Reading list
These are my recent reads. This list makes me accountable, forcing me to make more time to read and helping with my motivation. That which is measured, improves.
I've found that the easiest way to make more reading time is by listening to audiobooks on my commute. This can translate into two books per month.
A lot of these books have been digested in audio, meaning that my daily consumption of Iron Maiden has declined drastically.
February 2021
- The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848, by Eric Hobsbawm
January 2021
- Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon: Great Courses lecture series, by Suzanne M. Desan,
- The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection and Courage, by Brene Brown
- The Age of Pericles: Great Courses lecture series, by Jeremy McInerney
December 2020
- A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes
- Plato's Republic: Great Courses lecture series, by David Roochnik Ph.D
- Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles and Ted Orland
- How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, by Massimo Pigliucci
- Pandora's Jar, by Natalie Haynes
November 2020
- The Persian Empire: Great Courses lecture series, by John W. Lee, Ph.D.
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- What Makes You Not a Buddhist, by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
- Discourses and Selected Writings, by Epictetus (author), Robert Dobbin (translator)
- The Republic, by Plato (author), Benjamin Jowett (translator)
October 2020
- The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual, by Ward Farnsworth
- A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, by William B. Irvine
- Split: Class Divides Uncovered, by Ben Tippet
- Behind Closed Doors: Sex Education Transformed, by Natalie Fiennes
September 2020
- Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Classical Mythology: Great Courses lecture series, by Elizabeth Vandiver
- The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides
- Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius (author), Gregory Hays (translator)
August 2020
- The Peloponnesian War: Great Courses lecture series, by Kenneth W. Harl
- The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation, by Thich Nhat Hanh
- The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now, by Thich Nhat Hanh
July 2020
- Herodotus, the Father of History: Great Courses lecture series, by Elizabeth Vandiver
- Histories, by Herodotus
- download a copyright free version: Histories volume 1; Histories volume 2
June 2020
- The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
- Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland, by Jonathan M Metzl
May 2020
- The Greek and Persian Wars: Great Courses lecture series, by John R. Hale
- The Odyssey of Homer: Great Courses lecture series, by Elizabeth Vandiver
- The Odyssey, by Homer (author), Emily Wilson (translator)
- download a copyright free version of the Odyssey
April 2020
- The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan
- The Iliad of Homer: Great Courses lecture series, by Elizabeth Vandiver
- Iliad, by Homer (author), Stanley Lombardo (translator)
- download a copyright free version of the Iliad
March 2020
- Playful Parenting, by Lawrence J. Cohen
- Let My People Go, by Albert Luthuli
- The Communist Manifesto: The Text and the Historical Context, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Plato's Republic: Great Courses lecture series, by David Roochnik Ph.D
- The Republic, by Plato (author), Raymond Larson (translator)
- download a copyright free version of the Republic
February 2020
- The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality, by Katharina Pistor
- On Writing Well CD Audio Collection, by William K. Zinsser
- Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray
January 2020
- The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future, by Riane Eisler (abridged edition)
- We Should All Be Feminists, an essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Power of Self-Compassion, by Laurie J. Cameron
- Capital: Volume 1: A Critique of Political Economy, by Karl Marx (author), Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling (translators)
- The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child's Education, by Ainsley Arment
December 2019
- How Children Learn, by John Holt
- Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), Margaret Graver (translator)
- A Companion to Marx's Capital, by David Harvey
November 2019
- Midnight Son, by James Dommek Jr, Josephine Holtzman, and Isaac Kestenbaum
- Capital: Volume 1: A Critique of Political Economy, by Karl Marx (author), Ben Fowkes (translator)
- The Proposed Roads to Freedom, by Bertrand Russell
- The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan
- the full book is available here
- A History of South Africa, by Frank Welsh
- The Radical King, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (author), Cornel West (Editor)
October 2019
- Syrian Dust: Reporting from the Heart of the War, by Francesca Borri (author), Anne Milano Appel (translator)
- Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila Al-Shami
- How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
- No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State, by Glenn Greenwald
September 2019
- Permanent Record, by Edward Snowden
- Imago (Xenogenesis #3), by Octavia E Butler
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi
August 2019
- Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis #2), by Octavia E Butler
- Dawn (Xenogenesis #1), by Octavia E Butler
- An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- Revolution in Rojava: Democratic Autonomy and Women's Liberation in the Syrian Kurdistan, by Michael Knapp (author), Ercan Ayboga (author), Anja Flach (author), Janet Biehl (translator)
July 2019
- Fight Club: A Novel, by Chuck Palahniuk
- Kindred, by Octavia E Butler
- Death's End (Remembrance of Earth's Past #3), by Cixin Liu
June 2019
- The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth's Past #2), by Cixin Liu
- The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth's Past #1), by Cixin Liu
May 2019
- Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, by Jostein Gaarder
- White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo
- Discourses and Selected Writings, by Epictetus (author), Robert Dobbin (translator)
- Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari
April 2019
- Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy, by Chris Hayes
- Makers, by Cory Doctorow
- Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow
- Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future, by Cory Doctorow
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson
March 2019
- Walkaway: A Novel, by Cory Doctorow
- The Stone Sky (Broken Earth #3), by NK Jemisin
- Me And White Supremacy: The Workbook, by Layla Saad
- The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World without Losing Your Way, by Hillary Rettig
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
February 2019
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker PhD
- Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius (author), Gregory Hays (translator)
- The Obelisk Gate (Broken Earth #2), by NK Jemisin
January 2019
- Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, by Jon Lee Anderson
December 2018
- The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle (author), Harris Rackham (translator)
- The Routledge Guidebook to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, by Gerard J. Hughes.
- Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), Margaret Graver (translator)
- Fidel Castro: My Life, A Spoken Autobiography, by Ignacio Ramonet and Fidel Castro
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Alex Haley and Attallah Shabazz Malcolm X
November 2018
- How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
- The Fifth Season (Broken Earth #1), by NK Jemisin
- Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box, by the Arbinger Institute
October 2018
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- Roots: The Saga of an American Family, by Alex Haley
September 2018
- Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges, by Amy Cuddy
- The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Cycle #3), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Sunstone Vol 4 and Sunstone Vol 5, written and drawn by Stjepan Sejic
- Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
August 2018
- Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup
- The Global Diamond Industry: Economics and Development Volume I, by Roman Grynberg and Letsema Mbayi
- The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry, by Ned Sublette and Constance Sublette
July 2018
- Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond
- The Man in the High Castle, by Phillip K Dick
June 2018
- The Power of Women and the Subversion of the Community, by Mariarossa Dalla Costa and Delma James
- Capitalist Realism: Is there no alternative? By Mark Fisher
- download a copyright free version of Capitalist Realism
- Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
- Cat's Cradle: A Novel, by Kurt Vonnegut
- Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, by Kurt Vonnegut
- Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class, by Immanuel Ness
- Neuromancer, by William Gibson
- The Telling (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
May 2018
- The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle #2), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Woken Furies (Takeshi Kovacs #3), by Richard K Morgan
- Burn Down the American Plantation, Call for Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement
- The Leaderless Revolution: How Ordinary People Will Take Power and Change Politics in the 21st Century, by Carne Ross
- Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
- Four Ways to Forgiveness (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Animal Farm: A Fairy Story, by George Orwell
- 1984, by George Orwell
- Black Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy, and the Common Ground Collective, by scott crow
- Broken Angels (Takeshi Kovacs #2), by Richard K Morgan
- On Earthquakes (Book VI of Natural Questions), by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
April 2018
- Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell
- Days of War, Nights of Love: Crimethink for Beginners, by Crimethink Workers Collective
- Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend, by Bart D Ehrman
- Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible, by Bart D Ehrman
- The Rule of Law, by Tom Bingham
- Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs #1), by Richard K Morgan
- On Mercy, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
- Consolation to Helvia, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
- On the Shortness of Life, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
March 2018
- Looking Backward: 2000 to 1887, by Edward Bellamy
- download a copyright free version of Looking Backward
- A Defense of Abortion, by Judith Jarvis Thomson
- The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Basic Income: The Material Conditions of Freedom, by Daniel Raventos
- City of Illusions (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #1), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Planet of Exile (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- On the Tranquility of the Mind, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
- On the Happy Life, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
February 2018
- Rocannon's World (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman
- The Word for World is Forest (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- The Dispossessed (Hainish Cycle), by Ursula K Le Guin
- Consolation to Helvia, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
- On Anger: Book 3, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
January 2018
- The Black Stork: Eugenics and the Death of "Defective Babies", by Martin Pernick
- Bitcoin and Crypocurrency Technologies: A Comprehensive Introduction, by Arvind Narayanan
- A Peoples History of the United States, by Howard Zinn
- On Providence, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), John Davie (translator)
December 2017
- Orientalism, by Edward Said
- The Internet of Money: A Collection of Talks, by Andreas Antonopoulos
November 2017
- Transhumanity's Fate: The Fate Conversion Guide for Eclipse Phase, by Posthuman Studios
- Eclipse Phase: Roleplaying Game of Transhuman Conspiracy and Horror, by Posthuman Studios
- Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Failed States: the Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, by Noam Chomsky
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert Pirsig
- Organise … for Revolutionary Anarchism: Issue 82
October 2017
- Motorcycle Diaries, by Erensto “Che” Guevara
- Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
- The Road, by Cormac Mc Carthy
- The Greek Myths, by Robert Graves
- On Palestine, by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe
- Organise … for Revolutionary Anarchism: Issue 83
September 2017
- God and the State, by Mikhail Bakunin
- download a copyright free version of God and the State
- download a copyright free audiobook of God and the State
- Anarchy in Action, by Colin Ward
- Debt, the First 5000 Years, by David Graeber
- Hegemony or Survival, by Noam Chomsky
August 2017
- A History of the Cuban Revolution, by Aviva Chomsky
- Anarchism and Other Essays, by Emma Goldman
- download a copyright free version of Anarchism and Other Essays
- download a copyright free audiobook of Anarchism and Other Essays
- Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution, by Peter Kropotkin
- download a copyright free version of Mutual Aid
- download a copyright free audiobook of Mutual Aid
- This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, by Naomi Klein
July 2017
- How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, by Massimo Pigliucci
- The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, by Naomi Klein
- Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea, by Mark Blyth
- The Conquest of Bread, by Peter Kropotkin
June 2017
- Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians, by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe
- The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future, by Joseph Stiglitz
- ABC Of Anarchism, by Alexander Berkman
- download a copyright free version of ABC Of Anarchism
- The Big Three in Economics: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes, by Mark Skousen
- Are Prisons Obsolete, by Angela Y Davis
- Organise … for Revolutionary Anarchism: Issue 87
May 2017
- Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order, by Noam Chomsky
- Discourses and Selected Writings, by Epictetus (author), Robert Dobbin (translator)
- Anarchism: A Beginner's Guide, by Ruth Kinna
- Understanding Power, by Noam Chomsky
April 2017
- Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction, by Colin Ward
- The Essential Chomsky, by Noam Chomsky
- Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals, by Saul D Alinsky
- download a copyright free version of Rules for Radicals
- My own Liberator: A Memoir, by Dikgang Moseneke
- No Logo, by Naomi Klein
- Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician, by Anthony Everitt
March 2017
- The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday
- Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), Margaret Graver (translator) (letters 94 – 124)
- God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction, by Dan Barker
- A History of Western Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell
February 2017
- The Bible: Book of Numbers; Book of Deuteronomy
- Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (author), Margaret Graver (translator) (letters 63 – 93)
- 1177 B.C: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric H. Cline
- Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr, by Ron Chernow (abridged)
- A Brief History of the Celts, by Peter Berresford Ellis
January 2017
- Letters to a Young Contrarian, by Christopher Hitchens
- Long Walk To Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, by Nelson Mandela
- The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values, by Sam Harris
- Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue, by Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz
- The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, by Sam Harris
- The Bible: Book of Leviticus
- God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchens
- The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics, by Elaine Pagels
- Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic, by Tom Holland
December 2016
- The Bible: Book of Genesis; and Book of Exodus
- Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, by Bart D. Ehrman
- Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
- God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question – Why We Suffer, by Bart D. Ehrman
- Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, by Donald Robertson
- Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior, by Bart D. Ehrman
- The Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
- The Iliad, by Homer
November 2016
- A New Stoicism, by Lawrence C. Becker
- Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy, by Mortimer J. Adler
- Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan
- Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff
- So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love, by Cal Newport
October 2016
- A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, by Karen Armstrong
- The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, by Huston Smith
- Writing to Learn, by William Zinsser
- Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization, by Richard Miles
September 2016
- The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome, by Susan Wise Bauer
- On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-fiction, by William Zinsser
- Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference, by William Mac Askill
- Emperors of Rome: Great Courses lecture series, by Garrett G. Fagan, Ph.D
August 2016
- Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond
- Discourses, by Epictetus (author), Hayward B Morse (translator)
- Enchiridion, by Epictetus (author), George Long (translator)
- Moral letters to Lucilius (Epistulae morales ad Lucilium): Volume 1, by Seneca (author), Richard Mott Gummere (translator)
July 2016
- SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard
- A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, by William B. Irvine
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari
June 2016
- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- The collected works of H.P Lovecraft
May 2016
- Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
- Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
April 2016
- Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long, by David Rock
- Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture, by David Kushner
- Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture, by Lawrence Lessig
March 2016
- Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
- ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character, by Richard P Feynman
February 2016
- ISIS: The State of Terror, by Jessica Stern and JM Berger
- The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins
January 2016
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S Dweck PhD
- The Road to Character, by David Brooks
December 2015
- A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
- Second Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
- The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins
November 2015
- Economics: The User's Guide, by Ha-Joon Chang
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
October 2015
- The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers, by Mark Skousen
- Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Band, by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson
September 2015
- iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It, by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith
- The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, by Walter Isaacson
- Be Your Own Brand, by David McNally and Karl D Speak
August 2015
- Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
- The Rise of Global Corporate Social Responsibility: Mining and the Spread of Global Norms, by Hevina Dashwood
- Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov
- Capital and Freedom, by Milton Friedman
July 2015
- Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely
- Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
- The Undercover Economist, by Tim Harford
June 2015
- Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley
- Fight Club, a Novel, by Chuck Palahniuk
- Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
May 2015
- Dracula, by Bram Stoker
- Free Culture, by Lawrence Lessig
- Living with Water Scarcity, by David Zetland