This is a collection of some of the best books I’ve ever encountered on various subjects, all linked to the idea of “how to be an effective human”.

Athletic Training and Physical Health

• Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe

• Tactical Barbell, by K. Black

• Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, by Stuart McGill

Social and Emotional Interaction

• What Every Body Is Saying, by Joe Navarro

• Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss

• Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, by Keith Johnstone

Clear Communication, both Verbal and Written

• Language in Thought and Action, by S. I. Hayakawa and Alan R. Hayakawa

• Trees, Maps, and Theorems: Effective Communication for Rational Minds, by Jean-Luc Doumont

How to Act

• Conscious Business, by Fred Kofman

• A Guide to the Good Life, by William Irvine

• Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius

Arts and Design

• Interaction of Color, by Josef Albers

Food and Drink

• The Food Lab, by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

• Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, by David Kaplan and Nick Fauchald

• Liquid Intelligence, by Dave Arnold