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As a kid, I was never much of a fan of reading. But at some point, I realized:

  1. The most interesting people you meet are usually those who read widely.
  2. There is no greater distillation of a person's work, perspective, and experience than a book they wrote.

Nowadays, I primarily read nonfiction with the occasional autobiography or self-improvement book sprinkled in.

Favorite Books​

  1. Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
    • The audiobook version of this book (as read by the author) is a rollercoaster of emotion and a profound reflection on the chaos of life, finding meaning in everyday experience, and the things we hold to be true. Read it and "give up the fish" may become your new mantra.
  2. Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Camull & Amy Wallace
    • This book is a wonderful reflection on how to create an organizational culture that inspires creativity, solicits great feedback, and empowers its members to do exceptional work. I read it soon after graduating undergrad and my interests in management, collaboration, organizational culture, and psychological safety have continued to flourish since.
  3. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
    • I don't remember a lot about this book, but I do remember one key takeaway: almost everything in life has value or power because a certain threshold of people decided it did. Whether it be money, laws, or even human rights, these things, in the grand scheme of things, are products of mankind's collective imagination. To quote the author: "How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order is imagined."
  4. Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows & Diana Wright
    • This book gave me the language to understand the components of a system and how they influence the system's larger behavior.
Last updated on by Quinn McHugh