REPOST:
Reading List
Schools don’t have a monopoly on knowledge; you can teach yourself everything you need to know to succeed in life. You can get a world-class education by reading the books listed below. However, this list is in no way meant to replace college. These books are just a place to start hacking your education.
This page lists all UnCollege-recommended books for easy bookmarking and reference.
Education
- How Children Fail, by John Holt (Summary)
- Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, by John Taylor Gatto
- Deschooling Society, by Ivan Illich (Summary)
- The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn
- The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education, by Maya Frost
Culture
- How to Lie with Statistics, by Darrell Huff
- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, by Clay Shirky
- Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World, by Chris Guillebeau
- The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, by Eric Weiner
Psychology
- Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina
- How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink
- Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Leadership
- How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip Heath
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
Writing
- Eats, Shoots, & Leaves, by Lynne Truss
- The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
Business and Social Media
- The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch
- Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business, by Josh Kaufman
- Rework, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, by Tony Hsieh
- The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing, by Lisa Gansky
- Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationships at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi (Summary)
- The Education of Millionaires: It’s Not What You Think and It’s Not Too Late, by Michael Ellsberg (Summary)
- The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Social Change, by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith with Carlye Adler
Design Thinking
- Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques, by Michael Michalko
- The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman
- Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality, by Scott Belsky
