Great Books
Great Books
Without books, I have no idea where I'd be today. With great books as companions, I wrestle with new ideas, learn meaningful truths about myself and the world. Reading books has helped me grow in ways that would have not possible had I limited myself to my immediate surroundings. Make a habit of reading great ideas ; they will transform you.
The books on this page have impacted me significantly. I've divided them into five categories:
- Meditation (sub-divided into Accessible and Technical)
- Personal Development
- Psychology & Neuroscience
- Literature and philosophy
Meditation books
I've divided the meditation books into two categories, Accessible and Technical.
Accessible meditation books are inspiring and delightful to read. They have a "yin" feel, meaning that they are written in a relaxed, light and "feel-good" tone, and are generally not goal-oriented. They have the disadvantage of not providing as detailed practical instructions as technical books.
Technical meditation books are like meditation textbooks. They have a "yang" feel, meaning that they are generally dense, detailed and practice-oriented. They are motivating and exciting, especially for people with analytical minds, but can also be overwhelming if not properly balanced with actual practice and a lighter reading once in a while.
Accessible meditation books
These are books I go back to in times of doubt, or when I need a break from the heaviness of some technical books. These books are refreshing and light, and help me bring to mind the down-to-earth significance of meditation practice.
I put off reading this book for a long time, as I saw it as nothing more than an introductory read. When I finally got down to reading it, I quickly realized I had misjudged this book ; despite being a remarkable introductory read, it also contains tremendous depth. Excellent if you’re looking for a quick refresher on why and how to meditate.
This book’s title alone is worth reading and meditating on. Simply seeing it on my bookshelf serves as a mindfulness reminder, and to stop treating this moment as a means to an end.
This book is divided into brief chapters, each exploring a different facet of mindfulness practice. Each chapter is filled with soothing advice and can be read on its own, with topics ranging from “Posture” to “Voluntary Simplicity” and “Not practicing is Practicing”. I’ll often open this book randomly and read a few pages. This never fails to highlight the ever-present relevance of mindfulness in daily life.
I put off reading this book for a long time, as I saw it as nothing more than an introductory read. When I finally got down to reading it, I quickly realized I had misjudged this book ; despite being a remarkable introductory read, it also contains tremendous depth. Excellent if you’re looking for a quick refresher on why and how to meditate.
This book’s title alone is worth reading and meditating on. Simply seeing it on my bookshelf serves as a mindfulness reminder, and to stop treating this moment as a means to an end.
This book is divided into brief chapters, each exploring a different facet of mindfulness practice. Each chapter is filled with soothing advice and can be read on its own, with topics ranging from “Posture” to “Voluntary Simplicity” and “Not practicing is Practicing”. I’ll often open this book randomly and read a few pages. This never fails to highlight the ever-present relevance of mindfulness in daily life.
Technical meditation books
These books offer practical instructions and focus on the development of meditation skills and insights. These are books I refer to when I explore new meditation practices or run into strange experiences.
A reference manual for intense meditation practice. Contains rare practical advice on Insight meditation (Vipassana), more specifically Mahasi noting. Offers unparalleled phenomenological descriptions of the Progress of Insight and openly discusses meditative achievements and Awakening. This book, more than any other, has motivated me to “step up my game” and intensify my meditation practice.
One of the very best books on the development of concentration meditation (Samatha). Contains illuminating insights into the inner workings of the mind, antidotes for common meditation issues and a powerful 10-stage map of meditation progress.
A reference textbook, similar to the Visuddhimagga but less dense and easier to read. Less well-known than the Visuddhimagga but also contains gems of practical information not found elsewhere on many types of meditation practices.
The classic reference manual for Theravada meditation. Similar to the Vimuttimagga, this commentary compresses the teachings of the Buddha into a practical and detailed framework. A very dense read which I use as a reference when exploring certain specific meditation practices. Contains invaluable information on the Jhanas and the Progress of Insight.
A reference manual for intense meditation practice. Contains rare practical advice on Insight meditation (Vipassana), more specifically Mahasi noting. Offers unparalleled phenomenological descriptions of the Progress of Insight and openly discusses meditative achievements and Awakening. This book, more than any other, has motivated me to “step up my game” and intensify my meditation practice.
One of the very best books on the development of concentration meditation (Samatha). Contains illuminating insights into the inner workings of the mind, antidotes for common meditation issues and a powerful 10-stage map of meditation progress.
A reference textbook, similar to the Visuddhimagga but less dense and easier to read. Less well-known than the Visuddhimagga but also contains gems of practical information not found elsewhere on many types of meditation practices.
The classic reference manual for Theravada meditation. Similar to the Vimuttimagga, this commentary compresses the teachings of the Buddha into a practical and detailed framework. A very dense read which I use as a reference when exploring certain specific meditation practices. Contains invaluable information on the Jhanas and the Progress of Insight.
Personal development books
Personal development books are books that have significantly impacted the way I lead my day-to-day life.
What a pleasant surprise! I frankly did not expect much from this book, but it is a delightful read, filled with wisdom and depth.
This book explores the kinds of stories we tell ourselves – from the “role we play at work” all the way down to the “self we takes ourselves to be”. Engaging and funny, this book took me down a fascinating, and at times shocking, journey into my own mind.
What a pleasant surprise! I frankly did not expect much from this book, but it is a delightful read, filled with wisdom and depth.
This book explores the kinds of stories we tell ourselves – from the “role we play at work” all the way down to the “self we takes ourselves to be”. Engaging and funny, this book took me down a fascinating, and at times shocking, journey into my own mind.
Psychology and neuroscience books
These books have taught me about the inner workings of the human mind. They have also informed my meditation practice, how I learn new skills and the way I interact with other people.
This book explores the complex and deep psychological foundations underlying myth, ideology and religion. If you’re puzzled as to why religion has been of such importance throughout history, or how individuals could join destructive ideologies such as Nazism or Stalinism, this book will open your eyes.
Maps of Meaning offers a deep analysis of the narratives that structure the western world, and of the dichotomy between the objective and subjective worldviews.
This book about the brain has forever changed the way I think about the mind and how it relates to the world.
In this book, the author explains how our two brain hemispheres create two fundamentally opposed realities. The implications of this division are far-reaching and profound, they explain the seeming disconnect between the arts and science, the evolution of philosophical trends and the changes in human behavior and pathology over time.
I’ve also written a (long!) full summary of The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist:
This book aims to answer one of the most deepest questions: How can the mind appear in the brain, which is itself “mindless”? The Society of Mind paints a surprisingly clear and enlightening picture of the inner workings of the mind. Reading every chapter of this book triggered “aha!” moments, and articulated concepts that I had a vague intuition of through meditation. The framework in this book fits beautifully with Culadasa’s mind-system outlined in The Mind Illuminated. If you’re interested in taking a deeper look at the nature of “sub-minds” (called “agents” in The Society of Mind), this is a must-read!
This book explores the complex and deep psychological foundations underlying myth, ideology and religion. If you’re puzzled as to why religion has been of such importance throughout history, or how individuals could join destructive ideologies such as Nazism or Stalinism, this book will open your eyes.
Maps of Meaning offers a deep analysis of the narratives that structure the western world, and of the dichotomy between the objective and subjective worldviews.
This book about the brain has forever changed the way I think about the mind and how it relates to the world.
In this book, the author explains how our two brain hemispheres create two fundamentally opposed realities. The implications of this division are far-reaching and profound, they explain the seeming disconnect between the arts and science, the evolution of philosophical trends and the changes in human behavior and pathology over time.
I’ve also written a (long!) full summary of The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist:
This book aims to answer one of the most deepest questions: How can the mind appear in the brain, which is itself “mindless”? The Society of Mind paints a surprisingly clear and enlightening picture of the inner workings of the mind. Reading every chapter of this book triggered “aha!” moments, and articulated concepts that I had a vague intuition of through meditation. The framework in this book fits beautifully with Culadasa’s mind-system outlined in The Mind Illuminated. If you’re interested in taking a deeper look at the nature of “sub-minds” (called “agents” in The Society of Mind), this is a must-read!
Literature and philosophy books
What does literature have to do with self-improvement? Reading classics allow something remarkable and unique to happen: by reading them, we can experience inner and outer worlds far beyond our reach. Literature does not convey mere knowledge, it attempts to share an actual experience.
A masterpiece by Dostoevsky, taking place at the center of a murderer’s mind. This book opened my eyes to the complexity of human motivations, and taught me that the only inescapable punishment of immoral behavior is one’s own conscience.
Dostoevsky’s magnum opus. This book jumps from one philosophical discussion to next, exploring life’s most difficult questions with unbelievable depth and gut-wrenching clarity. This book has taught me more about humans than I could ever learn from psychology books. Freud even said of The Brothers Karamazov that it was “the most magnificent novel ever written.”
A book I’ve returned to more times than I can count. Thus Spoke Zarathustra never fails to strike me as a uniquely beautiful and profound book. Its pages are dripping with frightening depth and aphorisms that shake me to my very core. As Nietzsche himself would say, this is “A book for All and None” ; a book everyone must tread, but that no one can read. Not an easy read, but a very worthwhile one that can’t leave you unchanged.
A masterpiece by Dostoevsky, taking place at the center of a murderer’s mind. This book opened my eyes to the complexity of human motivations, and taught me that the only inescapable punishment of immoral behavior is one’s own conscience.
Dostoevsky’s magnum opus. This book jumps from one philosophical discussion to next, exploring life’s most difficult questions with unbelievable depth and gut-wrenching clarity. This book has taught me more about humans than I could ever learn from psychology books. Freud even said of The Brothers Karamazov that it was “the most magnificent novel ever written.”
A book I’ve returned to more times than I can count. Thus Spoke Zarathustra never fails to strike me as a uniquely beautiful and profound book. Its pages are dripping with frightening depth and aphorisms that shake me to my very core. As Nietzsche himself would say, this is “A book for All and None” ; a book everyone must tread, but that no one can read. Not an easy read, but a very worthwhile one that can’t leave you unchanged.
Gabriel Rocheleau is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.