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19 Best Computer Science Books for IT Students and Pros

Computer science is a broad and constantly evolving field — and that can make it feel overwhelming. 

Where do you start if you want to learn more? 

We’ve taken a look at some of the best computer science books and created a list for both beginners and IT professionals alike. These books serve as introductions, refreshers, and deeper explorations into the philosophies and real-world applications of computer science and programming .

• Top Computer Science Books

You’re looking for the top computer science books. But first, you need to remember that computer science is a vast field. The top computer science books, including computer science audiobooks, will usually touch upon an array of skills, ranging from game development to systems administration.

Today, data analysis, cybersecurity, and programming are three of the fastest-growing disciplines within computer science. But computer science is much more than those three disciplines, as well. So, the best computer science books for beginners will usually be fairly broad in scope — from there, you can look for books in your areas of interest. 

• The Best Books for Computer Science Majors

Computer science majors need to learn a little about everything. Perhaps you’re still getting your degree — or maybe you’re trying to decide whether you even want a computer science degree. These are the best books for computer science majors who are still exploring the basic principles of computer science, coding, and administration.

1. The Self-Taught Computer Scientist (Cory Althoff, 2021)

Looking for the best books to learn computer science as someone with an intermediate background? An important beginner’s guide, The Self-Taught Computer Scientist is a great choice. It’s also a sequel to The Self-Taught Programmer. Both of these are excellent introductions to the discipline by an expert programmer and computer scientist. In this book, you’ll learn more about not only being a better programmer but also about how to ace programming job interviews. This book is perfect for those preparing to apply for jobs in the field, especially those who are moving from college to the workforce.

What You’ll Learn:

• Data structures
• Technical interviews and interview questions
• Principles such as search trees and imported libraries

2. The Computer Science Book: A Complete Introduction (Thomas Johnson, 2024)

You can find everything you need to know about computer science in a single book: this one! The Computer Science Book is a perfect review for those who have finished college, a great introduction for those who are just starting college, and a supplement for those beginning a computer science career. This lengthy book covers countless computer science topics, from databases to operating systems. 

• The theory of computation
• Concurrent programming
• Programming languages
• Distributed systems
• Compilers and interpreters
• Operating systems

Computer Science 101: Master the Theory Behind Programming

3. The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution (T.R. Reid, 2001)

No discipline is complete without an overview of history. This book tells the story of Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce, and their discovery of the silicon microchip — the culmination of their pursuit to make computers smaller and faster. In The Chip , T.R. Reid walks us through the history of the microchip and its consequences. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of the computer revolution, the principles and philosophies behind it, and its economic drivers. 

• The history of the Nobel Prize-winning microchip
• How the information industry exploded 
• How the numbers barrier was conquered

4. The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies (Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, 2016)

In this book, the two authors from MIT discuss the ramifications of new technologies and the impact they’ll have on the world. This book is an important overview of how computer science actually impacts the world, its importance to society at large, and the potential consequences of using technology unwisely. An optimistic, beautiful look at the true power behind computer science, this book is an inspiration for computer majors and those who are considering the industry.

• How professions will change in the future.
• How data sets can transform entire industries
• How you can prepare for the “second machine age”

5. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution (Walter Isaacson, 2014)

In The Innovators , Walter Isaacson digs back into history to identify the driving forces behind the digital revolution. Walter discusses historical figures from Ada Lovelace to Larry Page, exploring how inventors and entrepreneurs shaped the field of computer science. Not only does this book showcase how the computer science industry has changed over time, but also how entrepreneurship, innovation, and teamwork have continued to shape the computer science industry in the modern era.

• A history of computer science
• How innovation and entrepreneurship fundamentally altered the landscape
• What has separated inventors and entrepreneurs from the rest

6. Everything You Need to Know to Ace Computer Science and Coding (Workman Publishing, 2024)

From kids to teens, Everything You Need to Know to Ace Computer Science and Coding is the perfect book series for those who want to start learning early. This is a great gift book for someone who is heading into a computer science major, particularly those within the first two years of the discipline. This book is nearly 600 pages long, covering the intricacies of what computer science is , what a computer scientist can expect to do, and which specializations they might choose.

What You’ll Learn: 

• The foundations of computing systems
• Binary code and algorithms
• Loops, events, and procedures
• The basics of Python, HTML, and CSS
• Web development
• Cybersecurity
• The Best Computer Science Books for Developers

When many people think of computer science, they think of programming and development — but other disciplines like cybersecurity and systems administration also exist. The best books for programmers and developers generally cover either overall programming theory or the basics of a specific language. 

7. A Programmer’s Guide to Computer Science (Dr. William Springer, 2019)

Ideal for bootcamp graduates, self-taught programmers, and college students, A Programmer’s Guide to Computer Science distills everything that a programmer or developer needs to understand about the field. This book covers the core fundamentals of computer science and speaks to what people need to know to decide whether this is the right path for them. This book is ideal for those who are still exploring the field or just getting started.

• The basics of computer science for self-taught programmers
• Algorithms, data structures, and data management
• Problem-solving techniques and complexity theory

8. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software (Charles Petzold, 2000)

Though an older book, Code is an excellent introduction to programming and development. Code digs deep into how programming works, covering its foundations and philosophies as well. This book is a must-read for those who are just digging deep into understanding how programming actually works, including real-world examples. Since it uses many illustrated examples, everyday objects, and real-world scenarios, it’s great for those struggling to bridge the gap between abstract coding and real problems.

• The fundamental logic behind programming problems
• How programming is used to affect our world
• How computers interact with each other

9. C Programming Absolute Beginner’s Guide (Greg Perry, 2013)

Many programmers today began learning with either C or Java . Though C is a few decades old, it’s still an incredibly important language, as it’s considered foundational for many disciplines. Once you know C, it’s easy enough to learn about other programming languages. The C Programming Absolute Beginner’s Guide gives you everything you need to know about programming in C, even if you’ve never programmed before. 

• The best free C programming tools
• How C programs are written and designed
• How to generate output and read input
• Controlling programs through testing
• Using loops and other techniques

10. Code Complete (Steve McConnell, 2004)

Code Complete can be seen as a technical manual for programming. Though it may be two decades old now, it digs more into the philosophy and architecture of programming rather than any specific language. This is a great book for both beginners and more advanced programmers who want to learn more about the discipline. Ultimately, most coding is just logic, and logical problems can be solved in logical ways — absent any programming syntax.

• Complexity-based design
• Collaborative development
• Defensive programming techniques
• Problem debugging

11. The Pragmatic Programmer (Andrew Hunt, 1999)

Though it was written a while back, The Pragmatic Programmer is an important book about the basic analysis and structure of programming. This is a great starting point for those who need to know about programming but don’t want to have to dig into a specific language. The Pragmatic Programmer will tell you more about writing clean, elegant code. 

• The core processes of software development
• Writing flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code
• Automating code with greater precision

12. Algorithms 4th Edition (Robert Sedgewick, 2011)

Using Java, this book presents basic algorithms that both analysts and programmers will need to know. Perhaps most importantly, Algorithms is a no-fuss manual that just covers algorithms. There is a companion website for the book hosted by Princeton that also includes code tests. This is the perfect manual for those who are digging into programming and those who are preparing for interview questions.

• Java implementations
• Test data, exercises, and answers
• Dynamic visualizations
• Programming assignments and checklists
• The Best Computer Science Books for Data Scientists

Data science is one of the fastest-growing and developing fields of computer science. The best data science books look into the fundamentals of data science, its evolution, and its philosophies.

13. Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions (Brian Christian, 2017)

How are algorithms able to help us understand people? In Algorithms to Live By , the author Brian Christian pairs with a cognitive scientist to better understand how technology is used to understand behaviors and decisions. Algorithms to Live By is perfect for those looking to go into data analytics, data science, or even marketing.

• How data science is used to untangle human questions
• Developing algorithms for real-time problems
• When things cannot be effectively analyzed.

14. The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture (John Battele, 2006)

Really a history book, The Search talks about how Google was able to achieve supremacy within the search engine market. On a deeper level, The Search covers how search engines operate and how they impact business and decision-making processes. The search digs very deeply into the history of Google’s algorithm and how its analytics radically changed the playing field forever.

• How the Google search engine was developed
• The ramifications of search engines in decision-making
• How search engine algorithms and analytics function

 15. Programming Collective Intelligence (Toby Segaran, 2007)

In this book, Python is used to outline methods by which intelligence can be programmed. It includes filtering techniques, evolving intelligence, problem-solving, search engine algorithms, and much more. This is a book that is ideal for those who are trying to learn the fundamentals of machine learning — those who want to see actual examples of how this is used. 

• How to design databases and web applications
• How data sets can be mined and analyzed
• How statistics can be analyzed and understood

16. Machine Learning for Hackers: Case Studies and Algorithms to Get You Started (Drew Conway and John Myles White, 2012) 

In Machine Learning for Hackers , programmers interested in data management, analysis, and machine learning will find out more about how to implement these structures. This is designed for those who have relatively in-depth knowledge of programming already, and for those who are moving into programming from other backgrounds, such as business, government, or academic research.

• How machine learning is used in the real world
• How to predict things using machine learning
• Optimization techniques and ciphers
• Statistical analysis and recommendation systems
• The Best Computer Science Books for Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is another swiftly growing discipline in the tech world, in part because its challenges today are greater than ever. Cybersecurity is significantly different from programming, development, and data science, although it does have some crossover — which means those who are interested in cybersecurity or network administration will be reading different books.

17. Cybersecurity for Beginners (Raef Meeuwisse, 2017)

Cybersecurity for Beginners covers the essentials of cybersecurity for those who are just getting into the field or those who have a non-technical background. Today, cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility and it intersects with everyone’s life, from securing your email passwords to your bank accounts. This presents cybersecurity in an easy to comprehend way, without a lot of jargon or difficult concepts.

• The basic principles of cybersecurity
• What makes cybersecurity so essential
• Why cybersecurity is steadily becoming more of a challenge

18. Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking (Christopher Hadnagy, 2018)

A lot of cybersecurity isn’t about systems but rather about people. It’s people who represent the most significant vulnerabilities within systems. And it’s people who are hardest to defend against. Social engineering governs a type of cyberattack that uses people rather than machines; just convincing someone to give you their password can be much easier than trying to hack a system. This book covers the ins and outs of social engineering and what makes it so dangerous.

• Common social engineering techniques
• Defenses against social engineering
• How social engineering is evolving

19. The Hacking Guide for Beginners: A Step by Step Guide (Ramon Nastase, 2018)

Who knows hacking better than hackers? In Introduction to Hacking , also referred to as The Hacking Guide for Beginners , Ramon Nastase goes through the most common methods of hacking from a hacker’s perspective. That includes the basics of Kali Linux (a security and hacker-based system), cybersecurity, Google hacking, and WordPress hacking. If you want to become a white hat hacker or just secure your own systems, this is a great book for you.

• The basics of hacking
• Kali Linux, WordPress security, and Google hacking
• Cryptography, digital signatures, and hiding your tracks
• Beyond the Top Computer Science Books

Above, we’ve covered some of the best books on computer science. But even with the best computer science books, you generally need some real-world experience. Quite a few programmers, developers, cybersecurity experts, and network administrators are self-taught individuals who either learned through practice or on the job.

While a book is a great introduction, it must be combined with work.  If you want to learn more about computer science, don’t stop with computer science books. Consider getting an online computer science degree , attending a computer science bootcamp , or just starting a few beginner’s lessons. Over time, you’ll get a feel for how you want your career to look.

11 Best Online Free Coding Bootcamps

Jenna Inouye currently works at Google and has been a full-stack developer for two decades, specializing in web application design and development. She is a tech expert with a B.S. in Information & Computer Science and MCITP certification. For the last eight years, she has worked as a news and feature writer focusing on technology and finance, with bylines in Udemy, SVG, The Gamer, Productivity Spot, and Spreadsheet Point.

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10 Best Research Books For Qualitative And Quantitative Research

Research books are designed to help you improve your research skills and conduct studies more effectively. So, if you’re on the hunt for research materials, check out our collection of the best research books!

Research methodology comes in many shapes and forms. Regardless of whether you are interested in qualitative or quantitative research, it is essential to find a book that can help you plan your research project adequately.

Research design can vary from hard sciences to social sciences, but data analysis following a case study is usually similar. Therefore, you need a practical guide that can help you complete a research project and finish your research paper—interested in this field of topic? You’ll love our round-up of the best books for quantum physics !

1. Qualitative Research: A Guide To Design And Implementation, 4th Edition

2. research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, 4th edition, 3. the research methods knowledge base, 3rd edition, 4. the craft of research, 5. doing your research project: open up study skills, 5th edition, 6. qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches, 3rd edition, 7. the essential guide to doing your research project, 2nd edition, 8. introducing research methodology: a beginner’s guide to doing a research project, 2nd edition, 9. the sage handbook of qualitative research, 5th edition, 10. research methods in education, 7th edition, the final word on the best research books, what is the difference between quantitative research and qualitative research, how do i figure out which academic journal to publish my research in.

Unlimited access to more than 5,500 nonfiction bestsellers. Free trial available.

Popular Research Books to Read

When someone talks about qualitative research in academia, they refer to research that focuses on overall concepts and takeaways instead of complex numbers. For those conducting academic research, understanding the basics of this process is critical. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation , by Sharan B. Merriam and Elizabeth J. Tisdell, 4th edition, is one of the best books available because it focuses on action research, mixed methods, online data sources, and some of the latest technology that people can use to complete their projects.

A significant portion of this book focuses on data analysis software packages, which have become critically important in an era where publishing in the best academic journals is critical for every successful researcher. Finally, this book explains topics so that nearly everyone can understand.

Suppose you are looking for a book that can teach you the best research methodology. In that case, you will want to check out Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches by John W. Creswell, 4th edition. John Creswell is one of the most well-respected writers in case study research.

As books on how to research go, this one on quantitative and qualitative research methods is a great tool that will help you learn the basics of forming a research project in every field. This book covers philosophical assumptions and research projects, theory and research approaches, and conducts an effective literature review. These elements are also crucial in helping you form a step-by-step guide for your upcoming research project, and this book will teach you the basics of data analysis.

The first two editions were already solid, but the third edition of The Research Methods Knowledge Base , by William M.K. Trochim and James P. Donnelly, features many updates to quantitative and qualitative research methods, teaching graduate students the basics of data collection before diving into the details for more advanced learners.

One of the significant advantages of this text is that it is a comprehensive tool that can be used for both undergraduate and graduate-level courses. It has a relatively informal style and conversational feel, which means readers will not be intimidated by walls of text. The research methods it teaches are straightforward, applicable, and relevant to anyone looking to complete a research project in the current era.

The Craft of Research , by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory C. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, covers various research approaches that teach everyone the basics of forming a solid research project. In particular, this book focuses on what to do with the data after it has been collected.

People need to think about how their readers will interpret the structure of the paper, proactively anticipating questions they might have. By answering the reader’s questions in the initial version of the paper, it is easier to hold their attention from start to finish.

Of course, one of the most critical questions that must be asked when writing a research paper is, “so, what? Why does this information matter?” Researchers can keep this in mind while writing the introduction and conclusion of the paper so they will have an easier time constructing a powerful academic manuscript that is more likely to be accepted into the top academic journals.

Doing Your Research Project: Open Up Study Skills , by Judith Bell, is a must-read for new researchers looking to make their way in academic research. This book is helpful because it teaches people how to conduct a research project using step-by-step advice. A research project can be daunting for new learners because it’s easy to focus on the final project and feel intimidated before taking the first step.

This book is indispensable because it teaches people everything they need to know to develop a research project, draft a hypothesis, carry out the project, and finalize a research paper after conducting detailed data analysis. Furthermore, this text will dive into common mistakes, pitfalls, and obstacles researchers need to overcome. Time is your most valuable resource, and nobody wants to spend time on trials that will not be relevant to the final project.

Qualitative Inquiry And Research Design: Choose Among Five Approaches , 3rd Edition, Is The Latest In A Line Of Best-Selling Research Books From Creswell. This Book Ties Into People’s Philosophical Underpinnings When Developing A Research Project. It Also Looks At The History Of Various Research Projects, Which Serve As An Example For The Reader.

Overall, there are five traditions in qualitative research; grounded theory, phenomenology, narrative research, case study, and ethnography. Creswell uses an accessible writing style to help the reader understand when to use each of these narratives. Then, he dives into strategies for writing research papers using each of these approaches.

The Essential Guide To Doing Your Research Project by Zina O’Leary is geared more toward young learners. As books on how to research, it focuses on how to develop a research project, analyze data, and write up the results. Every stage of the book is clearly explained, with the author specifying why it is essential to carry out that step correctly.

It also focuses on practical tips and tricks that learners can use to successfully carry out their research projects. The book includes helpful chapter summaries, a complete glossary, and boxed definitions for essential terms that should not be overlooked. The author also has a variety of suggestions for further reading, which is helpful for more advanced learners who may want to pick up a text that is a bit more detailed. Finally, the book also comes with access to a companion website. The website includes journal articles, real projects, worksheets, and podcasts.

Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to doing a research project, by Uwe Flick is ideal for new researchers. the author guides readers through the fundamentals that underpin a strong research project. He focuses on essential steps, common mistakes, and ways to expedite the research process.

Then, the author dives into some of the most critical skills readers need to have if they want to collect and analyze data properly. he goes into basic organizational tactics that make data easier to interpret, explains how to shorten the analytical process, and dives into real-life quantitative and qualitative research methods. He uses his research as an example, explaining to people how to pull out the essential parts of the research project before writing them up.

The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln focuses on global research. This text teaches readers how to synthesize existing literature, identify current research, and focus on caps that can be filled. the authors gather contributions from some of the most well-renowned researchers, addressing issues in research projects today. This text focuses more on research regarding social justice therefore, this is better for people in the social sciences.

Research Methods in Education , by Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manon, and Keith Morrison, is essential for students and professional researchers who want to learn how to create a comprehensive research project. It’s broken up into helpful chapters wrapped up by a convenient summary at the end, explaining to readers how to hit the high points.

Research Methods in Education also comes with a helpful companion website that contains PowerPoint slides for every chapter. This book can be read independently and discussed with a classroom full of students. The book has been written at a level that is accessible even to high school students, but the basics can be a helpful review for graduate researchers.

Academic research comes in many shapes and forms, with qualitative and quantitative research having high points; however, the basics are the same across all fields. Researchers need to learn how to develop a hypothesis, put together a research methodology, collect their data, interpret it, and write up their findings.

It can be helpful to use the books about research above to refine your research methods . Each book focuses on a slightly different facet of academic research, so readers need to find the right book to meet their needs. With a substantial text, readers can avoid common mistakes, follow in the footsteps of successful researchers, and increase their chances of writing a solid research paper for school or getting their paper accepted into an academic journal.

Books About Research FAQs

Quantitative research focuses more on numbers and statistics. This type of research is more common in hard sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Qualitative research focuses more on overall meanings and concepts. This type of research is more common in social sciences such as anthropology, archaeology, and research topics focusing on social justice.

It would help compare prior articles in that academic journal to the article you have written. Most academic journals focus on a specific field, and you need to submit your article to a publication that shares research articles similar to your own. Be sure to consider the prestige of the journal before submitting your paper.

If you enjoyed this round-up of the best research books, you might also like our top 11 essay writing tips for students .

10 must-read technology books for 2022

How do you  keep up with technology change , given the rapid pace of tech advances? For CIOs and IT leaders who are looking to improve their tech skills or want to learn about the latest developments, we’ve pulled together a reading list for 2022.

Peruse these titles for a thorough dive into key technologies and the related business and leadership challenges that your organizations may encounter.

1.  The Age of A.I.  

By Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher

Book description (via Amazon) : "Three of the world’s most accomplished and deep thinkers come together to explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the way it is transforming human society – and what this technology means for us all. AI is coming online in searching, streaming, medicine, education, and many other fields and, in so doing, transforming how humans are experiencing reality."

Why you should read it : IT leaders who are looking for an AI roadmap to our present and our future will find this book useful. One five-star reviewer noted, "this is one of the first books that outlines the consequences of not paying attention to how AI has already entered our lives and will shape our futures. Big ideas and an invitation to take ownership with our historical sovereignty and realize that history will no longer be shaped by our individual will, but by a 'partnership' with AI. Hopefully this will be seen as a collaboration rather than a competition."

[ Working on your communication skills? Read also:  9 must-read books to make you a stronger communicator.  ]

2.  Doing Agile Right: Transformation without Chaos  

By Darrell K. Rigby, Sarah Elk, and Steve Berez

Book description (via HBR):  "Agile has the power to transform work – but only if it’s implemented the right way. For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge chasm: They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit."

[ Learn the non-negotiable skills, technologies, and processes CIOs are leaning on to build resilience and agility in this HBR Analytic Services report:  Pillars of resilient digital transformation: How CIOs are driving organizational agility . ]

Why you should read it:  CIOs aiming to sustain high agility in their organizations will discover in this read that balance is key. You’ll learn about the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile’s rise to prominence. Discover the potential to transform your company and catapult to the head of the pack when you read this book.

3.  Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility  

By David Weinberger

Book description (via HBR):  "Artificial intelligence, big data, modern science, and the internet are all revealing a fundamental truth: The world is vastly more complex and unpredictable than we’ve allowed ourselves to see. Now that technology is enabling us to take advantage of all the chaos it’s revealing, our understanding of how things happen is changing – and with it our deepest strategies for predicting, preparing for, and managing our world."

Why you should read it:  IT professionals looking for inspiration to create possibilities versus simply participating via current tools will find this imperative reading. Being faced with uncertainty and accepting that we know very little allows organizations to confront the vastness of computer generated learning. This book can help leaders find opportunities in the chaos. 

4.  Technology & Society: Second Edition  

Edited by Deborah G. Johnson and Jameson M. Wetmore

Book description (via MIT):  "Writings by thinkers ranging from Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain to Bruno Latour that focus on the interconnections of technology, society, and values. Technological change does not happen in a vacuum; decisions about which technologies to develop, fund, market, and use engage ideas about values as well as calculations of costs and benefits. In order to influence the development of technology for the better, we must first understand how technology and society are inextricably bound together. Many of the texts illustrate how race and gender are intertwined with technology."

Why you should read it:  IT leaders who read this book can examine how people shape technology and how technology shapes people, with visions of the future that range from technological utopias to cautionary tales. Gary Lee Downey, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Virginia Tech says, "Technologies infuse our lives even as they are always filled with our values. This carefully crafted collection helps readers to analyze and reflect critically on our own relationships with technologies, recognizing them as having both technical and social contents. What do you want your relationships with technologies to be? Which values? Which technologies? Dive into this book to figure out how you and your technologies might travel better together.”

5.  Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators  

By Susanne Tedrick

Book description (via Amazon):  "Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators seeks to help women of color overcome the obstacles that prevent them from pursuing and staying in tech careers. Contrary to popular belief, tech careers are diverse and fun – and they go far beyond just coding. This book will show you that today’s tech careers are incredibly dynamic, and you’ll learn how your soft skills – communication, public speaking, networking – can help you succeed in tech."

Why you should read it:  CIOs and IT leaders should be cultivating strong relationships and building networks with young women of color to support and encourage their tech careers. This book offers practical advice and inspiring stories to help develop the right mindset to nurture women of color and help them take their careers to the next level.

6.  Kubernetes Security and Observability  

By Brendan Creane, Amit Gupta

Book description (via O’Reilly):  "Securing, observing, and troubleshooting containerized workloads on Kubernetes can be daunting. It requires a range of considerations, from infrastructure choices and cluster configuration to deployment controls and runtime and network security. Whether you’re already working on cloud-native applications or are in the process of migrating to its architecture, this guide introduces key security and observability concepts and best practices to help you unleash the power of cloud-native applications."

Why you should read it:  In this book, IT leaders will be introduced to key security and observability concepts and best practices to help unleash the power of cloud-native applications and explore the technology choices available to support their organizations. You'll gain practical advice on how to adopt a holistic security and observability strategy for building and securing cloud-native applications running on Kubernetes. 

[ Want to learn more about building and deploying Kubernetes Operators? Get the free O'Reilly eBooks: Kubernetes Operators: Automating the Container Orchestration Platform and  Kubernetes patterns for designing cloud-native apps . ]

7.  Communicating with Data  

By Carl Allchin

Book description (via O’Reilly):  "Data is a fantastic raw resource for powering change in an organization, but all too often the people working in those organizations don’t have the necessary skills to communicate with data effectively. With this practical book, subject matter experts will learn ways to develop strong, persuasive points when presenting data to different groups in their organizations. Once both your business and data experts possess the skills to work with data and interpret its significance, you can deal with questions and challenges in departments across your organization."

Why you should read it:  CIOs and IT professionals can get advice on how to find data sources and develop data analytics. More advanced data experts will learn how to visualize data to convey findings to key business leaders more effectively.

8.  The Economics of Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation: The theorems, laws, and empowerments to guide your organization’s digital transformation  

By Bill Schmarzo

Book description (via Amazon):  "Build a continuously learning and adapting organization that can extract increasing levels of business, customer, and operational value from the amalgamation of data and advanced analytics such as AI and Machine Learning. The book will help you accelerate and optimize your company’s operations through AI and machine learning. By the end of the book, you will have the tools and techniques to drive your organization’s digital transformation."

Why you should read it:  IT leaders working on understanding the economics of Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation will find actionable insights for their organizations. One reviewer said, "This is the best treatment of the subject matter I have read so far. Firstly, [Bill's] general economic principles and 'laws' can be tailored to your organizational context. Secondly, he shows the vital connection between data, insight and transformation: in effect, establishing the digital basis for the closed loop of business analytics and business growth. A great book for anyone in the organization, including and especially senior management, to understand the economic rationale and drivers behind today's focus on transformative IT."

9.  Everybody wants to rule the world  

by R. “Ray” Wang

Book description (via Amazon):  "Drawing on considerable original research and case studies from Wang’s acclaimed firm, Constellation Research, this groundbreaking guide reveals which kinds of companies will thrive and which will get crushed by the powerful forces now at work. Ultimately, you will understand how the business world is changing in the face of extreme competition, and, most importantly, you will learn how to adapt now to stay relevant and in demand."

Why you should read it:  City of Asheville, N.C. CIO and Frost & Sullivan CIO Impact Award winner  Jonathan Feldman  recommends this book for CIOs and IT leaders because, “It lays out a foundation of how to survive and thrive in the new economy ruled by tech giants – even though the tech giants appear to have the upper hand.” Leaders looking to adapt and change their businesses to thrive among digital giants will gain an understanding of what's needed to stay on top.

10.  Beyond Digital: How Great Leaders Transform Their Organizations and Shape the Future  

by Paul Leinwand and Mahadeva Matt Mani

Book description (via HBR):  "Two world-renowned strategists detail the seven leadership imperatives for transforming companies in the new digital era. Digital transformation is critical. But winning in today’s world requires more than digitization. It requires understanding that the nature of competitive advantage has shifted – and that being digital is not enough."

Why you should read it:  IT leaders and CIOs looking to identify solid leadership tips for the evolving digital age can take inspiration from the book to define a bolder purpose and transform their organizations.

[ Where is your team's digital transformation work stalling? Get the eBook:  What's slowing down your Digital Transformation? 8 questions to ask . ]

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Information Systems Research

Foundations, Design and Theory

• © 2023
• Mohammed Ali 0

Salford Business School, University of Salford, Manchester, UK

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• Provides a comprehensive overview of research philosophy and design in contemporary IS research
• Offers a perspective on practical case studies for applying research design in contemporary IS research
• Equips researchers with contemporary skills, knowledge, and techniques for contemporary IS research

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About this book

• research design
• information management
• digital business
• information science
• research philosophy
• global issues

Table of contents (15 chapters)

Front matter, introduction to information systems research concepts, historical background of is research.

Mohammed Ali

Research Philosophies in Social Science and Information Systems Research

Applications of research designs in is research, contemporary is theory and methodological applications, practical applications of information systems research, methodological approaches to studying the multidisciplinary areas of is, application of research methodologies in contemporary information systems research, data collection procedures for contemporary is research, piloting and feasibility studies in is research, analysis procedures and tools for analysing contemporary information systems research, planning for the analysis phase: a framework of data analysis procedures, analytical methods used in contemporary is research, analytical tools used in information management, digital business, ict and information science, ethics and ethical procedures in information systems research, data protection, confidentiality and anonymity, ethical procedures and processes in is research, development of findings and concluding the information systems research project, writing and transferring the findings in is research projects, authors and affiliations, about the author.

Mohammed Ali  is a Lecturer in Digital Business and Information Systems and the programme lead for Business Management with Innovation and Technology at the University of Salford Business School, UK. He is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education with extensive teaching experience. His research interests fall under the socio-technical and system complexities of information systems and digital disruption and he has published widely in the area of digital transformation, digital technologies for higher education, and information systems to facilitate remote work and for managing crisis situations. He is currently involved in various academic projects that aim to promote research-informed teaching in areas such as complex issues in information systems development, systemic practice in information systems action research, sociotechnical issues in information systems adoption and digital innovation and sustainability theories.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Information Systems Research

Book Subtitle : Foundations, Design and Theory

Authors : Mohammed Ali

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25470-3

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan Cham

eBook Packages : Computer Science , Computer Science (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-031-25469-7 Published: 16 September 2023

eBook ISBN : 978-3-031-25470-3 Published: 15 September 2023

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XXV, 256

Number of Illustrations : 7 b/w illustrations, 41 illustrations in colour

Topics : Business Information Systems , Big Data , Operations Research/Decision Theory , Business IT Infrastructure , Computer Science, general

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26 essential book recommendations by and for IT leaders

From discovering the spiritual side of leadership, to unlocking a productive team, to understanding and explaining ai, it leaders share the books that got them thinking and thriving..

Next time you settle into your airline seat, it might be worth setting aside the reports and spreadsheets and instead turn this time into an opportunity for big-picture thinking. Load a smart read onto your phone or e-reader or crack the spine of a new book and delve into some thought leadership on everything from leading an amazing team to building a productive company culture to reaching for a better mindset for guiding your organization forward.

I asked CIOs and other high-level IT leaders what they have read that they think other leaders would benefit from. They shared their book recommendations, for light or deep reading on everything from spirituality to AI, for juicing your brain into action and reflection.

So, if you’re looking to be a better leader, here are just over two dozen books worth adding to your to-be-read pile, recommended by your peers.

On leadership

The seven spiritual laws of success.

By Deepak Chopra

In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success , Deepak Chopra distills his teachings into seven principles that can easily be applied to your daily life. Raffael Marty, EVP and general manager of cybersecurity at ConnectWise, who recommends the title to IT leaders, says it was one of the first spiritual books he has read. The book focuses on discovering your true nature and living in harmony with natural laws to create fulfilling relationships and enthusiasm for life, Marty says.

“Create an environment where people are fulfilled, where they enjoy the relationships they have with each other, and where empathy and gratitude are practiced,” he says, noting a key takeaway he received from the book. “Find fulfillment in what you do. Work from a place of excitement, intention, and ‘pure potentiality,’ as Chopra calls it.”

Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building

By Claire Hughes Johnson

For those looking for in-the-trenches advice on effectively managing resources for growth, John Cannava, CIO of Ping Identity, recommends Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building by Claire Hughes Johnson, who has worked as a leader at Google and Stripe. Consider Johnson’s book a handbook on scaling your organization through its most vital resource: its people. Scaling People includes wisdom on leading as well as worksheets, templates, and exercises to help you get it done.

“As a business scales, it’s important to scale your team along the way,” says Cannava. “This book offers valuable techniques and frameworks. I particularly enjoyed her approach to ‘saying the thing you think you cannot say’ and the ‘player vs. victim’ dynamic.”

Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win 

By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Nageswaran Vaidyanathan, CTO of Duck Creek Technologies, believes any IT leader will benefit from reading Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s  Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win , a book about leadership from the ranks of the US Navy’s elite special operations force, known as the SEALs, for sea, air, land.

In the book, Willink and Babin write of being sent to Ramadi, Iraq — a violent war zone at the time — to secure the city. There they discovered that leadership is the element most essential to team success — even in the worst situations. They returned home to found the SEAL leadership training team.

“It talks about the competencies and leadership traits necessary to take ownership of a team and allow each member to do the same — and be able to make crucial decisions under pressure,” says Vaidyanathan. “I find it to be a great source for how to cultivate the right team competencies and individual leadership traits for dealing with stressful situations.”

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable … About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business

By Patrick Lencioni

Shannon Thomas, CIO at Hennepin Technical College in Minnesota, acknowledges that meetings have become a necessary evil. “Often leaders end their days exhausted by meetings only to finish work after-hours,” she says. Is there a better way? In Death by Meeting , a fast-paced work of fiction, and a parable about leadership, author Patrick Lencioni finds strategies for making meetings better, faster, and more effective and turns them into an easy read and a blueprint for you to use.

“Lencioni addresses meetings in a fun way and encourages you to rethink how they are structured to improve effectiveness and morale around this business necessity,” says Thomas.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

By Adam Grant

As a leader, you are often looked upon as the final decision maker. If your beliefs become entrenched, you might listen only to people who agree with you, which means you will miss opportunities and reject good ideas. To fight against this, Rachel Hayden, CIO at ScanSource, recommends picking up Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know because it will help you embrace the ability to rethink and relearn.

In it, Adam Grant “emphasizes the value in maintaining an open mind and encourages readers to build a ‘challenge’ network in addition to a ‘support’ network,” Hayden says. “The technology industry constantly evolves, the world has new problems to solve, and our answers and solutions as technology leaders should evolve, too.”

Thinking Fast and Slow

By Daniel Kahneman

Reading Thinking Fast and Slow byfamous psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahnemanhelped Kirsty Roth, chief operations and technology officer at Thomson Reuters, understand her own thinking style and use that knowledge to better handle the people she works with. Kahneman describes two elemental thinking styles and shows you when you can and when you can’t trust your intuition when dealing with people — based on your style and theirs.

“This book isn’t just for CxO’s,” she says. “It’s about the human cognitive condition. It helps me see myself for who I am, with all the experience, bias, and tendency I come with, and helps me see others for who they are, with all their own.”

Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers

By Hank Rainwater

If you are looking for advice on fine-tuning your approach to leading programmers, Matt Aird, CTO of Custom Neon and co-owner of Infoactive Media, recommends Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers . In it, author Hank Rainwater, “Dives into the unique challenges of leading a group of highly intelligent, creative, and often independent-minded individuals, and offers practical advice that is both relatable and actionable,” says Aird.

Rainwater breaks down the personality traits you will encounter, how to match people to the right projects, hiring, managing meetings, and more. “The book offers concrete strategies for fostering collaboration, maintaining productivity, and balancing the fine line between leadership and micromanagement,” says Aird.

Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow

More than 3 million people have taken Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessment — a wealth of data and insights into human potential. To tap into that wisdom, Diana Cano, CIO at Cambium Learning Group, highly recommends Strengths Based Leadership . In this deep-dive, two renowned leadership experts — Tom Rath and Barry Conchie — delve into Gallup’s surveys as well as decades of research on the results and on leadership to identify the keys to being a better leader.  

“I’ve spent the last 16 years dog-earing the book to help me build well-balanced teams and develop individuals through self-awareness,” says Cano. “It’s helped me see the diversity we have in how we work with each other.”

Inspiring Leadership: Learning From Great Leaders

By John Adair

Bill Bragg, CIO at SymphonyAI, recommends  Inspiring Leadership by John Adair, which breaks down the lessons learned by great leaders from history — Alexander the Great, Attila, Churchill, de Gaulle, Einstein, Gandhi, Sir Edmund Hillary, Ho Chih Min, Hsun-Tzu, Kennedy, Lao Tzu, and many more — so that today’s leaders can learn from them.

“It showed me the human physics we need to account for, and to value, when we decide how to focus our time,” says Bragg.

On competitors, customers, and business growth

The innovator’s dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail.

By Clayton M. Christensen

Sometimes the most outstanding companies fail — even when they did everything right. But why? John Lyotier, CEO and co-founder of TravelAI, recommends pondering this question by reading The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen. The book explains why companies miss out on waves of innovation because managers don’t know when to abandon practices that are holding them back.

“This classic is profoundly relevant in the context of today’s AI revolution,” says Lyotier. “It offers critical insights into how businesses can navigate AI’s disruptive impact. Christensen explains how established companies can be overtaken by upstarts introducing simpler, more convenient, and often more personalized solutions that better meet the evolving needs of their customers. Timeless lessons indeed.”

Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility

By Jonathan Smart, Zsolt Berend, Myles Ogilvie, and Simon Rohrer

Rajesh Jethwa, CTO at Digiterre, recommends Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility for leaders, who, in any part of the business, are looking to tap into agile and Lean methodologies to empower teams to be productive and grow together.

“It provides a comprehensive guide to achieving business agility, focusing on real-world examples and practical advice. Technology leaders will benefit from understanding how to deliver better business outcomes and support their teams in becoming more resilient and adaptable,” Jethwa says.

The Four Factors of Trust: How Organizations Can Earn Lifelong Loyalty 

By Ashley Reichheld and Amelia Dunlop

Rick Johnson, chief digital officer of Marvin, recommends Ashley Reichheld and Amelia Dunlop’s The Four Factors of Trust , a book that teaches you to measure, predict, and build trust — all key in developing meaningful relationships with customers.

“We need to really understand the drivers that influence customer and employee trust, as this is increasingly a litmus test,” says Johnson. “Those are the drivers we need to focus on and accentuate in our customer experiences as well as employee experiences — experiences that are shaped and delivered by technology. Technology leaders must be trusted by the enterprise. There must be trust that we are making the right technology decisions, designing and introducing technology that will work and deliver value, and trust in doing what we say we will do. It is imperative for technology leaders to be authentic, honest, candid, and transparent — in the pursuit of being trusted.”

Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity

By Frank Slootman

Barr Moses, CEO and co-founder at Monte Carlo, recommends  Amp It Up  by Frank Slootman.  

“Frank Slootman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Snowflake, shares his playbook for building a successful company,” says Moses, “having led Snowflake to the biggest software IPO ever. In his first book, he pulls no punches about the importance of speed and focus when leading a hypergrowth organization, as well as setting a high bar for the rest of your team. As co-founder and CEO of my own category-creating company in the data space, I found Slootman’s tactical advice and insightful perspective on what it takes to reach unprecedented scale to be a goldmine. 10/10; would — and often do — read again.”

On technology and innovation

Co-intelligence.

By Ethan Mollick

Looking for a quick read to help you explain AI to the people in your life who don’t live and breathe it? Ken Englund,   technology sector growth leader at for EY Americas at Ernst & Young, recommends Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. In the book, Mollick encourages readers to engage with AI as a coworker and offers real examples of AI in action.

“Mollick has wonderful insights on AI as a collaborator, partner, and agent,” says Englund. “He shares highly tangible examples he uses with his students at Wharton. I highly recommend sharing with a parent who might be trying to understand how gen AI will fit in, or with a child who might want to think about the best ways to apply it to their education.”

The Coming Wave

By Mustafa Suleyman

Several people recommended The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. “There are many books on the topic of AI, but there are three main things that I like about this book,” says Englund.

“First, Mustafa Suleyman founded Deep Mind and later sold it to Google. He and his co-founders were literally at the early commercial explosion of neural networks, which is the foundational architecture behind today’s generative AI wave,” Englund explains. “Secondly, while I consider him balanced and optimistic on humanity, he does place an extremely critical eye on Big Tech.”

Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems

By Frances Frei

When Facebook made “move fast and break things” an informal motto, the idea took off. And things got broken. If you prefer to build a great company, help people, and solve hard problems, Beth Scagnoli, vice president of product management at Redpoint Global, recommends reading Move Fast and Fix Things by Frances Frei.

“The premise is to be able to solve hard — and important — problems quickly while emphasizing companywide trust and empathy,” Scagnoli says. “In the tech space, especially where stakes are high for getting ahead of the pack, the book’s focus on radical candor and prioritization, as well as inclusivity across an organization resonated with me, especially in terms of using storytelling to communicate the ‘why’ when working across silos in a company.”

Age of Invisible Machines: A Practical Guide to Creating a Hyperautomated Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers 

By Robb Wilson

Sherry Comes, former CTO at IBM Watson and current managing director of conversational AI at PwC, thinks you need to read  Age of Invisible Machines  by Robb Wilson. This thorough roadmap for negotiating the future of digital automation is written by the founder and chief technologist at OneReach.ai and the owner of  UX Magazine .  

“This is the technology book every business and technology leader needs to read,” says Comes. “With each chapter, I found myself agreeing more and more. This made my ‘must-read’ list for anyone who cares about technology.”

The Industries of the Future 

By Alec Ross

Duck Creek’s Vaidyanathan also recommends Alec Ross’  The Industries of the Future . Ross was Senior Advisor for Innovation to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and traveled the world, visiting startup hubs and R&D labs, to uncover the latest advances that are emerging from every corner of the globe. In the book, he examines robotics, AI, cybercrime, genomics, big data, and more.

“It covers the different aspects of what will drive global transformation and how these will cause progress or failure,” says Vaidyanathan. “Ross also looks at how the global economic future will be shaped and the trends that will drive the way we live.”

For building culture and motivation

What you do is who you are: how to create your business culture.

By Ben Horowitz

Andrey Ivashin, CIO at Dyninno, recommends What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz because it “shows the importance of company culture and the role of leadership.” Horowitz is a venture capitalist and management expert who uses history and modern organizational practice to offer advice on culture building.

“It offers helpful suggestions and examples of what does and doesn’t work in terms of creating a strong company culture,” says Ivashin. “I think it’s more significant that the author examines how leaders may foster a healthy work atmosphere and inspire people to perform at their highest level throughout the book.”

Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow 

By Manuel Pais and Matt Skelton

“CTOs and CIOs who work for organizations that are struggling to deliver value sustainably will greatly benefit from reading  Team Topologies ,” says Peter Kreslins Jr., CTO and co-founder of Digibee. This step-by-step guide to designing a high-functioning organization helps you understand four team types and interaction patterns and helps you to type and build it.

“It gives the fundamental patterns for achieving fast flow,” he says. “By defining team types, their fundamental interactions, and the science behind them, you learn how to better model your organizations according to these definitions. This book is mind-bending because it translates the complex theories behind the socio-technical aspects of software development and delivery into a set of easy-to-understand patterns. It also gives a set of streamlined steps to get started.”

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us 

By Daniel H. Pink

Ivashin also thinks IT leaders will enjoy Daniel H. Pink’s Drive . Pink is a  New York Times  bestselling author of seven books about work, creativity, and behavior and his books have sold millions of copies around the world.

“This book explores what truly motivates people, based on scientific research from psychology, economics, and neuroscience,” says Ivashin. “Pink points out that conventional motivational techniques, such as rewards and punishments, are less successful than we assume and might even be counterproductive. It shows that the three key motivation factors are autonomy, mastery, and purpose.”

Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It 

By Mark Shayler

SymphonyAI’s Bragg also recommends Mark Shayler’s Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It . This advice book offers tips — as well as quotes from some of history’s most famous innovators — on how to be strategic and bold as you take your own path toward transforming your ideas into reality.

“It is a fun and straight to the point guide or sketchbook,” he says. “It’s suitable for all seeking a brave new way.”

For better process

The goal: a process of ongoing improvement .

By Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Dyninno’s Ivashin also recommends Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s The Goal , a treatise on modern economic theory, packaged as a novel.

“It is a well-known book and a classic of business literature,” says Ivashin. “And because it is written like a novel, it is accessible and engaging. It offers helpful techniques and solutions for resolving typical corporate issues like bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and poor communication. The lessons you learn from the characters in the book can be applied to any business and it highlights the necessity for businesses to continuously enhance their processes to remain successful and competitive.”

Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations 

By Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble

Rajesh Jethwa, CTO of Digiterre, suggests  Accelerate  by Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble, a book that examines, through extensive research, ways that technology can drive business value.

“Backed by considerable research,” says Jethwa, “the book provides data-driven insights and practical guidance on how to improve technology delivery capabilities and foster a culture of continuous improvement to build high-performing teams.”

Bonus: Novels that entertain and teach

In another nod to Gene Kim, Digibee’s Kreslins Jr. also recommends two books by the founder and former CTO of Tripwire.

The Unicorn Project: A Novel About Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data  tells the story of Maxine, a senior lead developer, as she tries to survive in a heartless bureaucracy overrun with paperwork and committees.

In  The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win (IT Revolution Press, 2013 ) , Bill — an IT manager — takes over a critical project that’s over budget and behind schedule. The CEO demands that Bill deliver the project in 90 days.

“Both books talk about modern ways of delivering software,” says Kreslins Jr. “They touch the core of the issues that prevent organizations from delivering value without obstacles — generating a sense of purpose, meaning, and pride for everyone working on it. The great thing about both of these books is that they are novels that tell the story from the point of view of people struggling with their day-to-day jobs, as they are hindered by bureaucracy, unnecessary processes, and overall team dysfunction.  The Phoenix Project,  in particular, shed light on the DevOps movement that later became widely adopted in organizations.”

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Aug 9, 2022

11 UX research books to streamline your process & improve your skills

UX research and design is a fast-moving industry—keep up with the latest developments and further your UX knowledge with these 11 hand-picked UX books.

Ella Webber

Improving and developing your product requires that you also continuously improve and develop your own knowledge and skills. With the right resources, you’re always learning— about your product, your users, and how to synthesize both.

UX research looks into how users interact with your product, and how you can improve the experience from start to finish. Good UX research uncovers issues before they arise, and enables you to make informed decisions to provide the best user experience possible.

Continually learning and broadening your research horizons is an absolute must for improving your UX research skills and developing as a UX designer.

These 11 books—plus four bonus reads—provide key insights into UX research, and highlight the ways you can approach design for your product. Let’s take a look at your reading list:

• The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide | Leah Buley
• Just Enough Research | Erika Hall
• Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy | David Travis & Philip Hodgson
• Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology | David C. Evans
• User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research | Stephanie Marsh
• Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell
• Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research | Jeff Sauro and James R. Lewis
• Interviewing Users: Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal
• Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior | Indi Young
• Usable Usability: Simple Steps for Making Stuff Better | Eric Reiss
• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk

11 Best UX research books to improve your researching skills

1. the user experience team of one: a research and design survival guide | leah buley.

The User Experience Team of One | Leah Buley

Leah Buley’s User Experience Team of One focuses on conducting UX research with fewer resources and less time than a traditional UX team. It’s the go-to book for practical UX research tips and techniques on a budget.

In this book, Buley shares her knowledge from many years in the experience design industry, during which she worked in key user experience roles at Publicis Sapient, InVision, and Intuit. Her professional career has consisted of researching and analyzing what makes design teams successful, and design’s overall role in a business.

The book guides readers from the very start of the design process—getting everyone onboard—to the very end—testing and validation methods. The book also includes a chapter on evangelism methods—for advocating for design and inspiring others—as well as next steps following your research.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $39.39

2. Just Enough Research | Erika Hall

Next up is Erika Hall’s Just Enough Research —the guide to asking better questions and thinking critically about the responses. It’s one of two books written by Erika Hall, who shares her 20+ years of knowledge as Co-Founder of Mule Design Studios. In Just Enough Research, Erika shares the tried and tested UX research methods you can implement right away, no matter your team size or budget.

Just Enough Research covers the basics and the process, as well as topics like organizational research, user and customer research, evaluative research, surveys, and more. The book aims to help you uncover your own blind spots and biases, while understanding and harnessing your findings in order to do better research, faster.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $29

🎧 Find out more about Erika and her thoughts on the relationship between design and business on The Optimal Path Podcast .

3. Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy | David Travis & Philip Hodgson

Think Like a UX Researcher | David Travis & Philip Hodgson

Think Like a UX Researcher is a dive-in-anywhere book that looks to challenge the preconceptions you have about UX research. It looks at how you can plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action, and ultimately build a career in UX.

It includes some stand-out features, including thought triggers and exercises to test your UX knowledge, workshop ideas to strengthen your team’s UX muscles, and stories from experienced researchers detailing how you can implement UX research methods in your organization.

With over 50 years of UX research experience between them, Travis and Hodgson know a thing or two about investigating the user experience. It’s an insightful read for finding tools, inspiration and ideas to rejuvenate your thinking, inspire your team, and improve your craft.

Published 2019 | Buy the book | $45.56

4. Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology | David C. Evans

Bottlenecks | David C. Evans

David Evans’ Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology connects cognitive psychology to explain the dos and don’ts of UX design. The book analyzes key concepts—such as perception and attention—on a psychological level before linking it back to UX design to uncover the best design for users.

Evans holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and currently works as a Senior Manager of Customer Research at Microsoft. In Bottlenecks , Evans shares the psychological processes impacting design success, before and after examples of pages enhanced by psychological alignments, and hypotheses for research to help better meet user needs.

The book promises to help designers, usability and user researchers, marketers and entrepreneurs with strategies for marketing and product development in the age of behavioral targeting. It’s essential reading for UX researchers and designers interested in learning more about the relationship between psychology and user experience design.

Published 2017 | Buy the book | $27.46

5. User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research | Stephanie Marsh

User Research | Stephanie Marsh

Stephanie Marsh’s User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research is key reading for marketing and product leaders looking to implement UX research in their organization. It looks at key UX research methods—such as user testing, card sorting, surveys, A/B testing, and more—as well as how to interpret and analyze obtained data.

Marsh is an experienced UX researcher who’s dived into the user experience at a number of different organizations, including User Experience Manager at HSBC and User Experience Lead at the UK Ministry of Defence. They’re now UX Research Operations Lead at Springer Nature Group.

The book consists of 30 chapters separated into three main sections: the fundamentals, selecting and using user research methods, and analyzing and presenting your data. User Research is a practical guide that walks readers through the wide array of user research methods and how to use them.

Published 2022 | Buy the book | $40.27

6. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

Handbook of Usability Testing | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

The Handbook of Usability Testing is a great intro into the tools and techniques necessary to create effective usability tests. It’s a practical guide for usability testing beginners, and a useful resource for teams looking to take UX research to the next level.

Both Rubin and Chisnell have ample experience in the UX research space, with a specific focus on usability testing. Rubin’s experience comes from 30 years as a human factors and usability research consultant and lecturer, and Chisnell’s from a career as a usability, user interface design, and technical communications consultant since 1982.

This UX research book dives deep into usability testing, including a rigorous step-by-step approach, common pitfalls to avoid, real-life examples and case histories, and usable templates, models, tables, and more.

Published 2008 | Buy the book | $20.79

7. Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research | Jeff Sauro and James R. Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience | Jeff Sauro & James R. Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience is the ideal book for UX researchers looking to further their UX research know-how. It’s a practical guide for using statistics to solve quantitative problems in user research.

Both Sauro and Lewis are internationally recognized in the user research field. Sauro is a pioneer in quantifying the user experience, and is the founding principal of MeasuringU—a company providing statistics and usability consulting to Fortune 1000 companies. Lewis is a Senior Human Factors Engineer at IBM, where he primarily focuses on the design and evaluation of user interfaces.

In their book, Sauro and Lewis discuss ways to quantify user research, summarize data and calculate margins of error, select appropriate sample sizes, and more. Each chapter includes a final summary of key points and references, as well as a set of problems and answers to test your knowledge.

Published 2012 | Buy the book | $56.32

8. Interviewing Users: Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal

Interviewing Users | Steve Portugal

Interviewing Users is a staple read for any marketers, product people, or UX researchers looking to improve their user interviewing skills. The book provides invaluable interviewing techniques and tools that enable readers to conduct informative interviews with anyone.

Portigal has over 20 years of experience building user experience practices and interviewing a wide variety of people. In 2001, he founded Portigal Consulting, where he helps organizations bring insights about their users into their design and development processes.

Interviewing Users aims to turn your interviews from simply gathering information, into uncovering powerful insights about people. It includes tips on embracing how others see the world and building rapport during interviews, as well as templates, samples, and presentations.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $36.48

9. Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior | Indi Young

Mental Models | Indi Young

Indi Young’s Mental Models is a UX design book that highlights how understanding people’s reasons for doing things can help you build better experiences. The book is informed by Indi’s 30 years of experience in the design field, during which she co-founded the pioneering UX agency Adaptive Minds in 2001.

Mental Models shares Indi’s 29+ years of research experience, and how great research limits the risk further along in the design process. The book starts with a brief guide on how to use the book, before outlining three main sections: What, Why, When, and Who?, The Method, and Applications.

In these sections, Young delves into the importance of understanding your research reasons and audience, and how to go about conducting comprehensive user research.

It’s a roll-up-your-sleeves book for designers, managers, and anyone else interested in making strategic and successful designs. It helps UX designers and researchers better understand the importance of human psychology in design, and enables you to deepen your understanding of what makes designs outstanding.

Published 2008 | Buy the book | $43.89

10. Usable Usability: Simple Steps for Making Stuff Better | Eric Reiss

Usable Usability | Eric Reiss

UX guru Eric Reiss shares his decades of experience making products usable for everyone. Reiss’ experience as an information architecture specialist led him to his current role as CEO and Chairman of The FatDUX Group—DUX being an abbreviation for Designers of User Experience.

Usable Usability equips designers with guidelines and checklists for evaluating and improving products, highlights essential aspects for building the user experience, and addresses considerations for product clarity.

The book separates usability into 10 chapters that cover key considerations for UX design:

• Understandable
• Predictable

The 11th chapter then focuses on next steps, such as guerilla-style usability and formalized think-aloud tests. While not explicitly a UX research book, it’s a great reminder to UX designers of the basic design principles to keep in mind—and how to apply those in everyday UX design.

Published 2012 | Buy the book | $26.63

11. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan M. Weinschenk

Last up is Susan Weinschenk’s 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People.

Designers create with actions in mind—actions they want users to take upon interacting with the design. This book arms UX researchers and designers with insights and knowledge that enable them to build intuitive designs that consider human behavior and encourage users to take action.

Since 1985, Susan Weinschenk has been using her Ph.D. in psychology to contribute to the field of design and user experience. Weinshenk has published a total of five books relating to design, and currently works as Chief Behavioral Scientist and CEO at The Team W, Inc.

The book covers key considerations for designers and researchers alike, such as what keeps someone’s attention, what makes memories stick, how to predict the type of errors humans will make, and much more.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know connects human nature to UX to enable researchers to understand users with little guesswork. It’s about what makes people tick, and why it should matter to you.

Published 2011 | Buy the book | $25.98

12. Bonus Mention: The Ultimate Guide to UX Research | Maze

• The Ultimate Guide to UX Research | Maze

Our bonus mention—and a go-to resource for UX designers and developers—is The Ultimate Guide to UX Research . Of course we’re biased, but it’s a must-read for all teams looking to conduct user research—whether that’s product or marketing.

The guide is a great resource for those looking to better understand anything and everything about UX research. It simplifies the process for non-UX researchers and enables anyone to learn what it takes to conduct effective UX research.

The guide includes:

• How to create a research plan
• Generative research: Definition, methods, and examples
• Evaluative research: Definition, methods, and types
• Qualitative and quantitative research
• UX Research methods
• UX Research tools

It’s the perfect resource for turning a research idea into a research reality—regardless of your and your team’s experience.

Read The Ultimate Guide to UX Research online

4 More books to help you on your UX journey

If you consider the above 11 books your mandatory reading, consider this list your optional—but highly recommended—reading list. They’re not solely about UX design and research, but they’re packed full of strategies to help you sharpen your UX design tools.

1. The Lean Product Playbook | Dan Olsen

The Lean Product Playbook | Dan Olsen

The Lean Product Playbook is a how-to guide for creating products that people love. Dan Olsen writes from his experience working with a variety of organizations, from small, early-stage startups to large public companies.

Many product managers, CEOs, and founders cite The Lean Product Playbook as a key resource when starting their journeys to building useful and successful products. It’s a practical, step-by-step process for implementing lean techniques from the get-go.

The book is split into three parts:

• Core concepts
• The lean product process

It’s a can’t-miss book for designing products that people love.

Published 2015 | Buy the book | $35

2. Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kahneman

Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow is a staple for anyone looking to better their understanding of how humans work, and how the human brain is susceptible to making the same mistakes over and over.

Kahneman explains the two systems in our brain that impact decision-making: system one is fast and automatic, whereas system two is conscious, aware, and considerate. Kahneman details how each system makes decisions, and how they often lead us to incorrect answers.

It’s an insightful read for understanding people, including yourself. It enables you to get a better understanding of the human psyche, and how you can take advantage of fast thinking in your product design.

Published 2011 | Buy the book | $12

3. A Beginner’s Guide to Usability Testing | Maze

A Beginner's Guide to Usability Testing | Maze

The ultimate guidebook to usability testing, this ebook runs readers through the usability testing process, as well as the different types of usability testing available for UX research and the best tools to use.

Exploring methods like remote testing and guerilla usability testing, the guide also includes details on analyzing and presenting usability metrics, plus an inside look at some real-life usability testing examples.

Read A Beginner’s Guide to Usability Testing online

4. Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience | Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle

Writing is Designing | Michael J. Metts & Andy Welfle

Writing is Designing covers the importance and usefulness of words in UX design. Authors Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle use their combined experience as product designers to share their insights on how words can create useful, usable experiences.

Some of the most notable chapters include:

• Creating clarity: know what you’re designing
• Inclusivity and accessibility: writing that works for everyone
• Tone: meeting people where they are

Overall, it’s an eye-opening read for UX designers unfamiliar with the impact of the words around designs, and a great opportunity to expand your UX knowledge of ways that words can improve your designs.

Published 2020 | Buy the book | $44.06

Hungry for more? Take a look at our top 17 greatest graphic design books to take your visuals to the next level.

Improving UX research is a process

When it comes to UX research, one thing’s for sure—you’re not alone. Thousands of businesses—both large and small—are searching for the best way to conduct user research and improve the user experience.

Reading up on UX research developments and best practices is a great place to start, and these 11 books make it easy. Take your pick, find a relaxing reading spot, and get stuck in to a new perspective on UX research and design.

If you’re looking for additional resources, check out our library of UX, research and design guides and collections, as well as our UX research templates. You can also head over to The Optimal Path podcast, where we chat to different product people each episode and delve into the stories, ideas, and approaches that drive product decision-making.

Frequently asked questions about UX research books

What should I study for UX research?

There’s no set reading list for conducting useful UX research, but some books we’d recommend include:

• Bottlenecks: Aligning UX with User Psychology | David C. Evans

The exact books you should be reading depend on your expertise—are you a beginner, an expert, or somewhere in between? Consider your existing knowledge and aim for a book you find challenging and engaging.

How do I practice UX research?

There are a variety of methods that you can use throughout your research process. You’ve likely heard the saying: practice makes perfect—and that applies to UX.

Continuous self-improvement and learning are key to becoming a UX research expert. Staying on top of industry trends and developments, reading the latest UX literature, and following the top UX industry experts will help you develop your skills and UX network.

Is UX research difficult?

There are parts of UX research that are tough—but those parts depend on your skills and experience. UX research is a lot easier when you’ve got the required UX research methods and resources for making it happen.

Top 10 books read by IT professionals

Boost your knowledge with these great reads

Technology is one of the most fast-paced industries, with new developments emerging every day. If you’re looking to stay at the forefront of this exciting and constantly evolving industry, books are extremely powerful. 

Using reader behaviour data from the Perlego platform, I've compiled a list of the top 10 books that have been read by IT professionals throughout the past six months. 

Whether you’re looking to implement new technologies in your business or expand your skillset as a technologist, you’ll find a book that suits your needs. 

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1. Blockchain for Business

Authors: Jai Singh Arun, Jerry Cuomo and Nitin Gaur

Publisher: Pearson (2019)

There’s been a great deal of hype about blockchain over the past few years, but how do businesses actually maximise the opportunity of this tech? Written by three experts from IBM’s Enterprise Blockchain practice, this book educates readers on how to create, implement and operate blockchain-based solutions by providing them with practical steps. 

They explore a range of use cases (including cross-border payments, food and drug safety, trade finance, clinical trials and land registries) and review the best practices that underpin blockchain planning and delivery. The book is targeted at professionals of all backgrounds, such as senior decision makers, technologists, customers and investors.

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• You can subscribe to read Blockchain at Perlego
• You can buy Blockchain for Business here

2. The Cybersecurity Playbook - How Every Leader and Employee Can Contribute to a Culture of Security

Authors: Allison Cerra

Publisher: Wiley (2019)

With more than 60% of businesses reporting cyber attacks in 2019, there’s a clear need for firms to take steps to protect themselves and their customers from hackers. How can that be done, though? In this book, Allison Cerra provides a guide to help businesses stay one step ahead of hackers and ensure they remain secure. 

Leveraging her experience working as senior vice president and chief marketing officer at cyber security giant McAfee, Cerra offers practical advice on how firms can identify vulnerabilities, assess threats and develop robust security strategies. The book includes simple assessments, action plans and current examples that businesses can use to mitigate the threat of hacks.

• You can subscribe to read The Cybersecurity Playbook here
• You can buy The Cybersecurity Playbook here

3. Algorithms to Live By - The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Authors: Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (2016)

Written by award-winning author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths, this book gives readers a fascinating insight into how computer algorithms can be applied in everyday life. They explain how computer algorithms can be used to solve common decision-making problems and answer questions we all experience daily. 

According to the authors, Algorithms to Live By “transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living”. They give examples such as finding a spouse, finding a parking spot, from organising your inbox, looking into the future and understanding human memory. 

• You can subscribe to read Algorithms to Live By at Perlego
• You can buy Algorithms to Live By here

4. Why Digital Transformations Fail - The Surprising Disciplines of How to Take Off and Stay Ahead

Author: Tony Saldanha

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2019)

In today’s interconnected world, businesses that can leverage digital technologies to accelerate complex business processes and streamline the user experience for customers will set themselves apart from competitors. But despite the clear benefits here, why is it that 70% of digital transformations fail? Tony Saldanha, former vice president for IT and shared service at Procter & Gamble, believes that this doesn’t come down to technology or innovation issues. 

Instead, he takes the view that digital transformations fail when organisations don’t set clear goals and processes to achieve them. In this book, Saldanha provides a five-stage model to help companies disrupt their industries before they’re disrupted by competitors. He draws on his own experience as an IT leader, providing real-life case studies and checklists. 

• You can subscribe to read Why Digital Transformations Fail at Perlego
• You can buy Why Digital Transformations Fail here

5. The Cloud Adoption Playbook - Proven Strategies for Transforming Your Organization with the Cloud

Authors: Moe Abdula, Ingo Averdunk, Roland Barcia, Kyle Brown and Ndu Emuchay

Publisher: Wiley (2018)

Whether it’s helping to cut costs, improve security or provide greater agility and scalability, cloud computing offers firms a range of benefits. But before you can reap the rewards of cloud, where do you start? In the Cloud Adoption Playbook, several technical executives at IBM provide advice on how to accelerate cloud adoption and digital transformation. 

In particular, they look at how cloud can solve major business needs; how to implement a cloud adoption framework; the key things to know about cloud adoption and digital transformation; the impact of cloud on areas such as culture, architecture and security; as well as the roles of governance and methodology. 

• You can subscribe to read The Cloud Adoption Playbook at Perlego
• You can buy The Cloud Adoption Playbook here

6. Hands-On Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity

Author: Alessandro Parisi

Publisher: Packt (2019)

As cyber attacks continue to become more frequent and complex, there’s increasing pressure on businesses to ensure they have the resources to identify and mitigate cyber crime. However, with artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning technologies, firms can better protect themselves and their customers. 

Technologist Alessandro Parisi explores how companies can identify security threats through the use of AI, create AI systems to detect security patterns and test AI-based cyber security technologies. The book is aimed at cyber security professionals, ethical hackers and businesses looking to leverage the power of AI.  

• You can subscribe to read Hands-On Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity at Perlego
• You can buy Hands-On Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity here

7. The Future of Tech Is Female - How to Achieve Gender Diversity

Author: Douglas M. Branson

Publisher: New York University (2018)

Gender diversity is one of the biggest issues facing the technology industry. According to research from PWC , women only make up 5% of leadership positions in technology. Written by acclaimed business lawyer Douglas M. Branson, this book is described as “an accessible and timely guide to increasing female presence and leadership in tech companies”. 

Branson explores the factors that make it difficult for women to enter the C-suite in the technology industry and the things that can be done to improve gender diversity. He considers different solutions, such as laws surrounding female employment and pledge programmes. 

• You can subscribe to read The Future of Tech Is Female at Perlego
• You can buy The Future of Tech Is Female here

8. Bio-Inspired Computing Models and Algorithms 

Authors: Tao Song, Pan Zheng, Mou Ling Dennis Wong and Xun Wang

Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company (2019)

Targeted at researchers, academics and professionals working in areas such as artificial intelligence, neural networks, theoretical computer science, bioinformatics and biocomputing, this book investigates the “designs and developments of computer algorithms and models based on biological mechanisms and living phenomena”. The authors, who are renowned researchers in their fields, provide inspiration on developing high-performance computer algorithms that can solve real-life problems. 

• You can subscribe to read Bio-Inspired Computing Models and Algorithms at Perlego
• You can buy Bio-Inspired Computing Models and Algorithms here

9. Machine Learning with Spark and Python - Essential Techniques for Predictive Analytics

Authors: Michael Bowles

Michael Bowles, who teaches machine learning at the University of New Haven and Hacker Dojo, explores a range of essential techniques for predictive analytics using Spark and Python. The book helps computing students and professionals use machine learning for predicting outcomes, such as identifying cases of fraud. 

• You can subscribe to read Machine Learning with Spark and Python at Perlego
• You can buy Machine Learning with Spark and Python here

10. Showstopper - The Breakneck Race to Create Windows NT and the Next Generation at Microsoft

Author: G. Pascal Zachary

Publisher: Open Road Media (2014)

Wall Street Journal reporter G. Pascal Zachary gives an inside look at how famed developer David Cutler and a team of software developers gave so much of their lives to create Windows NT. He provides an in-depth look at the software development process, what it’s like to be a coder working on a major computing project and what it takes to create an original program.

• You can subscribe to read Showstopper at Perlego
• You can buy Showstopper here

Matthew Jones, VP of Content at Perlego

• We've also highlighted the best online cybersecurity courses

Matthew Jones is the VP of Content at Perlego. 

He leads all content operations and publisher relationships for Perlego, the platform often billed in the press as 'the Spotify for textbooks'. Matthew manages a rapidly growing team that is passionate about creating the world's online learning library. 

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100 Best Research Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best research 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...

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl, William J. Winslade, et al. | 4.85

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)

The Craft of Research (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams | 4.81

The Art of War

Sun Tzu | 4.78

Reid Hoffman Reid read Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu as a boy, which informed his strategic thinking. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Art of War (Sun Tsu) [to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Evan Spiegel After meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'. (Source)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot | 4.76

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia — a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo — to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family — past and present — is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

Carl Zimmer Yes. This is a fascinating book on so many different levels. It is really compelling as the story of the author trying to uncover the history of the woman from whom all these cells came. (Source)

A.J. Jacobs Great writer. (Source)

The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Susan Cain | 4.71

Simon Sinek eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_5',164,'0','1'])); Leaders needn’t be the loudest. Leadership is not about theater. It’s not about dominance. It is about putting the lives of others before any other priority. In Quiet, Cain affirms to a good many of us who are introverts by nature that we needn’t try to be extroverts if we want to lead.... (Source)

Jason Fried A good book I’d recommend is “Quiet” by Susan Cain. (Source)

James Altucher Probably half the world is introverts. Maybe more. It’s not an easy life to live. I sometimes have that feeling in a room full of people, “uh-oh. I just shut down. I can’t talk anymore and there’s a lock on my mouth and this crowd threw away the key.” Do you ever get that feeling? Please? I hope you do. Let’s try to lock eyes at the party. “Quiet” shows the reader how to unlock the secret powers... (Source)

A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King | 4.70

Mark Manson I read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). (Source)

Jennifer Rock If you are interested in writing and communication, start with reading and understanding the technical aspects of the craft: The Elements of Style. On Writing Well. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. (Source)

Benjamin Spall [Question: What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path?] On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King, [...] (Source)

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell | 4.70

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars , the...

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars , the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.

Ray Dalio The book I’d give [every graduating senior in college or high school] would be [...] Joseph Campbell’s 'Hero of a Thousand Faces'. It's little bit dense but it’s so rich, so it’s a good one. (Source)

Darren Aronofsky [I'm] totally part of his cult. Because I believe in that hero’s journey. (Source)

Kyle Russell Book 28 Lesson: Embedded in human psychology (and the resulting symbolism we find compelling) is a wish for our struggles to be meaningful, for our suffering to have value, for our effort to pay off for ourselves and those we love - and to then be recognized for it. https://t.co/lWgr4k7d8Y (Source)

A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.68

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)

The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert B. Cialdini | 4.68

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)

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The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.68

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)

The Body Keeps the Score

Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Bessel van der Kolk M.D. | 4.63

Matthew Green Reading The Body Keeps the Score was a eureka moment for me. (Source)

How to Win Friends & Influence People

Dale Carnegie | 4.61

Dustin Moskovitz Seek to be understood. (Source)

Scott Adams [Scott Adams recommends this book on his "Persuasion Reading List."] (Source)

Daymond John I love all the Dale Carnegie books. (Source)

The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck | 4.61

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 New Jim Crow

Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Michelle Alexander, Cornel West | 4.61

Mark Zuckerberg I read The New Jim Crow, a study of how the U.S. justice system disproportionately criminalizes and jails blacks and Latinos. Making our criminal justice system fairer and more effective is a huge challenge for our country. I’m going to keep learning about this topic, but some things are already clear: We can’t jail our way to a just society, and our current system isn’t working (adapted with... (Source)

Peter Temin The new Jim Crow that Michelle Alexander is talking about is mass incarceration. (Source)

The Demon-haunted World

Science As a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan | 4.60

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 Power of Habit

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Charles Duhigg | 4.57

Naval Ravikant I also recently finished The Power of Habit, or close to finish as I get. That one was interesting, not because of its content necessarily, but because it’s good for me to always keep on top of mind how powerful my habits are. [...] I think learning how to break habits is a very important meta-skill that can serve you better in life than almost anything else. Although you can read tons of books... (Source)

Blake Irving You know, there's a book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Simple read book about just how to build positive habits that can be I think I what I'd call you know whether in your personal life or whether in your business life to help you build you know, have a loop that can build your success and that's one I mean there are so many great books out there. (Source)

Santiago Basulto Another book with great impact was “The power of habit”. But to be honest, I read only a couple of pages. It’s a good book, with many interesting stories. But to be honest, the idea it tries to communicate is simple and after a couple of pages you’ve pretty much understood all of it. Happens the same thing with those types of books (Getting things done, crossing the chasm, etc.) (Source)

The Tipping Point

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.56

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)

The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.54

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)

Research Design

Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches

John W. Creswell | 4.53

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking | 4.51

Richard Branson Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Dan Hooper Everybody knows Hawking’s greatest contributions: understanding that black holes radiate light and other particles, that they contain entropy and all these things that no one imagined before him. Hawking and Roger Penrose also worked out the Big Bang singularity, the very moment of creation. To hear him describe some of these things with his own word choices, his own phrasing—not to mention his... (Source)

Adam Hart-Davis When Stephen Hawking wrote A Brief History of Time..his publisher told him that every equation he left in would halve the number of readers (Source)

The Elements of Style

William Jr. Strunk | 4.49

Tobi Lütke [My] most frequently gifted book is [this book] because I like good writing. (Source)

Bill Nye This is my guide. I accept that I’ll never write anything as good as the introductory essay by [the author]. It’s brilliant. (Source)

The Hot Zone

Richard Preston | 4.48

Jon Najarian I believe both the corona virus and ebola have a bat connection. Scary, but great book on ebola: Hot Zone by Richard Preston https://t.co/jGEjbrB7pZ (Source)

Pierre Haski @ChuBailiang The hot zone, it made my days during SARS in Beijing, a great book! https://t.co/8E8AYgIhp7 (Source)

Freakonomics

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Stephen J. Levitt, Steven D.; Dubner | 4.46

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)

The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach | 4.43

Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler | 4.42

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)

Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

Jared Diamond Ph.D. | 4.41

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)

Bird By Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Anne Lamott | 4.36

Susan Cain I love [this book]. Such a good book. (Source)

Timothy Ferriss Bird by Bird is one of my absolute favorite books, and I gift it to everybody, which I should probably also give to startup founders, quite frankly. A lot of the lessons are the same. But you can get to your destination, even though you can only see 20 feet in front of you. (Source)

Ryan Holiday It was wonderful to read these two provocative books of essays by two incredibly wise and compassionate women. [...] Anne Lamott’s book is ostensibly about the art of writing, but really it too is about life and how to tackle the problems, temptations and opportunities life throws at us. Both will make you think and both made me a better person this year. (Source)

George Orwell | 4.34

Steve Jobs called this book "one of his favorite" and recommended it to the hires. The book also inspired one the greatest TV ad (made by Jobs) (Source)

D J Taylor In terms of how technology is working in our modern surveillance powers, it’s a terrifyingly prophetic book in some of its implications for 21st-century human life. Orwell would deny that it was prophecy; he said it was a warning. But in fact, distinguished Orwell scholar Professor Peter Davis once made a list of all the things that Orwell got right, and it was a couple of fairly long paragraphs,... (Source)

Emotional Intelligence

Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Daniel Goleman | 4.32

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)

Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill | 4.31

Daymond John The main takeaway from [this book] was goal-setting. It was the fact that if you don't set a specific goal, then how can you expect to hit it? (Source)

Mark Moses [ listing the books that had the biggest impact on him] (Source)

Sa El Another book all about how to obtain financial success by changing how you think and how to change your actions based on that thinking pattern, mindset is the first thing that must change if you want to build a business. (Source)

Angela Duckworth | 4.31

Benjamin Spall [Question: What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path?] [...] Grit by Angela Duckworth (Source)

Bogdan Lucaciu Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - it was frustrating to read: “Where was this book 20 years ago!?” (Source)

Stephen Lew When asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Grit. (Source)

An Unquiet Mind

A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Kay Redfield Jamison | 4.30

Jonathan Glover Kay Redfield Jamison is a psychologist who has co-authored the major psychiatric textbook on manic depression. It authoritatively covers every aspect of the science, from genetics to pharmacology, and also has chapters on the links with creativity and on what the illness feels like. The chapters on the subjective experience are enriched with vivid quotations from patients. In her autobiography,... (Source)

Tanya Byron This is a divine book. A patient of mine who suffers with a bipolar illness, an absolutely inspiring young genius, recommended it to me. So I read it, and then we discussed it in a lot of our sessions together. (Source)

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Neil Postman, Andrew Postman | 4.28

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)

How to Be a Victorian

A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life

Ruth Goodman | 4.28

Between the World and Me

Ta-Nehisi Coates | 4.27

Barack Obama The president also released a list of his summer favorites back in 2015: All That Is, James Salter The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr (Source)

Jack Dorsey Q: What are the books that had a major influence on you? Or simply the ones you like the most. : Tao te Ching, score takes care of itself, between the world and me, the four agreements, the old man and the sea...I love reading! (Source)

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)

Inside the Victorian Home

A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England

Judith Flanders | 4.27

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Daniel H. Pink | 4.27

Tobi Lütke [Tobi Lütke recommended this book in an interview in "The Globe and Mail."] (Source)

David Heinemeier Hansson Takes some of those same ideas about motivations and rewards and extrapolates them in a little bit. (Source)

Mike Benkovich I'd recommend a sprinkling of business books followed by a heap of productivity and behavioural psychology books. The business books will help you with principals and the psychological books help with everything else in your life. Building your own business can really f!@# you up psychologically. (Source)

The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers

Johnny Saldana | 4.26

Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design

Choosing Among Five Approaches

John W. Creswell and Cheryl N. Poth | 4.25

The Emotion Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Character Expression

Becca Puglisi | 4.25

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Thomas S. Kuhn and Ian Hacking | 4.23

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 Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

Or, the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life

Charles Darwin, Robin Field | 4.23

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] On the Origin of Species (Darwin) [to learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Mark Kurlansky It is one of the most important books written, and I always urge people to read it. (Source)

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

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew

From Fox Hunting to Whist—the Facts of Daily Life in 19th-Century England

Daniel Pool | 4.22

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X, M. S. Handler, Ossie Davis, Attallah Shabazz, Alex Haley | 4.22

Casey Neistat Aside from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Casey's favorite book is The Second World War by John Keegan. (Source)

Ryan Holiday I forget who said it but I heard someone say that Catcher in the Rye was to young white boys what the Autobiography of Malcolm X was to young black boys. Personally, I prefer that latter over the former. I would much rather read about and emulate a man who is born into adversity and pain, struggles with criminality, does prison time, teaches himself to read through the dictionary, finds religion... (Source)

Keith Ellison Malcolm X is somebody that everybody in America’s prisons today could look at and say, ‘You know what, I can emerge, I can evolve' (Source)

Edith Hamilton | 4.20

Alan Kay A few more books like this, and by the time I got to first grade I had been ruined for the 'single book - single truth' ideas of school and church. (Source)

David and Goliath

Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

Malcolm Gladwell | 4.19

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)

Predictably Irrational

The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely | 4.18

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 Emperor of All Maladies

A Biography of Cancer

Siddhartha Mukherjee, Fred Sanders, et al | 4.18

Bill Gates I loved [this] brilliant book about cancer. (Source)

Timothy J. Jorgensen A tremendous amount of cancer biology comes through in that book through the eyes of the victims and the people up close and personal. (Source)

A Brief History of Tomorrow

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.18

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)

Case Study Research

Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods)

Robert K. Yin | 4.18

The Design of Everyday Things

Don Norman | 4.17

Marius Ciuchete Paun eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_5',164,'0','1'])); Question: Was there a moment, specifically, when something you read in a book helped you? Answer: Yes there was. In fact, I can remember two separate sentences from two different books: The first one comes from “The Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman. It says: “great design will help... (Source)

Grey Baker I mainly read to decompress and change my state of mind, so it’s hard to point to an insight I read that helped me. Reading fiction has pulled me out of a bad mood more times than I can count, though, and always reenergises me to attack problems that had stumped me again. That said, I read and loved Norman Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”, and it’s helped me think through design problems... (Source)

Kaci Lambe These three books are about how people actually use design in their lives. They helped me understand this very basic idea: There are no dumb users, only bad designers. Take the time to create based on how your design will be interacted with. Test it. Iterate. That's how you become a good designer. (Source)

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley | 4.16

Yuval Noah Harari The most prophetic book of the 20th century. Today many people would easily mistake it for a utopia. (Source)

Ellen Wayland-Smith It is a hilarious, and also very prescient, parody of utopias. Huxley goes back to the idea that coming together and forming a community of common interests is a great idea – it’s the basis of civil society. At the same time, when communities of common interests are taken to utopian degrees the self starts to dissolve into the larger community, you lose privacy and interiority; that becomes... (Source)

John Quiggin The lesson I draw from this is that the purpose of utopia is not so much as an achieved state, as to give people the freedom to pursue their own projects. That freedom requires that people are free of the fear of unemployment, or of financial disaster through poor healthcare. They should be free to have access to the kind of resources they need for their education and we should maintain and... (Source)

Understanding Comics

The Invisible Art

Scott McCloud | 4.16

Austin Kleon Unsolicited, but here’s my advice for visual thinkers (and others) who want to be better writers: [...] Cartoonists, because their work demands work from two disciplines (writing/art, poetry/design, words/pictures), are highly instructive when it comes to visual people learning to write, writers learning to make art, etc. (Check out Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics for more.) (Source)

Will Brooker Understanding Comics is a book about how comics work, told in comic form. It’s very accessible, it’s for the general reader and is about comics in general, not just superhero comics. It explores areas like pacing and editing – how motion can be created through static panels on a page, and how arranging those panels in different ways, or drawing in different styles, or combining text and image,... (Source)

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England

A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century

Ian Mortimer | 4.16

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood | 4.15

Grady Booch I read this several years ago but — much like Orwell’s 1984 — it seems particularly relevant given our current political morass. (Source)

Cliff Bleszinski @HandmaidsOnHulu Done. Love the show, book is a classic, can't wait for season 2. (Source)

Jason Kottke @procload Not super necessary, since you've seen the TV show. This first book is still a great read though...different than the show (tone-wise more than plot-wise). (Source)

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson | 4.14

Amanda Palmer [Amanda Palmer recommended this book in the book "Tools of Titans".] (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)

David Goldberg What I really liked about A Short History of Nearly Everything is that it gives an excellent account of a lot of the personalities and the interconnectedness of important discoveries in cosmology and elsewhere. He does such a great job of bringing together our understanding of cosmology, evolution, paleontology, and geology in a very, very fluid way. (Source)

New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Charles C. Mann | 4.14

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a...

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.

Adam Conover @TheBaltimoreSon @CharlesCMann Sure it! A total revolution in my understanding of history, all in one book. Amazing stuff. (Source)

Scott Keyes It’s one of those books that takes everything you thought you knew about the history of European colonialists and indigenous groups in the Americas and turns it on its head. Just a fascinating deep-dive into early American history that questions a lot of dogma we were taught in school. (Source)

Colin Calloway The book provides a huge hemispheric overview. (Source)

The Power of Myth

Joseph Campbell, Bill Moyers | 4.14

Naval Ravikant I’m rereading The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. Sometimes I think it’s better to just to reread the greats than it is to read something that’s not as great. (Source)

Bryan Callen Joseph Campbell was the first person to really open my eyes to [the] compassionate side of life, or of thought... Campbell was the guy who really kind of put it all together for me, and not in a way I could put my finger on... It made you just glad to be alive, [realizing] how vast this world is, and how similar and how different we are. (Source)

Park Howell This is one of the books I recommend to people looking for a career in advertising. (Source)

On Writing Well

The Classic Guide To Writing Nonfiction

William Zinsser | 4.14

Tim O'Reilly On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. I wouldn't say this book influenced me, since my principles of writing were established long before I read it. However, it does capture many things that I believe about effective writing. (Source)

Derek Sivers Great blunt advice about writing better non-fiction. So inspiring. (Source)

Women Who Run With the Wolves

Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Clarissa Pinkola Estés | 4.14

Irina Botnari I’m reading more books at the same time. Guilty. Some of them are Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss, My Berlin Child – Anne Wiazemsky, Women who Run with the Wolves - Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Tim is full of lessons to learn, remember & implement, I’ll see what the rest of the books will unfold. (Source)

Gender Trouble

Feminism and the Subversion of Identity

Judith Butler | 4.13

Invisible Women

Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Caroline Criado Perez | 4.12

Konnie Huq @FenTiger697 @WokingAmnesty @CCriadoPerez @Hatchards @radioleary Brilliant book by the brilliant @CCriadoPerez 😍 (Source)

Feminist Next Door @Rockmedia Awesome book (Source)

Nigel Shadbolt Invisible Women is an exposé of just how much of the world around us is designed around the default male. Deploying a huge range of data and examples, Caroline Criado Perez, who is a writer, broadcaster and award winning campaigner, presents on overwhelming case for change. Every page is full of facts and data that support her fundamental contention that in a world built for and by men, gender... (Source)

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations

Chicago Style for Students and Researchers

Kate L. Turabian | 4.12

Just Enough Research

Erika Hall | 4.12

Mike Monteiro Hello. @mulegirl’s revised, expanded, even more good edition of the world’s best research book, Just Enough Research, dropped today. Buy it for yourself, or buy it for everyone in your company, and you’ll make better things. https://t.co/7U4xcCu2ez (Source)

Daniel Burka Awesome! @mulegirl's excellent new book, Conversational Design, is now available from @abookapart. My blurb even made it in! "This book cuts through the fluff and buzzwords to get straight to the point..." https://t.co/0oeD5J0OSH (Source)

Tim Kastelle “A large corporation is more like Australia: it’s impossible to see the whole landscape at once and there are so many things capable of maiming or killing you.” Just Enough Research by ⁦@mulegirl⁩ is a fantastic book - highly recommended. https://t.co/t11yOVeqNc (Source)

The Prince [with Biographical Introduction]

Nicollo Machiavelli, Tim Parks | 4.11

Eric Ripert A fascinating study and still wholly relevant. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Prince (Machiavelli) [to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Ryan Holiday Of course, this is a must read. Machiavelli is one of those figures and writers who is tragically overrated and underrated at the same time. Unfortunately that means that many people who read him miss the point and other people avoid him and miss out altogether. Take Machiavelli slow, and really read him. Also understand the man behind the book–not just as a masterful writer but a man who... (Source)

The Better Angels of Our Nature

Why Violence Has Declined

Steven Pinker | 4.10

Mark Zuckerberg My second book of the year is The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker. It's a timely book about how and why violence has steadily decreased throughout our history, and how we can continue this trend. Recent events might make it seem like violence and terrorism are more common than ever, so it's worth understanding that all violence -- even terrorism -- is actually decreasing over time.... (Source)

Eric Schmidt When you finish [this book], which takes a long time, you conclude that the world is in a much, much better place than it has been in the past. (Source)

Bill Gates Yong succeeds in his intention to give us a 'grander view of life' and does so without falling prey to grand, unifying explanations that are far too simplistic. He presents our inner ecosystems in all their wondrous messiness and complexity. And he offers realistic optimism that our growing knowledge of the human microbiome will lead to great new opportunities for enhancing our health. (Source)

Save the Cat

The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Blake Snyder | 4.09

Eric Weinstein [Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

Bill Liao The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! (Source)

Neville Medhora It takes you through 11 different 'archetypes' of screenplays you can write, and the exact elements each needs to be a great story. (Source)

How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Jared Diamond | 4.08

Bill Gates I found this to be an interesting follow-up to the excellent Guns, Germs, and Steel. It examines the downfall of some of history's greatest civilizations. (Source)

Matthew Yglesias I wanted to get a book on my list that is actually enjoyable to read, so not everything is quite so dry and dull as a narrative. I also wanted to include something that reflects the growing importance of environmental and ecological concerns to progressive politics in America. This is relatively new to the agenda – it’s only been in the last 30 to 35 years. But going forward, one of the most... (Source)

Stefan Lessard He should read this book I’m almost finished with. Jared Diamond is one of my favorite historical authors. https://t.co/f9JLYlsc4v https://t.co/KtPgMZaWen (Source)

The Elegant Universe

Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Brian Greene | 4.08

Mark Kurlansky I love this book. Brian Greene makes quantum physics and Einstein’s theory of relativity really make sense, so you can understand something which nobody seems to understand (Source)

Tom Clarke This book is perhaps the public debut of string theory – an attempt to explain how the best of the big and the small theories might be linked to explain the entire universe. (Source)

Steven Gubser The book works at many levels – I gave a copy to my mom when it came out, and I also received very positive impressions about the book from Norman Ramsey, who is a Nobel Prize physicist at Harvard. So it’s a great achievement, and part of why it’s a great achievement is that it covers not only string theory but also the accepted pillars of 20th-century theoretical physics, namely, quantum... (Source)

Imagined Communities

Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (Revised Edition)

Benedict Anderson | 4.08

Jon Calame We looked into divided cities not because we had a morbid fascination with these traumatised cities, but because they seemed to be a keyhole through which you could glimpse this larger phenomenon relatively clearly. (Source)

Daring Greatly

How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Brené Brown | 4.08

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

Chelsea Frank I read everything with an open mind, often challenging myself by choosing books with an odd perspective or religious/spiritual views. These books do not reflect my personal feelings but are books that helped shape my perspective on life, love, and happiness. (Source)

AnneMarie Schindler I suggest these [books] because they really open up 'how' you think about life and in turn work, success/challenges/setbacks, and in general, yourself. I believe that the more you can understand yourself and broaden your approach to work, the easier it will be to find work that energizes you. Finally, I'm a team player at heart, and love working with others to achieve a huge goal so a portion of... (Source)

Norse Mythology

out of 5 stars4,12 | 4.08

Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

A People's History of the United States

Howard Zinn | 4.07

Lisa Ling I credit this book with propelling me to dig deeper, and to not always believe the narrative. (Source)

Alex Honnold Totally changed the way I look at politics. (Source)

Discipline and Punish

The Birth of the Prison

Michel Foucault, Alan Sheridan | 4.07

The Little Book of Research Writing

Varanya Chaubey | 4.07

The Gifts of Imperfection

Brené Brown | 4.07

Poverty and Profit in the American City

Matthew Desmond | 4.06

Bill Gates If you want a good understanding of how the issues that cause poverty are intertwined, you should read this book about the eviction crisis in Milwaukee. Desmond has written a brilliant portrait of Americans living in poverty. He gave me a better sense of what it is like to be poor in this country than anything else I have read. (Source)

Satya Nadella Nadella is using this season to learn more in a variety of subjects. By the looks of it, he is interested in, among other things, virtual reality, the refugee crisis, and housing for the urban poor. (Source)

Noah Kagan Surprising insights into the lives of people who were evicted. I make a lot of assumptions about these people. Turns out I was wrong WHY they get evicted. (Source)

Bad Science

Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks

Ben Goldacre | 4.06

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)

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series)

Scott Cunningham | 4.05

The Republic

The Influential Classic

Plato | 4.05

Maria Popova Tim Ferriss: "If you could guarantee that every public official or leader read one book, what would it be?": "The book would be, rather obviously, Plato's The Republic. I'm actually gobsmacked that this isn't required in order to be sworn into office, like the Constitution is required for us American immigrants when it comes time to gain American citizenship." (Source)

Rebecca Goldstein Living today in Trump’s America, I am constantly reminded of specific passages in the Republic, most saliently his warnings of how a demagogue might arise in the midst of a democracy by fanning up resentments and fears. (Source)

David Heinemeier Hansson I’m about a third through this and still can’t tell whether Plato is making a mockery of Socrates ideas for the idyllic society or not. So many of the arguments presented as Socrates’ are so tortured and with so disconnected leaps of logic that it’s hard to take it at face value. Yet still, it’s good fun to follow the dialogue. It reads more like a play than a book, and again, immensely... (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 | 4.05

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)

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures

The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic

John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews | 4.05

Stamped from the Beginning

The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Ibram X. Kendi | 4.04

Bianca Belair For #BHM I will be sharing some of my favorite books by Black Authors 27th Book: Stamped from the Beginning Written by: @DrIbram When I found this book I couldn’t believe that I had never learned about the information in this book. A book everyone should read. Eye-opening! https://t.co/pLaifB8DFI (Source)

The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath, Maggie Gyllenhaal, et al | 4.04

Bryony Gordon As a teenage girl, you have to read The Bell Jar. It’s a rite of passage. (Source)

The CEO Library Community (through anonymous form) One of the best 3 books I've read in 2019 (Source)

Tim Kendall Despite its subject matter, The Bell Jar is often a very funny novel. Perhaps we miss it because the pall of Plath’s biography descends across the whole work and reputation. But The Bell Jar is viciously funny. There are people still alive today who won’t talk about it because they were so badly hurt by Plath’s portrayal of them. (Source)

White Fragility

Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson | 4.04

Elizabeth C. Mclaughlin I've recommended the book White Fragility on here many times, and this interview is a great place to start. If you're a white person who believes you're not racist, please read this article. And then go read the book. https://t.co/S5plH3wS5m (Source)

Marshall Kirkpatrick @jhagel This is a great book btw! (Source)

Todd Nesloney @SarahSuggs13 I love that book, have spoken with the author, and did an entire staff book study. Again, had you even tried to see my work that I do, you'd have learned that. You seek to divide and that is it. Great lesson for our students. (Source)

Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit

John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker | 4.04

Gödel, Escher, Bach

An Eternal Golden Braid

Douglas R. Hofstadter | 4.04

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

Seth Godin In the last week, I discovered that at least two of my smart friends hadn't read Godel, Escher, Bach. They have now. You should too. (Source)

Kevin Kelly Over the years, I kept finding myself returning to its insights, and each time I would arrive at them at a deeper level. (Source)

Fermat's Enigma

The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem

Simon Singh | 4.03

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore The book is great because Simon Singh has this ability to write about the driest and most complex scientific or mathematical concepts and issues, and somehow make them come alive. (Source)

Kirk Borne New Perspective on Fermat's Last Theorem: https://t.co/YeaHQ6iadB by @granvilleDSC @DataScienceCtrl #abdsc #Mathematics See the best-selling book "Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem": https://t.co/dqenmvUw0A by @SLSingh https://t.co/deyMhQTQLU (Source)

The Signal and the Noise

Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't

Nate Silver | 4.03

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 Brain that Changes Itself

Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

Norman Doidge | 4.02

Carol Dweck For me it was exciting to read this book because while my research shows a growth mindset is really good for you, this book shows that a growth mindset also has a strong basis in modern neuroscience. It illustrates, though fascinating case histories and descriptions of recent research, the amazing power of the brain to change and even to reorganise itself with practice and experience. (Source)

Naveen Jain I think the book that I really, really enjoy was, "The Brain That Changes Itself." It's all about neuroplasticity, you'd really love that book. (Source)

Bogdana Butnar I don't have favourite books. I equate a favourite something with wanting to do it over and over again and I've never wanted to read a book too many times. I have favourite authors and I have books that changed me in significant ways because they moved me or taught me something or changed my view of the world. So, here's some of those books... (Source)

The Artist's Way

Julia Cameron | 4.02

Anand C STARTING FROM AUTHENTICITY: by observing, showing humility and being grateful - I started being open to what’s in the sub-conscious more (30+ sessions in). Speaking your truth is a powerful result of this. One great book to help explore this. https://t.co/sOAgAHhWsO (Source)

Emma Gannon Instead of all these fast paced books saying: ‘Here’s how to be amazing, here’s how to get a side hustle, here’s how to hustle, hustle, hustle.’ This is the total opposite. It’s about slowing right down and connecting with yourself again. (Source)

The Negative Trait Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws

Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi | 4.02

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(r)

American Psychological Association | 4.01

In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive...

In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive coverage of the treatment of numbers, metrication, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures for use in writing, reports, or presentations.

The new edition has been revised and updated to include:

Writers, scholars, and professionals will also find:

New and experienced readers alike will find the 5th Edition a complete resource for writing, presenting, or publishing with clarity and persuasiveness.

Approximately 400 pages

The Poisoner's Handbook

Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

Deborah Blum | 4.01

Michelle Francl Deborah Blum’s book reminds me that molecules are powerful witnesses, if only we have the skills to interrogate them, and sometimes they are killers. (Source)

A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

Scott Cunningham | 4.01

Georgette Heyer's Regency World

Jennifer Kloester | 4.01

From Here to Eternity

Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

Caitlin Doughty, Landis Blair | 4.01

Dylan Thuras Caitlin Doughty is razor sharp, and writes about death with exceptional clarity and style. From Here to Eternity manages to be both an extremely funny travelogue and a deeply moving book about what death means to us all. (Source)

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

How to Edit Yourself Into Print

Renni Browne, Dave King | 4.00

Alina Varlanuta My professional path – copywriting – somehow intertwines with my unprofessional (hahaha) path – writing so I would recommend reading literature for both. Somehow reading and writing are two ways of doing the same thing: storytelling (even when you read you tell yourself a story in your own voice, bringing your personal emotion and empathy to the story you’re reading). The only difference is that... (Source)

Unmentionable

The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners

Therese Oneill | 4.00

Best Sellers in Research Reference Books

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Not-so-great expectations: Students are reading fewer books in English class

Chris Stanislawski, 14, poses for a portrait outside of his home in Garden City, N.Y., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Chris didn’t finish any books in his 8th grade English class, in part because their google classroom had detailed summaries of each chapter of every book. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)

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Chris Stanislawski didn’t read much in his middle school English classes, but it never felt necessary. Students were given detailed chapter summaries for every novel they discussed, and teachers played audio of the books during class.

Much of the reading material at Garden City Middle School in Long Island was either abridged books, or online texts and printouts, he said.

“When you’re given a summary of the book telling you what you’re about to read in baby form, it kind of just ruins the whole story for you,” said Chris, 14. “Like, what’s the point of actually reading?”

In many English classrooms across America, assignments to read full-length novels are becoming less common. Some teachers focus instead on selected passages — a concession to perceptions of shorter attention spans , pressure to prepare for standardized tests and a sense that short-form content will prepare students for the modern, digital world.

The National Council of Teachers of English acknowledged the shift in a 2022 statement on media education, saying: “The time has come to decenter book reading and essay-writing as the pinnacles of English language arts education.”

The idea is not to remove books but to teach media literacy and add other texts that feel relevant to students, said Seth French, one of the statement’s co-authors. In the English class he taught before becoming a dean last year at Bentonville High School in Arkansas, students engaged with plays, poetry and articles but read just one book together as a class.

“At the end of the day, a lot of our students are not interested in some of these texts that they didn’t have a choice in,” he said.

The emphasis on shorter, digital texts does not sit well with everyone.

Deep reading is essential to strengthen circuits in the brain tied to critical thinking skills, background knowledge — and, most of all, empathy, said Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist at UCLA specializing in dyslexia research.

“We must give our young an opportunity to understand who others are, not through little snapshots, but through immersion into the lives and thoughts and feelings of others,” Wolf said.

At Garden City Middle School, students are required to read several books in their entirety each year, including “Of Mice and Men” and “Romeo and Juliet,” Principal Matthew Samuelson said. Audio versions and summaries are provided as extra resources, he said.

For Chris, who has dyslexia, the audio didn’t make the reading feel more accessible. He just felt bored. He switched this fall to a Catholic school, which his mother feels will prepare him better for college.

Even outside school, students are reading less

There’s little data on how many books are assigned by schools. But in general, students are reading less. Federal data from last year shows only 14% of young teens say they read for fun daily, compared with 27% in 2012.

Teachers say the slide has its roots in the COVID-19 crisis.

“There was a trend, it happened when COVID hit, to stop reading full-length novels because students were in trauma; we were in a pandemic. The problem is we haven’t quite come back from that,” said Kristy Acevedo, who teaches English at a vocational high school in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

This year, she said she won’t accept that students are too distracted to read. She plans to teach time-management strategies and to use only paper and pencils for most of class time.

Other teachers say the trend stems from standardized testing and the influence of education technology . Digital platforms can deliver a complete English curriculum, with thousands of short passages aligned to state standards — all without having to assign an actual book.

“If admins and school districts are judged by their test scores, how are they going to improve their test scores? They’re going to mirror the test as much as possible,” said Karl Ubelhoer, a middle school special education teacher in Tabernacle, New Jersey.

For some students, it’s a struggle to read at all . Only around a third of fourth and eighth graders reached reading proficiency in the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, down significantly from 2019.

Leah van Belle, executive director of the Detroit literacy coalition 313Reads, said when her son read “Peter Pan” in late elementary school, it was too hard for most kids in the class. She laments that Detroit feels like “a book desert.” Her son’s school doesn’t even have a library.

Still, she said it makes sense for English classes to focus on shorter texts.

“As an adult, if I want to learn about a topic and research it, be it personal or professional, I’m using interactive digital text to do that,” she said.

Teachers fit books in with other ‘spinning plates’

Even in well-resourced schools, one thing is always in short supply: time.

Terri White, a teacher at South Windsor High School in Connecticut, no longer makes her honors ninth-grade English class read all of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” She assigns about a third of the book and a synopsis of the rest. They have to move on quickly because of pressure for teachers to cram more into the curriculum, she said.

“It’s like spinning plates, you know what I mean? Like it’s a circus,” she said.

She also assigns less homework because kids’ schedules are so packed with sports, clubs and other activities.

“I maintain rigor. But I’m more about helping students become stronger and more critical readers, writers and thinkers, while taking their social-emotional well-being into account,” she said.

In the long run, the synopsis approach harms students’ critical thinking skills, said Alden Jones, a literature professor at Emerson College in Boston. She assigns fewer books than she once did and gives more quizzes to make sure students do the reading.

“We don’t value the thinking time that we used to have. It’s all time we could be on our phone accomplishing tasks,” she said.

Will Higgins, an English teacher at Dartmouth High School in Massachusetts, said he still believes in teaching the classics, but demands on students’ time have made it necessary to cut back.

“We haven’t given up on ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ We haven’t given up on ‘Hamlet’ or ‘The Great Gatsby,’″ Higgins said. But he said they have given up assigning others like “A Tale of Two Cities.”

His school has had success encouraging reading through student-directed book clubs, where small groups pick a book and discuss it together. Contemporary authors like John Green and Jason Reynolds have been a big hit.

“It’s funny,” he said. “Many students are saying that it’s the first time in a long time they’ve read a full book .”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

• Boston University Libraries

APA Citations (7th edition)

Citing books and ebooks.

• Citing Journal Articles
• Citing Videos
• Citing Web Resources

In this tutorial, you will learn the basics for citing a book, how to cite if there is more than one author or if a book is not a first edition, and how to cite a chapter from an edited book. Regardless if you use a print book or an eBook, you will cite it in the same way. There is no differentiation.

Every APA reference needs four parts:  author, date, title,  and  source . As you go through these examples, you will learn how to identify these four parts and how to place and format them into a proper APA reference.

Example 1: A Book With One Author

For the first example, you will learn how to cite this book:  Betting the Farm on a Drought: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change .

The first step is to identify the  author  of the book. This can usually be found on the cover or title page.

To list an author, write the  last name , a  comma , and the  first and middle initials , followed by a  period .

Example: McGraw, S.

Next, identify when this book was written. In this case, you will need to open the book and look inside, usually on the back of the title page, to find the date,  2015 .

List the  date  after the author, in  parentheses , followed by a  period .

Example: McGraw, S. (2015).

Next, identify the  title . Even though there is no colon on the page,  Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change  is styled differently and in a smaller font. This shows that it is the  subtitle , and should be separated from the title with a  colon .

List the  title  of the book after the date, in  italics . Make sure you only capitalize the  first word of the title ,  the first word of the subtitle , which comes after the colon, and any  proper nouns .

Example: McGraw, S. (2015).  Betting the farm on a drought: Stories from the front lines of climate change .

Next, you need to identify the  source . For books, you need the  publisher . The book's title page shows that the publisher is  University of Texas Press .

Type the name of the  publisher , and end with a  period .

Example: McGraw, S. (2015).  Betting the farm on a drought: Stories from the front lines of climate change . University of Texas Press.

The last piece of information you need is the  DOI , which stands for digital object identifier. You can find a book’s DOI on the back of the title page. Not every book and eBook will have a DOI available. If there is no DOI, then this element can be omitted.

If the book contains a DOI, then include it after the publisher. First, type  https://doi.org/  and then the book’s DOI. Otherwise, end after the publisher. This concludes the reference.

Example: McGraw, S. (2015).  Betting the farm on a drought: Stories from the front lines of climate change . University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/756618

If you refer to a work in your paper, either by directly quoting, paraphrasing, or by referring to main ideas, you will need to include an in-text parenthetical citation. There are a number of ways to do this. In this example, a  signal phrase  is used to introduce a direct quote. Note that the  author's name  is given in the text, and the  publication date  and  page number(s)  are enclosed in parentheses at the beginning and end of the sentence.

Example: As McGraw (2015) writes, "As with the nuclear danger in the 1960s, the potential risks of global climate change are staggering" (p. 39).

Example 2: Multiple Authors; Editions

For this next book, there are  two authors . You can obtain the date, the title, and the publisher from the book, using the steps illustrated in the first example. Note that this book is a  eighth edition . You will need to include that information in your citation as well.

When citing multiple authors, list the first author as normal, followed by a  comma , an  ampersand (&) , and then the second author. In this example, the first author has a middle initial, so this is included. The  edition  is placed right after the  title  but  before the period .

Example: Wald, K. D., & Calhoun-Brown, A. (2018).  Religion and politics in the United States  (8th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Example 3: A Chapter in an Edited Book

In this example, the entire book is overseen by  editors , but each  chapter  has a different author. If you are only using information from a single chapter, you will need to cite it a certain way.

First, find the general information for this book, as demonstrated in the previous examples. Then you need to locate the  author ,  title,  and  page numbers  of the chapter you are citing.

To cite, list the  author of the chapter  first, followed by the  date  and then the  title of the chapter . Note that the title of the chapter is not in italics. Then type the word  In , and list the  editors of the book , with the initials first. At the end of their names, list  Ed. or Eds. in parentheses , which is the abbreviation for editor or editors. Then, type a  comma , the  title of the book , and include the  page numbers in parentheses . End with the publisher.

Example: Landes, D. (2000). Culture makes almost all the difference. In L. E. Harrison & S. P. Huntington (Eds.),  Culture matters: How values shape human progress  (pp. 2–13). Basic Books.

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Table of Contents

Tip 1: Start with Your Positioning and Outline

Tip 2: make a research plan, tip 3: ask the internet, tip 4: read books, tip 5: talk to experts, tip 6: collect survey data, tip 7: keep everything organized.

• Tip 8: Set a Deadline & Stop Early

Tip 9: Write the First Draft

How to conduct research for your book: 9 tips that work.

If you’re like many first-time nonfiction writers, you’ve probably wondered, “How do I research for my book?”

I get this question a lot, and there are plenty of tips I can share. But before I dive into it, I’m going to throw you a curveball:

Don’t assume you have to do research for your book.

Because the purpose of nonfiction is to help the reader solve a problem or create change in their life (or both) by sharing what you know. If you can do this without a lot of research, then don’t do research.

We’ve had many Authors who knew their topic so inside and out that they didn’t need research. That is perfectly fine. They still wrote incredible books.

When it boils down to it, there are only 2 reasons to do research for your book:

• You know enough to write the book, but you want to add sources and citations to make the book more persuasive to a specific audience.
• You don’t know enough, and you need to learn more to make the book complete.

We’ve had many Authors who–despite knowing their stuff–wanted to include additional data, expert opinions, or testimonials to ensure that readers would find their arguments credible. This is important to consider if you’re writing for a scientific or technical audience that expects you to cite evidence.

Likewise, we see many Authors who know their industry but have a few knowledge gaps they’d like to fill in order to make their arguments more robust.

In fact, that’s the whole key to understanding how much research you should do. Ask yourself:

What evidence does a reader need to believe your argument is credible and trustworthy?

Research can be complicated, though. Many Authors don’t know where to start, and they get bogged down in the details. Which, of course, derails the book writing process and stalls them–or worse, it stops them from finishing.

The bad news? There’s no “right way” to make a book research plan.

The good news? The basic research tips apply for either person.

In this post, I’ll give you 9 effective research tips that will help you build a stronger, more convincing book.

More importantly, these tips will also show you how to get through the research process without wasting time.

9 Research Tips for Writing Your Book

Don’t jump into research blindly. Treat it like any other goal. Plan, set a schedule, and follow through.

Here are 9 tips that will help you research effectively.

Before you start researching or writing, you need to figure out two main things: your audience and your message.

This is called book positioning , and it’s an essential part of the book writing process.

Your job as an Author is to convince readers that your book will help them solve their problems.

Every piece of research you include in the book–whether it’s a survey, pie chart, or expert testimonial–should help you accomplish that.

Once your positioning is clear, you can put together your book outline.

Your outline is a comprehensive guide to everything in your book, and it is your best defense against procrastination, fear, and all the other problems writers face . It’s crucial if you don’t want to waste time on research you don’t need.

With an outline, you’ll already know what kind of data you need, where your information gaps are, and what kinds of sources might help you support your claims.

We’ve put together a free outline template to make the process even easier.

All this to say: without solid positioning and a comprehensive outline, you’ll wander. You’ll write, throw it away, write some more, get frustrated, and eventually, give up.

You’ll never finish a draft, much less publish your book .

If you don’t know your subject well enough to figure out your positioning and make a good outline, it means you don’t know enough to write that book—at least not right now.

Your plan will vary widely depending on whether you are:

• An expert who knows your field well
• Someone who needs to learn more about your field before writing about it

The majority of you are writing a book because you’re experts. So most of the information you need will already be in your head.

If you’re an expert, your research plan is probably going to be short, to the point, and about refreshing your memory or filling small gaps.

If you’re a non-expert, your research plan is probably going to be much longer. It could entail interviewing experts, reading lots of books and articles, and surveying the whole field you are writing about.

The outline should highlight those places where your book will need more information.

Are there any places where you don’t have the expertise to back up your claims?

What key takeaways require more evidence?

Would the book be stronger if you had another person’s point of view?

These are the kinds of gaps that research can fill.

Go back through your outline and find the places where you know you need more information. Next to each one, brainstorm ways you might fulfill that need.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a book that includes a section on yoga’s health benefits. Even if you’re a certified yoga instructor, you may not know enough physiology to explain the health benefits clearly.

Where could you find that information?

• Ask a medical expert
• A book on yoga and medicine
• A website that’s well respected in your field
• A study published in a medical journal

You don’t have to get too specific here. The point is to highlight where you need extra information and give yourself leads about where you might find it. ​

The kinds of research you need will vary widely, depending on what kind of nonfiction book you’re writing.

For example, if you’re giving medical advice for other experts, you’ll likely want to substantiate it with peer-reviewed, professional sources.

If you’re explaining how to grow a company, you might refer to statistics from your own company or recount specific anecdotes about other successful companies.

If you’re writing a memoir, you won’t need any quantitative data. You might simply talk with people from your past to fill in some gaps or use sources like Wikipedia to gather basic facts.

Different subject matter calls for different sources. If you’re having trouble figuring out what sources your subject needs, ask yourself the same question as above:

Ask yourself what evidence does a reader need to believe your argument is credible and trustworthy?

Generally speaking, an expert can do their research before they start writing, during, or even after (depending on what they need).

If you’re a non-expert, you should do your research before you start writing because what you learn will form the basis of the book.

It may sound obvious, but the internet is a powerful research tool and a great place to start. But proceed with caution: the internet can also be one of the greatest sources of misinformation.

If you’re looking for basic info, like for fact-checking, it’s fantastic.

If you’re looking for academic information, like scientific studies, it can be useful. (You might hit some paywalls, but the information will be there.)

If you’re looking for opinions, they’ll be abundant.

Chances are, though, as you look for all these things, you’re going to come across a lot of misleading sources—or even some that straight-up lie.

Here are some tips for making sure your internet research is efficient and effective:

• Use a variety of search terms to find what you need. For example, if you’re looking for books on childhood development, you might start with basic terms like “childhood development,” “child psychology,” or “social-emotional learning.”
• As you refine your knowledge, refine your searches. A second round of research might be more specific, like “Piaget’s stages of development” or “Erikson’s psychosocial theories.”
• Don’t just stop with the first result on Google. Many people don’t look past the first few results in a Google search. That’s fine if you’re looking for a recipe or a Wikipedia article, but the best research sources don’t always have the best SEO. Look for results that seem thorough or reputable, not just popular.
• Speaking of Wikipedia, don’t automatically trust it. It can be a great place to start if you’re looking for basic facts or references, but remember, it’s crowd-sourced. That means it’s not always accurate. Get your bearings on Wikipedia, then look elsewhere to verify any information you’re going to cite.
• Make sure your data is coming from a reputable source. Google Scholar, Google Books, and major news outlets like NPR, BBC, etc. are safe bets. If you don’t recognize the writer, outlet, or website, you’re going to have to do some digging to find out if you can trust them.
• Verify the credentials of the Author before you trust the site. People often assume that anything with a .edu domain is reputable. It’s not. You might be reading some college freshman’s last-minute essay on economics. If it’s a professor, you’re probably safe.

Using a few random resources from the internet is not equivalent to conducting comprehensive research.

If you want to dive deeper into a topic, books are often your best resources.

They’re reliable because they’re often fact-checked, peer-reviewed, or vetted. You know you can trust them.

Many Authors are directly influenced by other books in their field. If you’re familiar with any competing books, those are a great place to start.

Use the internet to find the best books in each field, and then dive into those.

Your book will have a different spin from the ones already out there, but think of it this way: you’re in the same conversation, which means you’ll probably have many of the same points of reference.

Check out the bibliographies or footnotes in those books. You might find sources that are useful for your own project.

You might want to buy the books central to your research. But if you aren’t sure if something’s going to be useful, hold off on hitting Amazon’s “one-click buy.”

Many Authors underestimate the power of their local libraries. Even if they don’t have the book you’re looking for, many libraries participate in extensive interlibrary loan programs. You can often have the books you need sent to your local branch.

Librarians are also indispensable research resources. Many universities have subject-specific research librarians who are willing to help you find sources, even if you aren’t a student.

Research doesn’t always require the internet or books. Sometimes you need an answer, story, or quotation from a real person.

But make sure you have a decent understanding of your field BEFORE you go to experts with your questions.

I’m an expert at writing nonfiction books, so I speak from personal experience. It’s annoying as hell when people come to you with questions without having done at least a little research on the topic beforehand—especially when you already have a 3,000 word blog post about it.

Experts love it when you’ve done some research and can speak their language. They hate it when you ask them to explain fundamentals.

But once you find a good expert, it condenses your learning curve by at least 10x.

To figure out who you need to talk to, think about the kind of nonfiction book you’re writing.

Is it a book about your own business, products, or methods? You may want to include client stories or testimonials.

In Driven , Doug Brackmann relied on his experience with clients to teach highly driven people how to master their gifts.

Is it a book that requires expert knowledge outside your own area of expertise (for example, a doctor, IT specialist, lawyer, or business coach)? You might want to ask them to contribute brief passages or quotations for your book.

Colin Dombroski did exactly that for his book The Plantar Fasciitis Plan . He consulted with various colleagues, each of whom contributed expert advice for readers to follow.

It’s much easier to contact people who are already in your network. If you don’t personally know someone, ask around. Someone you already know may be able to connect you with the perfect expert.

If that doesn’t work out, you can always try the cold call method. Send a polite email that briefly but clearly explains what your book is about and why you’re contacting them.

If you do this, though, do your research first. Know the person’s name. Don’t use “To whom it may concern.” Know their specialty. Know exactly what type of information you’re seeking. Basically, know why they are the person you want to feature in your book.

Some Authors like to collect surveys for their books. This is very optional, and it’s only applicable in certain books, so don’t assume you need this.

But if you want to include a section in your book that includes how people feel about something (for example, to back up a point you’re making), you might want to have survey data.

You might have access to data you can already cite. The internet is full of data: infographics, Pew data, Nielsen ratings, scholarly research, surveys conducted by private companies.

If you don’t have access to data, you can conduct your own surveys with an online platform like SurveyMonkey. Here’s how:

• Consider your research goals. What are you trying to learn?
• Formulate the survey questions. Most people prefer short, direct survey questions. They’re also more likely to answer multiple-choice questions.
• Invite participants. If you want a reliable survey, it’s best to get as many participants as possible. Surveying three family members won’t tell you much.
• Collect and analyze the data.

That will work for more informal purposes, but surveys are a science unto themselves. If you require a lot of data, want a large sample size, or need high statistical accuracy, it’s better to hire pros. Quantitative data is more effective and trustworthy when it’s properly conducted.

Don’t go overboard with statistics, though. Not all books need quantitative data. There are many other ways to convince readers to listen to your message.

Organize your research as you go. I can’t stress this enough.

If you research for months on end, you might end up with dozens of articles, quotations, or anecdotes. That’s a lot of material.

If you have to dig through every single piece when you want to use something, it’ll take you years to write.

Don’t rely on your memory, either. Three months down the line, you don’t want to ask, “Where did I find this piece of information?” or “Where did that quotation come from?”

I suggest creating a research folder on your computer where you collect everything.

Inside the main folder, create subfolders for each individual chapter (or even each individual subsection of your chapters). This is where your outline will come in handy.

In each folder, collect any pdfs, notes, or images relevant to that section.

Every time you download or save something, give the file a clear name.

Immediately put it into the correct folder. If you wait, you might not remember which part of your book you found it useful for.

Also, be sure to collect the relevant citation information:

• Author’s name
• Title of the book, article, etc.
• The outlet it appeared in (e.g., BBC or Wired) or, if it’s a book, the publisher
• The date it was published
• The page number or hyperlink

If you have photocopies or handwritten notes, treat them the same way. Label them, file them, and add the necessary citation information. This will save you a lot of time when you sit down to write.

Some Authors use programs like Scrivener or Evernote to keep track of their research. I personally use the software program Notion, which is similar to Evernote.

These programs allow you to collect references, notes, images, and even drafts, all in one convenient place.

They save you from having to create your own digital organizational system. They also make it easier to consult documents without opening each file individually.

Once you’ve got a system in place, don’t forget: back up your data. Put it on the cloud, an external hard drive, or both. There’s nothing worse than spending hours on research just to have it disappear when your computer crashes.

All of this takes time, and it may seem tedious. But trust me, it’s a lot more tedious when you’re racing toward your publication deadline, and you’re hunting down random data you quoted in your book.

Tip 8: Set a Deadline & Stop Early

Research is one of the most common ways Authors procrastinate.

When they’re afraid of writing or hit roadblocks, they often say, “Well, I just need to do a little more research…”

Fast-forward two years, and they’re still stuck in the same spiral of self-doubt and research.

Don’t fall into that trap. Learn when to stop.

When I’m writing, I set a research deadline and then stop EARLY. It’s a great way to beat procrastination , and it makes me feel like I’m ahead of the curve.

Here’s the thing: there’s always going to be more information out there. You could keep researching forever.

But then you’d never finish the book—which was the point of the research in the first place.

Plus, excessive research doesn’t make better books . No one wants to read six test cases when one would have worked.

You want to have enough data to convincingly make your case, but not so much that your readers get bogged down by all the facts.

So how will you know when you’ve done enough?

When you have enough data, anecdotes, and examples to address every point on your outline.

Your outline is your guide. Once it’s filled in, STOP .

Remember, the goal of data is to support your claims. You’re trying to make a case for readers, not bludgeon them with facts.

If you feel like you have to go out of your way to prove your points, you have 1 of 2 problems:

• You’re not confident enough in your points, or
• You’re not confident enough in your readers’ ability to understand your claims.

If you’re having the first problem, you may need to go back and adjust your arguments. All the research in the world won’t help support a weak claim.

If you’re having the second problem, ask yourself, If I knew nothing about this subject, what would it take to convince me? Follow through on your answer and trust that it’s enough.

When you think you have enough research, start writing your vomit draft.

If it turns out you’re missing small pieces of information, that’s okay. Just make a note of it. Those parts are easy to go back and fill in later.

Notice: I said “later.” Once you start writing, stop researching.

If you stop writing your first draft to look for more sources, you’ll break the flow of your ideas.

Research and writing are two completely different modes of thinking. Most people can’t switch fluidly between them.

Just get the first draft done.

Remember, the first draft is exactly that—the first draft. There will be many more versions in the future.

It’s okay to leave notes to yourself as you go along. Just be sure to leave yourself a way to find them easily later.

I recommend changing the font color or highlighting your comments to yourself in the draft. You can even use different colors: one for missing data and another for spots you need to fact-check.

You can also use the “insert comment” feature on Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or any other writing software you prefer.

Another useful tip is to simply type “TK.” There’s no word in the English language where those two letters appear together. That means, when you’re ready to go back through your draft, you can use the “Find” option (Control+F). It will take you back to all the spots you marked.

Whatever method you choose, don’t stop writing.

Also, don’t worry about how “good” or “bad” it is at this point. No one ever wrote an amazing first draft. Not even bestselling Authors.

Just keep at it until you have a complete first draft.

That won’t be hard because you won’t be missing any huge pieces. The whole point of the outline was to zero in on exactly what you want to write for the exact audience you want to reach. If you followed that outline when you researched, you’ll be able to stay on track during the writing process.

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This coming-of-age story takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky follows observant "wallflower" Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Hey, Kiddo I know I'm not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They're mean, and scary, and they're always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe. It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes--but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

#6: The Bluest Eye

Eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, an African-American girl in an America whose love for blonde, blue-eyed children can devastate all others, prays for her eyes to turn blue, so that she will be beautiful, people will notice her, and her world will be different. The story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, the tragic heroine of Toni Morrison's haunting first novel, grew out of her memory of a girlhood friend who wanted blue eyes. Shunned by the town's prosperous black families, as well as its white families, Pecola lives with her alcoholic father and embittered, overworked mother in a shabby two-room storefront that reeks of the hopeless destitution that overwhelms their lives. In awe of her clean well-groomed schoolmates, and certain of her own intense ugliness, Pecola tries to make herself disappear as she wishes fervently, desperately for the blue eyes of a white girl. In her afterward to this novel, Morrison writes of the little girl she once knew: "Beauty was not simply something to behold, it was something one could do. The Bluest Eye was my effort to say something about that; to say something about why she had not, or possibly never would have, the experience of what she possessed and also why she prayed for so radical an alteration. Implicit in her desire was racial self-loathing. And twenty-years later I was still wondering about how one learns that. Who told her? Who made her feel that it was better to be a freak that what she was? Who had looked at her and found her so wanting, so small a weight on the beauty scale? The novel pecks away at the gaze that condemned her."

#7 (TIE): Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he's figured it out. The answer to the basic existential question: How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.   This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg's mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg's entire life.

#7 (TIE): Tricks

Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love. "When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival." Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons. Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story -- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can I ever feel okay about myself?"

#9: Let's Talk about It: the Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human

"A graphic novel about sex, sexuality, gender, body, consent, and many other topics for teens"-- Is what I'm feeling normal? Is what my body is doing normal? Am I normal? How do I know what are the right choices to make? How do I know how to behave? How do I fix it when I make a mistake? Let's talk about it. Growing up is complicated. How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? "Let's talk about it" provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know. Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, "Let's talk about it" is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form

When she is tricked by her stepfather and sold into prostitution, thirteen-year-old Lakshmi becomes submerged in a nightmare where her only comfort is the friendship she forms with the other girls, which helps her survive--and eventually escape.

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