Book Recommendations
Anthropology
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature or Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Both books look at the biological roots of behavior from different political perspectives: The Blank Slate is more libertarian, emphasizing genetics; Behave takes the left wing view which concentrates on environmental factors. They’re both large and comprehensive so I would recommend whichever book espouses the perspective that doesn’t come naturally to you.
A look at how culture differentiates humans from animals and shapes our lives.
Computers
The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles
Textbook for the “Nand to Tetris” course, this book helps you understand how computers work by having you build one, all the way from logic gates to a primitive operating system.
Algorithm Design Manual and/or Elements of Programming Interviews in Python: The Insiders' Guide
These are the most practically useful books on this page because reading and understanding their concepts can almost single-handedly get you a software engineering job (I got a job at Google without a CS degree by mastering algorithms).
Empathy
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
While this is ostensibly a parenting book, I think it’s useful to improve how you communicate and relate to adults as well because it’ll help you identify and unlearn some patterns you’ve inherited from your parents.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Provides a framework for how to more empathetically communicate, which particularly helped me as I tend to be a systemizer.
Gender differences also make understanding each other difficult. For romantic relationships, I’d recommend For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women or the equivalent for women. For the workplace and other situations, You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation can also provide insights.
Fiction
An epic of a beginner wizard that keeps reliving the same 30 days, keeping his skills and memories. The progress you see him make as a wizard and as a person is really satisfying and kept me hooked for 2000+ pages.
A young black woman from the 1970s is transported back to the antebellum south. While the plot is fantastical, the story felt real.
A novel from the rationalist blogger, Scott Alexander, with his signature logic, humor, and wordplay.
Graphic Novels
Quick tip: graphic novels are large while being quick reads so they’re ideal for borrowing from a library.
A touching and timely story on the importance of human connection.
The Complete Maus and/or Hakim's Odyssey
Both are real stories of someone surviving a horrible situation: the Holocaust and the Syrian refugee crisis. The Complete Maus is a classic, but Hakim’s Odyssey is more relevant today.
Hypercapitalism: The Modern Economy, Its Values, and How to Change Them
This was the single biggest influence on my Sad Math of Ads article. If you want more details of the research, read Tim Kasser’s earlier book, The High Price of Materialism.
Politics
Economics Without Illusions: Debunking the Myths of Modern Capitalism
Goes through different economic myths across the political spectrum, providing needed subtlety to politicized topics.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
Explores untold aspects of American history and why they’re not taught in school. You'll learn history and the politics of education.
The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics
Explains the counterintuitive actions of dictators and how those incentives apply to democracies. I’d recommend first watching CGP Grey’s video summaries: Rules for Rulers and its sequel Death & Dynasties. Then read the book if you want more details and examples.
Puzzles
Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur's Collection
I love puzzles, but most books repeat all the same classic puzzles. Not so here, where most of the puzzles were novel, enlightening, and difficult but solvable. If you like these, check out the author’s later book Mathematical Mind-Benders.
Thinking Physics: Understandable Practical Reality
Easily understandable, yet counterintuitive, physics puzzles. This is a great way to learn, or relearn, physics.
Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: Fifty Tantalizing Problems of Chess Detection
I have a soft spot for Sherlock Holmes, although the original stories didn’t give enough information for the reader to solve the mysteries. This fan-fic is different, as all the mysteries are chess puzzles, but not of the “Find the Mate in 3” variety, rather more like “How could this weird position have come about?” which really stretches the mind.
Other
The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
A look at everyday behaviors like conversations in a new light that’ll make you rethink how you and others behave.
Uncovering the Logic of English
I used to think English spelling was random and haphazard, until I read this book which lays out its logic. I’d recommend this book for anyone with children learning to spell or that like understanding the patterns in the world.
A quick and varied lesson on linguistics and etymology that’s a great companion to Uncovering the Logic of English.
A memoir from a child actress with an abusive mom and an eating disorder. A well written and personal look into a very different life than mine. You may also enjoy Educated.
A great compendium on different games and the math behind them. This book helped inspire some of my games.
Immune: a Journey into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive
An immersive look at our immune system that reminded me why I majored in biology to begin with—to understand the machinery of life.