10 books like Digital Minimalism

By Cal Newport,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like Digital Minimalism. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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The Practice

By Seth Godin,

Book cover of The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

Allen Gannett Author Of The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time

From the list on creativity and how to harness it as a skill.

Who am I?

I have been addicted to reverse engineering things since I was a kid. I wrote The Creative Curve to reverse engineer the science of creativity. What could academic research teach us about creativity? If we talked to some of the world’s leading creatives, what would they tell us? My goal is to help readers unlock the part of them (that, as I argue, we all have) that is creative. When I’m not writing, I invest in tech startups that I think will leverage the principles from my book. I live in New York City with my mischievous, but incredibly adorable corgi Maven. 

Allen's book list on creativity and how to harness it as a skill

Discover why each book is one of Allen's favorite books.

Why did Allen love this book?

In The Practice, Godin successfully does that “thing,” that he is so uniquely good at: sharing wisdom with panache and joy, not condescension or cliché. He artfully argues for the creative to better empathize with their audience, and in doing so, create better art. Since, creativity is nothing without impact.

The Practice

By Seth Godin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of Purple Cow and This is Marketing comes an elegant little book that will inspire artists, writers, and entrepreneurs to stretch and commit to putting their best work out into the world.

Creative work doesn't come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn't. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward.

Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that…


The War of Art

By Steven Pressfield,

Book cover of The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

James Strock Author Of Serve to Lead: 21st Century Leaders Manual

From the list on approaching life and work as an artist.

Who am I?

Service and leadership have been a primary focus of my life and work for many years. Though today these are matters of academic study, they weren’t when I was in school. I’ve written and spoken extensively on these topics to corporate, military, academic, governmental, and NGO organizations. I strive to narrow the gap between those who study leadership and management and those who apply the principles in practice. My approach is to pose questions and share the experiences of those who have made significant contributions throughout history into the present moment. The books on my list have meant a lot to me and many others. I hope you’ll find value in them, too.  

James' book list on approaching life and work as an artist

Discover why each book is one of James' favorite books.

Why did James love this book?

Steven Pressfield is a national treasure.

In this highly readable, concise book, the acclaimed author and screenwriter shares his experience in overcoming the psychological snares that lay in wait for any creative endeavor.

He identifies and takes aim at “The Resistance,” the inner voice of discouragement and distraction that is familiar to everyone aiming for artistic expression. 

The War of Art

By Steven Pressfield,

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked The War of Art as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A succinct, engaging, and practical guide forsucceeding in any creative sphere, The War ofArt is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul.

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do?

Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid theroadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dreambusiness venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy thatevery one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer thisinternal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve…


Essentialism

By Greg McKeown,

Book cover of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Tom Cheesewright Author Of Future-Proof Your Business

From the list on helping you take control of your future.

Who am I?

The future is the one thing in which we are all invested. In order to shape the future we must be able to visualise possibilities, prepare for consequences, and take action. My job is to help companies, charities, and governments to see and prepare for the future. But so many of the lessons that I find myself trying to teach to leaders have their parallels in our personal and working lives - including mine. In a time of great uncertainty about the future, we all must take time out to picture where we’re going, make choices about our direction, and invest in ourselves to achieve our dreams.

Tom's book list on helping you take control of your future

Discover why each book is one of Tom's favorite books.

Why did Tom love this book?

I’m not a great fan of self-help tomes, but this one spoke to me.

I’m a sucker for saying ‘yes,’ which always leaves me with too much on my plate and not enough time to focus on the things I really love.

Building a better future is about focus, and Essentialism is a great guide to focusing on those things that will really make a difference in your life.

Essentialism

By Greg McKeown,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The life-changing international bestseller that started a global movement - now updated with the new 21-Day Essentialism Challenge and an exclusive excerpt from EFFORTLESS

Have you ever found yourself struggling with information overload?

Have you ever felt both overworked and underutilised?

Do you ever feel busy but not productive?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is to become an Essentialist.

In Essentialism, Greg McKeown, CEO of a Leadership and Strategy agency in Silicon Valley who has run courses at Apple, Google and Facebook, shows you how to achieve what he calls the disciplined pursuit of…


Tools of Titans

By Timothy Ferriss,

Book cover of Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

Christopher A. Pinckley Author Of State of Mind 2.0: 11 Lessons of the Most Productive People on the Planet

From the list on leveling up spiritual entrepreneurs & artists.

Who am I?

After decades of trial and error, reading hundreds of books and applying the lessons I learned, practicing thousands of hours of meditation & emotional integration work, landing in jail multiple times, battling 20 years of chronic fatigue, surviving a prolonged life/death illness, losing everything, becoming homeless, and rebuilding myself anew, I’ve seen a few things. When I emerged from the abyss, and without my conscious awareness of the fact, I had become transformed. I had become who I’d been seeking all along. Now I hold the space for my clients to express themselves unconditionally, access their deeply held suppressed emotional charges, and shatter the beliefs that keep them tethered to an outdated reality that is fast becoming obsolete in the New Earth.

Christopher's book list on leveling up spiritual entrepreneurs & artists

Discover why each book is one of Christopher's favorite books.

Why did Christopher love this book?

The magic of Tim Ferris is that his attention to detail is second to none. Thus, when he decided to turn his insanely insightful podcast with an ‘A List’ of some of the most amazing, goal-achieving maniacs on the planet, I was excited to see how it would turn out. And, let me tell you, he did not disappoint! If you want a detailed list of the habits, tactics, rituals, routines, diets, supplements, exercise routines, and mind/body practices of the world’s best of the best, then you’ve got the book of all time. I can’t recommend it enough. If this book doesn’t help you to level up, then go back and reread it, and take notes this time.

Tools of Titans

By Timothy Ferriss,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Tools of Titans as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times Bestseller

The latest groundbreaking tome from Tim Ferriss, the best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek.

From the author: "For the last two years, I've interviewed nearly two hundred world-class performers for my podcast,The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it's the first time they've agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview, and the show is on the cusp of passing 100 million downloads.

"This book contains the distilled tools,…


All the Money in the World

By Laura Vanderkam,

Book cover of All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know about Getting and Spending

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From the list on inspiring you to change your life.

Who am I?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Discover why each book is one of Elisabeth's favorite books.

Why did Elisabeth love this book?

A candid look at how we spend and how we feel about our spending. Vanderkam braids examples from her own life with deep research and statistics on the relationship between happiness and money. A memorable, practical read that I refer to often.

I love all of her books—she is definitely my continuing education for adulthood—but this one is probably my favorite.

All the Money in the World

By Laura Vanderkam,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Money in the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours obsessing over our budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances?

According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective.…


Organizing from the Inside Out

By Julie Morgenstern,

Book cover of Organizing from the Inside Out

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From the list on inspiring you to change your life.

Who am I?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Discover why each book is one of Elisabeth's favorite books.

Why did Elisabeth love this book?

This book is a gem! This book is a gem! Its common sense about organizing is sound and wonderfully useful.

It is humbly written, sweetly funny, and applicable to many areas of life. It is the book I reread whenever I am stressed out, the book whose principles have impacted how I teach, write, parent, and organize my home and my life.

Organizing from the Inside Out

By Julie Morgenstern,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Organizing from the Inside Out as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestselling guide to putting things in order. Put America's #1 organizer to work for you.

Getting organized is a skill that anyone can learn, and there's no better teacher than America's organizing queen, Julie Morgenstern, as hundreds of thousands of readers have learned. Drawing on her years of experience as a professional organizer, Morgenstern outlines a simple organizing plan that starts with understanding your individual goals, natural habits, and psychological needs, so that you can work with your priorities and personality rather than against them. The basic steps-Analyze, Strategize, Attack-can be applied to any space or…


The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

By George Saunders, Lane Smith (illustrator),

Book cover of The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From the list on inspiring you to change your life.

Who am I?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Discover why each book is one of Elisabeth's favorite books.

Why did Elisabeth love this book?

One that I give to anyone who is stuck in a pickle. Saunders’ book for young readers, illustrated in the oddball style of Lane Smith, tells of a girl named Capable who does her best and finds that it is still not good enough. So she makes an unthinkable change.

Reading this book to my children led to a eureka that we might change our own family life in a similarly unthinkable way.

The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

By George Saunders, Lane Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A gapper is a bit of a 'burr' but it is a dangerous thing. When it attaches itself to the goats the goats become very unhappy and even stop giving milk. There is nothing gappers like more than goats and nothing goats hate more than gappers. When gappers get your goats it means trouble. In one small town gappers are a real pest and it takes the ingenious approach of Capable to find a soution - if a solution exists at all.


For You When I Am Gone

By Steve Leder,

Book cover of For You When I Am Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From the list on inspiring you to change your life.

Who am I?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Discover why each book is one of Elisabeth's favorite books.

Why did Elisabeth love this book?

A powerful case for thinking deeply and clearly about what legacies we leave behind for those we love.

Leder suggests that an ethical will—unlike an ordinary will—be a summary of our life’s wisdom. Asking such questions as ‘What do you regret?’ and ‘When did you lead with your heart?’ Leder offers a wise and inspiring way to live a life of value that is a blessing for others to remember.

For You When I Am Gone

By Steve Leder,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked For You When I Am Gone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller!

From the bestselling author of The Beauty of What Remains, a guide to writing a meaningful letter about your life.

Writing an ethical will, a document that includes stories and reflections about your past, is an ancient tradition. It can include joy and regrets, and ultimately becomes both a way to remember a loved one who is gone and a primer on how to live a better, happier life. Beloved Rabbi Steve Leder has helped thousands of people to write their own ethical wills, and in this intimate book helps us write…


The Second Machine Age

By Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee,

Book cover of The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

Calum Chace Author Of Surviving AI: The promise and peril of artificial intelligence

From the list on the awesome promise and peril of AI.

Who am I?

Calum is a sought-after keynote speaker and best-selling writer on artificial intelligence. He focuses on the medium- and long-term impact of AI on all of us, our societies and our economies. His non-fiction books on AI are Surviving AI, about strong AI and superintelligence, and The Economic Singularity, about the prospect of widespread technological unemployment. He also wrote Pandora's Brain and Pandora’s Oracle, a pair of techno-thrillers about the first superintelligence. He's a regular contributor to magazines, newspapers, and radio. He is co-founder of a think tank focused on the future of jobs, called the Economic Singularity Foundation. In the last five years, Calum has given over 120 talks in 18 countries on five continents.

Calum's book list on the awesome promise and peril of AI

Discover why each book is one of Calum's favorite books.

Why did Calum love this book?

This book points out how massive the improvements in AI are and how we’re entering a new age of automation.

It’s no longer just muscle power, but also cognitive skills that are being automated and we need to plan for what comes next. Brynjolfsson and McAfee think that if we get the transition right, people will still work full-time. They will still be able to earn most of their income through work.

We will do different types of jobs but full employment will still be a possibility. 

The Second Machine Age

By Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Second Machine Age as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In recent years, computers have learned to diagnose diseases, drive cars, write clean prose and win game shows. Advances like these have created unprecedented economic bounty but in their wake median income has stagnated and employment levels have fallen. Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee reveal the technological forces driving this reinvention of the economy and chart a path towards future prosperity. Businesses and individuals, they argue, must learn to race with machines. Drawing on years of research, Brynjolfsson and McAfee identify the best strategies and policies for doing so. A fundamentally optimistic book, The Second Machine Age will radically alter…


Machine, Platform, Crowd

By Andrew McAfee, Erik Brynjolfsson,

Book cover of Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future

Bryce G. Hoffman Author Of American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

From the list on thinking leaders.

Who am I?

I'm a bestselling business author, top-rated leadership speaker, and unconsultant who helps individuals and organizations think more critically, lead more effectively, and make better decisions. Prior to writing American Icon, I spent 20 years as a business reporter, covering the high-tech, biotech, and automotive industries for newspapers in California and Michigan. After that, I quit my job in order to help CEOs understand and implement the game-changing leadership I described in it. In 2017, I published my second book, Red Teaming: How Your Business Can Conquer the Competition by Challenging Everything and started my own company, Red Team Thinking, to train organizations in this revolutionary approach to decision-making because I believe that who thinks wins.

Bryce's book list on thinking leaders

Discover why each book is one of Bryce's favorite books.

Why did Bryce love this book?

If you read one book on AI, make sure it is this one. Machine, Platform, Crowd cuts through the hype and science fiction that surrounds the artificial intelligence revolution to uncover the real opportunities created by this rapidly evolving technology. This book has shaped my own thinking about AI, which I now see as a force multiplier for human decision-makers, rather than as a replacement for them. It will help you better understand the challenges and opportunities this creates for you and your organization as well.

Machine, Platform, Crowd

By Andrew McAfee, Erik Brynjolfsson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Machine, Platform, Crowd as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

We live in strange times. A machine plays the strategy game Go better than any human; upstarts like Apple and Google destroy industry stalwarts such as Nokia; ideas from the crowd are repeatedly more innovative than those from corporate research laboratories.

Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson know what it takes to master this digital-powered shift: we must rethink the integration of minds and machines, of products and platforms, and of the core and the crowd. The balance now favours the second element of the pair, with massive implications for how we run our companies and live our lives. McAfee and…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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