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What book do you most often give as a gift? πŸ“–πŸ’

I have been doing a lot of reading recently and I would love to know which books the Product Hunt community most recommends πŸ€— Any genre is fair game!
Alex DejeuFounder at Do Good Technology Β· Asked

19 recommended

14
Zero to One

Notes on startups, or how to build the future

Wesley ForlinesMaker at FormFunc. Β· Written
Zero to One is for anyone who wants to do things better, its told with the perspective of startups in mind, but most of the ideas Peter presents are brilliant and universal.
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Great book and a must read for the entrepreneurs and startup folks
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I may live in a bit of a bubble, but I give this one out to my friends at college. Most of the stuff pertains to their interests.
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6
The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santi

Though it is not a startup specific book, this is one of my all time favorites. If you haven't read this yet, I would highly recommend. Paulo says that when you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor. The book is a source of inspiration and will make you chase your dreams. :) "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams" - From Alchemist
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6
How to Win Friends and Influence People

Mike Coutermarsh48Code @ Product Hunt Β· Written
Everyone should read this. It's like cheating at life. Some people just get a lot of what's in it naturally. But if you struggle with people & communication - READ.
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Harry RaymondFounder Drinkeasy, Product Hunt NYC Β· Written
Great book
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5
Ready Player One

An endearing rags to riches story set in a dystopian future

Sarah A. DowneyPrincipal, Accomplice Β· Written
It's basically the bible of VR for today's generation while mixing in tons of extremely entertaining 80s nostalgia. Plus Spielberg is directing the movie and it's in production now.
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5
The Go-Giver

A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Kim DΓΈflerEntrepreneur and tech lover Β· Written
It is a great book about how giving and putting others first can be a game changer for your own life. It is written as a story, which makes it easy to digest and remember.
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James Welch3CEO @ innovationcompany.co.uk Β· Written
Came here to add this, but @doefler had already done so. Must have given this and The Go-Giver Leader 40+ times in past years.
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4
Do The Work

Overcome Resistance And Get Out Of Your Own Way

Stefan Theofilos6UI/UX Designer, Lucro Solutions Β· Written
a great short book to knock out in a weekend
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4
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Ben Lang17@askspoke Β· Written
I find myself giving this book as a gift more and more. It's an incredibly well written, thought provoking book.
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Jean-Baptiste AlarconGrowth Marketer at Kameleoon Β· Written
100% agree, best book I've read in a while. Even got it for my dad :)
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2
Search Inside Yourself

A Google engineer's guide to mindfulness and meditation

Kim DΓΈflerEntrepreneur and tech lover Β· Written
It is a great introduction to meditation and introspection, it is short, and written for engineers.
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2
Killing Johnny Fry

A sexistential novel

Ayrton De Craene5Code @ Product Hunt Β· Written
I've been recommending this book for about 3 years to my friends, and all of them who've read it were absolutely fans. If you're open minded and not prude this book can be for you.
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2
Great Dialogues of Plato

Marcus VlahovicFounder & CEO, Sustainabody Β· Edited
Timeless - this book is universally enjoyable and certainly can change the way you think (if you approach it the right way)! Not sure if error in title, "Great Dialogues of Plato"
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2
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

Nassim Taleb's concluding book to his randomness trilogy

Kate42Community @ Product Hunt Β· Written
Dan Rummel, of Shyp, recommended this to me while I was in college and it blew my freaking mind. I've been recommending it or giving to people ever since (always with the disclaimer that, yeah, it's pretty dense). Everyone can benefit from learning how to benefit from chaos / disorder (because, spoiler alert, if you haven't figured this out, the world is f*cking messy)
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2
Creativity, Inc.

Kunal Bhatia22Co-founder & Design Lead @SlidesUp Β· Written
This is one of my favorite books of all time and I love giving it to others. There's a lot to connect with and (1) I love Pixar, and (2) Ed Catmull is a master at managing creative endeavors. At the time of publishing, some now released movies (including Inside Out) were in the concept phase, so you get to see a midpoint snapshot of where they were. Fun fact: Inside Out originally used to be called "The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside The Mind." Β See more
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2
The Design of Everyday Things

Good, usable design is possible

Kunal Bhatia22Co-founder & Design Lead @SlidesUp Β· Written
Aside from the Macbook and Facebook, this is the one I think everyone should read, even if they're not a designer. Donald Norman is a master of explaining design concepts and making them interesting for anyone. He updated the book with more current examples in the latest release, but it was originally published in 1988. You know it's a classic when people still talk about the book and the concepts in daily discussions.
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1
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

A lyrical, geeky adventure

Another great book that I have received as a gift, though this one is more general and also fiction.
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1
The Road Less Traveled

Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Yoann LopezGrowth / digital marketing Β· Written
Great book that will help you improve your everyday life, deal with people and just be a better version of you. As soon as i have the opportunity, I gift this book to people I love and care for
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1
When Breath Becomes Air

What makes a life worth living?

Kyle HessFintech Product Manager Β· Written
I think this is a great one. Really interesting story about purpose, success, and failure.
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1
Ego Is The Enemy

Ryan Holiday's new book on humility and resilience

Lukasz KonofalskiFounder of Postepic app Β· Written
Gave a few of these as gifts lately for friends who were dealing on a daily basis with people with ego described in Ryan's book: "an unhealthy belief in our own importance. Arrogance. Self-centered ambition"
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1
Pretty Much Everything

A mid-career survey from Aaron James Draplin

MichaelFounder, Horizon Business Group Β· Written
Amazing design inspiration with lots of personality. I have given this book as a gift more than any other.
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1
The Power of Habit

Why we do what we do in life and business

Shantanu RaghavProduct Guy @Mobiefit Β· Written
Helps you understand yourself, your habits and teaches you to replace them with better ones. Every habit will trigger a domino effect and you will be amazed.
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