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
