Mastery, by Robert Greene, is the book that catapulted me on the fierce, endless, and satisfying mission of putting my nose to the grindstone in order to execute on the things that have been living in my head for the longest time.

Manage Your Day-to-Day, by the 99U initiative, helps creatives build more sustainable lives. As anyone who's ever attempted to create something will attest, coming up with great ideas is not necessarily difficult. Executing on them, however, is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. Pragmatic and beautifully typeset, this book draws on the insights of masters to support you on your journey.

German Philosophers, by Roger Scruton, Peter Singer, Christopher Janaway, and Michael Tanner, elegantly introduces you to Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche's marvelous feats of reasoning without leading you down an unintelligible, academic rabbit hole of tiresome hypotheticals; something particularly the former two are very good at.

Letters from a Stoic, next to the great essays On the Shortness of Life and On the Happy Life, all by Seneca, is a collection of letters by the Roman moral philosopher and bedrock of stoicism that attached itself to me as a reference book. Its teachings are as simple as they are preposterous; do not carelessly sacrifice the present for the future. A body of work to be read in perpetuity.

Damn Good Advice, by George Lois, is a book splitting crowds, largely due to what is perceived as overt boasting. It's also (visually) striking in every way, communicating as clearly as possible. It's what I envision the spirit of advertising to be, and I commend the author for being able to put it into physical form.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, by Richard P. Feynman, is an absolute must-read for anyone enthralled by the wonders of science, people, and those who themselves are on the path of becoming truly curious characters.

Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss, was hailed by an icon of mine in the product world as, to paraphrase, the most useful business book ever to have been written. I must concur. What it invites you to understand are the underpinnings of empathetic, effective communication; to pave the way for a negotiation to be able to conclude favourably."

Inspired, by Marty Cagan, was recommended to me by my mentor, and I've since adopted it as a religious text for the practice of product management. With a no-nonsense attitude, the author gives you a detailed account of golden standards, along with the industry's best practices for moving product organizations and thought into a direction that keeps both innovation and execution in sight.

12 Rules for Life, by Jordan B. Peterson, aims to fortify your stance opposing the complexities of everyday in its unfolding. Interweaving psychology, philosophy, evolutionary biology, and theology, the author grounds his claims with an impressive body of knowledge and real-world experience while making the wellbeing of others a firm priority.

Eat That Frog!, by Brian Tracy, is a concise collection of robust time management and productivity techniques. Its a book I warmly recommend to anyone looking to sharpen-up their prioritization skills, and also the only one on the topic I regularly remind myself of.

Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, by Erik Spiekermann, taught me how to become aware of what surrounds us at virtually all times, shaping how we perceive products and spaces; typography. Through the use of great real-world examples, it also acts as a primer for typesetting and grid-based layouting best practices, which come in handy in all disciplines of design.

Ego is the Enemy, by Ryan Holiday, aims at only one thing; to humble you. Borrowing stylistically from his mentor, Robert Greene, the author argues against the temptations of ego, on account of many historic figures, in an attempt to dispel illusions around it. A beacon in today's meritocratic society.

The Laws of Human Nature, by Robert Greene, pries open your eyes so as to better see what drives people. Its laws give you a deeper look into the narcissism inherent to all minds, underlined by historic examples driving home the principles' severity. The author considers it his magnum opus, encapsulating many essential lessons purported in his previous works, and I mostly agree.

Skin in the Game, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, has been brought to my attention by a good friend. As a work, it's hated by many due to the author's outright refusal to be polite. At the same time, it's filled with both highly practical advice and wisdom impossible to ignore for anyone aspiring to be more than, to paraphrase Taleb, an academic philistine.

Die Verwandlung der Welt ins Herrliche, by Rainer Maria Rilke, is an essay that has been monumental to me. It's an almost cathartic introspection of the poet on the nature of work itself and the deep satisfaction that can only be born out of it. Unfortunately, I can't find it translated into English language, which is not uncommon for Rilke's work.

The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman, is an industry classic I received as a gift from a colleague before I could buy it. In a good way, it takes the style out of design and focuses on its strictly utilitarian substance.

Beyond Good and Evil and the Genealogy of Morals, by Friedrich Nietzsche, urges you to think critically and fearlessly. It is a wild piece of text unafraid to challenge any divine values there may be in the process of establishing the foundations of futuristic moral landscapes rooted strictly within an individual's reality; one's own will to live.

Feck Perfuction, by James Victore, is, as it unabashedly proclaims, a dangerous book. The author picks a fight with you and, essentially, shames you into being less of a tool by making you remember the sensibilities of your younger, much-less-encumbered self.