Find repose by exciting the mind. Some of the world’s leading thinkers offer the books that inspired them and their work. Skim the list for your favorite speakers, or get nerdy on a topic you’ve always wanted to know more about. Below find 52 books, recommended by TED speakers.
Creativity
Creative Confidence, by Tom Kelley and David Kelley
Crown Business, 2013
Recommended by: Tim Brown (TED Talk:
Designers — think big!)
“‘Creative confidence’ is the creative mindset that goes along with design thinking’s creative skill set.”
See more of Tim Brown’s favorite books.
Creating Minds, by Howard Gardner
Basic Books, 2011
Recommended by: Roselinde Torres (TED Talk:
What it takes to be a great leader)
“Gardner’s book was first published more than twenty years ago, but its insights into the creative process — told through the stories of seven remarkable individuals from different fields — remain just as relevant today. While they shared some traits, they all followed different paths to success.”
See more of Roselinde Torres’ favorite books.
A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf
Martino Fine Books, 2012
Recommended by: Liza Donnelly (TED Talk:
Drawing on humor for change)
“One of the most important books about women’s rights, and one that informed my thinking on creativity, is this one by Virginia Woolf.”
See more of Liza Donnelly’s favorite books.
The Future of Ideas, by Lawrence Lessig
Vintage, 2002
Recommended by: Rob Reid (TED Talk:
The $8 billion iPod)
“Over the past fifteen years, a movement has emerged to preserve what’s become known as the ‘Creative Commons’ – that realm of imagery, music, writing and more that exists in the public domain for all of society to freely extend, sample from and build upon. Lessig is the intellectual father and the prime mover of this movement. He has written a number of books about the Creative Commons and the dangers posed by overreaching copyright laws.
The Future of Ideas is a particularly complete and focused expression of this.”
See more of Rob Reid’s favorite books.
Design
Design for the Real World, by Victor Papanek
Chicago Review Press, 2005
Recommended by: Sebastian Deterding (TED Talk:
What your designs say about you)
“‘There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a few of them.’ Thus starts this classic on the ethics of industrial design, originally published in 1971.”
See more of Sebastian Deterding’s favorite books.
Happiness
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
Beacon Press, 2006
Recommended by: Simon Sinek (TED Talk:
Why good leaders make you feel safe)
“This is essential reading for anyone interested in the topic of purpose. Because Frankl’s personal experience was so extreme, the lessons are that much more stark. And, most importantly, his lessons are universally applicable to all our lives.”
See more of Simon Sinek’s favorite books.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2008
Recommended by: Susan Cain (TED Talk:
The power of introverts)
“This book illuminates the kind of life we should all be living. Csikszentmihalyi argues that one of the highest states of being is the state of flow — when you’re totally engaged in an activity, riding the narrow channel between boredom and anxiety. I talk about this book a lot, and try to live by it even more.”
See more of Susan Cain’s favorite books.
The Happiness Hypothesis, by Jonathan Haidt
Basic Books, 2006
Recommended by: Stefan Sagmeister (TED Talk:
The power of time off)
“If you are interested in the subject of happiness, this is the best book I’ve come across. Haidt manages to write in a way that’s encompassing yet precise, scientific yet personal. A wonderful survey of many strategies that might improve your well-being.”
See more of Stefan Sagmeister’s favorite books.
Want Not, by Jonathan Miles
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013
Recommended by: Elizabeth Gilbert (TED Talk:
Success, failure and the drive to keep creating)
“Every generation or so, an American novel appears that holds up a mirror to our lives and shows us exactly who we are right at this very moment.
Want Not is that book right now — a searing but compassionate look at modern Americans and their stuff. A book about garbage and consumption and accumulation and disposal, but most of all about humanity in all its stubborn, flawed glory.”
See more of Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books.
The Untethered Soul, by Michael Singer
Noetic Books, 2007
Recommended by: Srikumar Rao (TED Talk:
Plug into your hard-wired happiness)
“In his younger days Singer had a spiritual experience that awakened him, and his life was different from that point on. This is one of the very best books I have come across that clearly explains how your mind keeps you in thrall, what consciousness is and how to deal with your unruly mind. Read it in small doses. Highlight extensively. Refer to often. This slim book is a keeper.”
See more of Srikumar Rao’s favorite books.
Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin et al.
Penguin Books, 2008
Recommended by: Graham Hill (TED Talk:
Less stuff, more happiness)
“This simple little book succinctly describes the American trap of acquisitiveness and consequential debt. Most importantly, it provides a way out.”
See more of Graham Hill’s favorite books.
History
The Better Angels of Our Nature, by Steven Pinker
Penguin Books, 2012
Recommended by: Yasheng Huang (TED Talk:
Does democracy stifle economic growth?)
“I always enjoy reading Steven Pinker’s books, but this one has some startling statistics on the death tolls of totalitarian regimes vis-Ã -vis the death tolls of democratic regimes. One of the major theses of this book is that the rise of the rights revolution and democratic forms of government is one of the main causes behind the historic reduction of violence.”
See more of Yasheng Huang’s favorite books.
Pig Earth, by John Berger
Vintage, 1992
Recommended by: Robert Neuwirth (TED Talk:
The power of the informal economy)
“Berger finds poetry in the humdrum and pragmatism in big dreams. This trilogy movingly chronicles the social dislocations and new social conglomerations of rural-to-urban migration.”
See more of Robert Neuwirth’s favorite books.
Personal History, by Katharine Graham
Vintage, 1998
Recommended by: Lisa Bu (TED Talk:
How books can open your mind)
“Read this along with
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, by Alice Schroeder. This is the autobiography of Katharine Graham, former publisher of
The Washington Post. She was an inspiration for me when I was struggling with insecurities. She and Warren Buffett are great friends and business partners. I really like Buffett’s approach to life, business and wealth: ‘Life is like a snowball — all you need is wet snow and a really long hill.'”
See more of Lisa Bu’s favorite books.
Language
On the Shoulders of Giants, by Robert K. Merton
University of Chicago Press, 1993
Recommended by: James Geary (TED Talk:
Metaphorically speaking)
“Published in 1965,
On the Shoulders of Giants is a profound, provocative peregrination along the trail of the aphorism, ‘If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ Merton demonstrates — through a series of astonishingly erudite, scholarly and witty digressions — that this saying, commonly attributed to Isaac Newton, was actually first coined by Bernard of Chartres, in the 12th century. If you like aphorisms, and love learning about wildly different domains and ideas, this book is a masterpiece. It is also, unfortunately, out of print and hard to find.”
See more of James Geary’s favorite books.
Philosophy
The Essential Epicurus, by Epicurus
Prometheus Books, 1993
Recommended by: Alain de Botton (TED Talk:
A kinder, gentler philosophy of success)
“Epicurus was the first philosopher to say that pleasure was the most important thing in life. People took him to mean sensual pleasure and the word ‘epicurean’ has been linked to gluttony ever since. But read the real Epicurus and you’ll see that his idea of pleasure was quite immaterial; in fact, it was all about having a group of good friends and reading books together outdoors.”
See more of Alain de Botton’s favorite books.
Math and stats
Facts Are Sacred, by Simon Rogers
Faber & Faber, 2013
Recommended by: Tim Berners-Lee (TED Talk:
The next web)
“A data-related book by Simon Rogers, the editor of guardian.co.uk/data.”
See more of Tim Berners-Lee’s favorite books.
Medicine
The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande
Picador, 2011
Recommended by: Brian Goldman (TED Talk:
Doctors make mistakes. Can we talk about that?)
“
The Checklist Manifesto is Gawande’s bestselling book about medical errors that come from not knowing enough and errors that come from not doing the right thing. The book is essential reading for people who want to understand why health care is not as safe as it could be and how to change that.”
See more of Brian Goldman’s favorite books.
Mind and brain
The Mind’s Eye, by Oliver Sacks
Vintage, 2011
Recommended by: Simon Lewis (TED Talk:
Don’t take consciousness for granted)
“Inspirational and finely written stories of people who find ways to navigate the world through landscapes that have been fractured in ways that are often hard to imagine.”
See more of Simon Lewis’s favorite books.
The Honest Truth about Dishonesty, by Dan Ariely
Harper Perennial, 2013
Recommended by: Pamela Meyer (TED Talk:
How to spot a liar)
“A fun, research-based look at cheating and dishonesty by this well-known behavioral economist. The book touches on everything from why creative people are better liars to why wearing knockoff fashion accessories will make you more dishonest.”
See more of Pamela Meyer’s favorite books.
Ancestors and Relatives, by Eviatar Zerubavel
Oxford University Press, 2012
Recommended by: AJ Jacobs (TED Talk:
The world’s largest family reunion … we’re all invited!)
“The very first question in this book sets the thought-provoking tone: ‘Why do we consider Barack Obama a black man with a white mother rather than a white man with a black father?’ Rutgers anthropologist Eviatar Zerubavel shows us that our ideas about ancestry are shaped by cognitive biases that we often don’t acknowledge.”
See more of AJ Jacobs’ favorite books.
Origins of Neuroscience, by Stanley Finger
Oxford University Press, 2001
Recommended by: Nancy Kanwisher (TED Talk:
A neural portrait of the human mind)
“The idea that the mind and brain are composed of distinct components, each carrying out a different function, goes back at least two centuries to neurologists like Franz Josef Gall and Paul Broca. For a delightful history of the colorful characters of this early era, read this book.”
See more of Nancy Kanwisher’s favorite books.
Brainwashing, by Kathleen Taylor
Oxford University Press, 2006
Recommended by: Diane Benscoter (TED Talk:
How cults rewire the brain)
“Neuroscientist Kathleen Taylor brings a unique perspective to the subject of what happens to your brain when you join a cult.”
See more of Diane Benscoter’s favorite books.
Politics and current events
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
The New Press, 2012
Recommended by: Shaka Senghor (TED Talk:
Why your worst deeds don’t define you)
“Alexander tackles the hard-hitting issues of race, power and the historical context of the prison system. Her acute analysis of race and sentencing disparities cuts to the heart of the prison boom.”
See more of Shaka Senghor’s favorite books.
From Dictatorship to Democracy, by Gene Sharp
Serpent’s Tail, 2012
Recommended by: Scilla Elworthy (TED Talk:
Fighting with non-violence)
“This book is based on Sharp’s study, conducted over a period of 40 years, on nonviolent methods of demonstration. Although never actively promoted, this astonishing book traveled as a photocopied pamphlet from Burma to Indonesia, Serbia and most recently Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and China.”
See more of Scilla Elworthy’s favorite books.
Science and nature
Why We Run, by Bernd Heinrich
Harper Perennial, 2002
Recommended by: David Epstein (TED Talk:
Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?)
“Written by a biologist and ultramarathoner, this book is a fascinating look at how endurance has shaped physiology throughout the animal kingdom. (Endurance flying, endurance running, even frogs and their endurance croaking!) Heinrich gives poetic treatment to the role of ultraendurance in human evolution, and applies some of what he learns while studying animals to his own training. It works out pretty well, as he sets an American record at the North American 100-kilometer championships.”
See more of David Epstein’s favorite books.
Work
Thrive, by Arianna Huffington
Harmony Books, 2014
Recommended by: Andy Puddicombe (TED Talk:
All it takes is 10 mindful minutes)
“This book covers mindfulness in quite some detail, but also looks at the wider impact of our addiction to technology, overly active minds and increasingly busy lives. It offers some excellent commentary on mindfulness, along with some very sound advice.”
See more of Andy Puddicombe’s favorite books.
The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
Arrow Books, 2010
Recommended by: Dan Pink (TED Talk:
The puzzle of motivation)
“A savvy and snappy compilation of some of the best research on talent. I’ve given away more than a dozen copies of this one — including to my own kids.”
See more of Dan Pink’s favorite books.
