Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Berlin Johnson: A study of the factors that seem to encourage innovation and novelty, whether at the physical, biological, or societal levels.
The Tyranny of Metrics, Jerry Z Muller: A critical analysis of the overreliance on metrics and quantifiable goals in various fields, and how it can lead to unintended consequences and inefficiencies.
A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science, Barbara Oakley: A guide to learning effectively in math and science.
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr: An exploration of how the internet and digital technologies are affecting our cognition, attention, and memory.
The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli: The classic treatise on political power and statecraft.
In Praise of Shadows, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki: An essay on Japanese aesthetics and the beauty of darkness and shadow.
Why Don't We Learn From History?, B. H. Liddell Hart: An examination of why nations and leaders repeatedly fail to learn from past mistakes.
The Book of Tea, Kakuzō Okakura: A meditation on the Japanese tea ceremony and its connection to art and philosophy.