Curated Reading List
Best Science Books
Physics, biology, and the future of humanity — picked by the people building that future.
17 science books • Links are affiliate (details below)
Factfulness
by Hans Rosling
“One of the most important books I've ever read — an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.”View on Amazon
The Better Angels of Our Nature
by Steven Pinker
“The most inspiring book I've ever read. Pinker shows that the world is getting better.”View on Amazon
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
by Bill Gates
“I wrote this book because I think we need a plan to get to zero greenhouse gas emissions.”View on Amazon
Sapiens
by Yuval Noah Harari
“Both Melinda and I read this book and it sparked many great dinner conversations.”View on Amazon
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
by J.E. Gordon
“It's really good if you want a primer on structural design.”View on Amazon
The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins
“Charlie Munger recommends this as essential reading for understanding human behavior and evolutionary psychology.”View on Amazon
The Rational Optimist
by Matt Ridley
“Ideas have sex. When minds meet, ideas combine and recombine in ways that drive progress. This book captures that beautifully.”View on Amazon
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
by Richard P. Feynman
“Feynman had this incredible ability to simplify complex problems. That mindset built Google.”View on Amazon
How to Fly a Horse
by Kevin Ashton
“Creating isn't magic. It's work. Ashton debunks every myth about creativity and shows it's a process anyone can learn.”View on Amazon
The Feynman Lectures on Physics
by Richard P. Feynman
“Feynman's lectures are the gold standard. They teach you how to think about the physical world with clarity and rigor.”View on Amazon
A Mathematician's Apology
by G. H. Hardy
“Hardy wrote the most beautiful defense of pure mathematics ever put on paper. It inspired my entire career.”View on Amazon
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
by Richard Rhodes
“Rhodes captures the most consequential scientific project in history. The organizational lessons are as important as the physics.”View on Amazon
Out of Control
by Kevin Kelly
“Kelly predicted the convergence of biology and technology decades before it happened. This book shaped how I think about platform ecosystems.”View on Amazon
Why We Sleep
by Matthew Walker
“Walker proves what I've been saying for decades — sleep is the single most important thing you can do for health and performance. Non-negotiable.”View on Amazon
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
by Richard P. Feynman
“Feynman's curiosity and his hatred of pretense shaped how I think about building products. WhatsApp had no ads, no games, no gimmicks. Just messaging.”View on Amazon
Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman
“Kahneman's work on cognitive biases is the most important psychology book of the century. Understanding System 1 and System 2 thinking is essential for any serious investor.”View on Amazon
Range
by David Epstein
“One of the most important books I read in 2020. In a world that demands specialization, generalists are actually the ones who excel. Epstein makes a compelling, research-backed case.”View on Amazon
Why These Books?
This list is not a generic roundup scraped from the internet. Every book here was either recommended in a public interview, annual letter, or book club by a billionaire investor — or it comes from Glen Bradford's personal reading list, built over 15+ years of concentrated value investing. Whether you are just getting started or looking for the next book that changes how you see the world, this is the list.
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Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Book recommendations are sourced from publicly available interviews, annual letters, and book clubs. Attributions may be paraphrased or reflect secondhand reporting — we do our best but can't guarantee perfect accuracy. These attributions do not imply endorsement of this site by any individual listed. This page was compiled with AI assistance.
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