer in your life.

Tiny Tales: A Year of Daily Prompted Stories

By Beth C. Greenberg,

What is this book about?

Tiny Tales is a collection of 365 bite-sized stories and poems, written each day of 2023 to a one-word prompt created by one of the official #vss365 (very short story, 365 days a year) ambassadors on Twitter ("X"). Tweet-sized (280 characters or fewer) storytelling (aka "Twitterature") inspires experimentation and variety, and that is exactly what you'll find in this collection of compositions ranging from true stories to playful limericks, romantic fiction to war-inspired tales, wistful observations from a long-ago childhood to fantastical imaginings of a distant future.

Whether you want to read a story a day or use the prompts…


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