Book Recommendations

The Elements of Style
William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

A must-have for any writer. While working on my PhD thesis, I went through this book over and over again whenever I rode on the subway.

The Craft of Scientific Writing
Michael Alley

Similar in spirit to ‘The Elements of Style’, but specifically for scientific writing. It helped my writing a lot.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics
Richard P Feynman

If you want to have a good background and deep understanding in physics, these lectures are a great choice. The books are based on the actual lectures Richard Feynman gave 1961-63 at the California Institute of Technology. These lectures were not only insightful, but also entertaining. Some of the lectures are also available as audio recordings. It is a pleasure to listen to them. If you give presentations yourself, Feynman is good model to follow.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

The principles that the authors learned in the Navy Seals and in combat are essential for great leadership because when the stakes are high you got to learn what works best.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Cal Newport

Solid career advice, particularly, for anyone starting out of high school or college. Cal makes a compelling case that “follow your passion” is bad advice, and it’s much better to develop a rare skill in need.

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation
Steven Johnson

Steven describes the key elements of environments that support the creation of good ideas. I recommend this book to anyone in the innovation business or in a position shape environments supporting innovation.

White Pumpkin Seed
Annie Wang and Heiko Hoffmann

This heart-touching story takes you on a time travel to Taiwan’s countryside of the 1960s to 1980s. Discover the Taiwanese culture and let yourself be inspired. You can also listen to the audiobook.