← Back Home

Reading List

A curated selection of books I've read, tracked via Goodreads. These are the ideas that shape my strategy and philosophy.

The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era

The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era

Jeremy Rifkin

2026

Personal Notes

Really good to think about. If you ever heard the post scarcity world, read this.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet

Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet

Katie Hafner

2026

Personal Notes

The history of the internet told. Great!
The Physics of Star Trek

The Physics of Star Trek

Lawrence M. Krauss

2026

Personal Notes

Sure, Star Trek is cool, but could it work. Suprisingly many things could some things couldn't.
Interface

Interface

Neal Stephenson

2026

Personal Notes

What if you have a chip in your head that gives you perfect polling data at any time to become president.
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Jim Collins

2026

Personal Notes

One of the best business books ever written. Period.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Tom Wolfe

2026

Personal Notes

Understand Hippies. Try at least :) This helps.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

Jim Collins

2026

Personal Notes

Built to Last was good, but what about companies that were good and became great. Wonderful 2nd chapter of one of the best business books out there.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell

2026

Personal Notes

Must read on human psychology. But keep in mind Gladwell is also a sales guy for his talks, which makes it more of a fun read though :)
Rework

Rework

Jason Fried

2026

Personal Notes

How to succeed in business by the makers of Basecamp and Ruby on Rails.
The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 2

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 2

Richard P. Feynman

2026

Personal Notes

If you are into physics, read Feynman.
The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 1: Mainly Mechanics, Radiation & Heat (World Student)

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 1: Mainly Mechanics, Radiation & Heat (World Student)

Richard P. Feynman

2026

Personal Notes

If you are into physics, read Feynman, period.
The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 3

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 3

Richard P. Feynman

2026

Personal Notes

If you are into physics, read Feynman. Period. :)
The Chaordic Organization

The Chaordic Organization

Dee Hock

2015

Personal Notes

Read this many years ago but it was one of the best business books I read and my quotes list is still filled with Dee Hock quotes from it.
Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace

Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace

Ricardo Semler

2002

Personal Notes

Published first in 1993, this books depicts the changes happening at Semco, the company Ricardo Semler took over from his father in 1980 to turn it in a much studied place to work at.

Here is the chronology of what happened and if you want to know more then you should read the book as it is both highly stimulating as well as amusing.

* 1980 Ricardo took over the company and fired most of the (old) executive staff
* he hired a new CEO who worked at different companies like Sharp and Xerox. The company was transformed in a highly managed entity with tight controls, reports and manuals.
* he hired a new sales manager and they spent a lot of time trying to get their hands on cash to save the company.
* 1983 they went out to buy a company for $500000 at the end doubling their workforce
in comes Clovis Bojikian, ex school teacher and idealist who was to be crucial to the changes about to happen at Semco
* more controls come, tougher management and a lot of people start becoming unhappy
* Ricardo continuously faints and has other health problems and after a visit to a special clinic is diagnosed with the highest level of stress the doctor has ever seen at a 25 year old. He needed to change.
* he starts leaving at 7 no matter what, delegates a lot and tries to remove corporate oppressions. first by removing the security checks with the idea of treating people as adults, which was not easy.
* dress codes are removed
* factory committes are started (members cannot be sacked while on the committee and one year afterwards) and decisions deferred to workers/committees
* weekly meetings are started where decisions are taken that a “manager” does not feel comfortable to do alone
* threw the operational manual out in exchange of common sense (if you need a hotel on a business trip, take whichever you think is right)
* had workers decide on a new plant location
* had top people set their own salaries and have them public
* had profit sharing across everyone
* started having a rule that memos can only be one page with the conclusion as the subject
and this list goes on and on. A very insightful read.

“As I tell our people constantly: we’ve all learned how to answer email on Sundays, but none of us has learned to go to the movies on Monday afternoon. Until we learn that, we are email slaves harnessed to the wicked ways of the Profit and Loss Master.” – Ricardo Semler, Maverick
Birth of the Chaordic Age: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization

Birth of the Chaordic Age: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization

Dee Hock

2006

Personal Notes

One of the best books on the future of companies out there. An amazing read that will make your mind bubble up new thoughts by the minute. Greatly recommented.
The Connected Company

The Connected Company

Dave Gray

2013

Personal Notes

Great Book about how our Companies of the future should work with many great examples. I will keep this as a reference with lots of amazing links to go deeper.
Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, #1)

Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, #1)

Peter F. Hamilton

2013
Judas Unchained (Commonwealth Saga, #2)

Judas Unchained (Commonwealth Saga, #2)

Peter F. Hamilton

2012
Schwarzer Sonntag

Schwarzer Sonntag

Thomas Harris

2026

Personal Notes

was a wonderful read.
The De Bono Code Book

The De Bono Code Book

Edward de Bono

2026

Personal Notes

My holding was named through this book :) Our language is not clear enough. Let's use codes :)
MP3: The Definitive Guide

MP3: The Definitive Guide

Scot Hacker

2026

Personal Notes

oh those were the times.
The 4-Hour Workweek

The 4-Hour Workweek

Timothy Ferriss

2026

Personal Notes

great insight by the wonderful tim ferriss
The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering

The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering

Frederick P. Brooks Jr.

2026

Personal Notes

Task is 100 man months for 10 people, and hence it takes 10 months. If you add another 10 people it take 2 years. Read :)
License to Steal : The Secret World of Wall Street and the Systematic Plundering of the American Investor

License to Steal : The Secret World of Wall Street and the Systematic Plundering of the American Investor

Anonymous

2026

Personal Notes

my stock market times. great suspense.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell

2026

Personal Notes

Tipping point was really important.
The New New Thing: How Some Man You've Never Heard of Just Changed Your Life

The New New Thing: How Some Man You've Never Heard of Just Changed Your Life

Michael Lewis

2026

Personal Notes

This man Jim Clark. Must read. :)
Tapping into Wireless : The Savvy Investor's Guide to Profiting From the Wireless Wave

Tapping into Wireless : The Savvy Investor's Guide to Profiting From the Wireless Wave

Tom Taulli

2026

Personal Notes

I helped in this book, it was my infosync times.
The Lean Startup

The Lean Startup

Eric Ries

2026

Personal Notes

If you are into startups, you need to read this.
Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

2026

Personal Notes

great to understand jobs.
The Wealth of Nations, Books 1-3

The Wealth of Nations, Books 1-3

Adam Smith

2026

Personal Notes

needed to read it for the mba and it is a good history book.
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings (Wiley Investment Classic)

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings (Wiley Investment Classic)

Philip A. Fisher

2026

Personal Notes

again, stock picking at its finest.
The Seven-Day Weekend [Apr 01, 2003] Semler, Ricardo

The Seven-Day Weekend [Apr 01, 2003] Semler, Ricardo

Ricardo Semler

2026

Personal Notes

Maverick was great, this is only good, but still a must read.
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Daniel H. Pink

2026

Personal Notes

Wonderfully inspiring.
The Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel

The Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel

Benjamin Graham

2026

Personal Notes

If you invest in the stock market, you must have read this.
The End of Medicine, How Silicon Valley (and Naked Mice) will Reboot your Doctor

The End of Medicine, How Silicon Valley (and Naked Mice) will Reboot your Doctor

Andy Kessler

2026

Personal Notes

Amazing book. Doctors don't know their statistics. :)
EBoys

EBoys

Randall E. Stross

2026

Personal Notes

How startups are born. From a VC perspective. Great.
BeOS Bible, The

BeOS Bible, The

Scot Hacker

2026

Personal Notes

Well, I ran benews.com once, the biggest beos news site.
Managing Software Requirements: A Unified Approach (Addison-wesley Object Technology Series)

Managing Software Requirements: A Unified Approach (Addison-wesley Object Technology Series)

Dean Leffingwell

2026

Personal Notes

You can't fight the enemy if you don't know it. :)
emotionale-intelligenz-

emotionale-intelligenz-

daniel-goleman

2026

Personal Notes

EQ is more important than IQ
TCP/IP Network Administration

TCP/IP Network Administration

Craig Hunt

2026

Personal Notes

You need to know your SYN and ACK :)
One Up On Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

One Up On Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

Peter Lynch

2026

Personal Notes

One of the investment bibles.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Roger Fisher

2026

Personal Notes

Great book on negotiation, kind of the bible.
On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines

On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines

Jeff Hawkins

2026

Personal Notes

Easy to read and wonderful thoughts to challenge your thinking. How does the brain work, how do we learn.
Freakonomics:   überraschende Antworten auf alltägliche Lebensfragen

Freakonomics: überraschende Antworten auf alltägliche Lebensfragen

Steven D. Levitt

2026

Personal Notes

Thx for Data you can come to other conclusions about the worlds problems. Insightful.
Die Hyperion-Gesänge

Die Hyperion-Gesänge

Dan Simmons

2026

Personal Notes

Einfach grandios zu lesen.
Eveolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women

Eveolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women

Faith Popcorn

2026
The Spider Network: The Wild Story of a Math Genius, a Gang of Backstabbing Bankers, and One of the Greatest Scams in Financial History

The Spider Network: The Wild Story of a Math Genius, a Gang of Backstabbing Bankers, and One of the Greatest Scams in Financial History

David Enrich

2018

Personal Notes

Very well done story behind the financial crisis, or one of them.
Die Tyrannei des Schmetterlings

Die Tyrannei des Schmetterlings

Frank Schätzing

2018

Personal Notes

It's a good book, but I think Schätzing is overdoing it sometimes with the details. So I didn't read every word of it :)
The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work

The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work

Scott Berkun

2014

Personal Notes

Well written, Good insights, Fun to read. Just a mix of lots of different Genres it seems hence not for everyone.
Der Sarg

Der Sarg

Arno Strobel

2013

Personal Notes

Super zu lesen mit Spannung bis zum Ende. Fast teilweise zu dunkel, aber freuemich auf weitere Bücher von ihm.
Das Einmaleins der Skepsis

Das Einmaleins der Skepsis

Gerd Gigerenzer

2013
Outliers: The Story of Success

Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell

2012
Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit

Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit

Sten Nadolny

2012
Black House (The Talisman, #2)

Black House (The Talisman, #2)

Peter Straub

2012
Olympos

Olympos

Dan Simmons

2012
Kinder der Nacht

Kinder der Nacht

Dan Simmons

2012
To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

2012
The Character of Physical Law

The Character of Physical Law

Richard Feyman

2012
Im Auge des Winters (Seasons of Horror #2)

Im Auge des Winters (Seasons of Horror #2)

Dan Simmons

2012
Circle of Seven

Circle of Seven

Clay Jacobsen

2012
Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival

Dean King

2026
Krieg der Klone (Krieg der Klone, #1)

Krieg der Klone (Krieg der Klone, #1)

John Scalzi

2026
Britannica & Ich: Von einem, der auszog, der klügste Mensch der Welt zu werden

Britannica & Ich: Von einem, der auszog, der klügste Mensch der Welt zu werden

A.J. Jacobs

2016
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

Ken Robinson

2013

Personal Notes

I like it and it is full of examples. I love the concept, but it misses a bit of depth, a solution to achieve the goal of finding the element for everyone, even though he does give hints. I suggest hearing Ken talk. A LOT better :)
The Leader's Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century

The Leader's Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century

Stephen Denning

2013

Personal Notes

For somebody having done agile software development there is not much new and I am not sure it will really help old school managers. It is a good introduction though.
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers

Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers

Seth Godin

2012
Wie Wir Waren (German Edition)

Wie Wir Waren (German Edition)

Constantin Gillies

2012
Die Bruderschaft

Die Bruderschaft

John Grisham

2012
A Short History of Nearly Everything

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

2012
The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products Can Fail, the Personal Computer Is So Complex, and Information Appliances Are the Solution

The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products Can Fail, the Personal Computer Is So Complex, and Information Appliances Are the Solution

Donald A. Norman

2012
The Tao of Physics

The Tao of Physics

Fritjof Capra

2012
Kinder, der Tod ist gar nicht so schlimm!: Über die Zukunft der Musik und Medienindustrie

Kinder, der Tod ist gar nicht so schlimm!: Über die Zukunft der Musik und Medienindustrie

Tim Renner

2012
The Nudist on the Late Shift: And Other True Tales of Silicon Valley

The Nudist on the Late Shift: And Other True Tales of Silicon Valley

Po Bronson

2012
Muse in the Machine

Muse in the Machine

David Gelernter

2012
Profitable Growth Is Everyone's Business: 10 Tools You Can Use Monday Morning

Profitable Growth Is Everyone's Business: 10 Tools You Can Use Monday Morning

Ram Charan

2012
Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software

Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software

Scott Rosenberg

2012
Lautlos

Lautlos

Frank Schätzing

2012
Mobilize Yourself! The Microsoft Guide to Mobile Technology

Mobilize Yourself! The Microsoft Guide to Mobile Technology

Robert L. Bogue

2012
The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World

The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World

Lawrence Lessig

2012

Personal Notes

Too dry for my taste. Didn't make it easier that I am already relatively deeply in the subject.
Der Weg zur finanziellen Freiheit. In sieben Jahren die erste Million.

Der Weg zur finanziellen Freiheit. In sieben Jahren die erste Million.

Bodo Schäfer

2012

Personal Notes

It's actually not too bad :). One import thing to remember is: other people's money.
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1)

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1)

Neal Stephenson

2012
I Am America (And So Can You!)

I Am America (And So Can You!)

Stephen Colbert

2012

Personal Notes

I love Colbert but I did not get the book
Up In the Air

Up In the Air

Walter Kirn

2012

Personal Notes

Entertaining
Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next Fifty Years

Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next Fifty Years

Bruce Sterling

2012

Personal Notes

Should read this again in 50 years ;)
But What If We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past

But What If We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past

Chuck Klosterman

2018

Personal Notes

couldn't get the point.
Over the Top

Over the Top

Zig Ziglar

2012

Personal Notes

Somehow couldn't get over the first few pages
Airframe

Airframe

Michael Crichton

2016
Das Methusalem-Komplott

Das Methusalem-Komplott

Frank Schirrmacher

2013
Unpacked Again: Travel Disaster Stories

Unpacked Again: Travel Disaster Stories

Tony Wheeler

2013
Concise Science Dictionary (Oxford Quick Reference)

Concise Science Dictionary (Oxford Quick Reference)

Alan Isaacs

2012
Einführung in den praktischen Journalismus (Journalistische Praxis)

Einführung in den praktischen Journalismus (Journalistische Praxis)

Walther von LaRoche

2012
Sommer der Nacht

Sommer der Nacht

Dan Simmons

2012
The Ambler Warning

The Ambler Warning

Robert Ludlum

2012
Weltmacht USA

Weltmacht USA

Emmanuel Todd

2012
Secret (Darby McCormick #2)

Secret (Darby McCormick #2)

Chris Mooney

2012
Der Schwarze Schwan

Der Schwarze Schwan

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

2012
Das tibetische Buch vom Leben und vom Sterben: EIN Schlüssel Zum tieferen Verständnis von Leben und Tod

Das tibetische Buch vom Leben und vom Sterben: EIN Schlüssel Zum tieferen Verständnis von Leben und Tod

Sogyal Rinpoche

2012
Konsequent einfach. Die ALDI- Erfolgsstory.

Konsequent einfach. Die ALDI- Erfolgsstory.

Dieter Brandes

2012
Liar's Poker: Two Cities, True Greed

Liar's Poker: Two Cities, True Greed

Michael Lewis

2012
Die Bank

Die Bank

Brad Meltzer

2012
Source: goodreads.com
Last Synced: 2026-01-26