How Civil Wars Start by Barbara F. Walter
The Big Idea: Based on analysis of past civil wars (Philippines, Yugoslavia, Iraq), the author argues that right wing Americans, led by Donald Trump, and enabled by social media, are…
Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday
The Big Idea: The ancient Stoic philosophers came from almost every imaginable background: slave, emperor, water carrier, playwright, merchant, Senator, soldier. However, they all focused not on the external world…
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
The Big Idea: Theodore Roosevelt's expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon River is a story of poor planning, but also incredible courage and grit. Description from the author:…
The End of the World is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan
The Big Idea: Deglobalization and unavoidable demographic changes will produce winners and losers. Winners: United States, Mexico, Canada, France, New Zealand, Argentina. Losers: Russia, China, Middle East. Since Bretton Woods…
Life Force by Tony Robbins
CHAPTER 2 THE POWER OF STEM CELLS Stem cells, ideally placenta, are the foundation of the coming wave of regenerative medicine.Panama and Mexico are common destinations for Americans seeking stem…
The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio
The Big Idea: Empires rise and fall. The US is in the declining stages of its empire. China appears to be rising. No empire in human history has lasted forever.…
Limitless by Jim Kwik
The Big Idea: Reject your limiting beliefs and learn how to learn, in order to unlock your full potential. 1. Mindset: You must believe you can learn and you must…
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell
The Big Idea: Show your team you care and they'll deliver extraordinary results. Bill Campbell has coached Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, Steve Jobs, Al Gore, Ronnie Lott, and…
We Do by Stan Tatkin
The Big Idea: a successful and long-lasting marriage requires acquiring skills such as: knowing how to communicate, knowing how to fight, knowing how to build a couple bubble, and knowing…
The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
The Big Idea: A parent's ultimate job is to raise a strong, confident, and responsible adult by giving the child 1) space to make (and learn from) mistakes, 2) space…
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Big Idea: The Selfish Gene says that all forms of life on Earth begin with genes, and that the purpose of life is to make sure those genes survive.…
Falling Into The Gap by Donald Fisher
The Big Idea: Falling Into The Gap is the inspirational story of how a man with no retail training built the world's most successful international apparel company by being willing…
Thank You For Being Late by Thomas Friedman
The Big Idea: The rate of change has accelerated since 2007, outpacing humanity's ability to adapt to the change. We can't stop change, so we need to adapt. Three forces…
The Good Gut by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg
The Big Idea: eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fermented foods to maintain a healthy microbiome and discourage disease. An unhealthy microbiome is associated with: infant colic,…
The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul
The Big Idea: Thinking doesn't just take place inside the brain; it also takes place outside the brain. When your body (emotions/unconscious mind) is telling you something, listen to it;…
How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen
The Big Idea: Strive for happiness, not success. 1. How to find happiness in your career Understand what motivates you. Internal motivation > external motivation. Money and status are more…
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Big Idea: Humans have transformed the Earth and now we are experiencing accelerating rates of species extinction. Until the 18th century, scientists were unaware that species came and went,…
The Great Mental Models Volume 1 by Shane Parrish
The Big Idea: Better mental models (frameworks) mean better thinking. Introduction: Acquiring Wisdom In life and business, the person with the fewest blind spots wins. This book is about avoiding…
Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne
The Big Idea: For most of the Old West times (1740s - 1870's), Comanche tribes controlled the Southern Great Plains. The westward migration of settlers decimated their power and population.…
18 Minutes by Peter Bregman
The Big Idea: Instead of getting more done, focus on getting the right things done. There are many time management books out there that try to teach you how to…
The Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long
The Big Idea: Dopamine and H&N neurotransmitters (serotonin, endorphins endocannabinoids, oxytocin) control much of our behavior. Harmony is achieved through a balance of dopamine and H&N. Creative activities are the…
Brain-centric Design by Rich Carr and Kieran O’Mahony
The Big Idea: Abandon traditional instruction (ie lectures) based on outdated behaviorist theories and replace with Brain Centric Instruction Design based on our improved understanding of neuroscience and learning. Traditional…
The Parasitic Mind by Gad Saad
The Big Idea: America needs to defend freedom of speech, the scientific method, intellectual diversity, and a meritocratic ethos. "For decades now, a set of idea pathogens, largely stemming from…
Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism by Peter Hotez
The Big Idea: We have massive data showing the genetic or epigenetic basis of autism, together with a handful of environmental toxins. What Does Cause Autism? We now have data…
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
The Big Idea: Take Naval seriously because he...questions nearly everything, can think from first principles, tests things well, is good at not fooling himself, changes his mind regularly, laughs a…
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
The Big Idea: Success in show business is a result of talent, hard work, strategy, and luck -- probably in equal portions.
The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe and William Strauss
The Big Idea: Brace yourself. Winter is coming. The 2020's will be a time of crisis and will remake America. CHAPTER 1 - Winter Comes Again The four turnings of…
Post Corona by Scott Galloway
The Big Idea: Coronavirus: this too shall pass. The pandemic’s most enduring impact will be as an accelerant of existing trends. Look beyond our unprecedented present and predict the future…
The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker
The Big Idea: Contrary to what the media might depict, violence has declined over the past decades and centuries. Understanding the driving forces of the decline can help societies continue…
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
The Big Idea: the story of Nike, from idea in 1962 to global brand. Nike began as a paper at Stanford on the potential market for importing Japanese athletic shoes…
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
The Big Idea: People are emotional creatures, so negotiations are more emotional than people think. Use tactical empathy to negotiate. Don't just split the difference. CHAPTER 1 THE NEW RULES…
The Way of the Iceman by Wim Hof
The Big Idea: Boost your immune system and reduce inflammation with the Wim Hof Method, based on science and ancient techniques. The Wim Hof Method = 1. Cold Therapy +…
On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
The Big Idea: Life is short unless you live it well. Study philosophy and protect your valuable time from others. It is not that we have a short space of…
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil de Grasse Tyson
The Greatest Story Ever Told In the beginning, nearly fourteen billion years ago, all the space and all the matter and all the energy of the known universe was contained…
Giving the Devil his Due by Michael Shermer
The Big Idea: We must protect speech no matter how hateful it may seem. The devil is anyone who disagrees with you. And what he is due is the right…
Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan
THE BIG IDEA: American will retreat to the safety of its borders while other countries struggle to find their place behind America is this new global order. Without the American-led…
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
The Big Idea: If you wish to control others, you must control yourself first. You can only fight the way you practice.To know ten thousand things, know one well.Know your…
Money by Jacob Goldstein
The Big Idea: Money is made up. But as long as people believe in it, it's as real as anything else. Money has evolved over time and will probably continue.…
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
The Big Idea: Out of every hundred men on the battlefield, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters…and one is a warrior. Only…
Debt: The First 5000 Years by David Graeber
The Big Idea: Avoid excessive debt. Protect debtors. The evolution of economies from barter to markets is a myth. -It's a myth that money evolved out of barter.-Outsid of distrustful…
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
The Big Idea: Do less but achieve more by focusing on the true essentials. Most of what typical people do is non-essential.Ignore what typical people do, because typical people tend…
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Big Idea: Mindfulness is "the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." Meditation practice means showing up consistently, not about achieving a…
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
The Big Idea: The federal workforce is full of unsung, passionate people who run important federal programs. The fifth risk = the risk you haven't considered. Presidents come and go,…
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Big Idea: Europeans conquered the world because they existed in a temperate climate and in a long East-West axis connected to the Fertile Crescent and Asia. This geographic starting…
Unstoppable by David Hauser
The Big Idea: Adopt a low-carb, high-fat diet. Early to bed, early to rise. Move more throughout the day. Lift weights. Practice yoga. Limit social media. Meditate regularly. Prioritize experiences,…
The Precipice by Toby Ord
The Big Idea: The chance of an existential catastrophe in the hundred years is 1 in 6. Man-made risks far outweigh natural risks. We need global cooperation, continued work, and…
The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb
The Big Idea: A Black Swan is an outlier event with low probability and extreme impact. We act as if Black Swans do not exist, but, even though they are…
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
The Big Idea: Success in poker and life comes from making good decisions while recognizing that luck is also a major factor. There are two things that determine how our…
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
The Big Idea: Humans are at risk for a number of cognitive biases that hamper our ability to think analytically and exhibit good judgement. Introduction It is the overdramatic worldview…
Gardening with Less Water by David Bainbridge
The Big Idea: Super-efficient irrigation techniques (ollas, clay pipes, terraces, check dams, swales) have been used for thousands of years. Drip irrigation has helped most landscapers like King Green. Drip…
Flip the Script by Oren Klaff
The Big Idea: Instead of studying hard sell techniques, a better approach is help the buyer discover for himself why he wants what you're selling. Get your audience to pay…
University of Berkshire Hathaway
The Big Idea: What you want in a business is an economic castle with a very wide moat and an honest, talented knight to handle marauders. Be fearful when others…
How to Clear Land by James Starbuck
The Big Idea: use a backhoe to topple and then use forks on the backhoe to move into brush piles. I know what you're up to... you're on a mission…
Friction by Roger Dooley
The Big Idea: always try to make things easier for customers. INTRODUCTION Eliminating or reducing friction can have long-lasting and even disruptive effects. Stamp out ridiculous rules, pointless procedures, and…
The Storm Before The Calm by George Friedman
The Big Idea: Tumultuous times in the 2020's will clear the way for calmer times beginning in the 2030s. The kind of mutual rage and division we see in America…
Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt
The Big Idea: You don't have to be racist to behave with subconscious racial bias. Introduction This book is an examination of implicit bias.Implicit bias is not a new way…
Build a Better World In Your Backyard by Paul Wheaton
The Big Idea: Small scale permaculture is the solution to most environmental problems. Ch 1: A Different Approach to Solving World Problems Nearly all environmental problems are mostly solved with…
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Big Idea: Forget about goals. Focus on systems, good habits, and continuous improvement. INTRODUCTION Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re…
Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch
The Big Idea: most chronic health problems are caused by impaired gene expression -- which can be fixed by eating and living clean. Epigenetics is the process of turning genes…
Fusion by Denise Lee Yohn
The Big Idea: The best companies fuse their (external) brand with their (internal) culture into one. Culture is "the way we do things here."Brand is "how others feel about us."Herb…
The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway
The Big Idea: In the end, relationships are all that matters. Balance when establishing your career, in my view, is largely a myth. However, you can still experience a lot…
Bounce by Matthew Syed
The Big Idea: Talent is overrated. Mastery is developed through many years of deliberate practice. Child prodigies are no exception, they just start early and practice more. Examples mentioned: Wayne…
Contagious by Jonah Berger
The Big Idea: word of mouth relies on six principles: social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical values, and stories. Word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20-50 percent of…
Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Big Idea: The Governator tells his unbelievable life story while making the rest of us feel like losers. Turn your liabilities into assets.When someone tells you no, you should…
Unconventional Medicine by Chris Kresser
The Big Idea: Most chronic disease is preventable, and much of it is reversible, if a comprehensive, individualized approach, called "Functional Medicine," is followed. Ch 1: Leo’s Story Most doctors,…
Lead with LUV by Ken Blanchard and Colleen Barrett
The Big Idea: Show your employees love and they will show your customers love. Foreward Most people are looking not only for monetary security but also for satisfaction in their…
Freakonomics Discusses Trader Joe’s
NEW YORK - MARCH 17: Shoppers line up inside Trader Joe's for the grand opening on 14th Street on March 17, 2006 in New York City. Trader Joe's, a specialty…
Jason Fried, Why 40 Hours is Enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_cc-JrTe38 The Big Idea: focus on profit not revenue; meetings interrupt deep work; remote work leads to deep work and attracts top talent. Think of your company as the primary…
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
THREE MAJOR HUMAN REVOLUTIONS The Cognitive Revolution (c. 70,000 BCE, when Sapiens evolved imagination). The Agricultural Revolution (c. 10,000 BCE, the development of agriculture). The unification of humankind (the gradual…
The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant
The Big Idea: History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Chapter I: Hesitations The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present…
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
THE BIG IDEA: Great companies have a clear purpose for their existence, and it's not the pursuit of money. INTRODUCTION The Wright brothers were able to inspire those around them…
Rainwater Harvesting, Vol 2, Earthworks by Brad Lancaster
Eight Principles of Successful Rainwater Harvesting Begin with long and thoughtful observation. Start at the top of your watershed and work your way down.Start and simple. Slow, spread, and infiltrate…
Rainwater Harvesting, Vol 1 by Brad Lancaster
Eight Principles of Rainwater Harvesting Begin with long and thoughtful observation: Notice what’s working and what’s not.Start at the top of your watershed and work your way down: Collect water…
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
1162 Genghis Khan was born into the Borjigin tribe under the name Temujin. His childhood was poor and his family struggled to survive. Temujin, however, thrived and made many political…
When by Daniel Pink
The Big Idea: Pay attention to the timing of events, decisions, and actions. PART ONE: THE DAY CH 1. THE HIDDEN PATTERN OF EVERYDAY LIFE According to studies of Twitter,…
Superhuman by Habit by Tynan
The Big Idea: The most consistently successful people invest their energy into building a set of good habits. People who consistently seem to excel share one key thing: they are…
Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins
The Big Idea: great companies are built by consistent execution of a strategy with built-in positive feedback loops -- like turning a giant flywheel over and over, building momentum with…
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells
I. Cascades The earth has experienced five mass extinctions before the one we are living through now. In fact, all but the one that killed the dinosaurs involved climate change…
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
Bottom Line: A leader has ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of an operation and should have extreme ownership of it. The laws of combat are: Cover and Move,…
Water Storage by Art Ludwig
The Big Idea: For small volumes of water storage, use ferrocement if you can and plastic if you cannot. For large volumes of water storage, use ponds if you can…
Why Sell Tacos in Africa by Paul Oberschneider
The Big Idea: start businesses in emerging markets where there is much less competition. I decided to visit the small Eastern European country of Estonia.People who build successful businesses —…
Strategy Concepts of Bill Belichick
The Big Idea: Bill Belichick built a dynasty around on a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, strategic flexibility, and detailed preparation. Part 1: Culture "Do your job" is the New…
Agile Project Management with Kanban by Eric Brechner
The Big Idea: Apply lean production principles (Theory of Constraints) to software development. Reduce the work-in-progress to let developers concentrate on only one task at a time. Agile development with…
Dream Teams by Shane Snow
THE BIG IDEA: To build a dream team, find independent thinkers from diverse backgrounds. Then ensure there is just enough tension to generate creative solutions but not so much tension…
Great People Decisions by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz
The Big Idea: 1) IQ matters but the best predictor of success is relevant experience plus high emotional intelligence (EQ). 2) Interview 20 individuals before selecting finalists. 3) The preferred…
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and DHH
The Big Idea: choose to have a calm, profitable, healthy workplace. Why is work so crazy? Physical and virtual distractions at work. And an unhealthy obsession with growth. Sustained exhaustion…
Rework by Jason Fried
You don’t have to work miserable 60 / 80 / 100 - hour weeks to make it work. You don’t even need an office. Ignore the real world. It’s a…
Data Science for Business by Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett
The Big Idea: Invest in data and data science teams. Better data + better data scientists = better models = better business decisions = sustainable competitive advantage. Chapter 1: Introduction,…
Permaculture by Sepp Holzer
The Big Idea: Learn how nature works. Then work with nature, instead of against it, to practice sustainable agriculture. Ch 1: Landscape Design Permaculture landscape design is about restoring a…
Built From Scratch by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank
The Big Idea: Clarify your core values and make sure everyone knows them. Core Values 1. Excellent customer service 2. Taking care of our people 3. Developing entrepreneurial spirit 4.…
The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh
The Big Idea: focus on fundamentals and execution (The Standard of Performance), instead of focusing on the score and on the competition. Part I: My Standard of Performance Failure is…
Tribes by Seth Godin
The Big Idea: In today's world, where geography doesn't matter, tribes are thriving. Tribes are about connection and caring. Leaders of tribes build connection and caring into the tribe. Human…
Influence by Robert Cialdini
The Big Idea: The presence of cognitive biases means we don't always act rationally. Cialdini outlines six weapons of influence which can be used to influence behavior. Even if you…
Step 25: Joel Salatin On Nature Laughing Last, The Respect Of Seasons, and The Terrible Twos
The Big Idea: Follow the four seasons in your life. In the spring, you plant new seeds. In the summer, you work the land. In the fall, you harvest the…
The Right and Wrong Stuff by Carter Cast
The Big Idea: High potential people stumble in their careers most often because of a lack self-awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses. Fantastic advice in this book. The five archetypes…
To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
The Big Idea: Even if you're not a "salesman", you probably have to sell or persuade people all the time. Therefore, learn how to sell. Everyone sells. Physicians sell patients…
The Resilient Farm and Homestead
The Big Idea: An efficient, eco-friendly homestead takes good planning and years of work to become stable and self-sufficient. Modern, industrial agriculture is incompatible with a rapidly growing population and…
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Summit Interview
The Big Idea: Be resourceful, think long-term, and have a sense of adventure. I learned self-reliance and resourcefulness on my grandfather's Texas ranch. Building Amazon is a constant flow of…
How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons
The Big Idea: Grow Biointensive (a variant of organic farming) produces more food per square foot while also building soil, using less water, using less fertilizer, and requiring less fossil…
How I Built This: Patagonia
The Big Idea: We're here for the long-term. That means we need to treat everyone well and make quality, long-lasting clothing. I started Patagonia to make better quality climbing gear…