Books · SparkToro · 2022
“This is Geraldine's favorite cookbook.”
Rand Fishkin, Cofounder & CEO, SparkToro
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
A cookie-focused baking book mixing perfected classics with inventive recipes worth returning to again and again.
43 picks for “books for a first-time founder”
43 picks for books for a first-time founder.Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“For people that are just like, "I want to start a business," and they're like, "I don't know what to do, how to do it," they're totally green, then Ready, Fire, Aim is usually the book that I recommend. … It gets people into the action mindset, leaning towards action instead of analysis.”
Brian Dean, Founder of Backlinko and Exploding Topics
Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat
The book Brian gives first-time founders: a kick toward action over analysis paralysis, with a framework for spotting and scaling traction.
Books · Acquired · 2024
“I have read the book Wool, which is the first in the series that is the Silo series on Apple TV+... It is awesome. The book is so good, a new addition to my favorite sci-fi books and sci-fi series.”
David Rosenthal, Co-host, Acquired
Wool
The first book in the Silo series — a new addition to his favorite sci-fi, so good he read it after the show pulled him in.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“I think I mostly borrowed this from Arthur Brooks’ book From Strength to Strength, but you’ll find it in a few different “prioritize your life” advice books. And that is, I think we sometimes get too oriented toward tasks, jobs, things we need to do with our time. And if you flip it and think about people, it’s easier to see your priorities.”
Claire Hughes Johnson, Former COO of Stripe; author of Scaling People
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
The book that gave her the people-over-tasks reframe: prioritize who you want time with, and your schedule clarifies itself.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“So I'd say my favorite book of all times, and I made it mandatory reading for my command staff when I took over as the chief... The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell. One of my all time favorite reads, because it forces you to understand that no matter what your challenge and no matter what your problem is, it goes back to problem solving... And I love that book. I've read it three times, I think.”
Cathy Lanier, Chief Security Officer, NFL; former DC Metropolitan Police Chief
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Her favorite book of all time and mandatory reading for her command staff, reframing any problem as findable, solvable tipping point.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“Somehow came across The Gulag Archipelago. And I was fairly young. I was probably 17, 18 when I first read it. And it impacted me in a lot of ways... a lot of what he talks about is, that happiness can't be our ultimate goal in life. We have to have purpose.”
Jordan Jonas, Winner of History's "Alone"; wilderness survival instructor
The Gulag Archipelago
Solzhenitsyn's account of the Soviet camps reshaped how he thinks about suffering and purpose, that happiness can't be the goal.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“Of Wolves and Men is one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read, and it really shattered the mold. It redefined what, let's just call it nonfiction nature writing could be.”
Tim Ferriss, Author and podcast host, The Tim Ferriss Show
Of Wolves and Men
Lopez's nature writing that Tim calls one of the best nonfiction books he has read, for redefining what the genre could be.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“the books that I have found most helpful are Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. I think everybody should read that... Really fantastic book on behavioral change and shaping behavior overall.”
Tim Ferriss, Author and podcast host, The Tim Ferriss Show
Don't Shoot the Dog
Pryor's classic on shaping behavior through positive reinforcement, the book Tim found most helpful for dog training and behavior change broadly.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“If you want to plug for a book that I've really, really enjoyed over the last year, very inspiring... is Trejo by Danny Trejo. Absolutely mind-blowing book... I cried several times. I laughed several times, and I was incredibly inspired and came out reading that book, belief in humanity.”
Sami Inkinen, Co-founder & CEO, Virta Health
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood
Actor Danny Trejo's memoir, the one book this guest says left him crying, laughing, and newly hopeful about people.
Books · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“If you watch or read the book, it's called 11/22/63. It's a book written by Stephen King, unbelievable book about a guy who basically finds a time machine and goes back in time to prevent JFK from being assassinated.”
Morgan Housel, Author of The Psychology of Money; partner at Collaborative Fund
11/22/63
A time-travel novel about going back to stop the JFK assassination, used as a vivid lesson in how impossible trends are to predict.
Books · Acquired · 2025
“It's called The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's a fantasy trilogy... This thing was so compelling. I couldn't believe how good it was.”
Michael Lewis, Author; host of Against the Rules
The Name of the Wind
An 800-page fantasy his son pressed on him — the rare novel that pulled him out of a research-only reading year and that he couldn't believe was so good.
Books · Acquired · 2025
“One great book I read for research was Last Man Standing to prep for the Jamie Dimon interview... Total page turner.”
Ben Gilbert, Co-host, Acquired
Last Man Standing: The Ascent of Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase
The Jamie Dimon biography he read to prep for the interview — a total page-turner on Dimon's ascent and JPMorgan.
Books · Acquired · 2025
“I just love reading Morgan Housel and his new book, The Art of Spending Money, is really fun. It's where I get most of my latent ideas of, hey, dummy money's not going to make you any happier.”
Ben Gilbert, Co-host, Acquired
The Art of Spending Money
Morgan Housel's fun new book — where Ben gets most of his reminders that money alone won't make you happier.
Books · Acquired · 2025
“Emperors of Chocolate by Joel Glenn Brenner... It's the dual history of Hershey and Mars together... It's just a masterpiece. It's so good.”
David Rosenthal, Co-host, Acquired
Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars
The dual history of Hershey and Mars — a masterpiece he leaned on for the Mars episode.
Books · Acquired · 2024
“years ago, I read Bill Walsh's book... He wrote this book called The Score Takes Care of Itself, and it's so good. It's just like a great leadership book, but the title says it all.”
David Rosenthal, Co-host, Acquired
The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership
Legendary 49ers coach Bill Walsh's leadership book — where scripting the first plays came from, and a perfect fit for Acquired's ethos.
Also recommended
The Tim Ferriss Show · 2026
“I'm not a big book gifter other than recommend for my Virta team... The Score [Takes] Care of Itself, the 49ers coaches, Walsh's book.”
Sami Inkinen, Co-founder & CEO, Virta Health
Books · Patrick Collison · 2026
“Charlie Munger's collected talks and mental models on rationality, business judgment, and avoiding predictable stupidity.”
Patrick Collison, Co-founder & CEO, Stripe
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charlie Munger's collected talks and mental models on rationality, business judgment, and avoiding predictable stupidity.
Books · SparkToro · 2023
“It's for your friend who swears they can't cook no matter how hard they try.”
Amanda Natividad, VP Marketing, SparkToro
Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
The book that builds a true beginner's intuition for cooking, ideal for a well-meaning but frustrated home cook.
Books · SparkToro · 2023
“This book compiles a history of the ways in which we thought alcohol might help medicinally.”
Andrew Bohrer, Bartender and cocktail authority
Doctors and Distillers by Camper English
A history of the medicinal claims behind drink, well researched and made for the insufferable cocktail-party guest.
Books · SparkToro · 2024
“Her long-awaited pastry cookbook, Bodega Bakes, is finally out.”
Geraldine DeRuiter, James Beard award-winning food writer
Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez
A pastry cookbook inspired by Dominican heritage and corner-store treats, quintessentially New York City.
Books · SparkToro · 2024
“It is a delightful read and has a lot for anybody interested in a fancy drink alcoholic or otherwise.”
Andrew Bohrer, Bartender and cocktail authority
The Bartender's Pantry by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso
A book on making cocktail ingredients at home, what matters, and the ethics behind them, a delightful read.