Charlie Jones said “The only difference between where you are today, and where you’ll be a year from today, are the books you read and the people you meet.” Since I started reading voluntarily at the age of 14, books have had a huge influence on my life. Most of the books below are ones I’ve read multiple times, dog-eared dozens of pages in, and given as gifts. They and their authors have shaped who I’ve become.

Time Management, Career, Behavior, and Health

Mastery, by Robert Greene

The Startup of You, by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha

The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Body, by Tim Ferriss

The Power of Full Engagement, by Tony Schwartz

Philosophy, Pyschology, and Worldview

Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius

Letters from a Stoic, by Seneca

Tao te Ching, by Lao Tzu

As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

How We Fall in Love, by Paul Dobransky

The 50th Law, by Robert Greene and 50 Cent

Books that Have Inspired Me to Lead and Serve

Rules for Radicals, by Saul Alinsky

Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder

Acts of Faith, by Eboo Patel

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

One Day All Children, by Wendy Kopp

Our America: Life & Death on the South Side of Chicago, by LeAlan Jones & Lloyd Newman

Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets, by Sudhir Venkatesh

Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, by Sanyika Shakur

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X

The Leadership Dojo: Build Your Foundation as an Exemplary Leader, by Richard Strozzi-Heckler

In Search of the Warrior Spirit: Teaching Awareness Disciplines to the Green Berets, by Richard Strozzi-Heckler

On the Warrior’s Path, by Daniele Bolelli

The Heart and the Fist: the Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL, by Eric Grietens

Power and Love, by Adam Kahane

Books that Just Plain Spoke to Me

Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk

Lullaby, by Chuck Palahniuk

A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller

White Fang, by Jack London

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

Philosophy, Psychology and Worldview

Principles, by Ray Dalio

The Art of Peace, by Morihei Ueshiba

Mastery, by George Leonard

Choose Yourself, by James Altucher

Linchpin, by Seth Godin

Tribes, by Seth Godin

Ikigai, by Sebastian Marshall

On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History, by Thomas Carlyle

Antifragile, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Bed of Procrustes, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Assault on Reason, by Al Gore

Money, Economy, and Capital

The Soul of Money, by Lynne Twist

The Generosity Network, by Jennifer McCrea and Jeffrey Walker

Predictable Revenue, by Aaron Ross and MaryLou Tyler

How Much is Enough? Money and the Good Life, by Robert and Edward Skidelsky

What Money Can’t Buy: the Moral Limits of Markets, by Michael Sandel

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi

Title Photo Credit: flickr