Part of Recommendations, 11 sections of picks from GritCult's posts.
reading isnt leisure in gritcults world. its ammunition. books are how you steal the mind of giants, how you build systems and forge a self hard enough to face death without flinching. he reads to remember softness is a sin and that a life without challenge isnt life, just existence.
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dont read to feel clever. read to become dangerous. mishima first [1] – let his words make you ashamed of comfort, of softness, of the man you settle for. evola for the metaphysics of war [2], malcolm x for what self-taught hunger does to a caged man [3]. these arent self help. theyre maps out of mediocrity.
you dont need every self help book. you need good systems and the will to judge yourself coldly. read pg, read horowitz, read sowell – then close the laptop and start [4][5]. and read biographies. lee kuan yew, the men who built nations [6]. study how real lives were forged, not how influencers sell shortcuts.
the bible above all – proverbs his favourite [7]. then taleb, who he says will outlast the trend chasers [8]. read deep, read again, abstract yourself into other minds. a great work is enjoyed more than once. but never let the reading become another excuse not to live.
Picks
12 recommendations, each linked to the post it comes from.
| # | Pick | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yukio Mishima | read him to remember life needs physical challenge, beauty and courage to face death; shames softness | Post |
| 2 | The Metaphysics of War — Julius Evola | best self help book ive read this year | Post |
| 3 | The Autobiography of Malcolm X | many appreciate malcolm x but havent read his works; learning to read his favourite passage | Post |
| 4 | Lee Kuan Yew biography | the one biography everyone should read; his pick as he got obsessed with biographies | Post |
| 5 | How to Work Hard — Paul Graham (essay) | great essay; working hard and being smart are just table stakes | Post |
| 6 | Wartime CEO — Ben Horowitz (essay) | most important essay crypto founders need to read; be aggressive | Post |
| 7 | Proverbs (Bible) | my favourite book | Post |
| 8 | Nassim Nicholas Taleb | taleb will outlast peterson; dont judge a man by book sales while hes alive | Post |
| 9 | Thomas Sowell | his essay on socialism for the uninformed; my followers need to read this | Post |
| 10 | Stoic classics | what hed send a family member in prison | Post |
| 11 | Founders Podcast | favourite podcast; credits it with getting him into biographies | Post |
| 12 | The Demonata series — Darren Shan | favourite novel series as a kid; demons and magic, brutal, fascinating | Post |
Recurring themes
- biographies as blueprints for forging a hard life
- anti-comfort: war metaphysics over soft self help
- systems over endless self help books
- scripture first — proverbs and the bible
- crypto/founder essays as battle doctrine
- reading as ammunition, not leisure