This is a list of books that I recently finished, am now reading, or will be reading soon. My favorite "genre" is philosophical literature, e.g. Camus, Hesse, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Kafka, etc. However, I also try to read some nonfiction and history to help expand my understanding of the world around me. Of course, reading such books is not as productive if you don't spend a lot of time thinking and discussing the topics covered. So, I'm always up for a coffee or beer over which to talk about a book. Yes, this is my idea of fun. If you would like to do just that or have a book suggestion, please email me at lexfridman@gmail.com or message me on facebook.

Recently Finished

American Fascists by Chris Hedges

Evil can arise from the best of intentions.

The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin

The only semi-respectable institution left in Washington DC.

Bounce by Matthew Syed

Same story as Outliers, Talent is Overrated, and The Talent Code but it's a story worth telling.

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

No money. No family. Rejection. Loneliness. Yep, that's stand up comedy.

Game Change by John Heilemann

2008 in a Nutshell

Politicians are human too.

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

Common sense science explained slowly and without using big words.

America, Empire of Liberty by David Reynolds

Slavery and Bickering

American history as written on the back of a napkin. Entertaining but superficial.

Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward

The sheep of war and the hopeless optimism of their herder.

Life by Keith Richards

A dedication and love of music. Drugs? What drugs?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

A caricature of a memoir. Untidy, meaningless, but ultimately heartwarming.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

A lot of nonsense for those that hate their job, and a little good advice for those that love their job.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Great Epi Divide Einstein’s Brain Tuberculosis Digame, Mi Amor Value of a Life

Suffering is everywhere. There are no rational solutions, just extraordinary individuals that refuse to be overwhelmed by this impossibility.

Rebooting the American Dream by Thom Hartmann

Intellectual Curiosity War is Kind One Million Dead

Common sense ideas for growing the middle class.

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes

Jiu Jitsu Marathon Comfort is not Happiness

Suffering is the sole origin of consciousness.

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Unwavering focus on the task at hand IS happiness. Warning: The task must grow more and more challenging.

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

The "impossible" takes our gullible minds off the "mundane".

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Horror

Monster or child. Murderer or outcast.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green

No time to write summary, must concur the world at all cost. Will murder a puppy if need be.

The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin

Practice makes perfect, but you have to practice right.

The New Kings of Nonfiction by Ira Glass

Fear's Chuckle

Got Fight? by Forrest Griffin

Hard to defeat a man who wields a sword.

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Common sense atheism with a British accent.

A Fighter's Mind by Sam Sheridan

Turns out there is no limit to human performance, and Dan Gable is a madman.

Reading Now or Soon

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Final Jeopardy by Stephen Baker

In Defense of Elitism by William Henry

The Design of Design by Frederick P. Brooks

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

A History of Warfare by John Keegan

Three Cups of Tea by G. Mortenson, D. Relin

Reading Turgenev by William Trevor

The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Shambhala by Chogyam Trungpa

The Shack by William P. Young