Reading list · 12 books
David Perell's reading list
Writer and founder of Write of Passage, known as "the Writing Guy." Perell maintains a public reading page and recommends books prolifically through his essays, podcast, and Twitter; his recommendations carry weight among writers and online creators.
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01
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Listed among Perell's all-time favorites; he repeatedly cites Taleb's ideas on disorder and optionality in his writing.
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02
Jordan Peterson
An all-time favorite he wrote a full review of (titled "Meaningful").
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03
Will & Ariel Durant
An all-time favorite with a dedicated review, distilling patterns across civilizations.
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04
Marshall McLuhan
An all-time favorite; McLuhan's media theory underpins much of Perell's thinking on the internet and writing.
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05
Various
Perell argues reading the Bible is "a contrarian activity that shouldn't be contrarian," and recommends it as a foundational text.
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06
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert Pirsig
A recommended favorite on quality, craft, and philosophy.
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07
Christopher Alexander
A recommended favorite; Alexander's pattern thinking strongly influences Perell.
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08
Steven Pressfield
A recommended read on overcoming creative resistance, frequently cited by Perell for writers.
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09
Morgan Housel
A recommended title (Housel is a friend and frequent collaborator).
More on David Perell's picks
Perell publishes a curated reading page (perell.com/reading) listing all-time favorites, current reads, and books "on the radar," and writes full reviews of books that shaped him. His taste centers on writing craft, philosophy/religion, history, media theory (McLuhan), and complexity — and he's a notable advocate for reading the Bible.
