Books like Presence

01

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Susan Cain · Psychology

Quiet is Susan Cain's argument that Western culture — and American culture in particular — has built itself around an "Extrovert Ideal" that systematically undervalues roughly a third to a half of the population.

A kindred psychology read.

02

Dare to Lead

Brené Brown · Business

Dare to Lead is Brené Brown's application of her research on vulnerability and courage to the specific context of leadership.

A kindred psychology read.

03

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck · Psychology

Carol Dweck's central claim is simple but far-reaching: people hold one of two basic beliefs about their own abilities.

A kindred psychology read.

04

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth · Psychology

Duckworth's central claim is that talent is overrated.

A kindred psychology read.

05

On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy

Carl R. Rogers · Psychology

Carl Rogers wrote this book in 1961 as an attempt to communicate his therapeutic approach to readers outside the consulting room.

Both dig into authenticity.

06

The Happiness Advantage

Shawn Achor · Psychology

Shawn Achor's core claim inverts a common assumption about success and happiness.

Both dig into performance.

07

80/20 Running

Matt Fitzgerald · Health

80/20 Running is Matt Fitzgerald's evidence-based argument that the most common mistake recreational runners make is training too hard, too often.

Both dig into performance.

08

All Marketers Are Liars

Seth Godin · Business

All Marketers Are Liars — later republished as All Marketers Tell Stories — is Seth Godin's argument that successful marketing is not about facts or features but about stories that confirm what consumers already believe about the world.

Both dig into authenticity.

09

Endure

Alex Hutchinson · Science

Endure is Alex Hutchinson's investigation into the science of limits — specifically, what actually stops a human being from going faster, farther, or longer.

Both dig into performance.

10

Fierce Conversations

Susan Scott · Business

Fierce Conversations is Susan Scott's argument that the quality of your relationships is determined by the quality of your conversations — and that the conversations most people avoid are precisely the ones that would most improve their relationships and results.

Both dig into authenticity.

11

How Music Works

David Byrne · History

David Byrne's central provocation in How Music Works is that music doesn't emerge from individual genius and then find a context — the context shapes and creates the music.

Both dig into performance.

12

Managing for Results

Peter F. Drucker · Business

Managing for Results was Peter Drucker's first explicitly strategic book, published in 1964 and still in print.

Both dig into performance.