100 books like Connections

By James Burke,

Here are 100 books that Connections fans have personally recommended if you like Connections. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

B. Jeffrey Madoff Author Of Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas

From my list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally.

Why am I passionate about this?

In sixth grade, I got into an argument with my neighbor, Billy. We were in his backyard, looking at the stars through his new telescope. “I see Orion,” said Billy. “What do you see?” “A bunch of stars.” “I aimed it at Orion. See him?” ”I see a bunch of stars.” “Don’t you see his belt? His sword?” Billy got more agitated. “Everybody knows that’s Orion. I can’t believe you can’t see him.” “It’s not actually Orion – it was just a bunch of stars until someone told a story about it and gave it meaning.” That compelled me to write, to construct a meaning for what I experienced, and try to make sense of it.

B.'s book list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally

B. Jeffrey Madoff Why did B. love this book?

I loved this book because it opened my mind to new ways of thinking about thinking and how we make decisions. We are not the rational beings we think we are. Michael Lewis has the gift of being able to take complex ideas and make them understandable, informative, and very entertaining.

The book is about psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Khaneman and their research into how people make decisions. Their story is riveting, and I couldn’t help but think about how I make decisions and how to frame questions to gain greater insight into that process.

By Michael Lewis,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Undoing Project as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Michael Lewis could spin gold out of any topic he chose ... his best work ... vivid, original and hard to forget' Tim Harford, Financial Times

'Gripping ... There is war, heroism, genius, love, loss, discovery, enduring loyalty and friendship. It is epic stuff ... Michael Lewis is one of the best non-fiction writers of our time' Irish Times

From Michael Lewis, No.1 bestselling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, this is the extraordinary story of the two men whose ideas changed the world.

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky met in war-torn 1960s Israel. Both were gifted young…


Book cover of Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

Ronnie F. Lee Author Of Know Money No Problem: A Guide to Positive Personal Economics

From my list on creating a better you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an ordinary person who was able to achieve an extraordinary life for myself. My parents, who currently do not own a home, have always struggled to make ends meet. When I left the US Army at 23 with only $3,000 in savings, I quickly spent it while trying to adjust to civilian life in a foreign country. With a limited college education, I turned to books for inspiration. These books provided me with insights into the details behind success stories and changed my mindset. I was motivated to write my own book, Know Money No Problem, to pay it forward and help others achieve their own version of success. 

Ronnie's book list on creating a better you

Ronnie F. Lee Why did Ronnie love this book?

To truly stay ahead of failure, one must embrace discomfort and avoid becoming stagnant. Life is a constant race, and if you stop running, you cannot win. Who Moved My Cheese? serves as a great example that is easy to read, digest, and a powerful reminder to keep pushing forward in the race of life.

The book highlights the importance of not taking good fortune for granted and avoiding getting too comfortable. It teaches that everything is constantly evolving, and it is essential to remain vigilant and open to new opportunities.

I once used this book to teach a group of high schoolers how to stay alert to opportunities and overcome the fear of discomfort.

By Spencer Johnson,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Who Moved My Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths. It is the amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life, for example a good job, a loving relationship, money or possessions, health or spiritual peace of mind. The maze is where you look for what you want, perhaps the organisation you work in, or the family or community you live in. The problem is that the cheese keeps moving.

In…


Book cover of Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut

Jeff Davidson Author Of Everyday Project Management

From my list on managing projects.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the recognized expert on work-life balance, harmony, and integrative issues, and since 2009, hold the registered trademark from the USPTO as the “Work-Life Balance Expert®." I'm the author of several popular books including Breathing Space, Everyday Project Management, Simpler Living, and The 60 Second Organizer. My books have been featured in 68 of the top 75 American newspapers and, in two instances, advertised in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. I offer hands-on strategies for a balanced career and life to audiences from Singapore to San Diego, with clients as diverse as Novo Nordisk, Worthington Steel, Lufthansa, American Law Institute, Wells Fargo, the IRS, and more.

Jeff's book list on managing projects

Jeff Davidson Why did Jeff love this book?

Information overload threatens our ability to educate ourselves, leaves us more vulnerable as consumers and less cohesive as a society, and diminishes control of our own lives. As such David Shenk offers numerous “Laws of Data Smog," i.e: Information is now plentiful and taken for granted. I was immediately impressed by his pithy observations: Putting a computer in every classroom is like putting an electric power plant into every home; education cannot be fixed with a digital pipeline of data. Too many experts spoil the clarity, and lead to the paralysis of analysis.

The law of diminishing returns, says Shenk, applied to the growing speed and abundance of information, will produce an infoglut that will no longer add to our quality of life. Infoglut is already cultivating stress, confusion, and, yes, ignorance. I have found this to be too true!

In a glutted environment, he says, the most difficult task…

By David Shenk,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Media scholar ( and Internet Enthusiast ) David Shenk examines the troubling effects of information proliferation on our bodies, our brains, our relationships, and our culture, then offers strikingly down-to-earth insights for coping with the deluge.

With a skillful mixture of personal essay, firsthand reportage, and sharp analysis, Shenk illustrates the central paradox of our time: as our world gets more complex, our responses to it become increasingly simplistic. He draws convincing links between data smog and stress distraction, indecision, cultural fragmentation, social vulgarity, and more.

But there's hope for a saner, more meaningful future, as Shenk offers a wealth…


Book cover of How to Win a Lot More Business in a Lot Less Time

Jeff Davidson Author Of Everyday Project Management

From my list on managing projects.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the recognized expert on work-life balance, harmony, and integrative issues, and since 2009, hold the registered trademark from the USPTO as the “Work-Life Balance Expert®." I'm the author of several popular books including Breathing Space, Everyday Project Management, Simpler Living, and The 60 Second Organizer. My books have been featured in 68 of the top 75 American newspapers and, in two instances, advertised in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. I offer hands-on strategies for a balanced career and life to audiences from Singapore to San Diego, with clients as diverse as Novo Nordisk, Worthington Steel, Lufthansa, American Law Institute, Wells Fargo, the IRS, and more.

Jeff's book list on managing projects

Jeff Davidson Why did Jeff love this book?

Success in today’s rapidly changing business world, says Michael LeBoeuf, requires moving quickly. This doesn’t mean pushing yourself and others to work at an over-stressed, breakneck pace. No way. It does mean taking a whole new approach to working, selling, managing, and leading to speed up the business.

Much of what the author writes was new to me: For example, speed improves morale because employees are working for a more successful, responsive company. Speed also forces management to give employees more autonomy and flexibility. Perhaps most important, speed creates an innovative edge. Speeding up (shortening) the product-development cycle enables a business to bring out more new and improved products. Most important, I think, is that the business with a shorter product-development cycle gets products on the market that are way ahead of the competition.

In Fast Forward, I learned that speed pays even when things go wrong! How so? 70%…

By Michael LeBeouf,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Win a Lot More Business in a Lot Less Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This guide identifies the ten key essentials practised by thriving businesses and their employees. It shows how to achieve better results by taking an action-ready approach and how to streamline and update the way organizations are led and managed.


Book cover of Learning to Use What You Already Know

Jeff Davidson Author Of Everyday Project Management

From my list on managing projects.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the recognized expert on work-life balance, harmony, and integrative issues, and since 2009, hold the registered trademark from the USPTO as the “Work-Life Balance Expert®." I'm the author of several popular books including Breathing Space, Everyday Project Management, Simpler Living, and The 60 Second Organizer. My books have been featured in 68 of the top 75 American newspapers and, in two instances, advertised in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. I offer hands-on strategies for a balanced career and life to audiences from Singapore to San Diego, with clients as diverse as Novo Nordisk, Worthington Steel, Lufthansa, American Law Institute, Wells Fargo, the IRS, and more.

Jeff's book list on managing projects

Jeff Davidson Why did Jeff love this book?

The authors maintain that everybody experiences flashes of insight: those moments when an "aha!" reaction leaves us feeling enlightened and empowered. I have felt this and you probably have too. Insights are the bits of knowledge in different parts of ourselves and they can be harnessed into a more integrated and effective whole.

Learning To Use What You Already Know explains how you can encourage insight. Consider that each of us knows more than we think we do. Thus we can employ a reflective process, described in the book, that integrates our conscious and unconscious resources, and prompts our perceptions of everything from getting along with coworkers, to being a visionary leader, to coping with technological change.  

Here are what I consider to be some of the book’s amazing takeaways: Life repeats itself until we learn. Lack of fit is not failure. If you get it right the first time,…

By Stephen A. Stumpf, Joel R DeLuca, Dan Shefelman (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Learning to Use What You Already Know as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Is there a way to encourage the kind of "aha!" perceptions that leave us feeling enlightened and empowered? Are there methods for facilitating the flashes of understanding that make us holler "eureka!" or smile with quiet contentment? Though insights may feel like they come out of the blue, Stumpf and DeLuca make us aware of the process behind the flash so that we can stimulate our capacity for learning and growth.
Beginning with the premise that each of us knows more than we think we do, Stumpf and DeLuca provide a reflective process that integrates all of our conscious and…


Book cover of God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning

Lydia Moland Author Of Lydia Maria Child: A Radical American Life

From my list on women who asked why.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved asking the big questions. What is justice? What is freedom? How should we live? I’ve been lucky to turn these questions into a career teaching philosophy, and I’m always inspired by authors who ask “Why?” in ways that shift our paradigms and broaden our minds. I’m also passionate about women who ask these questions—for too long, women were excluded from philosophy and not taken seriously when they wanted to know why. I loved writing a biography of Lydia Maria Child. So my list includes books by and about women like her: smart, witty, powerful women who ask why. Here’s to asking more questions and finding better answers!

Lydia's book list on women who asked why

Lydia Moland Why did Lydia love this book?

This book is simultaneously so exhilarating and creepy that it had me yelling at my car’s sound system as I listened to it! O’Gieblyn uses biography, history, and current events to ask why humans are pursuing artificial intelligence and what it means for the value of being human.

She weaves her life story, including losing her fundamentalist faith and spiraling into addiction, into a riveting analysis of artificial intelligence with all its promise and peril. I loved that she gave historical background about our search for artificial intelligence while also explaining what is at stake as AI infiltrates our very understanding of what it is to be human.

I finished the book feeling better informed about AI and better grounded in why being human is valuable, no matter what technology does next.

By Meghan O'Gieblyn,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked God, Human, Animal, Machine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A strikingly original exploration of what it might mean to be authentically human in the age of artificial intelligence, from the author of the critically-acclaimed Interior States.

"Meghan O’Gieblyn is a brilliant and humble philosopher, and her book is an explosively thought-provoking, candidly personal ride I wished never to end ... This book is such an original synthesis of ideas and disclosures. It introduces what will soon be called the O’Gieblyn genre of essay writing.” —Heidi Julavits, author of The Folded Clock
 
For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our…


Book cover of The Power of Film

B. Jeffrey Madoff Author Of Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas

From my list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally.

Why am I passionate about this?

In sixth grade, I got into an argument with my neighbor, Billy. We were in his backyard, looking at the stars through his new telescope. “I see Orion,” said Billy. “What do you see?” “A bunch of stars.” “I aimed it at Orion. See him?” ”I see a bunch of stars.” “Don’t you see his belt? His sword?” Billy got more agitated. “Everybody knows that’s Orion. I can’t believe you can’t see him.” “It’s not actually Orion – it was just a bunch of stars until someone told a story about it and gave it meaning.” That compelled me to write, to construct a meaning for what I experienced, and try to make sense of it.

B.'s book list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally

B. Jeffrey Madoff Why did B. love this book?

I love great storytelling and what makes stories compelling. Suber goes into great detail about story, plot, and characters in a way that I found totally fascinating. It inspired me to think about storytelling differently. I got deeper and deeper into the process of what makes characters and their journey interesting.

There are many films that are successful at the box office, but not memorable. They fade as time passes. Great stories resonate for generations. Ultimately, the book is about what makes a film memorable. 

By Howard Suber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Power of Film as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Breaking News!
The Power of Film Series (based upon this book) is now available on MAX. (Formerly HBO)

Make sure you tune in to see this amazing six part series.

One of America's most distinguished film professors provides the definitive A to Z course on the intricacies of film. Each entry in this remarkable book, which represents a lifetime of teaching film, has already inspired and educated several generations of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers and writers. This book examines the patterns and principles that make films popular and memorable, and will be useful both for those who want to create films…


Book cover of Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters

B. Jeffrey Madoff Author Of Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas

From my list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally.

Why am I passionate about this?

In sixth grade, I got into an argument with my neighbor, Billy. We were in his backyard, looking at the stars through his new telescope. “I see Orion,” said Billy. “What do you see?” “A bunch of stars.” “I aimed it at Orion. See him?” ”I see a bunch of stars.” “Don’t you see his belt? His sword?” Billy got more agitated. “Everybody knows that’s Orion. I can’t believe you can’t see him.” “It’s not actually Orion – it was just a bunch of stars until someone told a story about it and gave it meaning.” That compelled me to write, to construct a meaning for what I experienced, and try to make sense of it.

B.'s book list on creativity, storytelling, and how we make decisions–irrationally

B. Jeffrey Madoff Why did B. love this book?

I loved this book because I remembered loving it. But why did I remember? What do I forget—and why? What is the function of memory? How do we unknowingly change our own narrative—and why?

I have always been fascinated by cognitive neuroscience. Thinking about how we think, what we think about, why we remember what we remember, and why we forget what we forget has always fascinated me. These are all things that we take for granted until something happens that changes our perception. We are constantly creating and editing our own narrative. From fond memories to trauma, memory is affected, as is our life narrative. It’s too early to tell if this book will be memorable to me, but I loved reading it. 

By Charan Ranganath,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why We Remember as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Radically new and engaging.' MATTHEW WALKER

'Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they'll also never forget this life-changing book.' SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE

'Ranganath turns much of what we think we know about memory on its head.' DANIEL J. LEVITIN

---

We talk about memory as a record of the past, but here's a surprising twist: we aren't supposed to remember everything. In fact, we're designed to forget.

We talk about memory as a record of the past, but here's a surprising twist: we aren't supposed to remember everything. In fact, we're designed to…


Book cover of How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World

Peter H. Spitz Author Of Reflecting on History: How the Industrial Revolution Created Our Way of Life

From my list on for passionate innovators.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have had a long, fruitful career as a business leader, entrepreneur, and inventor in the energy and chemicals industry with seven scientific patents. I'm the founder/CEO of Chem Systems, Inc., lectured at MIT about entrepreneurship and innovation, and recently wrote a book exploring industrial inventions tracing back to the Industrial Revolution. All inventors share the same qualities: they see opportunities, stay persistent, and maintain their faith in the value of their innovation. The books on this list celebrate those qualities and honor the innovators who embody them. The authors highlight the common threads binding past, present, and future together, showing how humanity's progress depends on innovation.

Peter's book list on for passionate innovators

Peter H. Spitz Why did Peter love this book?

I'm fascinated by the connection between our modern world and how we got here, and this book takes a deep dive into just that. Johnson looks at the most common objects we often accept as if they've been a part of life forever (such as eyeglass lenses), and traces not only how they were created, their impact on our lives.

I find Johnson's writing incredibly informative without being pedantic and always entertaining. He's got an eye for unintended consequences and pays homage to the spirited determination innovators tend to have. As an inventor I note his appreciation for those brilliant mistakes that turn into brilliant technologies, a great lesson in the value of taking chances.

By Steven Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How We Got to Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Steven Johnson, the bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From, comes How We Got to Now, the companion book to his five-part BBC TV series.

How did the advent of refrigeration help create the golden age of Hollywood? How did the invention of flash photography help shift public opinion on the plight of New York's poorest inhabitants and bring about social reform? And what about our battle against dirt? How did that help create the microchips in our smartphones and computers?

In How We Got to Now, Steven Johnson traces six essential innovations that made the modern world;…


Book cover of The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

Rachel Plotnick Author Of Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing

From my list on technologies that seem boring but aren’t.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been attracted to picking apart “taken-for-granted” things and wondered how ubiquitous and mundane technologies have become that way. What were they before they were ordinary? When I started researching and writing about push buttons, I discovered that the interfaces right under our fingers have a long and complex history. I loved reading about a time when pushing a button was both a novelty and a danger, and these recommended books similarly reframe familiar technologies as anything but familiar. I hope that these books will add a little bit of strangeness to the every day, just like they did for me!

Rachel's book list on technologies that seem boring but aren’t

Rachel Plotnick Why did Rachel love this book?

Ainissa Ramirez is a scientist and a storyteller, and from page one of this book, I found myself transfixed by her ability to make complex things comprehensible. From the springs that make clocks work and the carbon filaments that help us see to the electrons in glass that now power computers and smartphones, Ramirez taught me how much matter matters in understanding technological developments of the present moment.

My favorite part of the book is her writing style, as she begins each chapter with an inviting anecdote, like how Abraham Lincoln’s body was carried in a funeral rail car made possible by the steel in train tracks. 

By Ainissa Ramirez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Alchemy of Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A “timely, informative, and fascinating” study of 8 inventions—and how they shaped our world—with “totally compelling” insights on little-known inventors throughout history (Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction)

In The Alchemy of Us, scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez examines 8 inventions and reveals how they shaped the human experience:
 
• Clocks
• Steel rails
• Copper communication cables
• Photographic film
• Light bulbs
• Hard disks
• Scientific labware
• Silicon chips
 
Ramirez tells the stories of the woman who sold time, the inventor who inspired Edison, and the hotheaded undertaker whose invention pointed the…


Book cover of The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
Book cover of Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Book cover of Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut

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Interested in technology, nuclear weapons, and innovation?

Technology 128 books
Nuclear Weapons 72 books
Innovation 85 books