54 Books to Read In 2026
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Logotherapy
16 min read
Viktor Frankl's logotherapy is discussed in depth by Roelof Botha as the philosophical framework behind Man's Search for Meaning - understanding this psychotherapeutic approach would give readers deeper insight into the book's core thesis about purpose-driven existence
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To the Lighthouse
11 min read
Claire Hughes Johnson recommends this Virginia Woolf novel and discusses its innovative narrative techniques. A deeper dive into the novel's literary significance, stream-of-consciousness style, and Woolf's modernist contributions would enrich the recommendation.
Friends,
This is one of my favorite questions to ask:
If you had the power to assign a book for everyone on Earth to read and understand, what would you choose?
Long-time supporters of The Generalist will know it’s my preferred way to wrap up a Modern Meditations interview or a podcast episode. So, why do I like it so much? Isn’t it just a convoluted way of asking “What’s your favorite book?”
Not quite. (Though that is a pretty great question too, no matter how staid.) There is, I find, something useful about framing the prompt in this way, and asking people not just what books they liked but those they considered deeply important. Plenty of authors can grant us pleasure, but which ones created works that truly merited the world’s attention?
It also opens up the possibility for all kinds of enjoyable subplots. Will someone indulge in the hypothetical chance to promote their own work, thereby locking in a casual 8 billion in new book sales? How might they tilt humanity toward their philosophical or aesthetic preferences? Does it seem utterly unanswerable to them, given the swarm of wonderful books the world contains? Will they reject the premise outright, as a mini-autocracy dressed up as a parlor game? Each of these answers says something, I think, about the way a person reasons.
Over the years, this question has been the source of much joy, intrigue, alpha, and wisdom to me. And so, as we near the end of this year, I took the time to compile every recommendation we’ve received across The Generalist’s written and audio interviews into a single guide, lightly edited for readability. Since it contains no recommendations or musings of my own, I feel I can say with a straight face that it is quite a wonderful document, containing the preferred reads of an eclectic but stunningly accomplished group of people. MacArthur “genius” grantees mingle with multiple Midas List winners, prominent ethical philosophers, legendary entrepreneurs, and extreme biohackers. People who have built new cities sit alongside complexity scientists, a stone’s throw from a computer science legend and former professional poker player. So read on to discover what Alan Kay, Tyler Cowen, Reid Hoffman, David Krakauer, Laura Deming, Bryan Johnson, Katherine Boyle, and others think the world should read.
As you consider how you want to spend your time in 2026, I hope this collection might
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