--- title: Books I Have Read | Marco Pontili description: Curated books on tech, design, UX, and productivity. Insights on innovation, psychology, leadership, and personal growth. url: https://marcopontili.com/reading canonical: https://marcopontili.com/reading lastmod: 2026-07-31 author: Marco Pontili lang: en-US type: page --- # Books I’ve read I love reading great books. This is my work-in-progress selection of inspiring titles I've enjoyed in recent years. **Reading Themes:** Productivity (9), Self-Improvement (6), Psychology (5), Creativity (5), Business (5), Technology (3), Finance (3), Philosophy (2), Media (1). ## 2026 [![Born to Run, Christopher McDougall - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/born-to-run-christopher-mcdougall.jpg) ### **Born to Run:** A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen — Christopher McDougall](https://www.chrismcdougall.com/born-to-run/)[![Hell Yeah or No, Derek Sivers - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/hell-yeah-or-no-derek-sivers.jpg) ### **Hell Yeah or No:** What's Worth Doing — Derek Sivers](https://sive.rs/n) ## 2025 [![Ego Is The Enemy, Ryan Holiday - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/ego-is-the-enemy-ryan-holiday.jpg) ### **Ego Is The Enemy** — Ryan Holiday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_Is_the_Enemy)[![Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/four-thousand-weeks-oliver-burkeman.jpg) ### **Four Thousand Weeks:** Time Management for Mortals — Oliver Burkeman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thousand_Weeks:_Time_Management_for_Mortals)[![Thinking in Systems, Donella H. Meadows - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/thinking-in-systems-donella-meadows.jpg) ### **Thinking in Systems:** A Primer — Donella H. Meadows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_In_Systems:_A_Primer)[![Emotional Agility, Susan David - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/emotional-agility-susan-david.jpg) ### **Emotional Agility:** Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life — Susan David](https://www.susandavid.com/book/) ## 2024 [![Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/radical-acceptance-tara-brach.jpg) ### **Radical Acceptance:** Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha — Tara Brach](https://www.tarabrach.com/books/radical-acceptance/)[![Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Richard Carlson - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/don-t-sweat-small-stuff-carlson.jpg) ### **Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and It’s All Small Stuff:** Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life — Richard Carlson](https://dontsweat.com/books/)[![Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/supercommunicator-charles-duhigg.jpg) ### **Supercommunicators:** How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection — Charles Duhigg](https://www.charlesduhigg.com/supercommunicators)[![The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-checklist-manifesto-atul-gawande.jpg) ### **The Checklist Manifesto:** How to Get Things Right — Atul Gawande](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Checklist_Manifesto)[![Never Search Alone, Phyl Terry - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/never-search-alone-phyl-terry.jpg) ### **Never Search Alone:** The Job Seeker’s Playbook — Phyl Terry](https://www.phyl.org/) ## 2023 [![The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-culture-code-daniel-coyle.jpg) ### **The Culture Code:** The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups — Daniel Coyle](https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/)[![Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/tiago-forte-building-a-second-brain.jpg) ### **Building a Second Brain:** Capture, Organize, and Share Your Ideas Using Digital Notes — Tiago Forte](https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com/book)[![No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/hastings-meyer-no-rules-rules.jpg) ### **No Rules Rules:** Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention — Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer](https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/0753553651)[![Tools of Titans, Tim Ferriss - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/tim-ferriss-tools-of-titans.jpg) ### **Tools of Titans:** The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers — Tim Ferriss](https://tim.blog/tim-ferriss-books/) ## 2022 [![The Daily Stoic Journal, Ryan Holiday - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-daily-stoic-ryan-holiday.jpg) ### **The Daily Stoic Journal:** 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on the Art of Living — Ryan Holiday](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Stoic)[![Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/why-we-sleep-matthew-walker.jpg) ### **Why We Sleep:** Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams — Matthew Walker](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Sleep)[![Nudge, Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/nudge-final-edition-thaler-sunstein.jpg) ### **Nudge:** Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness — Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book))[![The Bitcoin Standard, Ammous Saifedean - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/ammous-saifedean-the-bitcoin-standard.jpg) ### **The Bitcoin Standard:** The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking — Ammous Saifedean](https://saifedean.com/tbs) ## 2021 [![Hyperfocus, Chris Bailey - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/hyperfocus-chris-bailey.jpg?v2) ### **Hyperfocus:** How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction — Chris Bailey](https://alifeofproductivity.com/hyperfocus/)[![Design Engineering Handbook Natalya Shelburne, Adekunle Oduye, Kim Williams - ebook](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/design-engineering-shelburne-oduye-williams.jpg) ### **Design Engineering Handbook:** Tools and Techniques for Collaboration in the Enterprise — Natalya Shelburne, Adekunle Oduye, Kim Williams](https://www.designbetter.co/design-engineering-handbook)[![When, Daniel Pink - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/daniel-pink-when.jpg) ### **When:** The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing — Daniel H. Pink](https://www.danpink.com/books/when/)[![Range, David Epstein - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/david-epstein-range.jpg) ### **Range:** Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World — David Epstein](https://davidepstein.com/the-range/)[![The Culture Map, Erin Meyer - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-culture-map-erin-meyer.jpg) ### **The Culture Map:** Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business — Erin Meyer](https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/) ## 2020 [![Deep Work, Cal Newport - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/deep-work-cal-newport.jpg) ### **Deep Work:** Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World — Cal Newport](https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/0349411905)[![Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/cal-newport-digital-minimalism.jpg) ### **Digital Minimalism:** Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World — Cal Newport](https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-Noisy/dp/0525536515)[![Essentialism, Greg McKeown - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/essentialism-grek-mckeown.jpg) ### **Essentialism:** The Disciplined Pursuit of Less — Greg McKeown](https://gregmckeown.com/books/essentialism/)[![The power of Habit, Charles Duhigg - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-power-of-habit-charles-duhigg.jpeg) ### **The Power of Habit:** Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — Charles Duhigg](https://gregmckeown.com/books/essentialism/)[![Thinking fast and slow, Daniel Kahneman - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/thinking-fast-and-slow-daniel-kahneman.jpg) ### **Thinking Fast and Slow:** The International Bestseller — Daniel Kahneman](https://scholar.princeton.edu/kahneman/publications-0/) ## 2019 [![Getting things done, David Allen - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/getting-things-done-david-allen.jpg) ### **Getting Things Done:** The Art of Stress-Free Productivity — David Allen](https://gettingthingsdone.com/books/)[![Responsive Web Design, Ethan Marcotte - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/responsive-web-design-ethan-marcotte.jpg) ### **Responsive Web Design:** Ethan Marcotte](https://abookapart.com/products/responsive-web-design)[![Git for Humans, David Demaree - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/git-for-humans-david-demaree.jpg) ### **Git for Humans**, David Demaree](https://abookapart.com/products/git-for-humans)[![The shallows, Nicholas Carr](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-shallows-nicholas-carr.jpg) ### **The Shallows:** What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains — Nicholas Carr](http://www.nicholascarr.com/?page_id=16) ## 2015-2008 [![Fantasia, Bruno Munari - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/fantasia-bruno-munari.jpg) ### **Fantasia:** An Explosion of Creativity — Bruno Munari](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9696567-fantasia)[![Design as Art, Bruno Munari - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/design-as-art-bruno-munari.jpg) ### **Design as Art:** Bruno Munari](https://www.amazon.com/Desigs-Art-Bruno-Munari/dp/0141035811)[![The Vignelli canon, Massimo and Lella Vignelli - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-vignelli-canon-massimo-lella-vignelli.jpg) ### **Vignelli Canon**, Massimo & Lella Vignelli](https://www.amazon.com/Vignelli-Canon-Massimo/dp/3037782250)[![Thinking with type, Ellen Lupton](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/thinking-with-type-ellen-lupton.jpg) ### **Thinking with Type:** A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students — Ellen Lupton](https://ellenlupton.com/Thinking-with-Type)[![The laws of simplicity, John Maeda - book cover](https://marcopontili.com/assets/images/book-covers/the-laws-of-simplicity-john-maeda.jpg) ### **The Laws of Simplicity:** Design, Technology, Business, Life — John Maeda](http://lawsofsimplicity.com/)