good books on critical thinking

The 17 Best Books on Critical Thinking (to Read in 2024)

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The aim of improving your skill of critical thinking isn’t just to be able to reason and give logical arguments about a subject skillfully; your goal is to get to the right answer, to make the right decisions and choices for yourself and others.

Critical thinking helps you:

First , improve the quality of your decisions and judgments, and reevaluate your beliefs objectively.

The human mind is rarely objective. However, mastering the skill of critical thinking keeps your mind objective, at least about those things based on facts.

Take for example the beliefs you have about yourself; Some are based on facts, some on subjective (negative) opinions of others.

Second , become an independent thinker (learn to think for yourself); take ownership of your values, beliefs, judgments, and decisions.

Mastering critical thinking is essential , especially in our modern times, because you must:

• Make a tone of decisions every day;
• Think and come to the right conclusion fast;
• Solve (mostly alone) your problems and issues;
• Weigh carefully facts and information you receive from the dozens of sources you have at your disposal;
• Reevaluate your strategies, beliefs, and habits periodically.

Critical thinking is a skill that you must learn; you’re not born with it. To make your journey a little easier, we’ve gathered the best critical thinking books so you can learn from the masters. Get inspired to become a critical thinker in no time!

The best books on critical thinking:

Table of Contents

1. Critical Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide to Critical Thinking, Better Decision Making, and Problem Solving – Jennifer Wilson

2. wait, what: and life’s other essential questions- james e. ryan, 3. think smarter: critical thinking to improve problem-solving and decision-making skills – michael kallet, 4. brain power: learn to improve your thinking skills – karl albrecht, 5. the art of thinking clearly – rolf dobelli, 6. being logical: a guide to good thinking – d.q. mcinerny, 7. predictably irrational, revised and expanded edition: the hidden forces that shape our decisions – dr. dan ariely, 8. a more beautiful question: the power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas – warren berger, 9. a rulebook for arguments – anthony weston, 10. thinking, fast and slow – daniel kahneman, 11. the organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information overload – daniel j. levitin, 12. don’t believe everything you think: the 6 basic mistakes we make in thinking – thomas e. kida, 13. the decision book: 50 models for strategic thinking – mikael krogerus, roman tschäppeler, philip earnhart, jenny piening, 14. weaponized lies: how to think critically in the post-truth era – daniel j. levitin, 15. the demon-haunted world: science as a candle in the dark paperback – carl sagan, ann druyan, 16. how to think about weird things: critical thinking for a new age – theodore schick, lewis vaughn, 17. the 5 elements of effective thinking – edward b. burger, michael starbird.

As the title says, this book introduces you to the art of critical thinking. You’ll discover in it:

• What is critical thinking in practice,
• The different thought processes of critical thinking,
• How will your life be better mastering critical thinking,
• The things your brain needs to enjoy exercising critical thinking,
• Techniques you can use for solving problems,
• How to become a better decision maker, Strategies to use in your critical thinking processes,
• Ways to make good decisions when more people (not just you) are involved,
• Tips to frame your questions in order to maximize the efficiency of your critical thinking.

Wisdom comes from observation, learning, practice, and asking the right questions.

Using examples from history, politics, and his own personal life, James e Ryan shows you the importance of knowing how to:

• Ask questions and gain a better understanding,
• Get to be more curious,
• Push yourself to take action,
• Make your relationship stronger,
• And stay focused on the important things in life.

Related:  Critical Thinking Examples

The book starts with the five fundamental questions:

• Couldn’t we at least…?
• How can I help…?
• What truly matters….?

Knowing how to formulate, address, and deliver the right questions doesn’t leave room for misunderstandings, misinterpretations; asking the wrong questions will most probably give you a wrong answer.

This book (Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions) will make you feel (more) courageous; after all, asking questions thanks courage. Asking yourself and others the right questions helps you make informed decisions and decisive action.

This book is a guide on how to train your brain to work even more for you. The author (Michael Kallet) is a critical thinking trainer and coach and gives you a practical set of tools and techniques for critical thinking in your day-to-day life and business.

If you want a clear, actionable step by step program to:

• Improve your critical thinking skills,
• A better understanding of complex problems and concepts,
• And how to put them in practice, then this book is for you.

Learn how to discover the real issues that need a solution, so you don’t waste your time in trying to solve imaginary problems. Increase your mental toughness, useful and productive thought.

In this book, Karl Albrecht shows you how to:

• Build your mental strength,
• Think more clearly logically and creative,
• Improve your memory,
• Solve problems,
• Make decisions more effectively.

Karl Albrecht talks in this book about the six functional abilities you need to have and become more adaptable and an innovative thinker.

The book is packed with practical exercises, fascinating illustrations, games, and puzzles to improve your mental capabilities.

The art of thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is a window into human psychology and reasoning; how we:

• Make decisions;
• Evaluate choices and options;
• Develop cognitive biases.

This book helps you notice and recognize erroneous thinking and make better choices and decisions, change unwanted behaviors and habits.

It will change the way you think about yourself and life in general because you have in this book 99 short chapters with examples of the most common errors of judgment and how to rectify them.

If you wish to think more clearly, make better decisions and choices, reevaluate your biases, and feel better about yourself, this book is for you.

When you decide you want to study the field of logic more closely and improve your critical thinking, this book might be exactly what you need. It’s written clearly and concisely laying out for you the basic building blocks of logic and critical thinking.

The ancient civilizations understood better than us how important is to study logic and rhetoric. With the help of this book, you’ll bring back into your life these essential things that our modern society forgot and missed to teach you as a child.

Having increased logical thinking doesn’t mean to ignore your emotions. It means to start from your emotions and together, (emotions and logic) to take better decisions and see more clearly your choices to move forward in life.

“Predictably Irrational, The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” is a book packed with examples of how:

• Irrational are our choices;
• We make decisions on impulse;
• We fool ourselves with optimism- “that must work for me.”

The author presents you, in this book, a large number of mental traps and flawed tendencies which can make your life harder.

After reading this book, you’ll be better informed about a variety of human flaws and how to avoid being trapped by irrational thinking. You’ll be better prepared to make decisions and choices based more on facts rather than subjective personal opinions.

Knowing how to ask the right questions is determining your success about many things in your life:

• Influencing others,
• Getting out of tricky situations,
• Reevaluating your beliefs,
• Offering yourself and others compassion,
• Overcoming mistakes and fears.

Warren Berger shows you in this book examples of people who are successful (partially) because they are experts in asking questions and don’t have preconceived ideas about what the answers should be.

This book helps you avoid wasting your innovative and brilliant ideas by presenting them in the same way over and over and getting nowhere over and over.

Asking yourself (and others) the right questions gives you the opportunity to display your ideas in a way that those around you feel compelled to listen.

This book is impressive because, Anthony Weston gives you a lot of excellent and practical advice, ordered in a logical and clear manner.

The examples in this book are realistic and useful, ranging from deductive to oral arguments, from argumentative essays to arguments by analogy.

Once you read this book you’ll want to have it on hand to sort out all sorts of situations you’ll encounter in your day-to-day life.

Daniel Kahneman, the author of this book, is a renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics.

In this book, you will discover where you can and cannot trust your intuition; how to use the two systems that drive the way you think.

The first system is fast, intuitive, and emotional; the second system is slower, based on facts, and more logical.

The author argues that knowing how to use these two systems can make a huge difference in how you:

• Design your strategies,
• Predict consequences,
• Avoid cognitive biases,
• (and even simple things like) choosing the colors for your home office.

If you want to improve your critical thinking, know when you should use logic (instead of using emotions), and become mentally stronger this book is definitely for you.

Critical thinking can’t be created in a cluttered mind. It’s like trying to prepare a gourmet meal for your loved ones in a cramped and dysfunctional kitchen.

As if is not enough all the information you store in your mind from what you personally experience every day, our modern times forcefully adds to that information a lot of junk.

The book “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload” by Daniel J. Levitin will help you sort out and organized your thoughts with the help of the four components in the human attentional system:

• Mind wandering mode;
• Central executive mode;
• Attentional filter;
• Attentional switch.

The book is showing you how you can improve your critical thinking and make better decisions concerning many areas of your life.

This book can (really) change your life if you’re dealing with procrastination, multitasking, the inability to switch off and block the outside world.

All in all, you’ll be better prepared to think straight in the age of information overload.

Thomas E. Kida talks in this book very elegantly about the six basic mistakes your thinking can make.

• The first mistake is being mesmerized by stories and ignoring the facts or statistics.
• The second mistake is searching to confirm what we already know or believe.
• The third mistake is to discount the role that chance and coincidence play in our life.
• The fourth mistake is believing that what you see it’s always the reality.
• The fifth mistake is to oversimplify things.
• The sixth mistake is to believe (trust) faulty memories.

This book can be for you an eye-opener into critical thinking, accepting who you are as you are, and improving the way you choose and make decisions.

Did you know you have a strategy for everything you do? From brushing your teeth to making new friends? From choosing a career to dealing with difficult people?

Considering you have a strategy for everything you do, it’s only logical the try to improve every day the way you develop your strategies and don’t leave it to chance, habit, or convenience.

“The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking” can improve your critical thinking and help you make your life easier and more enjoyable.

This book is interactive and provokes you to think about some of the strategies that don’t bring you the results you want.

It contains 58 illustrations offering summaries for known strategies such as the Rubber Band Model, the Personal Performance Model, and the Black Swan Model.

This book is for you if you want to improve the flexibility of your thinking, accept challenges more comfortable, feel more in control of your decisions and choices.

From this book, by Daniel Levitin, you’ll learn how to think critically and avoid being manipulated by things like misleading statistics and graphics, extreme view, or fake news.

The book contains three main sections:

• Evaluating numbers – how to read statistics and data to find out what lurks underneath and make a more objective analysis
• Evaluating words – how to assess the information you receive from experts, understanding the difference between incidence and prevalence, risk perceptions, and probabilistic thinking
• Evaluating the world – how to interpret scientific methods for different types of reasoning (induction, deduction, abduction)

This book will help you improve your critical thinking providing you with a lot of food for thought.

You know how in a criminal trial they call two experts that have divergent opinions on the same facts? Depending on whose side they are? This book teaches you to see the truth.

Although written in the 1990s, this bestseller book is still relevant in today’s society.

With both intelligence and compassion, Carl Sagan lays out the importance of education, logic, and science. This book will show you a ton of practical skills for assessing arguments, recognizing logical fallacies, and applying the scientific method.

Sagan felt that reason and logic could make the world a better place.

This book contains invaluable instructions on logic and reason using critical thinking, without being dull or difficult to understand.

Schick and Vaughn effectively laid out the key elements on how to assess evidence, sort through reasons, and recognize when a claim is likely to be accurate, making this book an absolute must-read for all students.

If you want to be better at decision-making based on sound evidence and argument, then this book is for you.

If you ever found yourself stuck on a problem, or having trouble in forming new ideas, this book will guide you in finding creative solutions to life’s difficult challenges.

This book emphasizes the value of effective thinking, how it can be mastered, and how to integrate it into everyday life.

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What are the Top 20 Best Critical Thinking Books?

There are many great books on critical thinking, including but not limited to Thinknetic’s “The Habit of Critical Thinking,” Rebecca Stobaugh’s “50 Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement,” and Jonathan Haber’s “Critical Thinking: Part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge.” 

With all the books on critical thinking available, how do you best determine which you should read? The rest of this article will break down the top 20 books on critical thinking followed by the Amazon link and a short description of each.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to objectively analyze and evaluate an issue in order to form judgment, which is vital in today’s world. While critical thinking begins in early childhood and is taught at the primary and secondary education levels, it is always best to keep your critical thinking skills sharp.

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

Communication is key to healthy relationships and communities. Critical thinking enables individuals to express their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs in constructive ways. In relationships, critical thinking is vital to avoid frustration and miscommunication.

Critical thinking fosters creativity and out of the box thinking, which can be applied to any area of life. People are usually introduced to critical thinking in early childhood when, as infants and toddlers, we explore our world and its limits. Our first problem solving skills come in our earliest years.

However, critical thinking doesn’t always come so naturally. Fortunately, there are countless resources to improving our critical thinking skills – including the following books mentioned in this article.

The Top 20 Books on Critical Thinking

The following books can all be found on Amazon.com, and a link is provided for each.

1.) Critical Thinking ; Logic Mastery (Series by Thinknetic)

The first entry on our list is actually a series of 5 books by Thinknetic.net . Each of the five books contain essential critical thinking skills and teach the reader how to change their way of thinking and apply critical thinking to every aspect of their lives. The five books in the series are as follows:

• Critical Thinking in a Nutshell
• The Critical Thinking Effect
• Conquer Logical Fallacies
• The Habit of Critical Thinking
• The Socratic Way of Questioning

Most of these books are available on Kindle Unlimited. You can purchase them individually or as a set.

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/360UA40

2.) Critical Thinking and the Analytical Mind by Marcus P. Dawson

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3LUuqyS

This book teaches the reader the art of making decisions and solving problems while thinking clearly and avoiding cognitive biases and fallacies in systems .

3.) Critical Thinking: The 12 Rules for Intelligent Thinking by Jason Dyer

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3jDVk2h

The description of this book includes skills to improve your problem solving and decision-making skills. It also contains valuable information on how to overcome shyness and social anxiety – conditions that hinder many people in both personal and professional capacities – and increase self-confidence.

4.) 50 Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement by Rebecca Stobaugh

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3OaDYbl

This valuable book for teachers of any grade level – from elementary to college – helps build a culture of thinking that transforms any classroom into an environment of active learning and student engagement.

5.) Critical Thinking: The MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series by Jonathan Haber

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3ji6329

In this essential book, Jonathan Haber explains critical thinking, how the term first emerged in society, its definition, and how to teach and assess critical thinking skills .

6.) The Critical Thinking Toolkit by Galen A. Foresman, Peter S. Fosl, and Jamie C. Watson

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3vcISMi

This comprehensive book takes a wide view with critical thinking perspectives in psychology, sociology, philosophy, and political science. It applies critical thinking to subjects such as race and gender, symbols in rhetoric, and cognitive biases.

7.) Critical Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide to Developing Reasoning Skills by Morris Cullen

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3DX6t7w

A great resource for those still unfamiliar with the concept of critical thinking, this book will help the reader conquer feeble thought patterns and utilize reason.

8.) Critical Thinking Beginner’s Guide: Learn How Reasoning by Logic Improves Effective Problem Solving by Carl Patterson

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3rAJevd 

This book contains the tools to think smarter and level up intuition to reach your potential and grow your mindfulness.

9.) Thinking Guide for Busy People by Harvey Smart

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3JsjzdU 

This book helps the reader avoid the most common but subtle decision-making mistakes and make better decisions.

10.) Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

This New York Times Bestseller won the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3Ob1RQ3

11.) Overthinking is NOT the Solution by Robert J. Charles

This book lists 25 ways to reduce stress, eliminate negative thinking, develop mental clarity and master your emotions.

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3LOsKHm

12.) Communication Skills Training by Ian Tuhovsky

This practical guide outlines how to improve social intelligence, presentation, persuasion, and public speaking. An Amazon bestseller.

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3LQu64d

13.) Self-Discipline: How to Build Mental Toughness and Focus to Achieve your Goals by John Winters

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3NSLIhX

A great book for those who don’t feel in control of their lives and want to change their path.

14.) Critical Thinking Mastery by Carl Patterson

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3xnnBlo

A beginner’s guide to increase intuition, improve communication, and solve problems.

15.) Master Your Emotions by Thibaut Meurisse

This book is described as a practical guide to overcoming negativity and better managing your emotions.

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3DX424Q

16.) Rethinking How We Think by Charles M. Johnston, MD

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3LQvfZz

This book details the integrative meta-perspective and the cognitive growing up on which our future depends.

17.) Critical Thinking by Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parker

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/36ZTy8Y

This textbook helps build the ability to discern between subjective opinions and judgments and objective facts in the era of “fake news.”

18.) Critical Thinking in Psychology, edited by Robert J. Sternberg

Amazon Link : https://amzn.to/3upkK9R

This textbook is a guide for psychology students to think critically about key topics such as experimental research, statistical analysis, and ethical judgments.

19.) Thinking in Systems and Mental Models by Marcus P. Dawson

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3Kv2JMQ

A guide for decision making and problem solving, this book introduces chaos theory and the science of thinking for social change.

20.) Critical Thinking by Tom Chatfield

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3v4GIOr

This valuable resource serves as a guide for effective argument, successful analysis, and independent study.

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5 Books on Critical Thinking to Help You Develop a Reflective Mind

The purpose of thinking is to let the ideas die instead of us dying. Alfred North Whitehead

Which ideas should live on? Probably the ones that lead to good decisions. In order to find them, we must develop the very reasoning skills that separate excellent ideas from the deadly ones. I’ve put together a list of five books on critical thinking to do precisely that. Books that provide the knowledge, skills and inspiration needed to not only think but to think critically. But before diving into how they can improve the quality of our thinking, let’s briefly talk about what critical thinking is — and what it isn’t.

Table of Contents

What is critical thinking, 1. thinking, fast and slow, 2. the demon-haunted world, 3. think again, 4. handbook of analytic tools & techniques, 5. critical thinking: the basics, bonus: essay writing guide, closing thoughts.

Disclaimer: Some of the book links below are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you make a qualified purchase through those links. At no extra cost to you.

Broadly speaking, thinking critically aims to make judgements through objective analysis. According to philosopher Robert Ennis , it’s about “deciding on what to believe or do.” But there’s more to it:

• Critical thinking tends to be a solitary exercise, a form of reflective and deliberate cognition and metacognition. It’s the act of thinking things through by means of examination and evaluation while also thinking about our thought process itself.
• A crucial part of this process is the questioning of our assumptions, the identification of biases and poor thinking and the development of alternative hypotheses. In this way, questions can be seen as a catalyst of the exercise. Which brings us to the last aspect.
• It’s important to note that critical thinking is highly process-oriented. This distinguishes it from attempts to figure something out through trial and error, by following a pre-defined path, or by memorising a checklist to solve a specific problem.

Critical thinking is concerned with the results of our reasoning while being highly focused on improving the quality of our thought process itself. Rationality, scepticism and an unbiased lens are key when coming to independent judgements.

5 Critical Thinking Books

With that being said, let’s dive into five books on critical thinking to help you develop a more reflective mind.

When people believe a conclusion is true, they are also very likely to believe arguments that appear to support it, even when these arguments are unsound. Daniel Kahneman

Find out what makes our brains tick, how we think and often deceive ourselves. In Thinking, Fast and Slow , psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains the two systems functioning in our brains: System 1 is fast, intuitive and emotional. System 2 is slow yet analytical and deliberate. This distinction serves as a springboard to dive deep into mental shortcuts and cognitive biases. Kahneman explains how overconfidence in our cognitive capabilities can lead us astray.

Have you ever fallen victim to the anchoring effect? Can you solve the Linda problem ? If there ever was a book that gets you thinking about how you think, Kahneman’s “landmark book” (Nassim Taleb) is it. It’s an admittedly dense but humbling read. Chances are it will change the way you come to judgements and reconsider those you’ve already made. To the very least it’ll make you re-evaluate your relationship with your intuitive self.

What’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Carl Sagan

Explore the principles of scientific thinking infused with witty anecdotes and examples. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan is a classic book on critical thinking. It’s very accessible to experienced thinkers and beginners alike. That makes Sagan’s book an entertaining way to cover the scientific side of critical thinking.

A case in point is his famous fiery anecdote about an invisible dragon living in his garage, which he uses to demonstrate the virtue of scepticism and the importance of empirical evidence. With his memorable style, the astronomer’s goal is to instil a healthy scepticism in the reader. He equips his audience with a baloney detection kit , a set of practices for the critical and reflective mind.

How do you know? It’s a question we need to ask more often, both of ourselves and of others. The power lies in its frankness. It’s nonjudgmental — a straightforward expression of doubt and curiosity that doesn’t put people on the defensive. Adam Grant

Discover the benefits of changing your mind. In Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know , Adam Grant explains the mechanisms behind our laziness to change our minds. The organisational psychologist approaches thinking from a different perspective; that of critical rethinking and unlearning the old ways. His focus is on what it takes to break through our motivated reasoning .

By design, critical thinking requires us to be open about discarding ideas and altering our judgments. As our initial quote about the death of ideas implies, this is a painful process. Grant gives the effort of rethinking and attempting to disprove our own ideas a positive spin. Instead of chasing the addictive feeling of being right, how does confident humility sound? Instead of giving them up, how would you feel about upgrading your views?

Analysts in the intelligence profession — and many other disciplines — often fall victim to cognitive biases, misapplied heuristics, and intuitive traps that are manifestations of commonly recognised biases. Structured Analytic Techniques help analysts avid, overcome, or at least mitigate their impact. Randolph H. Pherson

Utilise 33 structured analytic techniques to help you or your team overcome thinking errors and make better judgments. The Handbook of Analytic Tools & Techniques by Randy Pherson features very practical ways to improve our judgements and decision-making. From various brainstorming methods for idea generation to more specialised analytical techniques such as Deception Detection .

The application of the analytical methods is surely not limited to intelligence analysis. Pherson’s strategies provide a scaffold for reflective thinking and the questioning of assumptions. They’re designed to mitigate thinking errors and intuitive traps . The goal is to ensure a judgement that’s as objective as possible and to cultivate the habits of a master thinker .

Most animals and toddlers are not what we would call ‘critical thinkers’, but nor are we much of the time. […] Poor reasoning and the absence of reasoning on ocassions where it would serve us well are everywhere. Life is typically fast-paced and mistakes will happen, but even when things are slowed down (for example, drafting a speech than being interviewed on the radio), we think errenously in predictable ways. Stuart Hanscomb

Learn about the basics of critical thinking from the perspectives of reasoning, argumentation and dialogue. Critical Thinking: The Basics by Stuart Hanscomb focuses on the evaluation and construction of arguments. The senior lecturer covers the psychology of persuasion as well as typical thinking errors and informal fallacies we commit when formulating a position.

Hanscomb’s book ticks all the boxes if we want to improve not only our thinking but also the way we write and speak. It may not be as entertaining as Sagan’s work and not as hands-on as Pherson’s handbook. However, if you’re after a foundational guide and want to sharpen your arguments, this book on critical thinking might be for you.

The primary reason to write an essay is so that the writer can formulate and organize an informed, coherent and sophisticated set of ideas about something important. Jordan B. Peterson

Admittedly, the Essay Writing Guide by psychology professor Jordan B. Peterson is not a book. Neither is it about critical thinking per se. Unless you subscribe to the idea that the ultimate way to improve your critical thinking skills is to write. As the title suggests, it’s a very practical guide to writing an academic essay from start to finish. How to research a topic? How to structure your ideas? How to go about putting it all on paper including final editing?

But none of the knowledge and skills in the above books matter if we have nothing of substance to think about. With a topic that grips us, however, everything can be brought to bear. If “writing is thinking”, as the psychologist says then practising it improves the quality of our thought processes. It forces us to reflect on a topic deeply and — if done properly — change the way we think about something in the process. For what it’s worth, it’s the reason why I’m writing my essays.

We may think all the time. But that doesn’t mean we think critically. If there’s a common thread that goes through all of the above books on critical thinking, it’s that we’re naturally really bad at being rational and unbiased. Not to mention the limits of our knowledge . So first and foremost critical thinking is the acknowledgement of our own unconscious incompetence and inadequacies.

In this spirit, I should note that this list is by no means complete. There are many more great books on critical thinking out there. If you’re interested in more advanced literature, check out my post with insightful books on intelligence analysis . In any case, when it comes to developing a reflective mind, there’s no substitute for practice. And for getting comfortable with the feeling, we get when realising that yet another of our treasured ideas has to die.

Download my full updated reading list with 50+ books to upgrade your thinking by becoming a Patron .

Chris Meyer

I'm a writer, teacher & analyst with a background in languages, martial arts & failing at things. I collect and connect ideas while attempting humour. Here are 50 unbelievable facts about me .

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100 Best Critical Thinking Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best critical thinking books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Kahneman | 5.00

Barack Obama A few months ago, Mr. Obama read “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman, about how people make decisions — quick, instinctive thinking versus slower, contemplative deliberation. For Mr. Obama, a deliberator in an instinctive business, this may be as instructive as any political science text. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Marc Andreessen Captivating dive into human decision making, marred by inclusion of several/many? psychology studies that fail to replicate. Will stand as a cautionary tale? (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Factfulness

Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling | 4.62

Barack Obama As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to highlight talented authors – some who are household names and others who you may not have heard of before. Here’s my best of 2018... (Source)

Bill Gates This was a breakthrough to me. The framework Hans enunciates is one that took me decades of working in global development to create for myself, and I could have never expressed it in such a clear way. I’m going to try to use this model moving forward. (Source)

Nigel Warburton It’s an interesting book, it’s very challenging. It may be over-optimistic. But it does have this startling effect on the readers of challenging widely held assumptions. It’s a plea to look at the empirical data, and not just assume that you know how things are now. (Source)

The Demon-haunted World

Science As a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan | 4.54

James Randi First of all, Carl was my very good friend, and we had a lot of confidences over the years. He was the epitome of the scientific mind and the scientific thinker. In The Demon-Haunted World, one of his later books, he investigates pseudoscience, frauds and fakes, and the mistakes that scientists made over the years. It’s very comprehensive. He had a whole chapter devoted to “Carlos” – or Jose... (Source)

Philip Plait He holds your hand and shows you the wonders of science and the universe. The Demon-Haunted World is probably his best book. (Source)

Dallas Campbell @TheChilterns Even if you profoundly disagree with Clarke, it’s very detailed. The classic is of course ‘The Demon Haunted World’ by Carl Sagan. When I’m Prime Minister it will be compulsory reading at school! Best book on what science is/isn’t and why we think the way we do. 👍 (Source)

The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert B. Cialdini | 4.53

Charles T. Munger Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist. (Source)

Dan Ariely It covers a range of ways in which we end up doing things, and how we don’t understand why we’re doing them. (Source)

Max Levchin [Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?"] (Source)

A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.52

Richard Branson One example of a book that has helped me to #ReadToLead this year is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. While the book came out a few years ago now, I got around to it this year, and am very glad I did. I’ve always been fascinated in what makes humans human, and how people are constantly evolving, changing and growing. The genius of Sapiens is that it takes some daunting,... (Source)

Reid Hoffman A grand theory of humanity. (Source)

Barack Obama eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-leader-2','ezslot_7',164,'0','1'])); Fact or fiction, the president knows that reading keeps the mind sharp. He also delved into these non-fiction reads. (Source)

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl, William J. Winslade, et al. | 4.50

Tony Robbins Another book that I’ve read dozens of times. It taught me that if you change the meaning, you change everything. Meaning equals emotion, and emotion equals life. (Source)

Jimmy Fallon I read it while spending ten days in the ICU of Bellevue hospital trying to reattach my finger from a ring avulsion accident in my kitchen. It talks about the meaning of life, and I believe you come out a better person from reading it. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz [Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

Predictably Irrational

The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely | 4.48

Nick Harkaway Predictably Irrational is an examination of the way in which we make decisions irrationally, and how that irrationality can be predicted. (Source)

Jonah Lehrer Dan Ariely is a very creative guy and was able to take this basic idea, that humans are irrational, and mine it in a million different directions. (Source)

The Black Swan

The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Nassim Nicholas Taleb | 4.48

Jeff Bezos [From the book "The Everything Store: and the Age of Amazon"] “The scholar argues that people are wired to see patterns in chaos while remaining blind to unpredictable events, with massive consequences. Experimentation and empiricism trumps the easy and obvious narrative,” Stone writes. (Source)

James Altucher And throw in “The Black Swan” and “Fooled by Randomness”. “Fragile” means if you hit something might break. “Resilient” means if you hit something, it will stay the same. On my podcast Nassim discusses “Antifragility” – building a system, even on that works for you on a personal level, where you if you harm your self in some way it becomes stronger. That podcast changed my life He discusses... (Source)

Freakonomics

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Stephen J. Levitt, Steven D.; Dubner | 4.45

Malcolm Gladwell I don’t need to say much here. This book invented an entire genre. Economics was never supposed to be this entertaining. (Source)

Daymond John I love newer books like [this book]. (Source)

James Altucher [James Altucher recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

How to Read a Book

The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren | 4.45

Sergey Brin had “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer J. Adler as one of his most recommended books. (Source)

Ben Chestnut I also love How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. I’m teaching its tips to my children while they’re young, so they can consume books much faster and have more fun reading. (Source)

Kevin Systrom [The author's] thesis is that the most important part of reading a book is to actually read the table of contents and familiarize yourself with the major structure of the book. (Source)

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The Tipping Point

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.38

Kevin Rose Bunch of really good information in here on how to make ideas go viral. This could be good to apply to any kind of products or ideas you may have. Definitely, check out The Tipping Point, which is one of my favorites. (Source)

Seth Godin Malcolm Gladwell's breakthrough insight was to focus on the micro-relationships between individuals, which helped organizations realize that it's not about the big ads and the huge charity balls... it's about setting the stage for the buzz to start. (Source)

Andy Stern I think that when we talk about making change, it is much more about macro change, like in policy. This book reminds you that at times when you're building big movements, or trying to elect significant decision-makers in politics, sometimes it's the little things that make a difference. Ever since the book was written, we've become very used to the idea of things going viral unexpectedly and then... (Source)

Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler | 4.37

Dan Ariely Nudge is a very important book. One of the reasons Nudge is so important is because it’s taking these ideas and applying them to the policy domain. Here are the mistakes we make. Here are the ways marketers are trying to influence us. Here’s the way we might be able to fight back. If policymakers understood these principles, what could they do? The other important thing about the book is that it... (Source)

Eric Ries A pioneer in behavioral economics and just recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, his classic book on how to make better decisions. (Source)

Ryan Holiday This might feel like a weird book to include, but I think it presents another side of strategy that is too often forgotten. It’s not always about bold actors and strategic thrusts. Sometimes strategy is about subtle influence. Sometimes it is framing and small tweaks that change behavior. We can have big aims, but get there with little moves. This book has excellent examples of that kind of... (Source)

Asking the Right Questions

A Guide to Critical Thinking

M. Neil Browne, Stuart M. Keeley | 4.36

Enlightenment Now

The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

Steven Pinker | 4.35

Bill Gates Pinker is at his best when he analyzes historic trends and uses data to put the past into context. I was already familiar with a lot of the information he shares—especially about health and energy—but he understands each subject so deeply that he’s able to articulate his case in a way that feels fresh and new. I love how he’s willing to dive deep into primary data sources and pull out unexpected... (Source)

Yuval Noah Harari There is of course much to argue about, but that’s what makes this book so interesting. (Source)

Sam Harris [Sam Harris picked this book as the first book in his Book Club.] (Source)

The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck | 4.34

Tony Robbins [Tony Robbins recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

Bill Gates One of the reasons I loved Mindset is because it’s solutions-oriented. In the book’s final chapter, Dweck describes the workshop she and her colleagues have developed to shift students from a fixed to a growth mindset. These workshops demonstrate that ‘just learning about the growth mindset can cause a big shift in the way people think about themselves and their lives. (Source)

The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.34

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011.] (Source)

James Altucher Gladwell is not the first person to come up with the 10,000 hour rule. Nor is he the first person to document what it takes to become the best in the world at something. But his stories are so great as he explains these deep concepts. How did the Beatles become the best? Why are professional hockey players born in January, February and March? And so on. (Source)

Cat Williams-Treloar The books that I've talked the most about with friends and colleagues over the years are the Malcolm Gladwell series of novels. Glorious stories that mix science, behaviours and insight. You can't go wrong with the "The Tipping Point", "Outliers", "Blink" or "David & Goliath". (Source)

Bad Science

Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks

Ben Goldacre | 4.33

Timothy Ferriss I agree wholeheartedly with a lot of the co-opted science, which people can read a book called Bad Science, which is by a doctor named Ben Goldacre. It’s great. (Source)

Tim Harford This book changed the way I thought about my own writing and it changed the way I thought about the world. It really is one of the best books I have ever read. (Source)

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore It’s just a brilliant book, and he’s a fearless defender of science. (Source)

The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.33

Mike Shinoda I know most of the guys in the band read [this book]. (Source)

Marillyn Hewson CEO Marilyn Hewson recommends this book because it helped her to trust her instincts in business. (Source)

A Field Guide to Lies

Critical Thinking with Statistics and the Scientific Method

Daniel J. Levitin | 4.28

The Art of Thinking Clearly

Better Thinking, Better Decision

dobelli rolf | 4.28

Robert Cialdini Dobelli examines our most common decision-making failings with engaging eloquence and describes how to counter them with instructive good sense. (Source)

Nigel Warburton This is an unpretentious book. Dobelli doesn’t claim to be an original thinker himself. He’s a summariser of other people’s thoughts. What he’s done is brought lots of different things together in one place. Each of the 99 entries is pretty short, and it’s the kind of book to dip into. (Source)

Antifragile

Things That Gain from Disorder

Nassim Nicholas Taleb | 4.27

James Altucher You ask about success. To be successful you have to avoid being “fragile” – the idea that if something hurts you, you let collapse completely. You also have to avoid simply being resilient. Bouncing back is not enough. Antifragile is when something tries to hurt you and you come back stronger. That is real life business. That is real life success. Nassim focuses on the economy. But when I read... (Source)

Marvin Liao eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-leader-2','ezslot_7',164,'0','1'])); My list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On... (Source)

Vlad Tenev The general concept is applicable to many fields beyond biology, for instance finance, economics and monetary policy. (Source)

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

Edward B. Burger | 4.27

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)

Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

Mark Haddo | 4.25

Peter Attia A book about cognitive dissonance that looks at common weaknesses and biases in human thinking. Peter wants to ensure he goes through life without being too sure of himeself, and this book helps him to recalibrate. (Source)

Ryan Holiday Cognitive Dissonance is one of the most powerful and delusionary forces in the world. (Source)

David Kramaley When asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, David mentioned Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me). (Source)

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport | 4.24

Marvin Liao The Joy of Not Working (Zelinkski), Flash Foresight (Burrus), The Art of Worldly Wisdom (Gracian), Sapiens (Yuval), The End of Jobs (Pearson), Deep Work (Newport), Sovereign Individual (Davidson), The Fourth Economy (Davison) & The Monk & the Riddle (Komisar). Every single one of these books completely changed how I looked at everything in the world & literally pushed my life in a new direction.... (Source)

Daniel Pink As automation and outsourcing reshape the workplace, what new skill do we need? The ability to do deep work. Cal Newport's exciting new book is an introduction and guide to the kind of intense concentration in a distraction-free environment that results in fast, powerful learning and performance. Think of it as calisthenics for your mind-and start your exercise program today. (Source)

Seth Godin Cal Newport is a clear voice in a sea of noise, bringing science and passion in equal measure. (Source)

Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

Jared Diamond Ph.D. | 4.24

Bill Gates Fascinating.... Lays a foundation for understanding human history. (Source)

Daniel Ek A brilliant Pulitzer Prize-winning book about how the modern world was formed, analyzing how societies developed differently on different continents. (Source)

Yuval Noah Harari A book of big questions, and big answers. The book turned me from a historian of medieval warfare into a student of humankind. (Source)

A Rulebook for Arguments

Anthony Weston | 4.23

The God Delusion

Richard Dawkins | 4.22

Susan Jacoby Richard Dawkins is very funny. One of the reasons for reading The God Delusion is that it will disabuse you of the idea – which is a common stereotype of atheists – that they are utterly humourless. You hear this over and over again. I’m often invited to college campuses to give lectures, and often they’re religious schools – not fundamentalist schools, but colleges of a historically religious... (Source)

Vote Dem For The Planet @KimBledsoe14 @Goodbye_Jesus @Ian313f There were a lot of rebels and drifters in those days against the repressive regime. They had followers. Have you read “The God Delusion”? Great book. (Source)

Antonio Eram This book was recommended by Antonio when asked for titles he would recommend to young people interested in his career path. (Source)

Fooled by Randomness

The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

Nassim Nicholas Taleb | 4.22

Howard Marks Really about how much randomness there is in our world. (Source)

Anant Jain The five-book series, "Incerto", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb has had a profound impact on how I think about the world. There’s some overlap across the books — but you'll likely find the repetition helpful in retaining the content better. (Source)

Emotional Intelligence

Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Daniel Goleman | 4.22

Drew Houston It’s nonfiction, but it spelled out something that I just didn’t know you could kind of break down in a logical way. And, suddenly, I had this understanding about the world that I didn’t have before. (Source)

Sharon Salzberg [Sharon Salzberg recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

Roxana Bitoleanu [One of the books recommends to young people interested in her career path.] (Source)

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Neil Postman, Andrew Postman | 4.22

Austin Kleon Earlier this year Postman’s son Andrew wrote an op-ed with the title, “My dad predicted Trump in 1985 — it’s not Orwell, he warned, it’s Brave New World.” Postman wrote: “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.” (Source)

Steve Lance Neil Postman took the work of Marshall McLuhan – who was putting out early theories on media – and built on them. However, Postman was far more observant and empirical about the trends occurring in the media landscape. The trends which he identifies in Amusing Ourselves to Death, written in the 1980s, have since all come true. For example, he predicted that if you make news entertaining, then... (Source)

Kara Nortman @andrewchen Also a great book on the topic - Amusing Ourselves to Death https://t.co/yWLBxKumLQ (Source)

You Are Not So Smart

Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

David McRaney | 4.21

Jessica Flitter Honestly, almost every major topic that we cover in an introductory social psychology chapter is covered in the book. It makes psychology real: this isn’t something that theoretically exists in the classroom. It exists every single day. That’s why I love this book. (Source)

How Not to Be Wrong

The Power of Mathematical Thinking

Jordan Ellenberg | 4.20

Bill Gates The writing is funny, smooth, and accessible -- not what you might expect from a book about math. What Ellenberg has written is ultimately a love letter to math. If the stories he tells add up to a larger lesson, it’s that 'to do mathematics is to be, at once, touched by fire and bound by reason' -- and that there are ways in which we’re all doing math, all the time. (Source)

Auston Bunsen I’ve got a few, one book that really impacted me early on as someone coming from a middle-class family was “Rich dad, Poor dad”. Since then I’ve read many books but one that really stands out is “How not to be wrong” by Jordan Ellenberg which really reignited my appetite & appreciation for math. (Source)

Nick Ganju Written for an audience of people who have historically been intimidated by math [...] and introduces things in a very simple way, and then works up to more complex concepts. (Source)

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Adventures of a Curious Character

Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings, Albert R. Hibbs | 4.19

Sergey Brin Brin told the Academy of Achievement: "Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broad-minded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo [da Vinci], an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life." (Source)

Larry Page Google co-founder has listed this book as one of his favorites. (Source)

Peter Attia The book I’ve recommended most. (Source)

Critical Thinking

Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life

Richard Paul, Linda Elder | 4.19

How to Think About Weird Things

Critical Thinking for a New Age

Theodore Schick, Lewis Vaughn | 4.19

Stephen Law Carefully and critically, aware of the various cognitive biases to which we are, unfortunately, all very prone. This book explains various fallacies to watch out for; the Slippery Slope, the Straw Man fallacy, the Post Hoc fallacy, and so on. It points out all of the problems that we’ve already looked at so far as anecdotal evidence is concerned. It includes many impressive case studies and... (Source)

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake

Steven Novella, Bob Novella - contributor, et al | 4.19

Black Box Thinking

Why Some People Never Learn from Their Mistakes - But Some Do

Matthew Syed | 4.18

Richard Branson [...] highlights the need for a growth mindset in life. It advocates for changing attitudes towards failure, and understanding that the only way we learn is by trying things and altering our behaviour based on the results. It’s an attitude we found incredibly valuable during my highlight of the year, completing the Virgin Strive Challenge. (Source)

Daniel Ek Since reading this book, I’ve literally incorporated this approach to problem-solving into every day. (Source)

Nigel Warburton As Syed argues, we progress in all kinds of areas is by making mistakes. He was a superb table-tennis player, and he knows that every mistake that he made was a learning experience, at least potentially, a chance to improve. I think you’d find the same attitude among musicians, or in areas where practitioners are very attentive to the mistake that they make, and how those failures can teach them... (Source)

How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger - Second Edition with a New Chapter by the Author

Darrell Huff and Irving Gei | 4.17

Bill Gates I picked this one up after seeing it on a Wall Street Journal list of good books for investors. It was first published in 1954, but it doesn’t feel dated (aside from a few anachronistic examples—it has been a long time since bread cost 5 cents a loaf in the United States). In fact, I’d say it’s more relevant than ever. One chapter shows you how visuals can be used to exaggerate trends and give... (Source)

Tobi Lütke We all live in Malcolm’s world because the shipping container has been hugely influential in history. (Source)

Jason Zweig This is a terrific introduction to critical thinking about statistics, for people who haven’t taken a class in statistics. (Source)

A Brief History of Tomorrow

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.16

Richard Branson I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a big reader of paleontology or anthropology – not good words for us dyslexics! – but I enjoy learning about how society has unfolded and history has developed in an exciting, easy to read way. The sequel, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, is a fascinating look into the future too. While these aren’t traditional business or leadership books, they are all... (Source)

Bill Gates Harari’s new book is as challenging and readable as Sapiens. Rather than looking back, as Sapiens does, it looks to the future. I don’t agree with everything the author has to say, but he has written a thoughtful look at what may be in store for humanity. (Source)

Vinod Khosla Not that I agree with all of it, but it is still mind-bending speculation about our future as a follow-up to a previous favorite, Sapiens. It’s directionally right. (Source)

Why People Believe Weird Things

Michael Shermer, Stephen Jay Gould | 4.16

Richard Wiseman A wider perspective on the paranormal, looking at UFOs and conspiracies – where people link up ideas which aren’t necessarily connected to one another. (Source)

The Selfish Gene

Richard Dawkins | 4.16

Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes , which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. --Rob Lightner

Charles T. Munger recommends this book in the second edition of Poor Charlie’s Almanack. (Source)

Matt Ridley Turned evolutionary biology on its head and was written like a great detective story. (Source)

Phil Libin Had a profound influence on me pretty early on. (Source)

How We Know What Isn't So

The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life

Thomas Gilovich | 4.16

Jonah Lehrer A really smart book and the reason I put it on there is that it really invented the genre of science non-fiction. (Source)

Nicholas Epley This is a book about intuitive human judgment and how the way we think about the world can be distorted and misdirected by forces within our own mind, like our tendency to think well of ourselves, by cognitive forces, such as the ease with which information comes to mind, and by environmental forces, like asymmetries in feedback. (Source)

Being Logical

A Guide to Good Thinking

D.Q. McInerny | 4.14

David and Goliath

Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.14

Catalina Penciu Business-wise, my goal for this year is to improve my collection and my mindset, but my favorite so far has been David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. (Source)

Robert Katai Buy Malcolm Gladwell’s book “David and Goliath” and read the interesting stories about how the Davids of that moments have defeated the Goliaths. (Source)

The Signal and the Noise

Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't

Nate Silver | 4.14

Bill Gates Anyone interested in politics may be attracted to Nate Silver’s The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—but Some Don't. Silver is the New York Times columnist who got a lot of attention last fall for predicting—accurately, as it turned out–the results of the U.S. presidential election. This book actually came out before the election, though, and it’s about predictions in many... (Source)

The End of Faith

Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

Sam Harris | 4.13

Evan Carmichael His first book, The End of Faith, spent 33 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. He's one of the most sought after speakers in the world. He's Sam Harris and here's my take on his Top 10 Rules for Success! #Believe #EvanCarmichael #SamHarris #entrepreneur #valueyourtime https://t.co/ZL0iUlqCOT (Source)

Dr. Andrew Weil One of the books that I have commonly given out to people. (Source)

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

James W. Loewen | 4.13

Talking to Strangers

What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.13

Ryan Holiday I'll put here what I emailed Malcolm when I finished the book: "Just finished your new book in one sitting yesterday. So good. You are at the height of your powers and remain an inspiration to all of us trying to master an un-masterable profession." It's a little less practical or self-improvement oriented than his previous books, but far more thought provoking. (Source)

Nilofer Merchant An interesting analysis/ essay re Gladwell’s latest book —> https://t.co/5Ey1maNRyI (Source)

God Is Not Great

How Religion Poisons Everything

Christopher Hitchens | 4.13

Sam Harris You can get the benefit of both his voice and his writing if you listen to [this audiobook]. (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Peter D. Kaufman, Ed Wexler, Warren E. Buffett, Charles T. Munger | 4.12

Warren Buffett From 1733 to 1758, Ben Franklin dispensed useful and timeless advice through Poor Richard's Almanack. Among the virtues extolled were thrift, duty, hard work, and simplicity. Subsequently, two centuries went by during which Ben's thoughts on these subjects were regarded as the last word. Then Charlie Munger stepped forth. (Source)

Naval Ravikant I always recommend [this book] as my top business book. (Source)

Think like a Freak

The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain

Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner | 4.12

Critical Thinking Skills

Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection

Stella Cottrell | 4.12

The Invisible Gorilla

And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us

Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons | 4.11

Dan Ariely These guys did one of the most important pieces of research in social science, to show how little we actually see in the world around us. (Source)

The Undoing Project

A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

Michael Lewis | 4.11

Doug McMillon Here are some of my favorite reads from 2017. Lots of friends and colleagues send me book suggestions and it's impossible to squeeze them all in. I continue to be super curious about how digital and tech are enabling people to transform our lives but I try to read a good mix of books that apply to a variety of areas and stretch my thinking more broadly. (Source)

David Heinemeier Hansson Michael Lewis is just a great storyteller, and tell a story in this he does. It’s about two Israeli psychologists, their collaboration on the irrationality of the human mind, and the milestones they set with concepts like loss-aversion, endowment effect, and other common quirks that the assumption of rationality doesn’t account for. It’s a bit long-winded, but if you like Lewis’ style, you... (Source)

Francisco Perez Mackenna ​This summer, Mackenna is learning more about the birth of behavioral economics, the psychology of white collar crime, and the restoration of American cities as locations of economic growth. (Source)

The Organized Mind

Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload

Daniel J. Levitin | 4.11

David Allen Your head is not designed to remember, remind, prioritize, or manage relationships with more than four things. I’ve known this experientially for the last 35 years—that your head is for having ideas, but it’s a terrible place to hang onto them. Levitin validated that in a very rigorously researched book. (Source)

Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study

Tom Chatfield | 4.11

Nigel Warburton Clearly written and accessible. Chatfield teaches a point, then asks you to test yourself to see whether you’ve learnt the moves that he’s described. It’s very wide ranging: it includes material on cognitive biases as well as more logical moves and arguments. (Source)

The Coddling of the American Mind

How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt | 4.10

Mark Manson The kids aren’t alright. No, really—I know every generation says that, but this time it’s true. Kids who grew up with smartphones (and have begun to enter the university system) are emotionally stunted, overly fragile, and exhibiting mental health issues at alarming rates. I expected this book to be another, “Let’s all shit on social media together,” party, but it’s not. Social media, of course,... (Source)

Max Levchin Highlights the need to continue to have such discussions about sensitive topics instead of ignoring them for the sake of comfort. (Source)

Glenn Beck Just finished The Coddling of the American mind by @glukianoff Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. Insightful. Straight forward and very helpful. A book that not only correctly identifies what ails us but also gives practical steps to cure. MUST READ (Source)

Nonviolent Communication

A Language of Life

Marshall B. Rosenberg, Deepak Chopra | 4.10

Satya Nadella Upon becoming CEO, Nadella confronted Microsoft’s legendarily combative culture by urging his new reports to read this book, which preaches the power of empathy, self-awareness, and authenticity in collaboration in the workplace, at home, and beyond. Like many of his favorites, it was first recommended to him by his wife, Anu: “I’m heavily influenced by the books she reads more than the books I... (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz Seek first to understand. (Source)

Esther Perel I think that this book is a classic for anyone who is thinking relationships. (Source)

How to Make Better Decisions

Dan Heath, Chip,Heath | 4.09

Cristian-Dragos Baciu So for business related books, the one that I think had the most impact for me was Decisive: How to make better choices in life and work, by Chip & Dan Heath. [...] The reason I enjoyed their work so much is because they offer real-life stories and insights that makes it so much easier for the reader to imprint that information in his mind. (Source)

Sean Mallon It looks at what hinders great decision making, and how to improve any decisions you make. Any entrepreneur knows how crucial their decisions in business are (and how devastating indecision can be). Decisive helps the reader to understand how good decisions are made, what key elements to look for, and how to make your choices better and quicker. (Source)

Julia Galef Explains four of the biggest judgment errors [...] and gives tips for combating them. (Source)

A More Beautiful Question

The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas

Warren Berger | 4.08

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.08

Bill Gates Harari is such a stimulating writer that even when I disagreed, I wanted to keep reading and thinking. All three of his books wrestle with some version of the same question: What will give our lives meaning in the decades and centuries ahead? So far, human history has been driven by a desire to live longer, healthier, happier lives. If science is eventually able to give that dream to most people,... (Source)

Brajesh Kumar Singh Harari, currently, the world's best historian and future analyst, is a gay! He is a Jew and writes his books in Hebrew! Got universal acclaim for his first book Sapiens, followed by Homo Deus and now the latest, 21 lessons for the 21st century! Salute to this genius, keep it up! https://t.co/s7R6oEbwiN (Source)

Eh Bee Family @harari_yuval This book is amazing. After every chapter...I pause...then freak out...then gather myself and keep reading. (Source)

Superforecasting

The Art and Science of Prediction

Philip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardner | 4.08

Sheil Kapadia Read the book Superforecasting, had a great conversation with @bcmassey and came up with seven ideas for how NFL teams can try to find small edges during the draft process. Would love to hear feedback on this one. https://t.co/PdN1fKCagl (Source)

Julia Galef [Has] some good advice on how to improve your ability to make accurate predictions. (Source)

The Magic of Reality

How We Know What's Really True

Richard Dawkins | 4.08

Bill Gates Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist at Oxford, has a gift for making science enjoyable. This book is as accessible as the TV series Cosmos is for younger audiences—and as relevant for older audiences. It’s an engaging, well-illustrated science textbook offering compelling answers to big questions, like “how did the universe form?” and “what causes earthquakes?” It’s also a plea for readers of all... (Source)

Vote Dem For The Planet @EJDuboisL7444 @realDonaldTrump It’s a great book, like all Dawkins’ books. (Source)

The Shock Doctrine

The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

Naomi Klein | 4.08

George Monbiot The Shock Doctrine explains some of the mechanisms by which patrimonial capital acquires power and enhances its wealth. It’s a brilliant piece of work, and one of those rare books that changes the way you perceive the world. (Source)

Mat Whitecross It starts with the theory that moments of crisis have been utilised by the right wing in the US and other countries to manipulate people into following their agenda. (Source)

Donna Dickenson Naomi Klein’s argument is that capitalism actually requires deliberately engineered shocks to the economic systems. (Source)

Algorithms to Live By

The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths | 4.08

Sriram Krishnan @rabois @nealkhosla Yes! Love that book (Source)

Chris Oliver This is a great book talking about how you can use computer science to help you make decisions in life. How do you know when to make a decision on the perfect house? Car? etc? It helps you apply algorithms to making those decisions optimally without getting lost. (Source)

Judgment Under Uncertainty

Heuristics and biases.

Daniel Kahneman | 4.07

Jonah Lehrer This is one of the most influential books in modern economics. (Source)

Adam Robinson This study should be taught at every business school in the country. (Source)

The Blind Watchmaker

Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

Richard Dawkins | 4.06

James Randi They talk about the blind watchmaker not being able to make a watch, but if you’re given an almost infinite number of combinations and permutations of materials and situations, the world will come about. Or it may not. In our case, it came about. You’re here, I’m here, and I’m very happy about that. (Source)

Jerry Coyne If I had to pick just one self-contained book that lays out Dawkins’s philosophy and methodology, and shows his literary skills, I would have to pick this one. (Source)

Tom Clarke Dawkins brought Darwin up to date, explaining evolution in a way that incorporates our understanding of genetics and heredity. (Source)

This Will Make You Smarter

New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking

John Brockman | 4.06

Think Smarter

Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills

Michael Kallet | 4.06

The Believing Brain

From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

MICHAEL SHERMER | 4.05

The Shallows

What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

Nicholas Carr | 4.05

Juliette Aristides Nicholas Carr talks at length about what is gained and lost by technological progress. Reading and writing enlarged people’s sympathetic response and enriched their lives even when the book was put aside. One could say the same thing about drawing. (Source)

Andra Zaharia While I was thinking of the best books to add to this short list, I realized that not even half of them are directly related to digital marketing. This is because I believe that the best marketers are people who understand human nature deeply and aim to bring out the best in it. Call me naive, but that’s how I see it. If I were to want to pursue a career in marketing, I’d read [...] The Shallows. (Source)

How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients

Ben Goldacre | 4.04

Tools for Smart Thinking

Richard Nisbett | 4.04

The Drunkard's Walk

How Randomness Rules Our Lives

Leonard Mlodinow | 4.03

David Spiegelhalter This is a general introduction to the history of probability and the way it comes into everyday life. It intersperses the historical development with modern applications, and looks at finance, sport, gambling, lotteries and coincidences. (Source)

Gabriel Coarna Leonard Mlodinow's "The Drunkarkd's Walk" -more precisely, the section on the "Monty Hall" problem- totally changed how I look-at/think-about probabilities and choices in general; this has impacted almost every real-life choice I've made since I read this book. (Source)

Don't Believe Everything You Think

The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking

Thomas E. Kida | 4.03

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.03

Sam Freedman @mrianleslie (Also I agree What the Dog Saw is his best book). (Source)

Merchants of Doubt

How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming

Erik M Conway | 4.03

Elon Musk I recommend people read a book called Merchants of Doubt. All they need to do is create doubt. (Source)

Trick or Treatment

The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine

Edzard Ernst, Simon Singh | 4.03

Jennifer Gunter @EdzardErnst @SLSingh Fantastic book. Really. Thank you for writing it!! (Source)

Stephen Law I really like this book. It’s a modern classic of the sceptic movement. Simon Singh is an excellent science writer. Edzard Ernst is the world’s first professor of complementary medicine. Well he was, Ernst is retired now. He started out convinced that there was some truth to the claims made by homeopathy and some other alternative practices. He was trained as a homeopath and he was a practising... (Source)

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Thomas S. Kuhn and Ian Hacking | 4.02

Mark Zuckerberg It's a history of science book that explores the question of whether science and technology make consistent forward progress or whether progress comes in bursts related to other social forces. I tend to think that science is a consistent force for good in the world. I think we'd all be better off if we invested more in science and acted on the results of research. I'm excited to explore this... (Source)

Tim O'Reilly The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn. Kuhn introduced the term "paradigm shift" to describe the changeover from Ptolemaic to Copernican astronomy. But the book is far more than a classic in the history of science. It's also a book that emphasizes how what we already believe shapes what we see, what we allow ourselves to think. I've always tried to separate seeing itself from... (Source)

Andra Zaharia I’ve gone through quite a few experiences brought on or shaped by what I’ve learned from books. A particularly unexpected one happened in college when our public relations teacher asked us to read a book called The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn. As a humanities student, you can imagine that I wasn’t thrilled I’d have to read a book on science, but what followed blew my mind... (Source)

The Art of Reasoning

An Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

David Kelley | 4.02

How to Change Your Mind

What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

POLLAN MICHAE | 4.02

Daniel Goleman Michael Pollan masterfully guides us through the highs, lows, and highs again of psychedelic drugs. How to Change Your mind chronicles how it’s been a longer and stranger trip than most any of us knew. (Source)

Yuval Noah Harari Changed my mind, or at least some of the ideas held in my mind. (Source)

David Heinemeier Hansson How we get locked into viewing the world, ourselves, and each other in a certain way, and then finding it difficult to relate to alternative perspectives or seeing other angles. Studying philosophy, psychology, and sociology is a way to break those rigid frames we all build over time. But that’s still all happening at a pretty high level of perception. Mind altering drugs, and especially... (Source)

Seeing Like a State

How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed

Professor James C. Scott | 4.02

Marvin Liao I tend to jump from book to book and may switch if I am interested in some new topic. This is a pleasure for me (which I also do benefit work wise from too). It’s quite a random list because I have eclectic interests (or just scatterbrained most likely) on tech business, AI, general global economy, geopolitics, rising Biotech economy & history. I'm basically 15% to 50% into all these books. (Source)

Venkatesh Rao Scott’s book is very important for anybody who wants to have an understanding of how complex modern societies work, why things seem to fail predictably, and what you can do about them, to a limited extent. (Source)

Clare Lockhart Seeing Like A State. He’s quite similar to Dewey in a way. He also sees the state as only a mechanism. But he thinks that the way that the state chooses to count, or the way it chooses to see, will inform how it behaves and what kind of animal it becomes. Scott explains, for example, how in France, in early modern times, the state decided to count two things. It decided to count how much salt... (Source)

Wait, What?

And Life's Other Essential Questions

James E. Ryan and HarperAudi | 4.02

The Greatest Show on Earth

The Evidence for Evolution

Richard Dawkins, Well-illustrated | 4.02

The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment

Thomas Gilovich, Dale Griffin, Daniel Kahneman | 4.02

Matthew Syed This is another really good set of essays in a rapidly growing branch of intellectual enquiry called behavioural economics where they look at the irrationalities in the way that humans behave. I thought this was brilliant. One essay in particular on irrational optimism caught my eye. It’s the idea that individuals who have slightly inflated expectations of their own abilities tend to persevere... (Source)

The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking

Concepts and Tools

Richard Paul, Linda Elder | 4.02

This miniature guide, which has sold more than half a million copies, is widely used in teach and learning, in personal and professional life. It distills the essence of critical thinking into a 23-page, pocket-sized guide. It introduces the interrelated complex of critical thinking concepts and principles implicit in the works of Richard Paul and Linda Elder. This guide is widely used at the college level. It can be used as a critical thinking supplement to any textbook or course.

Being Wrong

Adventures in the Margin of Error

Kathryn Schulz | 4.02

Peter Attia One of the books that considers to be an important read for people interested in his career path. (Source)

Fabrice Grinda I have lots of books to recommend, but they are not related to my career path. The only one that is remotely related is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. That said here are books I would recommend. (Source)

The Portable Atheist

Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

Christopher Hitchens | 4.02

Thinking in Bets

Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts

Annie Duke | 4.01

Charles Duhigg Through wonderful storytelling and sly wit, Annie Duke has crafted the ultimate guide to thinking about risk. We can all learn how to make better decisions by learning from someone who made choices for a living, with millions on the line. (Source)

Marc Andreessen Compact guide to probabilistic domains like poker, or venture capital. Best articulation of "resulting", drawing bad conclusions from confusing process and outcome. Recommend for people operating in the real world. (Source)

Seth Godin Brilliant. Buy ten copies and give one to everyone you work with. It's that good. (Source)

Thank You for Arguing

What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

Jay Heinrichs | 4.01

Angela Pham The attendees in the altMBA program actually influenced me the most in my book purchases: Robin Flaherty persuaded me to buy Thank You For Arguing. (Source)

Teaching Critical Thinking

Practical Wisdom

bell hooks | 4.01

Letter to a Christian Nation

Sam Harris | 4.01

Finite and Infinite Games a Vision of Life as Play and Possibility

James P. Carse | 4.01

Jane McGonigal It’s basically a book about games, but then it turns out it’s about the meaning of life. (Source)

Tom Critchlow @fkpxls Also it made me think of analogies to finite and infinite games. Have you read that book? If not you might enjoy it! (Source)

Kevin Kelly Gave me a mathematical framework for my own spirituality. (Source)

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Charles MacKay | 4.01

Jonah Lehrer A wonderful eclectic history of mass human irrationality, and a great history of financial bubbles. (Source)

Tom Joseph "Do you know who I am"- Trump cries a/b his status, Iran & Obama are panic b4 his bubble pops Mania's will end in panic as noted in a favorite book: Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay. Not a plug-written in 1841 Trumpmania is now Trumpanic https://t.co/WnVGJ8Hung (Source)

John Gapper It’s a very patchy book, but it leads off with three classic financial booms and busts – tulip mania in Holland, the Mississippi scheme in 18th century France, and the South Sea Bubble. MacKay was a journalist with a fine tabloid style, and he writes it all up very entertainingly. He gets the eyewitness quotes and he finds the human foibles. (Source)

Skin in the Game

Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

Nassim Nicholas Taleb | 4.01

Ben Horowitz A book about the dynamics of how large-scale, highly random systems behave. (Source)

Marc Andreessen Skin in the game as conflict of interest, or as attaching one's livelihood to one's speech? Who to listen to, and why. Ideal counterpart to Philip Tetlock's Expert Political Judgment. (Source)

Daniel Kahneman Changed my view of how the world works. (Source)

Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions

James Randi, Isaac Asimov | 4.01

Richard Wiseman This book had a huge impact on me when I first came across it, because it was the first time I’d seen a whole volume which wasn’t taking any nonsense. (Source)

Why Evolution Is True

Jerry A. Coyne | 4.01

An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

Ali Almossawi, Alejandro Giraldo | 4.00

Beyond Feelings

Vincent Ruggiero | 4.00

The Power of the Socratic Classroom

Students. Questions. Dialogue. Learning.

Charles Ames Fischer | 4.00

Best Books on Critical Thinking

Dive into the realm of logic and reason with this collection – the most recommended books on critical thinking, curated based on frequent recommendations from leading book blogs and publications..