Books I Like

This is a list of some of my favorite books in no particular order. I have included Amazon links for easy access (no I don’t make anything if you buy it through the link). I will try to put a few bullets for each book explaining what I loved about it or important things I learned from it. I have written a few reviews for the books that were really important for me, and have linked to those posts. This list is kind of a virtual library to keep track of my favorite books and a reminder to myself what was so important about them.
Mindfulness & Meditation
  • Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice – Shunryu Suzuki
    • These are written recordings of a Zen Buddhists talks on a system of meditation targeted towards western cultures. This book doesn’t focus on a scientific or logical process, but helps you begin a basic meditation practice. His talks also helped break down some mental roadblocks, like the thought of “How can I accomplish this better, faster than anyone else” that come pre-programmed in our western culture.
    • Important thought – We are a drop of water in a waterfall. First we are unified with the stream of water, but when we are born we go over the edge and become isolated from the rest of water (the universe). When we die we rejoin the universe as the drop of water rejoins the stream. Our whole life is a struggle to be united with the rest of the universe, and awareness through meditation is the only way to do that.
  • The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life (A Shambhala Sun Book) – Barry Boyce
  • Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion – Sam HarrisChapters
    • 2-4 are the meat of this book: “The Mystery of Consciousness”, “The Riddle of the Self” and “Meditation”. The other talk about the importance of spirituality, which I absorbed from other books, like zen mind beginners mind.
    • Harris tends to be cynical and negative, and arrives at the importance of spirituality by process of elimination of religion. I prefer a more positive framing provided in other books.
    • Consciousness is a subjective experience and that’s why meditation and awareness are so important in furthering our understanding of it.
    • Consciousness is likely a result of the organization of complex biology of the brain. Result of unconscious information processing to the point that it “is like something” to be conscious.
    • Each hemisphere of the brain experiences separate subjectivity (observed in patients with surgically separated hemispheres). This example clearly shows that there is no such thing as a united consciousness, because each hemisphere has its own individual consciousness. Therefore, we can prove that there is no individual unified “self”.
    • Consciousness is not unified. It works by different parts of the brain operating separately but in synchronicity. Therefore the sense of “self” is an illusion. Self is best described as the experience of psychological continuity.
    • How to become physically aware of this sense of self through meditation so that you can get rid of it
      • First look for the “self” that you claim is there. You will fail to identify a separate subject and object (the self that is seeking vs the self that is sought)
      • Watch as emotions and thoughts arise, and experience the transitory nature as they appear in our consciousness like a reflection in a mirror. They do not alter our consciousness as a reflection does not alter the mirror.
      • As you are become aware of your thoughts and emotions, they will tend to fall away quickly.
    • Reality vastly exceeds our awareness of it. That includes our thoughts and actions.
    • “Having an ego is what it feels like to be thinking without knowing you are thinking”
  • Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
    • This book has nothing to do with meditation despite the title. It is actually a dive into the mind of 1st Century Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher.
    • Learn stoicism – do what nature expects of you, work for the good of mankind, do not let the world effect your thoughts, do not pursue glory or fame, don’t let the actions of others effect you or your thoughts, accept death as it is a part of nature, disavow any ego because time erases everyone,
  • Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself – Dr. Kristen Neff
  • Siddhartha – Hermann Hesse
Modern Society & How We Can Improve It
Enjoyable Stories/Bios
Natural Sciences & History
Productivity