Books like Priceless — picked by fans

Raymond Smullyan is a riddler, a puzzler, well-known for various Knights and Knaves puzzles, a type of logic game where some characters can only answer questions truthfully, and others only falsely. However, I recommend this book as here he offers not only logical tricks but many insights too. One section offers the World's shortest explanation of Gödel's theorem which is a magnificent achievement but frankly, reminds me why I like long explanations sometimes.

Basically, this is an examination of boolean logic, which is (rather boringly) a branch of algebra in which all operations are either true or false, and relationships are expressed with logical operators such as and, or, or not. So it’s serious stuff, but also pretty funny along the way.

I love how it provides a wonderful historical perspective on how striving for a deeper understanding of a relatively simple concept (the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter) led to advances in mathematics. I particularly enjoy the ride the author takes us on through the generations of great mathematicians and their contributions to the history of π.

I strongly echo the book's closing paragraphs, emphasizing the importance of free and effective societal thinking. “Destroy it! Is what the Soviet censor screams when he sees a copy of Orwell’s 1984.” (see the next book on my list.)

I vividly remember reading this book some years ago. You probably don’t remember it at all, even if you’re going to take my advice and read it tomorrow. That’s pretty odd when you think about. Why should we remember the past but not the future?

It does no good to echo platitudes like “the future hasn’t happened yet”. You could as well say “the past is already over”, which is equally true and equally irrelevant. The laws of physics tie the past to the present and the future to the present in exactly the same way. Any process that can run one direction in time can run in the other. So if the past can leave imprints on our memory, why can’t the future?

David Albert wants to make you appreciate the question, and then he wants to tell you the answer. Albert is that rarest of birds: A philosopher… show more.

We tend to picture an observer inside our heads experiencing consciousness as if watching a movie. But that just pushes explanation back a level: What’s inside that observer? The prolific philosopher Daniel Dennett dismantles many common intuitions about awareness, showing them to be illusions hiding the intricate and deceptive mechanics of the mind and brain. This was one of the first books on consciousness I read. I don’t agree with everything Dennett has to say on the matter, but he’s a great guide to think with.

This is an entirely different kind of book to those listed above. From 1990 to 1996 Amy Dacyczyn, a self-styled "frugal zealot," put out a monthly newsletter, The Tightwad Gazette. It contained all sorts of tips, tricks, strategies, and advice on how to pinch pennies. This book brings all her articles together in a single volume. For anyone committed to living simply–which usually means living cheaply–it is a goldmine. True, not all her recommendations met with my family's approval: mixing real maple syrup 50-50 with fake maple syrup received multiple thumbs down. But browsing through it is great fun, and on almost any page you'll find a salutary reminder of how you could be more frugal. And as we all know, frugality is associated with wisdom and with happiness.

This book completely changed the way I think about ownership. The Buy Nothing movement is more than just decluttering—it’s about building communities and reimagining our relationship with stuff. Clark and Rockefeller offer a compelling alternative to consumerism by showing how gifting, sharing, and reusing can enrich our lives.

It’s both inspiring and deeply practical, full of real-life examples of how people thrive by giving rather than consuming. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by stuff but hesitant to embrace minimalism, this book offers a powerful middle ground.

You are about to enter another dimension: a dimension not only of love and responsibility but of consumer goods. You have a lot of shopping decisions ahead of you, many in categories that will be completely unfamiliar to you. Before getting lost in the aisles of a superstore or allowing the hundreds of stroller models on Amazon to plunge you into despair, start with this book. It will walk you through the major types of baby gear and help you understand what factors do and don’t matter.

I got to know Chris Malone when we both worked at Coca-Cola. I was impressed by his work and so was excited to read his and Fiske's book after it was published. What I like most is that Malone explores how we form personal relationships with brands, mirroring our own interactions with people. This concept echoes my personal beliefs, which was exciting to see.

I really connected with the way Malone and Fiske approached how warmth and competence play a big role in brand relationship building. And, if I pass it through the relationship lens, it makes sense why it would be foundational in building customer loyalty.

I highly recommend this book to people, especially brand stewards, who want to know why we fall in love with some brands and hate others. Malone and Fiske share pragmatic examples of how to apply their findings, which I have contemplated with my… show more.

When it comes to applying behavioral economics concepts to your branding, practical examples are a must. Nancy’s book is full of them, and while it shares about the science, it doesn’t lead with that, making it very approachable for everyone in business to be able to apply to their marketing.

A great book by a wonderful person who has really been there.

I found this book absolutely riveting. I geeked out on the science behind user behavior and how brilliant companies use these insights to create products that people can’t live without.

In Eyal’s Hook Model, he lays out a four-step framework that consists of a Trigger, an Action, a Variable Reward, and an Investment that is truly ingenious. The framework reveals how successful brands keep their consumers coming back. With all his research and examples, I was fascinated by what companies do and found myself constantly asking, “Could I do that with my own brand and products?”

It really made sense to me from multiple perspectives: as an entrepreneur, brand strategist, and marketing consultant. What makes this book so compelling is its ethical approach. Consumers know instinctively when brands are disingenuous, and so using these insights is sure to make my products more addictive and delightful to my clients and their… show more.