Recently, a close friend of mine asked me how I choose what books to read. Before this, I never explicitly thought about it and didn’t think I had any sort of framework. However, upon greater reflection, I realized there indeed are a few principles I try to follow these days for choosing what to consume and how.

Also, just a disclaimer that the following list is not all original ideas. It’s a curated list of mostly others’ principles that have well governed my decision making and yielded results I’m pleased with.


1. Do your due diligence


Our time here on earth is finite. I have no desire to waste it reading something that’s neither enjoyable nor beneficial, and neither should you.

So how does one know whether a book is going to be a good read?

I think the number one thing that’s helped me has been recommendations. Upon finishing the “Almanack of Naval Ravikant”, I found the “Naval’s Recommended Reading” section very insightful. Here’s a man who I look up to and respect highly, and I’ve just been gifted a list of his 50 favorite books. It’s truly been one of the best gifts. From that list I’ve read “Sapiens”, “Skin in the Game”, “Siddhratha”, and a few more, all without disappointment. John Fish has also been a person who’s inspired me a lot in my reading journey, and his recommendations have also served me very well. My first book read for self fulfillment “Flow” was recommended by him, alongside two of my most recent reads: “Project Hail Mary” and “The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect”, which have both been excellent.

Find people that you respect and inspire you, and then find out what they’re reading. Chances are you’ll probably enjoy it and benefit from it. Some people I currently draw inspiration from are Naval Ravikant, Ray Dalio, the All-In podcast members, my family, my teammates, and my close friends.


2. It’s ok to put the book down. For good.


Like I’m sure many can relate, I was taught through traditional education that finishing what you’ve started is the only option, so this simple concept was super novel to me. The revelation came to me after reading the “Almanack of Naval Ravikant” as mentioned above. Naval speaks upon how if you’re not enjoying the book, then don’t read it. Why waste your time doing something that’s not enjoyable? If you happen to mess up in choosing the book, you don’t need to suffer through it just because it’s already been chosen. That’s a sunk cost. Just put the book down and pick up a new one.

It’s important to distinguish between putting a book down because the content is uninteresting and not wanting to put in the effort to understand the subject. Learning new things isn’t easy, but overcoming the initial hurdles is essential for reaping the rewards of meaningful effort.


3. Don’t stress about retaining every single bit of information


I’ve never been one to take an abundance of notes on the books I read. Unless it’s a technical book, it ruins the flow state I’m entranced in and diminishes the enjoyment that materializes when reading a good book. Even for technical books, I find that I absorb more by just reading and leaving the notes for another time, if at all.

This reading style may not suit everyone, but I think it’s important to incorporate, as I find it leads to reading for the sake of reading, as opposed to reading as a necessity/chore.

The same friend who sought advice on choosing what to read also introduced me to a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” I thought this quote was fantastic. Whether positive or not, it liberated me from the fear of forgetting, and it encouraged me to read more without fixating on meticulous details. Additionaly, I’ve found that reading relevant to my personal or professional life also helps me with retention, as I’m able to test the principles I encounter and get feedback on their efficacy.


4. Avoid reading materials authored solely for profit (non-fiction specific)


Yet again, another principle stemming from Naval. It’s so simple and clear though, that I felt like I had to add it. It pretty much rules out all politician’s autobiographies, b-tier celebrities, and entrepreneurs selling step-by-step guides on “how to make money”. It allows you to hone in on people who are writing with the main goal of spreading knowledge and information. From my experience, I’ve found that these are usually people who don’t need the money from the book they’re writing, like startup founders or tenured professors. A simple way to “vet” an author is to explore their other works online and assess their utility: do they capture your interest, and can you apply their insights to your own life?`

This rule somewhat breaks down when it comes to fiction books, as authors do need to make money at the end of the day.


5. Self improvement/help books are good, but know when to stop


I’m a big fan of self improvement / self help books or whatever label you want to give them. They kickstarted my reading journey, and I still pick one up every now and then. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Extreme Ownership, and even The Almanack of Naval Ravikant are all example of great self improvement books that have taught me a lot. Over time though, as you might’ve heard before, they start to become pretty repetitive. A lot of the books are built upon the same principles: consistency is key, take ownership of your actions and your life, focus on yourself and not others, work hard, etc. etc. While very valuable advice, I think solely reading these can lead to a narrow viewpoint, as you tend to hyperfocus on “bettering yourself” and in turn lose focus on just living your life. This leads me to my next point.


6. Don’t be afraid to venture into an unknown subject or genre


Over the past couple of months, I’ve been really enjoying reading more technical books. The first of the likes was a book called “Designing Data-Intensive Applications”. I followed that with “Learning Go” and “Concurrency in Go”, and now “Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems”. Technical books were very foreign to me, but I wanted to read more stuff that was applicable to my daily work, and so I did. It’s turned out to be very rewarding so far.

Fiction is another genre that I was initially an outsider to. When I first started reading more seriously, I was only reading non-fiction. I did it mostly because I enjoyed it, but also due to me thinking it was the only option. I had a preconceived notion that fiction was for “kids” and that real progress is made with non-fiction books. And while I have found a lot of progress and substance in non-fiction books, I’ve started mixing in fiction books before I go to bed, and I’ve been really enjoying it. Some of my favorite books over the last year have been fiction: “Crime and Punishment”, “A Little Life”, and “Project Hail Mary”. The contrast in storytelling between fiction and non-fiction books is night and day, and I didn’t know how much I was missing out on it. Now I really look forward to reading my fiction book before I sleep every night.


7. At the end of the day, if you’re reading instead of going on social media or getting spoon fed dopamine in some other way, that’s a win. Keep doing what you’re doing. And if not, it’s never too late to start


As you’ve likely heard from older generations, reading is good for you. Written information dates back to 3,500 BC, and learning to read opens doors to a world of insights and guidance. I know I mentioned above how it’s important to diligently choose the books you read, but most any reading is better than none, provided the material isn’t blatantly manipulative or biased (a pretty subjective determination). I think it’s crucial to keep your brain in a state where it’s able to read anything that’s thrown in its way. It’s the one consistent habit that I truly stand by, and it’s made my life better in numerous ways.


My favorites

If you’re seeking your next book and find these principles helpful in any way, here are some of my favorite books from the past few years (top favorites in bold):

Non-fiction:

  • Algorithms to Live By
  • The Signal and the Noise
  • The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
  • Sapiens
  • Principles: Life and Work
  • Extreme Ownership
  • The Man Who Solved the Market
  • Thinking Fast and Slow
  • Flow
  • Skin in the Game
  • Meditations

Techincal:

  • Designing Data-Intensive applications
  • Learning Go
  • Venture Deals

Fiction:

  • Project Hail Mary
  • Siddhartha
  • A Little Life
  • Crime and Punishment


(01/20/2025) Edit: “Guidance for Your Reading Journey” -> “How I Read”

  • Looking back on it, “Guidance for Your Reading Journey” sounded a bit too pretentious and seemingly implied that I know wtf I’m talking about. To be clear, I don’t know; I just know what works for me. “How I Read” seemed a bit more fitting.