I thought it would be interesting to have a thread about books that are so good, they’ve significantly changed the way you think. They don’t have to be about memory – they could be about philosophy, biology, psychology, sociology, music, computers, economics, or any other topic – even fiction.
What are the best books (from a learning perspective) every written?
Feel free to post any book recommendations in this thread. 
“Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain.
I warmly recommend this book for anyone interested in psychology, especially if you are interested in learning about introversion-extroversion and especially if you are an introvert. Cain presents some really interesting research about this, a little history, and she also writes about her own and others experiences being introverted in a culture (mostly American) where extroversion is the norm.
For me it changed the way I see these things in a very positive way!
I’m very introverted, so that sounds like an interesting book.
For me, these are books I still re-read
Anything by Nicolas Taleb, who became a hit with “The Black Swan” and now “Antifragile” – I go “I know that, but didn’t realize it until I read him”
Nate Silver’s latest is a must read to untangle stats – I had to go back to my internal drawing board after the last U.S. presidential election
“The Best and Brightest” is a book any president ought to keep by his bedside to see how “wag the dog” “Vietnams” occur – Just as he should see often the first few minutes of the movie “Saving Private Ryan” to fully grasp just what “killing people and breaking things” mean
Karl Popper is awesome
Investing, the best is “Rule # 1”
Dummy books help me understand a lot of new things to see if I want to go farther
+1 Black Swan, changed the way I look at many things.
I’ve just (yesterday) finished constructing a memory palace for Structures, or Why Things Don’t Fall Down. It’s a great, and amusing, layman’s intro to materials and structures. Makes you look at buildings/places/ships in a new way.
If you found the “Swan” gave you insight, then take a read of “Antifragile”
Slow read, because almost every sentence gives you a WOW-w moment
I did think Moonwalking with Einstein was highly inspirational and extremely well written.
Also: Ender’s game.
A book from Peter Singer. It is a resume from the famous books he wrote. It is about life & death, and a lot whisdom.
All books about body language, mnemonics, social interaction, the subconscious mind and more from that kind of things.
I know it’s already been said before but I found Moonwalking with einstein to be great! Its a wonderful story.
Also, Brighter by Dr. Gunther Karsten. I am about a 3rd of the way through the book but I can tell already it’s going to be a fantastic read.
@Jeffrey Lucas, You should read everything by Paul Ekman, he’s a genious and amazing. I have read parts of his work and… just wow.
You Are Not Your Brain By Jeffrey Schwartz and Rebecca Gladding MD
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle (This is really good on training ideas)
Douglas Hofstadter’s “Godel, Escher, and Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid” - absolutely blew my mind when I first read it back in college.
Lots of good books… I’m going to add some to my reading list.
I keep hearing great things about that book. I want to read it…
Both books look good, i will add them to my list…
“You are not so Smart” by David McRaney is a great psychology book about how humans delude themselves.
“Mindwise" by Nicholas Epley is another good book if you want to learn about how we understand what others think, believe and want.
And of course buy an ebook that contains all Sherlock Holmes original stories and read them. You will learn a lot about problem solving and you will enjoy the adventures of the best character in literature.
Okay so I might be a few years late jumping on this bandwagon, but thought my book recommendation would help expand the knowledge base of this community.
Pride and Prejudice is by far the best book ever.
(That book recommendation was written with sarcasm.)
Honestly I think How To Win Friends and Influence People has been one of the most helpful books I’ve read, if only I could remember everything in it…
I enjoyed “Quiet” by Susan Cain. It empowers us introverts to capitalize on where we are best without succumbing the social stigma that is imposed on the solitary and contemplative lifestyle.
“Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes”
I really like it.
its a good read!
http://www.amazon.com/Mastermind-Think-Like-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/014312434X
Have never thought about using a bank machine the same way again since reading this book:
You Are Not Your Brain By Jeffrey Schwartz and Rebecca Gladding MD
I am kind of curious about the techniques of this book on breaking habits but I have my doubts on getting the book cause Schwartz is a known anti-evolution creationist, does anyone knows if the book is backed up by real science?