Best d_rn books I’ve read!

I tour. A lot. All over the world. This provides me with excellent conditions for reading. I love books that entertain, mesmerize, enlighten and confuse. Out of chaos comes… mayhem? Just kidding. New chaos. Better chaos.

Since I usually feel that I am the only person in the world who just read a million selling top list book I am starting a stream of  sharing here – please comment if you feel chosen to – I love a good reading recommendation!

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DESIGN
I’m involved in product development and design varying from child carrying devices and hospital alarm beds to lighting control desks.

The Design Of Everyday Things (Donald A. Norman)

This guy walks around with open eyes and makes the obvious…. obvious. This book is a must for any and all design areas!
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0385267746

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MOTIVATION
I’ve read tons of motivational books, and they all say the same thing: “If you want to achieve something, you must define your goal, commit to it, and the rest will follow”. Right. True. Some books are better in providing the tools for this defining and committing process. We’re human, right?

Recognize some of these books? You WILL find top-sellers. That doesn’t seem very original, does it? Well, the way I work is this: “if it’s a top seller is probably a bland product fit for the masses, not for my unique needs”. Guess what?

The 4-Hour Workweek (Timothy Ferriss)

If you feel you have come to a wall of indesicions about where to go next – this is fun and motivating. If you’re already nibbling the corners of freedom – it’s a hell of a confirmation.
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/contact/

Blink (Malcolm Gladwell)

If you want to confirm your gut feeling that some things are…. this is the book. About gut feelings. About trusting and refining them.
http://www.gladwell.com/blink/index.html

Freaconomics (Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner)

This is a philosophical approach to morals from the perspective of economics. You do NOT have to be interested in economics. At all. Just in life, and the similarities between guns and swimming pools. Especially if you are a parent!
http://freakonomicsbook.com/

Lila – An Inquiry To Morals (Robert M Pirsig)

When hippies were fairly young this man wrote “Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance” – a story about his inner philosophical journey coinciding with an outer journey. A sort of “introduction to eastern philosophy from a western point of view”. Many people had it as a bible. Very few people read this one: his follow-up and conclusion – realizing that in part, he was maybe not completely right in the first book (which may explain why a lot of his first fans don’t want to read it). A FANTASTIC and subtle journey about quality of life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila:_An_Inquiry_into_Morals

Black Swan (Nicholas Taleb)

Ever wonder why the stock market simply isn’t figured out by a supercomputer and taken over by some genius? Ever take time to think about what the turning points of history have been, and why nobody foresaw them? Great book!
http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/

The Under Cover Economist (Tim Harford)

If you ever thought about how pricing works – buying a car, house, shopping food or negotiating your salary? Read it!
http://timharford.com/

The Logic Of Life (Tim Harford)

Ok, am I on a payroll from Tim Harford? Nope. If I read something spectacular I will look at everything the author has done. I am not disappointed. Life changing in a very rational way.
http://timharford.com/

Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Goleman)

One of the first books I encountered that lifted emo-intelligence into the public radar. A great starting point for looking at what matters most in humans interaction.
http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/0553375067

American Pictures (Jacob Holdt)

A completely amazing life story and journey in photos through post-vietnam society and racial differences in the US from the north to the deep south by a danish hippie looking for a meaning, an explanation, a common denominator. Inspiring!
http://www.american-pictures.com/english/book/index.html

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HEALTH
I have a pragmatic approach to health: we are pretty simple creatures with a lot of variations. We are adapted to consume whatever is available when available – meat, wheat, fat, plants, mud (almost). Overdoing something usually isn’t healthy. A lot of diseases can be treated at home.

Where There Is No Doctor (David Werner with Carol Thuman and Jane Maxwell)

The BEST book I have owned in my lifetime of travel and being a parent. It’s written by village workers for village workers (see comments below) like the title says, where there simply IS no doctor. It breaks down all common human diseases, beliefs and medicines. LOVE IT. Give it to every parent you know. Put it in the back pack of anybody living in the outskirts, or mid-city. Demystify the animal you live in!
http://www.hesperian.org/

Please buy it and give one to your best traveling friend. Or donate to them. They are worth it!

I Can Make You Thin, Sleep, Confident… (Paul McKenna)

Cut out all bullshit “methods” and “diets” and “programs”. Everybody has “the answer”. This guy has the tools. Do I believe in mental training? Meditation? Motivation? Hypnosis? You bet I do. I am a certified hypnocoach and there are only two words for this. It works.
http://www.mckenna.com

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BIOGRAPHIES
I can’t say exactly what tickles me most about biographies, I feel they allow me to “step into the head” of someone for a moment – knowing that it is edited and filtered and pampered, but still…. I get to see the world through their eyes for a second – and it’s very refreshing and demystifying.

Wired (Bob Woodward)

Being a musician the life of any other musician is usually of interest. John Belushi in particular since he was such an extremely passionate musician – which to my mind the best kind of musician.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_%28book%29

Einstein (Walter Isaacson)

One of the worlds most known people is made very real and human in so many ways. Love the part where he shyly flirts in a rowing boat, or drags himself through work days at the patent office… How many more geniuses are out there right now, bored at work?
http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Life-Universe-Walter-Isaacson/dp/0743264738#reader_0743264738

Harpo Speaks! (Harpo Marx with Rowland Barber)

Back in the days were raw talent was allowed to mature over time into world class diamond cut entertainment and oil companies would sponsor a regular radio show as long as they are mentioned somehow things seemed so much… better? The image that sticks is when he rehearses his harp playing on the toilet – the only place calm enough!
http://www.amazon.com/Harpo-Speaks-Limelight-Marx/dp/0879100362#reader_0879100362

Under A Hoodoo Moon (Dr John with Jack Rummel)

The good Doctor is a dear source of inspiration. To walk in his shoes through the back streets of New Orleans on the way to the river with an absurd cargo (I won’t spoil the reading for you) is spectacular in a weird way. The whole story of how Mac Rebennack became Dr John is very amusing. Great musician! Great reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Under-Hoodoo-Moon-Night-Tripper/dp/0312131976#reader_0312131976

Miles Davis (Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe)

When I read this I was blinded by all M**F**G B*S**T swearing page up and page down. Finally it seemed to subside into a background noise of a tolerable level and suddenly a great artist emerged….
http://www.amazon.com/Miles-Davis/dp/0671725823#reader_0671725823

Waking Up In Jamaica (Stephen Foer)

A fantastic book that allows you to walk in the footsteps of Bob Marley and everything connected with his world of music, local politics, freedom fighting and religion through the eyes of Stephen Foer, doing a real-time walkabout and being very gracious and entertaining about it.  Outstanding!
http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Jamaica-Caribbeans/dp/1860743803

More to come….

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