The books that most influenced Mark Zuckerberg's views on the world
Mark Zuckerberg:
- the youngest billionaire in history;
- included in the list of the most influential people in the world according to Forbes;
- the person behind the creation of the largest worldwide social network – Facebook. After all, it is quite uneasy to find anyone in the global community who has never heard of Facebook.
But what was it exactly that brought him to the top: a fortunate coincidence, his tradesman’s nature, knowledge, or an innate flair? Perhaps a little bit of everything.
Often, when we think about a person's inner world, it is worth paying attention to what he is reading. It helps to understand where he gets inspiration from, takes new ideas, and what motivates him.
It is hard to say which of the books he read was the starting point that shaped the world outlook of this undoubtedly extraordinary person but, perhaps this list will open up new facets of life for you. Enjoy your reading.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
“This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world.” – Mark Zuckerberg.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
“For anyone interested in building, growing, or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource.” – Mark Zuckerberg.
The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch
“About how the way we explain things unlocks greater possibilities.” – Mark Zuckerberg.
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
This one is also in Mark’s top 5 books that everyone should read.
The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation by Jon Gertner
“This book explores that question [what causes innovation] by looking at Bell Labs, which was one of the most innovative labs in history.” – Mark Zuckerberg.
High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove
Written by Andrew Grove, a man who influenced the CEOs of Apple, Facebook, and Airbnb.
Mark Zuckerberg is a huge fan of this book and says that it “played a big role in shaping [his] management style” at Facebook.
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
Mark himself likes to repeat Albert Einstein's catchphrase, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
“A timely book about how and why violence has steadily decreased throughout our history, and how we can continue this trend.” – Mark Zuckerberg.
Having made the second selection of books (the first contained a must-read from Elon Musk), we noticed a few certain coincidences.
And what is your opinion on these books?