This is the library of materials I’ve summarised for my own learning.

For each book, I’ve also given a short summary of what I think is the main gist of the book. If a particular book sounds interesting to you, click on the summary and you can browse my notes on it.

FYI, they’re not organised by category. Also, this page will constantly update as I read more books.

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How to Read a Book

Learn how to read, understand, and criticise a book.

The Body: A Guide for Occupants

Pop science book about the intricacies of our body.

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

An exploration of what creates innovation.

Central Banking 101

Everything you need to know about the Fed and the U.S. monetary system.

Burn: New Science Reveals How Metabolism Shapes Your Body, Health, and Longevity

We evolved to have a daily caloric expenditure limit.

Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers

The history of sneakers from every popular brand.

Brain Droppings

A collection of stand-up material from one of the greatest.

Never Let Me Go

A dystopian novel where people are cloned and raised as organ donors.

Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World

Well-researched but highly disorganised book about kleptocracies, money laundering, and corruption.

Beyond the Bricks: The Inside Story of How 9 Everyday Investors Found Financial Freedom Through Property

The author interviewed nine successful property investors in the UK to learn how they did it.

The Complete Guide to Property Investment: How to Survive & Thrive in the New World of Buy-to-Let

Everything you need to know to buy a house in the UK for property investment.

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s memoir. Incredible life story—what hustle and drive.

Kettlebell Simple & Sinister

A highly recommended kettlebell programme for beginners.

Cat’s Cradle

Dr. Felix Hoenikker has invented ice-nine, an element capable of freezing the world. The narrator tries to find it and embarks on an incredible journey.

Slaughterhouse-Five

The most famous anti-war novel.

reality in advertising

Reality in Advertising

An adman’s views and philosophy about advertising.

Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters—And How to Get It

Most women can’t orgasm via intercourse but are expected to. This results in an orgasm gap between men and women.

Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life

Everything you know about sex is wrong. This book corrects your misconceptions and teaches you a better way of doing it.

A Shot to Save the World: The Remarkable Race and Ground-Breaking Science Behind the Covid-19 Vaccines

The development of the vaccines used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

A prescient yet timeless book about how mass movements (nationalistic, religious, etc.) are started, executed, and carried on.

Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story (Volume 1)

Part one of a 2-part biography of Singapore’s second Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong.

decisive

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Fight cognitive bias and make better decisions.

the success equation

The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports and Investing

Disentangle skill and luck so we can avoid biases and make better decisions.

Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising

Intrigued by growth hackers—people who combined engineering, marketing, psychology and a less-than-desirable budget to achieve great results—Ryan Holiday investigated the trend and wrote a book about it.

think twice

Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition

A book about decision making—specifically the cognitive biases and mistakes that affect us when thinking clearly.

tribe on homecoming and belonging

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

Drawing from history, psychology and anthropology, Sebastian Junger looks into the problems with modern society, the lack of tribalism and community, and how that affects mental health issues like PTSD.

pebbles of perception

Pebbles of Perception: How a Few Good Choices Make All The Difference

A book filled with wisdom, inspired by the works of Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett. Very kindred if you’re familiar with the work of Shane Parrish.

lessons of history

The Lessons of History

A summary of the lessons and themes learnt from 5,000 years of recorded history.

The Remains of the Day

A butler dedicates his life to professional service and realises he has lived a life of regrets.

weapons of math destruction book cover

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Our lives are increasingly ruled by algorithms, which perpetuate existing inequality and racism.

what i talk about when i talk about running book cover

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Part memoir, famous Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami discusses the impact of running on his life and his writing.

Sam Walton: Made in America

The memoir of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. He discusses his life, Wal-Mart and why he thought Wal-Mart succeeded.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

A book about the founding and growth of Amazon. Also a semi-biography about Jeff Bezos.

memos from the chairman

Memos from the Chairman

A collection of memos by ex-Bear Stearns CEO, Alan Greenberg.

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

A compilation of talks given by Zen Buddhist master, Shunryu Suzuki. Considered one of the best beginner books to study Zen Buddhism.

Fahrenheit 451

Set in a dystopian future, books are banned and burned. Firemen burn books instead of saving people.

48 laws of power

48 Laws of Power

Understand the laws of power so you can use, manage or deflect them.

22 immutable laws of marketing

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk

The originators of the idea of “positioning” shares 22 laws of marketing to abide by. The laws are top-heavy—those featured first were much better than the rest.

steal like an artist

Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Originality is overrated. All great artists research and repurpose.

hooked

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

One of the most influential books in Silicon Valley. A step-by-step guide on how to build addictive products.