If you want to be smarter, it’s time to read the writings of smart people. Smartness is visible inside your course textbooks. You have to learn through the experiences of geniuses to become smart. Books make you smarter as they enhance your thinking capacity and rewire your brain structure to make it stronger and take smart decisions. All books have one or another lesson to teach you, but if you want to learn the lesson of becoming smarter and take the best decisions possible among the given options. The following books will be a great kick-start to your journey to becoming smarter.
Brainiac By KEN JENNINGS
Ken Jennings was the first person to win 74 consecutive Jeopardy! Trivia games in 2004. Brainiac features Jennings’ journey to becoming trivia king and his explorations into trivia enthusiasts. He explores the meaning of trivia beyond just being a list of facts, from college quiz bowls to Boston pubs.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking By MALCOLM GLADWELL
Malcolm Gladwell explores the choices we make in a split second without really thinking about them – and how they can have long-lasting consequences. Gladwell shares fascinating stories, including how experts can spot fakes at a glance and why New Coke failed so badly.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by DANIEL KAHNEMAN
You can’t go wrong with learning about the mind if you want to learn how books make you smarter. Nobel-winning economist Daniel Kahneman explains how the mind works in his revolutionary work. He explains the benefits and pitfalls of thinking quickly with emotion and intuition versus slow thinking with logic and deliberation. You can improve your decision-making skills by learning to balance these two systems.
Speed Reading By KAM KNIGHT
If you are looking for books that will make you smarter, why not read a book that will speed up your reading? Kam Knight shares the secrets and tools you need to speed read. Knight shows you how to train your brain to read faster without losing your comprehension.
Smarter Faster Better By CHARLES DUHIGG
Are you looking to make better decisions faster? Charles Duhigg, a journalist, focuses on eight productivity concepts that will make you smarter. He illustrates them with interesting anecdotes as well as statistics. In his best-selling book, you’ll learn how to motivate, set goals, make decisions and manage others.
Atomic Habits by JAMES CLEAR
To become “smarter, ” you must develop solid habits that improve your knowledge. Clear describes how to create good habits and break bad habits in Atomic Habits. Clear’s method will help you design better habits.
The Art of War by SUN TZU
One of the most influential books ever written would have to be on your list. It has been around for more than 2,500 years. Sun Tzu’s classic Chinese war strategy book is still relevant today.
Invisible Women By CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ
Caroline Criado Perez demonstrates that our world is dominated by men and systemically discriminates against females. Perez presents overwhelming statistics that expose the gender gap in many fields, including technology and urban planning. This shocking evidence will blow you away and force you to rethink everything you thought you knew. Perez’s audiobook narration captures every bit of disbelief and anger, so it is worth listening to if you have the chance.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by JARED DIAMOND
For this book, Jared Diamond was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. It is about how geography and the environment have shaped civilization. Diamond believes that similar weather patterns in east-west migrations aided the development of civilization. At the same time, the vastly different climates, north and south, hindered it. Although his analysis of human society’s evolution is well-constructed and thought-provoking, it does become repetitive.
A Brief History Of Time By STEPHEN HAWKING
What is the origin of the universe? What is the secret to time? Stephen Hawking’s landmark book, published in 1988, and updated ten years later, explains the universe’s workings. Hawking explores the mysterious, the unimaginable, and the amazing ways the universe works.
Stamped From the Beginning By IBRAM X. KENDI
Ibram X. Kennedy’s book, The History of Racism in America, will teach you how to be an antiracist. Kendi covers the Founding Fathers and Puritans, the civil rights movement and contemporary activists. He shows how racism and discriminatory practices have been a part of American history.
A Brief History of Nearly Everything by BILL BRYSON
Bill Bryson’s simple-to-read tome covers almost everything and will make you smarter. Bryson is on a quest to learn more and meets some brilliant minds. Bryson’s hilarious adventures into human knowledge, covering the big bang theory, civilization’s rise, and everything in between, are worth the effort.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions By STEPHEN HAWKING
Stephen Hawking, considered one of the most brilliant minds of all time, was finishing a final project that would answer all of life’s “big” questions. Hawking shares his thoughts on humanity’s greatest challenges and uses his dry humour to help the reader understand complex topics.
Astrophysics For People in a Hurry by NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON
It was great that Neil deGrasse Tyson labelled his book Astrophysics for People In a Hurry rather than Astrophysics Explained to the Uninformed Layman, which I would have called it. This book is small, but it isn’t a quick one. Tyson does a great job of bringing the subject down to a beginner’s understanding. Still, the concepts are so complex that it requires time to understand everything. Astrophysics for People in Hurry is a great primer on an interesting subject and a must-read book for science enthusiasts.
What If? RANDALL MUNROE
Imagine if all your cells stopped dividing. Imagine if everyone had only one soulmate. Randall Munroe is the creator of the comic “xkcd”. He answers the most important questions of life using humour and lots of science. What If? is an enjoyable book that will make your brain smarter but not necessarily wiser.