Book Club
The books that have shaped how I think about health, systems, and a good life.
These are some of my favorites. I link to Libro.fm and Bookshop.org because both support independent bookstores. If you buy through these links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Systems Thinking
How history, power, data, and incentives shape who gets to be healthy.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
An incredible book that will open your mind to the most closely guarded assumptions of our era, including the ones built into how we deliver care.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Caroline Criado Perez
An excellent, evidence-based account of what happens when half the population is missing from the data. Required reading for anyone designing studies.
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Patrick Radden Keefe
A super interesting history of the Sackler family, pharmaceutical advertising, and the opioid epidemic. Hard to put down.
How to Stand Up to a Dictator
Maria Ressa
Great lessons on how to protect democracy in the age of social media, from a journalist who lived it.
Stories Are Weapons
Annalee Newitz
Marvelously done. A sharp look at how psychological warfare seeped into everyday American life.
David and Goliath
Malcolm Gladwell
A fun reminder that underdogs often win by changing the rules, which feels very relevant to grassroots work.
Solutions and Innovation
People and ideas that have taken on large problems with evidence and persistence.
Think Like a Freak
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Very well done, with lots of examples of applying economic principles to solving real-world problems.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Bill Gates
Well researched, optimistic, and forward looking. A clear map of the climate solutions we already have.
We Are the Weather
Jonathan Safran Foer
Full of historical examples I had never learned about. It reframes climate action as something that starts at breakfast.
The Resilience Dividend
Judith Rodin
I read this after the Los Angeles firestorms. A hopeful playbook for how communities prepare for disasters and come back stronger.
The Code Breaker
Walter Isaacson
A biography of Jennifer Doudna that makes the CRISPR story, and its ethical questions, genuinely gripping.
The Practice of Medicine
On caring for patients well, and on the physicians who have shown me how.
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Tracy Kidder
An awesome account of Paul Farmer’s life that gave me lots of lessons and a potential path to the impact I want to make in the world.
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Atul Gawande
Great, multifaceted stories on the varied aspects of physician life, and how and why we should do better.
The Emperor of All Maladies
Siddhartha Mukherjee
I read this after finishing my preclinical years. It leaves you in awe of the progress we’ve made against cancer.
The Death of Cancer
Vincent T. DeVita Jr. and Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn
A refreshing, candid account from a former NCI director of what it really takes, in the lab, the clinic, and policy, to save lives from cancer.
Building a Meaningful Career
For students and trainees building a career with purpose.
The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg
This convinced me of how important consistent habits are for automating the small stuff, so energy goes to what matters.
Grit
Angela Duckworth
Changed my life when I read this on my bike trip across France. Key takeaway: talent counts, but grit counts twice.
So Good They Can't Ignore You
Cal Newport
Why building rare skills beats following your passion. I recommend this especially if you’re new to personal development books.
The Talent Code
Daniel Coyle
An eye-opening look at how deliberate practice builds skill, useful for anyone learning medicine or research.
Ego Is the Enemy
Ryan Holiday
A grounding read for ambitious people on staying humble and teachable through wins and setbacks.
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon
Short, encouraging, and easy to act on. Makes the case for sharing your work while it’s still in progress.
The 4-Hour Workweek
Timothy Ferriss
I loved this book so much that I bought a hard copy. Actionable, frank, and funny advice.
Be Useful
Arnold Schwarzenegger
A down-to-earth autobiography with real-world tools for setting a vision and following through.
Notorious RBG
Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik
I greatly admire RBG’s ethics-based reasoning for gender equality, her pragmatism, and her ability to build bridges with those of vastly different political views.
I Am Malala
Malala Yousafzai
Brave and inspiring. A reminder of how far one young voice for education can carry.
Whole-Person Care and Engaged Buddhism
Prevention, nutrition, mindfulness, and the Buddhist teachings that guide how I try to live and practice.
The Telomere Effect
Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel
Science from a Nobel laureate on how sleep, stress, and exercise shape how we age at the cellular level.
How Not to Die
Michael Greger
Packed with evidence on how food can help prevent the leading causes of death. Great for patient conversations.
In Defense of Food
Michael Pollan
Very interesting, and it challenges some of the medicalization of diet.
The Art of Power
Thich Nhat Hanh
A gentle redefinition of power as peace and compassion, with practices for leading without burning out.
Peacemaking
Thich Nhat Hanh
A calming talk on transforming anger, the first step toward making peace with others.
What the Buddha Taught
Walpola Rahula
Good fundamental teachings on Buddhism, clear and concise.
Radical Acceptance
Tara Brach
Excellent. It combines psychotherapy and Buddhism in a way that is not woo-woo.
Happy Relationships
Kimberly Brown
Accessible Buddhist teachings for happier relationships with partners, family, and friends.
The Book of Joy
Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams
The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu, both funny and wise, on finding joy even amid suffering.
Tattoos on the Heart
Gregory Boyle
Heartbreaking and hopeful stories from Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles on boundless compassion.