The book this episode covers
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Eric Jorgenson · Reading rank 33 · in 18 other episodes
David praises the book's ideas as clear-cut and valuable.
Dedicated episode · Explicit praise · Founder theme
Books David recommends along the way
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight · Reading rank 3 · in 24 other episodes
David says he recently reread this book and produced a new episode on it.
Reread language
A Man for All Markets
Edward O. Thorp · Reading rank 14 · in 16 other episodes
David highly recommends this autobiography, calling its subject an absolute genius.
Explicit praise
Paul Graham's Essays
Paul Graham · Reading rank 29 · in 11 other episodes
David recommends reading Paul Graham’s essays and describes how they influenced his thinking about choosing meaningful work.
Explicit praise
The Snowball
Alice Schroeder · Reading rank 78 · in 9 other episodes
David uses the inner scorecard to interpret Naval's argument.
Cross-episode reference · Founder theme
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar and Bill Carr · Reading rank 79 · in 7 other episodes
Cross-episode reference
Ritz and Escoffier
Luke Barr · Reading rank 87 · in 6 other episodes
David calls the book a huge, exciting adventure that was fun and easy to read.
Cross-episode reference · Explicit praise · Founder theme
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin · Reading rank 113 · in 6 other episodes
Cross-episode reference
The Unpublished David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy · Reading rank 139 · in 4 other episodes
David calls The Unpublished David Ogilvy fun to read and says he had a hard time putting it down while comparing books’ readability.
Explicit praise
A Triumph of Genius
Ronald K. Fierstein · Reading rank 158 · in 6 other episodes
Cross-episode reference
Just for Fun
Linus Torvalds and David Diamond · Reading rank 170 · in 2 other episodes
David describes this book as a fascinating personal operating system.
Explicit praise
How to Do What You Love
Paul Graham · Reading rank 246 · in 4 other episodes
David recommends this Paul Graham essay by name, calling it fantastic and personally influential.
Explicit praise
The Bed of Procrustes
Nassim Nicholas Taleb · Reading rank 332 · in 3 other episodes
David says he keeps The Bed of Procrustes accessible at home and regularly returns to his collections of maxims for brief reading and reflection.
Reread language
The War of Art
Steven Pressfield · Reading rank 376 · in 1 other episode
David calls this book great while quoting its 'fight resistance' concept.
Founder theme · Explicit praise
Also mentioned
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charles T. Munger, edited by Peter D. Kaufman · Reading rank 11 · in 44 other episodes
Cross-episode reference
Wait But Why
Tim Urban · Reading rank 301 · in 11 other episodes
David cautiously connects Tim Urban's writing to Naval Ravikant's point that occupation, location, and relationships are highly consequential decisions.
Founder theme
Poor Richard's Almanack
Benjamin Franklin · Reading rank 403 · in 5 other episodes
David traces the title and aphoristic form of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant through Poor Charlie's Almanack to Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack, emphasizing how maxims make practical ideas memorable and reusable.
Founder theme
Each note is a short paraphrase of why David brings the book up. Book pages show every piece of evidence and its review status. How ranking works