Best book of all time: Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter

Best philosophy book: Reasons and Persons by Derek Parfit

Books that totally changed my way of thinking at the time of reading (in alphabetical order):

Free to Choose by Milton and Rose Friedman

The Moral Landscape & Lying & Free Will & The End of Faith by Sam Harris

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker

Justice by Michael J. Sandel

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Other interesting books (in preference order):

Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel C. Dennett

I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari

Democracy's Discontent by Michael J. Sandel

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

Essays in Love by Alain de Botton (Fiction)

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson (Fiction)

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (J. Rogan Podcast; Peter Attia Podcast [1]; [2]; [3])

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Rules for writing (George Orwell, "Politics and the English language", 1946):

(1) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(2) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

(3) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(4) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(5) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(6) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Rules for criticism (Daniel Dennett, "Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking", 2013):

(1) Attempt to re-express your target's position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, "Thanks, I wish I'd thought of putting it that way."

(2) List any points of agreement (especially if they are note matters of general or widespread agreement).

(3) Mention anything you have learned from your target.

(4) Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.

Other interesting things:

It is Always Now - Sam Harris (5 minutes 42 seconds)

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas


Talking about behavioral economics at Save the Children International.

Video here: https://youtu.be/CENk_qKkYws