The Reading List

Things worth the time

Twenty-four books, talks and courses that changed how someone operates. Every one links out. Nothing here is affiliate.

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114h

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24 of 24 shown

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Title and author	Type	Axis	Time	Why
A Random Walk Down Wall StreetBurton Malkiel / 1973	Book	Money	11H	Read it once to stop paying other people to guess the market on your behalf.
Your Money or Your LifeVicki Robin, Joe Dominguez / 1992	Book	Money	7H	The chapter converting spending into hours of your life is worth the whole book.
The Psychology of MoneyMorgan Housel / 2020	Book	Money	5H	The clearest argument that behaviour, not arithmetic, decides most financial outcomes.
Bogleheads' investment philosophyBogleheads wiki / 2023 / Free	Course	Money	1.5H	Ten principles, free, and enough to run an index portfolio without ever buying a book.
Getting Things DoneDavid Allen / 2001	Book	Time	7H	Dated tooling, still the best description of why open loops cost you attention.
Deep WorkCal Newport / 2016	Book	Time	6H	Skip the manifesto and keep the scheduling protocols in part two.
Inside the mind of a master procrastinatorTim Urban / 2016 / Free	Talk	Time	14M	Fourteen minutes that reframe deadlines as the only mechanism most people actually have.
Four Thousand WeeksOliver Burkeman / 2021	Book	Time	5.5H	The counterweight to productivity systems: some things are meant to be dropped.
How to Do Great WorkPaul Graham / 2023 / Free	Paper	Time	40M	On choosing what to work on, which is the decision that dominates every calendar.
Retrieval practice and long-term retentionRoediger and Karpicke / 2006 / Free	Paper	Mind	35M	The testing-effect study behind every flashcard app, in thirty-five honest minutes.
Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman / 2011	Book	Mind	15H	Long and uneven; parts one and four are the useful third of it.
Learning How to LearnBarbara Oakley, Terrence Sejnowski / 2014 / Free	Course	Mind	15H	Free, evidence-led, and the spaced-repetition sections change how you study in a week.
Make It StickBrown, Roediger, McDaniel / 2014	Book	Mind	6H	The research behind retrieval practice, written for people who have to apply it.
How to Take Smart NotesSönke Ahrens / 2017	Book	Mind	5H	The note-taking book that explains why the writing, not the filing, does the work.
Scientific Principles of Strength TrainingIsraetel, Hoffmann, Smith / 2015	Book	Body	10H	Where volume, intensity and fatigue management stop being matters of opinion.
Strength training frequency and hypertrophySchoenfeld et al. / 2016 / Free	Paper	Body	30M	The meta-analysis everyone quotes second-hand; half an hour to read the actual thing.
Why We SleepMatthew Walker / 2017	Book	Body	7H	Read with scepticism — several claims are overstated — but the behavioural advice holds.
Physical Activity Guidelines for AmericansUS Dept of Health and Human Services / 2018 / Free	Paper	Body	45M	The unglamorous floor: how much movement is enough before any programme matters.
Nutrition for strength and physique athletesEric Helms / 2019 / Free	Talk	Body	55M	A calm hour on protein, deficits and why adherence beats optimisation every time.
Retinoids: mechanisms of actionMukherjee et al. / 2006 / Free	Paper	Skin	35M	What retinoids do to the dermis, which makes the twelve-week wait obvious.
Skin barrier function and moisturiser designElias / 2012 / Free	Paper	Skin	40M	Explains barrier repair, so you stop treating irritation with more active ingredients.
Sunscreen and photoageing: a randomised trialHughes et al. / 2013 / Free	Paper	Skin	25M	The four-year trial that makes daily sunscreen the least arguable step in a routine.
The Skincare BibleAnjali Mahto / 2018	Book	Skin	5H	A dermatologist's baseline, useful mainly for what it tells you to stop buying.
How to read a cosmetic ingredient labelLab Muffin Beauty Science / 2021 / Free	Course	Skin	3H	Label reading properly, which is most of what separates a claim from a formula.

A Random Walk Down Wall StreetBurton Malkiel / BOOK / Money / 11H / 1973Read it once to stop paying other people to guess the market on your behalf.
Your Money or Your LifeVicki Robin, Joe Dominguez / BOOK / Money / 7H / 1992The chapter converting spending into hours of your life is worth the whole book.
The Psychology of MoneyMorgan Housel / BOOK / Money / 5H / 2020The clearest argument that behaviour, not arithmetic, decides most financial outcomes.
Bogleheads' investment philosophyBogleheads wiki / COURSE / Money / 1.5H / 2023 / FreeTen principles, free, and enough to run an index portfolio without ever buying a book.
Getting Things DoneDavid Allen / BOOK / Time / 7H / 2001Dated tooling, still the best description of why open loops cost you attention.
Deep WorkCal Newport / BOOK / Time / 6H / 2016Skip the manifesto and keep the scheduling protocols in part two.
Inside the mind of a master procrastinatorTim Urban / TALK / Time / 14M / 2016 / FreeFourteen minutes that reframe deadlines as the only mechanism most people actually have.
Four Thousand WeeksOliver Burkeman / BOOK / Time / 5.5H / 2021The counterweight to productivity systems: some things are meant to be dropped.
How to Do Great WorkPaul Graham / PAPER / Time / 40M / 2023 / FreeOn choosing what to work on, which is the decision that dominates every calendar.
Retrieval practice and long-term retentionRoediger and Karpicke / PAPER / Mind / 35M / 2006 / FreeThe testing-effect study behind every flashcard app, in thirty-five honest minutes.
Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman / BOOK / Mind / 15H / 2011Long and uneven; parts one and four are the useful third of it.
Learning How to LearnBarbara Oakley, Terrence Sejnowski / COURSE / Mind / 15H / 2014 / FreeFree, evidence-led, and the spaced-repetition sections change how you study in a week.
Make It StickBrown, Roediger, McDaniel / BOOK / Mind / 6H / 2014The research behind retrieval practice, written for people who have to apply it.
How to Take Smart NotesSönke Ahrens / BOOK / Mind / 5H / 2017The note-taking book that explains why the writing, not the filing, does the work.
Scientific Principles of Strength TrainingIsraetel, Hoffmann, Smith / BOOK / Body / 10H / 2015Where volume, intensity and fatigue management stop being matters of opinion.
Strength training frequency and hypertrophySchoenfeld et al. / PAPER / Body / 30M / 2016 / FreeThe meta-analysis everyone quotes second-hand; half an hour to read the actual thing.
Why We SleepMatthew Walker / BOOK / Body / 7H / 2017Read with scepticism — several claims are overstated — but the behavioural advice holds.
Physical Activity Guidelines for AmericansUS Dept of Health and Human Services / PAPER / Body / 45M / 2018 / FreeThe unglamorous floor: how much movement is enough before any programme matters.
Nutrition for strength and physique athletesEric Helms / TALK / Body / 55M / 2019 / FreeA calm hour on protein, deficits and why adherence beats optimisation every time.
Retinoids: mechanisms of actionMukherjee et al. / PAPER / Skin / 35M / 2006 / FreeWhat retinoids do to the dermis, which makes the twelve-week wait obvious.
Skin barrier function and moisturiser designElias / PAPER / Skin / 40M / 2012 / FreeExplains barrier repair, so you stop treating irritation with more active ingredients.
Sunscreen and photoageing: a randomised trialHughes et al. / PAPER / Skin / 25M / 2013 / FreeThe four-year trial that makes daily sunscreen the least arguable step in a routine.
The Skincare BibleAnjali Mahto / BOOK / Skin / 5H / 2018A dermatologist's baseline, useful mainly for what it tells you to stop buying.
How to read a cosmetic ingredient labelLab Muffin Beauty Science / COURSE / Skin / 3H / 2021 / FreeLabel reading properly, which is most of what separates a claim from a formula.

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