Radek Pietruszewski
Programmer and writer. Keeps a running list of the non-fiction he reads, starring the ones he recommends.
Courage to Be Disliked by Ichirō Kishimi
This is a very strange book, and I can’t say I liked it very much, but there is some useful philosophy inside (and perhaps a lot if you or someone you know is struggling with low self-esteem).
on radex.io · 16 Aug 2026
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Podcast. Cal Newport’s new book is a great distillation of what I’ve come to believe is the right, sustainable, healthy approach to social media, and technology more broadly. Browse less, make the best of it, and live more.
on radex.io · 16 Aug 2026
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
The world is bad, but better. The vast majority of westerners believe the world is poorer, more violent, deadly, primitive, and awful than it actually is. This book beautifully illustrates our ignorance, updates your knowledge, and gives you tools for a fact-based worldview.
on radex.io · 16 Aug 2026
Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn
Podcast (Part 2). Incentivizing people — punishing or rewarding (with bonuses, commissions, grades, public praise, and other bribes) is manipulative and doesn’t actually work. It seems to work, but only in the very short term and causes severe long-term damage.
on radex.io · 16 Aug 2026
Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos
If you don’t really understand or know a lot about China today, this is one perspective. Good book.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
A story of a big, decade-long Silicon Valley scam. Good read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Billion Dollar Whale by Wright, Tom (Wall Street Journal reporter)
Another good story of a big, multi-billion-dollar scam. They’re fun!
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber
Podcast. Funny, scary, thought-provoking book. Thesis: what if a large portion of our population performs jobs they secretly know don’t need to be performed, and if they disappeared, no one would notice?
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Conspiracy by Ryan Holiday
Fascinating story of how Peter Thiel masterminded the takedown of Gawker — with some help from Hulk Hogan.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Finding My Virginity by Richard Branson
Richard Branson’s second autobiography. As someone not very familiar with his work, it was an interesting read (but as always with autobiographies, take it with a grain of salt).
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried
Podcast. Another classic manifesto from Jason Fried and DHH, challenging the status quo of business today. Properly sparkled with both “fuck”s and wisdom. Fuck 50 or 80-hour work weeks, the always stressed, always anxious way of working, constant crunch. Let’s all calm down. It doesn’t have to be crazy at work.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes
Recommended read. If you want to spread FUD and lie to millions of people about issues such as tobacco smoking or global warming, this is a perfect handbook for you. If you don’t, you’ll learn their tactics.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Podcast. A simple system for managing money based around human flaws. Written for entrepreneurs, but you can adapt it for personal finance.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
Ideas about developing teams that work together better. Underwhelming — took just a few base concepts and then stretched them very thin by applying to them a dozen different (not always compelling) stories.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Podcast. Despite the apparent red flags about the book, it’s actually pretty genius! Read it with the right mindset (filter out bullshit), transform your relationship with objects, and declutter your life once and for all.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
The Pope of Physics by Gino Segrè
Biography of Encrico Fermi, and, among other things, another perspective on the Manhattan Project.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership by Jeffrey K. Liker
A book about management in big organizations. Though still somewhat interesting if you work in small organizations for perspective.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
If you do (or want/need to do) some marketing, want to be good at it, and distrust standard marketing bullshit the world is filled with, this might be a book for you.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Titan: Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow
Nice read, but be warned: this is long.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet
Guide to transforming top-down organizations into lean ones, where everyone is a leader. Written by a submarine commander, it’s mostly useful to managers in big corporations and other institutions.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
What do You Care What Other People Think? by Richard Phillips Feynman
Amusing anecdotes from Richard Feynman’s life. They never disappoint.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2018
A Guide to the Good Life by William Braxton Irvine
Podcast (Part 2). A modern, approachable guide to Stoicism — a philosophy of life whose goal is to maximize the experience of tranquility. This is a seriously useful bag of psychological tricks.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Examples of good science, pseudo-scientific bullshit, and how to discern between the two.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Podcast. A great book of strategies for cultivating good habits and overcoming bad ones. Highly recommended.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Driven to Distraction at Work by Edward M. Hallowell
Rough Notes. This book identifies common patterns among people struggling to stay focused, and offers some coping strategies. Haven’t found it as inspiring as I’d hoped, but has some good stuff.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Podcast. Ramblings about randomness and all the ways in which our minds aren’t properly equipped to deal with it.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
Rough Notes. A rather dystopian prediction of the future of humanity. Can’t say I agree with it all, but definitely something to think about.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler
Rough Notes. A very meta book with some serious advice on how to read books well. Frustratingly long for its content, though.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Insanely Simple by Ken Segall
Podcast. Rough Notes. Yet another history book about Apple and Steve Jobs through one person’s perspective. Not super inspiring, but entertaining.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Life Ascending by Nick Lane
An earlier biology book by Nick Lane. With his characteristic richness of detail, it explores the evolution of DNA, photosynthesis, movement, sight, sex, consciousness, and death.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg
Podcast. Rough Notes. A brilliant guide to resolving conflicts with other people, cultivating empathy, and understanding other peoples’ feelings and needs.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich
History of Lockheed Martin’s secret division that created many of USA’s greatest military innovations. I don’t care for the military, but to create an organization this lean and innovative inside a big, slow, bureocratic corporation is very rare.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
Podcast. Practical advice on how to improve the quality of your sleep. Quality is the key word — there are more factors come into play than just the amount of sleep.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Phillips Feynman
A collection of stories from Richard Feynman’s life. Very entertaining.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss
Rough Notes. Never finished it to be honest, but the part about dieting supplements the classic Why We Get Fat (the former explains the theory well, while Ferriss’s book gives practical dietary ideas)
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
History of cancer (and the research and people trying to combat it) taught through (very good) storytelling.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
The Vital Question by Nick Lane
A fascinating book exploring the role of energy in biology and evolution. It explains how eucaryotic life emerged and why it grew in complexity, while bacteria have remained unchanged in their simplicity for billions of years. It also presents the best theory of abiogenesis we have, and a lot more.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
This Is Your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe
Another biology-related book. Explores the role of parasites (and bacteria, disease, disgust) in human behavior, attraction, even politics, morality, religion. Some of this is is cutting-edge, speculative, or not fully proven — but very interesting stuff indeed.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2017
4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney
Podcast. A system for pursuing goals, keeping track of progress, and making sure they ultimately get done. Useful in organizations and individuals. You won’t find the ideas very innovative, but the approach is helpful, and yet not something we tend to do. Worth a read if you have goals you have trouble actually finding time for.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin
The history of the Apollo program. Worth a read if you’re into space, though a bit long.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Podcast. Yes, yes, yes! We live very distracted lives and most of our working days are filled with shallow tasks and interruptions. Although programmers get the importance of flow, it’s so hard to achieve. Our environments don’t support it, and shallow work is just easier. The book makes a compelling case for why we should double down on deep work, and offers some practical strategies for achie…
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Disrupted by Dan Lyons
Podcast. A hilarious and terrifying story of a startup. If you enjoy Silicon Valley, you’ll appreciate this book.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Podcast. At every point in your life, your ego is the enemy. You know this, I hope, but we all need this reminder to get back to earth.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Good to Great by Collins, James C.
A research-based look at what causes companies to move from mediocre or good to great performance. Not super engaging to read, but the methodology behind the book gives its ideas more credibility.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Theory of history of human civilizations. This fascinating book explains why Eaurasians came to dominate most of the world, why native American, Australian, and sub-Saharan African peoples never had a good chance; and why European diseases decimated the native American population, but not the other way around.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton
Podcast. More stories and insight on creativity. In particular, the book makes a strong case for just how ordinary creativity is, and makes you notice the things that hold us back from creating or lead us astray when we do.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Industries of the Future by Alec Ross
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably well-prepared for what’s to come in the next few decades. Still, things will change, and this book offers one perspective at the industries that will flourish, and how wealth will be distributed in the world.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Naked Money by Charles J. Wheelan
An interesting read about macroeconomics, the nature of money, the role of central banking, and other related topics. Lots of history, and packed into a very enjoyable and approachable book.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Naked Statistics by Charles J. Wheelan
The book’s stated goal is to convey an intuitive (as in: very little math) understanding of statistics, and I think it succeeds at that. It shows both the awesome power of statistics (for research, science, predictions) and the dangers of its misuse.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Narconomics by Tom Wainwright
If you’ve enjoyed Narcos, you’ll like this book. The world of drugs, cartels, gangs, violence, and prisons looked at from the perspective of an economist.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Originals by Adam M. Grant
Podcast. Good advice for generating, recognizing, and championing original ideas, as well as for creating resilient cultures that promote creative thinking, and resist groupthink. A lot of stuff to unpack, a good read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Peak by K. Anders Ericsson
Podcast (Part 2). Forget about natural talent — it’s bullshit. Skills are not innate, but developed through practice — lots of it. And not just any practice, but the kind that leverages the talent all of us have: malleability of our brains. And this book is all about it.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
The history of humankind from 2 million years back all the way until today. Fascinating read. I liked that it wasn’t just a list of events, but an overarching “theory of history”. Also enjoyed that this one topic was presented through many lenses: history, evolutionary biology, archeology, economics, even philosophy and theology.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
Podcast (Part 2). Stories and case studies about the invisible forces that shape how productive we are — both individually, and in organizations. A good read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
We tend to focus on the “what” and “how” of our companies and products. This manifesto reminds us to always start with “why” — the reason we do the things we do, to let that guide our decisions, the whats and hows. Personally, I found the book neither very insightful nor inspiring, but YMMV.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age by W. Bernard Carlson
To me, this biography of Nikola Tesla is a cautionary tale of what happens when you start believing you’re the smartest person on Earth. After a brilliant invention and commercial success of his induction motor, he created nothing else of great significance. He promised a lot, but delivered nothing.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The Everything Store by Brad Stone
A biography of Jeff Bezos and Amazon. An enjoyable read, some history, and some insight.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The fascinating history of genetics, told from the very beginning up until today. Covers the broad range of genetics-related science, its development, and its implications. Long, but very well written, and a pleasure to read (or listen to).
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
Podcast (Part 2). A story about how the world will change in the next few decades. The nature of technology available today makes certain trends almost inevitable. Even though the exact future is unknowable, we can still extrapolate from high-level trends to make some good predictions about the future.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
A guide to procrastination: why we do it, how we do it, and a number of tips and strategies to help overcome it. Overall a dry read, but there are a few bits I found useful.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller
A few great insights, but also some cringeworthy parts. Would recommend Essentialism over this one.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson
Despite the (intentionally) provocative title, the book actually has some pretty good life advice. A modern take on Stoic philosophy, among other things. Quite entertaining. YMMV.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Under New Management by David Burkus
Podcast (Part 2). Modern companies inherited its management philosophy from the industrial age. But the nature of today’s work is very different. The book offers a bunch of ideas for how to run organizations better.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Whole Earth Discipline by Stewart Brand
An ecopragmatist book making a compelling argument that urbanization, nuclear energy, and genetic engineering are good for the environment and must be pursued. This is all counterintuitive — environmental movement traditionally despises those things. But we’ve gone so far changing Earth, there might not be another choice.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Why I Left Goldman Sachs by Smith, Greg (Economist)
A story about inner workings of the financial sector from someone who worked and succeeded at Goldman Sachs for over a decade. An enjoyable read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes
Podcast. Before I read this book, my understanding of what makes us fat (what made me fat!) was highly mistaken. That, or this book is bullshit. But I don’t think so. My research and experience applying the lessons so far seem to confirm it. Hard to argue with 10kg lost in 4 months with little effort.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Your Brain at Work by David Rock
Notes (More notes). A lot of knowledge about how our brains work, packed into useful, practical terms. Understanding this stuff will help you be more productive, deal with stress and emotions better, even get better at working with and influencing other people.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
Zero to One by Peter A. Thiel
Thoughts on building innovative new companies. There’s some startup BS in Zero to One that turned me off, but still enough interesting insight to recommend the book.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2016
59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman
A big collection of easy life ideas based off of psychology research. Some good ones, lots of meh though.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender
The best biography of Steve I’ve read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull
Management and leadership stories and lessons from Pixar. Too long IMHO, but enjoyed it.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
Great stories from Elon Musk’s youth, early companies, Tesla, and SpaceX. Many I’ve never heard before.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Podcast. A manifesto for doing less and focusing on the essential. Stop pretending there are no trade-offs. Recommended read.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen
Ideas from Clay Christensen’s business theory (disruption theory etc.) applied as lenses to look at life.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
Boring. Few compelling ideas.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Great reads from Malcolm Gladwell. I liked Outliers best, but it was my first one, so that might be a bias.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Peopleware by Tom DeMarco
On managing software develope teams — not the technical side, but the soft human side.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Poke the Box by Seth Godin
I love Seth Godin’s insights! Linchpin in particular is a worthy read, and had a big impact on me.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Quiet by Susan Cain
About introversion. If you’re an introvert, you’ll like this book. If you’re not, you should read this book.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
REMOTE by Basudeb Bhatta
37 Signals/Basecamp’s lessons learned from running a remote, office-less company.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
REWORK by Jason Fried
A manifesto / collection of short essays about how to run a company in the digital era. Delightful. Shaped my thinking greatly when I first read it, now it just seems like common sense.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
Podcast. They always say to follow your passion. But it’s actually a terrible career advice. The book offers an alternative model to think of your career more compelling than that.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
Super fascinating, and incredibly scary read about general artificial superintelligence. Amazing read. Highly recommended as an audiobook (fantastic narrator perfect for the topic).
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
A short read to remind us to always. make. checklists. Sounds like an idea not deserving a book, but it does. Recommended as an audiobook.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Healthy Programmer by Joe Kutner
Refactoring your health for programmers.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Innovator’s Dillema by Clayton M. Christensen
Important classics if you’re interested in understanding what makes businesses fail or succeed. Boring at times.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Some good insights, if you can stand the Silicon Valley startup BS lingo.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
Our preconceptions of what most millionaires are like are likely way off. An interesting read, though a bit old.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks
A very old book about the practice of software development. Interesting both how much and how little has changed since the 70s.
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Essential read, a manual for your brain (RTFM)
on radex.io · 1 Jan 2015
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford
On his public list of books he has read, with his notes.
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
On his public list of books he has read, with his notes.
Everything Radek Pietruszewski recommends — not just books — on rcmnd →