In the last few weeks, I have shared with you the Recommended Reading By 50+ Billionaires, Mega-Bestselling Authors, and Other Titans that were shared with Tim Ferriss on his podcast and as a chapter in his book, ‘Tools of Titans’, as well as 11 Books Not To Miss in 2017, According To The World’s Most Influential Persons.
Now, I’d like to share with you the five books Tim shared with Business Insider, that he considers to have had the biggest influence on his life. He keeps them face-out on the book shelf in his living room, “so that I see them regularly, to remind me of the lessons I took from them.”
Some of these double up across the various recommended reading list. Shrewd readers will be able to cross-reference the list and come up with the best place to start for their next reading adventure…
‘Moral Letters to Lucilius’ by Seneca the Younger
The most famous work of Stoicism may be the philosopher king Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations,” of which Ferriss is a fan, but he’s especially taken with Seneca’s letters to his student Lucilious. The collection is, as Ferriss said, “about everything imaginable, and it’s as applicable today as it was 2,000 years ago.”
“Stoicism as a whole I think is the optimal operating system for thriving in high stress environments,” he said.
Find it here »
‘Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!’ by Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman was a Nobel-prize winning physicist who was a bit of a Renaissance man. His book “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!“, first published in 1985, is a collection of his autobiographical writings.
Ferriss has adopted Feynman’s approach to life. He said the book “paints a picture of a very brilliant problem solver and merry prankster who was a polymath, taught himself how to play the bongos, used to paint in strip clubs. You’ve got to love this guy! And it’s a hilarious book but it also shows you how good he was at testing assumptions and questioning dogma. Even in the face of embarrassment or criticism.”
[I have read this book and Feynman definitely had a very intersting, eclectic life. Well worth a read. Scott]
Find it here »
‘Zorba the Greek’ by Nikos Kazantzakis