Reading list · 12 books
Jason Fried's reading list
Co-founder and CEO of 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) and co-author of "Rework," "Remote," and "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work." Fried is an influential contrarian voice on calm, profitable company-building, and shares reading on the company blog and social media.
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01
Ricardo Semler
Fried says Semler's book "gave me the extra boost of courage to run 37signals/Basecamp our way"; the company blog ran multiple posts on it.
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02
Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger
Peter Bevelin
He calls it "one of my favorite books" and highly recommends it for distilling Munger's multidisciplinary thinking.
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03
William Irvine
He named it "the book that had the biggest impact on me this year," his entry point to practical Stoicism.
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04
Randall Rothenberg
He calls it his favorite book on building a brand that ages well.
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05
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing
He praises Shackleton's story as a "riveting" account of perseverance and leadership.
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06
Matthew Walker
Fried recommends it emphatically, consistent with 37signals' anti-overwork stance.
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07
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts
Annie Duke
He says he especially enjoyed its examples on decision-making under uncertainty.
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08
Daniel Kahneman
He calls Kahneman's work on cognitive biases "fascinating."
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09
Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To
David A. Sinclair
He calls Sinclair "a brilliant guy" and highly recommends the book.
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10
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Susan Cain
A recommended read aligned with his views on introverts and quiet, focused work.
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11
L. David Marquet
Recommended for its leadership model of pushing authority down to the people doing the work.
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12
Richard A. Lanham
A craft pick reflecting Fried's emphasis on clear, tight writing.
More on Jason Fried's picks
Fried surfaces books on the 37signals/Signal v. Noise blog, in interviews, and on Twitter, usually tied to running a company his own way. He has explicitly named the books with the biggest impact on him in given years. His taste mixes business memoir, behavioral psychology, stoicism, and writing craft.
