Useful Reference Books
This is a cross section of some of the most influential and useful research sources (in book form) we have used in designing and developing our products and services. We have used many other periodical articles and papers as well (some of which are provided in our links page), in addition to our own primary and secondary research.
These are a mix of evidence-based management, cognitive science, cognitive biases, behavioural economics, decision-making, mental models, personal performance and productivity, high-performance work practices, positive psychology, buddhism, and with a little bit of Physics, Math and Biology.
This is a living list so we’ll be updating it over time. As a rule, don’t expect to see anything “new” or “trendy” as we work to avoid hyperbole in favour of solid science. We generally have a 5-year rule. That is, if a book is still respected and referenced solidly 5-years after it’s initial publication date, then we will give it a sniff. Some books authored by trusted and proven authors get an exception however.
In no particular order.
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
Cal Newport
The Friction Project
Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao
The Right Kind of Wrong
Amy Edmondson
A New Way to Think
Roger L. Martin
Beyond Performance 2.0: A Proven Approach to Leading Large-Scale Change
Scott Keller, Bill Schaninger
Time, Talent, Energy: Overcome Organizational Drag & Unleash Your Team's Productive Power
Michael Mankins, Eric Garton
Beyond Performance 2.0
Scott Keller, Bill Schaninger
Thinking Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
The Great Mental Models, Vol 1
Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
The Great Mental Models, Vol 2
Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
The Great Mental Models, Vol 3
Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Peter D. Kaufman
Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models
Gabriel Weinberg, Lauren McCann, et al.
Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger
Peter Bevelin
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything
BJ Fogg
Hyperfocus: How to Manage your Attention in a World of Distraction
Chris Bailey
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Cal Newport
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen
Dan Heath
Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity
Charles Duhigg
The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home
Dan Ariely
Fooled By Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives
Leonard Mlodinow
Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities and Companies
Geoffrey West
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin
Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
James Clear
Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything
Ulrich Boser
The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement and Creativity at Work
Teresa Amabile & Steven Kramer
Noise and the Signal: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don’t
Nate Silver
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success
Adam Grant
Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence
Rick Hanson
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect
Matthew D. Lieberman
Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World
Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt
Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less
Robert I. Sutton, Huggy Rao
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions
Dan Ariely
Hard Facts: Dangerous Half-Truths & Total Nonsense, Profiting from Evidence-based Management
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton
Certain To Win: The Strategy of John Boyd, Applied to Business
Chet Richard
Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production
Taiichi Ohno
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Charles Duhigg
The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy but Does
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence
What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services
Anthony W. Ulwick
The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton
Service Breakthroughs: Changing the Rules of the Game
James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser Jr., Christopher W.L. Hart
The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits and Lasting Value
Frederick F. Reichheld
When Sparks Fly: Igniting Creativity in Groups, Dorothy Leonard
Walter Swap
Awake At Work: 35 Practical Buddhist Principles for Discovering Clarity and Balance in the Midst of Work’s Chaos
Michael Carroll
Sense & Respond: Capturing Value in the Network Era
Stephen P. Bradley and Richard L. Nolan
The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First
Jeffrey Pfeffer
The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
Peter M. Senge
Adaptive Enterprise: Creating And Leading Sense-And-Respond Organizations
Stephan H. Haeckel
The Mindful Leader: Ten Principles for Bringing Out the Best in Ourselves and Others
Michael Carroll