Notes I’ve taken while reading books - In case you want a quick view before buying a book and reading.
Title | Short Description | My personal take |
The classic book on MVP | Probably too many medium and linkedin posts originated from this book, but still doesn’t reduce the quality the book has to offer | |
You know the venn diagram - Love, Good at, Paid, Needs | Pleasant read. It’s the action after reading the book which matters than direction | |
the go-to for a growth team | It has all the ways to test an hypothesis. Be it for a frugal startup to an enterprise | |
How to get the answers by asking right questions | Always go back to this book while talking to people for sales, customer success or problem validation | |
Good guide to better writing communication | I’m still a WIP to action all items | |
The go-to for marketing. No, it doesn’t define types of marketing | Something I will go back to read, whenever I’m stuck. That’s now |
Some other books I’ve read
Fiction
Title | Genre | Short Description | My Personal Take |
The Silent Patient | Fiction | Why did a wife shoot her husband and then went silent about it? | Engaging thriller |
The Rosie Project | Fiction | Is finding romantic partner a checklist and scientifically determined? | As I recollect this book, I probably need to re-evaluate my stance on finding romantic partner as well |
The Midnight Library | Fiction | Everything everywhere all at once | You realise, all you want to do is taxes in this life |
The Notebook | Fiction | Does it need an introduction? | I will hold this book and never watch the film - just to behave like an elitist |
The Immortalists | Fiction | How will you live your life knowing your date of death? | Haunting, but an emotional ride seeing how bunch of siblings react to knowing their date of death. Is it a self-fulfiling prophecy? I always ponder upon that |
1984 | Non-Fiction / Fiction | Is it fiction? | Classic which lived up to its hype |
The 40 rules of love | Fiction | Self explanatory | A sufi saint of ancient times explaining love to current generation - Philosophical and leaves you with a lot of thoughts |
A Thousand splendid suns | Fiction | Mother-Daughter story | It’s harrowing that I never got to the end of it. Update: Finally got to the end of it. Oh my god, what a read. Made me cry |
The God of Small things | Fiction | Inter caste love story in Kerala - You know it’s doomed | Probably the only book I loved reading second time too. What a vivd imagery expressed through words while also communicating the emotions |
The Immortals of Meluha | Fiction | Story of Shiva, the Neelkanth, the Mahadev | Engaging concoction of Historical places and Mythological references |
Non-Fiction
Title | Genre | Short Description | My Personal Take |
Made to Stick | Non-Fiction | Guide to writing a memorable statement | With examples across fields, it lays out a clear plan to make a statement engaging |
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Non-Fiction | Strategy isn’t a mission statement but the action plan | With military, political references translating to business outcomes is a very engaging way to detail what strategy means |
Continuous Discovery Habits | Non-Fiction, Business | Product Manager guide to listen and interpret customer problems | At this point, I think everyone’s speaking the same thing in different languages |
Kings of Deccan | Non-Fiction, Historical | That 1 chapter of history book which isn’t centred around Delhi - Made into a whole book | Just got started |
The Innovation Stack | Non-Fiction, Business | Disruptive products and how they’ve formed | It’s always impressive to read stories of how innovation was brough upon iteratively |
The Cold Start Problem | Non-Fiction, Business | Network effects - Origins Story | Minor intricacies behind network effects has been laid out perfectly |
Algorithms to live by | Non-Fiction | Computer Science Algorithms applied in daily life scenarios | It doesn’t breakdown algorithms, but no other book has made me marvel at interpretations of an already known topic and trigger a thought process |
Predictably Irrational | Non-Fiction | Are we really rational? | How to use biases to influence consumer behaviour - This is out to see for everyone |
The India Way | Political | Explains S JaiShankar’s approach to diplomacy | Definitely adds context to a lot of india’s current stances and Jaishankar’s statements |
India After Gandhi | History | What happened after british declared partition? | The chaos and the miracle that is India |
Blitzscaling | Non-Fiction | Role of funding, timing and need to aggressively scale some products | Good read. |
Atomic Habits | Non-Fiction | How to inculcate good habits | My parents love this book and suggest me to implement them. |
Cradle to Cradle | Non-Fiction | Primer into sustainable economy | Just a start, but definitely helps you look at things around as the waste they create |
Hooked | Non-Fiction | Lives up to its name | Gamification and design traps to keep you hooked. Perfect hook for author’s next book - indistractable 🙃 |
Zero to One | Non-Fiction | Startup bro - Go to | Actually a fine reading despite being done to death in linkedin posts and recommendations |
Think and Grow Rich | Non-Fiction | 1930’s guide to survive great depression | Is it really relevant now though? |
Swipe to Unlock | Non-Fiction | Primer on technology for PM | If this is what PMs should know - The bar is low. But hey, if they are doing good - who am I to complain |
Thinking Fast & Slow | Non-Fiction | Neurological processes in our mind | Fun read. |
Sapiens | Non-Fiction | Story of mankind | Literally, story of mankind from stone age to now |
The Gene | Non-Fiction | Explains what we are made of | You need to brace yourself for a biology overload, but I came out of it with more interest and respect for the field. |
How to invent everything | Non-Fiction | Reconstructing world | Should’ve read it when I was 10 years old, will probably gift my soon-to-be-10 nephew |
Life 3.0 | About AI and AGI | It’s probably not going to be fictional anymore | |
Seven Habits of Highly effective people | Non-Fiction | OG | Great read for personal productivity |
Catalyst | Non-Fiction | Guide to being a great employee | A recommended early career read |
Inferior | Non-Fiction | Science barely studied women | Shows the fallacies of modern science failing to accomodate women and false narratives built around. Good, eye opening read |
Range | Non-Fiction | Generalists >>> | Nice ego boost for a self-described generalist. But also highlights the limitations of the same |