Sorry, had to remove my suggestion, don't want to be the reason people end up becoming high functioning nihilists.

It will take the joy out of success and other things in life.

I’ll second the “When Breathe Becomes Air” recommendation. In the same vein, “Not Fade Away” by Peter Barton is another candid account of a life ending much too soon and the difficult process of having to reconcile that. Would highly recommended reading both at some point.

“We Learn Nothing” by Tim Kreider. His writing is intensely compelling, brutal, and hilarious. It’s a collection of essays largely centered on the more subversive and strange aspects of the human condition. The style and wit in his writing is a blend of David Foster Wallace and David Sedaris. Not every essay will resonant, but the ones that do make the book worth it. Here’s a piece written by him that is reflective of the essays in the book: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/the-referendum/

“A Brief History of Everything” by Ken Wilber. In terms of broadening your horizons this book will certainly do that. It’s an expansive attempt at distilling 2,000 years of human history and thought. Additionally, it tries to synthesize this into a cohesive model of everything that spans philosophy, religion, ecology, childhood development, gender relations, spiritually, ect. The book can be difficult and obscure at times, and acutely mind-bending and thought provoking at other times. For me, the book certainly set off some mental fireworks and exposed me to ideas and concepts that were completely novel.

If you are looking for a book about decision making "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman is good. Kahneman describes the two ways that the brain forms thoughts and why humans struggle to think statistically. The book has a wide application to everyone, and provides some rationale behind why we make some of the decisions that we do.

'Red Notice' by Bill Browder, is non fiction about Russian corruption, corporate raiding, and the murder of Browder's lawyer Sergei Magnitsky (and the resulting Magnitsky Act). Also has some good insight into our political system.

'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand

Other good books: Dark Pools by Scott Patterson, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre

The War of Art - Pressfield https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/r…

Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250183863/r…

How Starbucks Saved My Life https://www.amazon.com/How-Starbucks-Saved-Life-Privilege/dp/1592404049

Five Love Languages and some J.D. Salinger Really though, you fuckers should read Rich Dad Poor Dad

I don't want to call this life changing per se but when I first saw Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture" it had a very profound impact on me and what I had viewed as important at the time. I then read his book (same title) and it shared some things not in the lecture but I have watched that lecture many times since the first.

This made me look his bio up and I was stunned it has already been 9-1/2 years since his passing.

Principles by Ray Dalio is outstanding!

His framework for making better decisions and being successful in life is great.

Harry Potter.

There was a book written in the 15th century in spiritual literature that was immensely popular.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imitation_of_Christ

by Thomas à Kempis

Kempis stresses the importance of solitude and silence, "how undisturbed a conscience we would have if we never went searching after ephemeral joys nor concerned ourselves with affairs of the world..." Kempis writes that the "World and all its allurements pass away"

Kempis writes that one should meditate on death and "live as becomes a pilgrim and a stranger on earth...for this earth of ours is no lasting city."(Chap.23)

Book Two of The Imitation is "Directives for the Interior Life." The book continues the theme of Book One, and contains instructions concerning "inward peace, purity of heart, a good conscience—for moderating our longings and desires, for patience.

Kempis stresses the importance of a good conscience—"The man whose conscience is pure easily finds peace and contentment."

Kempis asks us to be grateful for "every little gift" and we will be worthy to receive greater ones, to consider the least gift as great and the most common as something special. Kempis writes that if we consider the dignity of the giver, no gift will seem unimportant or small.(Chap.10)

Apart from the Bible no book has been translated into more languages than the Imitation of Christ.

The book was admired by the following individuals: Saint Thomas More, Chancellor of England and renowned humanist who was executed by King Henry VIII of England; Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus; and twentieth century American Catholic author and monk, Thomas Merton. It also has been admired by many others, both Catholic and Protestant. The Jesuits give it an official place among their "exercises".

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, listed The Imitation among the works that influenced him at his conversion. General Gordon carried it with him to the battlefield.

José Rizal, the Philippine polymath and national hero, reportedly read the book whilst incarcerated within Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila, shortly before the Spanish colonial government executed him by firing squad for sedition on 30 December 1896.

Swami Vivekananda, the 19th-century Hindu philosopher and founder of Vedanta Society, drew a number of parallels between the teachings of the Imitation and the Bhagavad Gita. Vivekananda wrote a preface and a translation of the Imitation in 1899. Vivekananda would always carry a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and the Imitation. Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran compared the teachings of the Imitation with the Upanishads.

Gifts Differing

"The Magic of Thinking Big" by David J. Schwartz. This book completely changed my outlook on life. I realized that society, or at least the experiences I have had in society, have ingrained in me a "small thinking" mindset. I was satisfied with having "just enough." I was not trying to put myself in a better situation. I was not taking risks. But after some introspection and applying the concepts found in the book, I realized that life is too short not to think big. I am dying. We are all dying. Why not go out and live life to the fullest? The most successful people in the world are only successful because theyTHINK BIG. I will keep on recommending this book until the day I die.

***I apologize if I have sounded cliché or cheesy throughout this post. The lessons in this book have changed me as a person for the better. I hope it will allow any who has read this book to have the same effects it has had on me.

-The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman(business) -The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene(Machiavellianism)
-The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease(communication) -The Rational Male by Rollo Tomassi(women, game, red pill, etc) -The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida(women) -Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely(psychology, decision making) -Efficiency by Wall St Playboys(career paths, e-commerce, health, etc) -How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis(entrepreneurship) -The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch(efficient living and business) -Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion(sales and marketing) -Selling 101 by Zig Ziglar(sales) -The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger(bodybuilding) -The Happier Abroad Grand e-book by Winston Wu(women, international dating, cultural comparisons, etc)

I wish I had some finance books to recommend besides your typical Intelligent Investor, Random Walk Down Wall St, etc

Churchill Factor by Boris Johnson

Sovereign Individual

Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl

Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor. Frankl was the founder of logotherapy, which is a form of existential analysis,

Keyser Söze 123:

• "Into Thin Air" - Jon Krakauer

Great book.

If Leftist Postmodernism takes over America...

Best case scenario - Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Worst case scenario - 1984 - George Orwell

I would say anything about HH Dalai Lama, Osho, Thich nhat hanh...