Reading

Title : Amazon Sumerian by Tutorials

Author: Gur Raunaq Singh (me) & Brian Moakley

I co-authored this book in 2020 in partnership with the Raywenderlich writing team. It’s a hands-on, practical guide to building AR/VR experiences with Amazon Sumerian, focused on creating interactive 3D scenes and deploying them on the web—without requiring deep expertise in graphics or game engines. If you want a pragmatic, builder-first introduction to web-based 3D and AR/VR, this book was written exactly for that.

Title : Big Book of Tell Me Why

Author: Arkady Leokum

My uncle (my dad’s elder brother) gave this to me when I was around four or five years old, while I was staying at his place for a few days. He was a scholar, a brilliant scientist, and a lifelong teacher. He had owned his copy of this book for over a decade before passing it on to me. I remember learning to type on my computer by reading its short chapters and typing them out in MS Word, slowly absorbing the lessons along the way.

> “What is pain? Do you ever wish you couldn’t feel pain in your body? Well, you should consider yourself lucky that you can feel pain! Pain is your protector.”

I can still vividly remember the day I read that. It changed me. I genuinely believe this book made me curious about the world, sparked my interest in science, and taught me to wonder—and in many ways, changed the trajectory of my life for the better. This is a book that deserves to be gifted to every child. If you’re reading this, buy one for your kid.

Title : 12 Rules for Life

Author: Jordan B. Peterson

This was an incredibly challenging book for me to read—mostly because it often feels more like a dense research paper than a conventional book. It took me days just to get through the first chapter. But it’s also one of those rare books whose ideas stay with you long after you’ve finished it. Blending psychology, philosophy, and practical wisdom, it offers principles for responsibility, discipline, and meaning in a chaotic world. Some parts genuinely reshaped the way I see things. This isn’t a book you simply read and move on from—it has the potential to change you, if you let it.

Title : Shoe Dog

Author: Phil Knight

The memoir of Nike’s founder, chronicling the scrappy and uncertain early days of building the company. It’s a candid, honest story about entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and perseverance—and an extremely easy read. I went through it in one or two sittings. If you want a raw, human look at what building a global company actually feels like, this is a great pick.

Title : The Sikhs

Author: Khushwant Singh

A comprehensive yet accessible history of Sikhism and the Sikh people, covering its religious origins, cultural evolution, and role in Indian and world history. I was never particularly interested in religion growing up, but with age—and a better understanding of history and society—I’ve come to appreciate its importance, especially in a country like India. I stumbled upon this book while wandering around Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai, at what felt like exactly the right time in my life. It gave me valuable historical context and made me a little more self-aware, helping me understand my roots and lineage better.

Title : Total Recall

Author: Arnold Schwarzenegger

An autobiography tracing Arnold’s journey from a small Austrian village to global fame in bodybuilding, Hollywood, and politics. The stories are fascinating and entertaining, but the real takeaway is perseverance. This book is a powerful reminder that grit and consistency can take you almost anywhere. The sheer amount Arnold achieved in a single lifetime—more than most people do in several—is inspiring. Honestly, it’s one of the best self-help books disguised as an autobiography.

Title : The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Author: Eric Jorgenson

A curated collection of Naval Ravikant’s thoughts on wealth, happiness, leverage, and decision-making, distilled from tweets, interviews, and essays. Most ideas will probably pass you by without much impact—but if you encounter the right one at the right moment in your life, it can genuinely shift your mindset. This isn’t for everyone: if you’re already part of the startup or hustle world and know who Naval is, it’s a great read—otherwise, you can safely skip it.

Title : Designing Distributed Systems

Author: Brendan Burns

A practical guide to designing, building, and operating distributed systems using cloud-native patterns. It explains common architectural approaches with real-world use cases and trade-offs. This is an especially good book if you’re in the early stages of your software engineering career—regardless of whether you work in frontend, backend, or mobile. It gives you proven mental models to break down complex systems, so you don’t have to reinvent solutions that much smarter people have already figured out.

Title : Principles

Author: Ray Dalio

In 1975, Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Over the next four decades, it grew into one of the most influential private companies in the United States. Along the way, he developed a set of principles that shaped Bridgewater’s unique culture—what he calls an “idea meritocracy” built on radical transparency. This book is about those principles more than it is about Dalio himself. It’s an excellent read for building mental models and understanding how the world works—especially if you’re interested in economics, politics, investing, and how cycles of good times and bad times repeat themselves.

Title : 100 Inventions That Changed the World

Author: DK

I stumbled upon this book in the common room of the hotel I was staying at the first time I set foot in Bangalore. It’s a very inviting book and makes for a great coffee-table or library addition. It offers a visually rich overview of the most influential inventions in human history, showing how these innovations shaped modern life—from ancient tools to modern technology.

Title : The Pragmatic Programmer

Author: David Thomas, Andrew Hunt

A timeless guide to becoming a better software engineer through practical advice and mindset shifts. It focuses on craftsmanship, adaptability, and writing maintainable, thoughtful code.

Title : Designing Data-Intensive Applications

Author: Martin Kleppmann

A deep dive into the fundamentals of building reliable, scalable, and maintainable data systems. It’s technical, thorough, and one of the best books for understanding modern data architectures.

Title : Culture Smart! Kazakhstan

Author: John King

A concise cultural guide to understanding Kazakh customs, social norms, and everyday etiquette. It’s especially useful for travelers and expats looking to navigate the country with more cultural awareness.

Title : Culture Smart! Germany

Author: Barry Tomalin, Mike Mann

An accessible introduction to German culture, values, and social expectations. The book helps bridge cultural gaps for anyone living, working, or traveling in Germany.

Title : Zero to One

Author: Peter Thiel

A contrarian take on startups and innovation, arguing that true progress comes from creating something fundamentally new. It encourages thinking beyond competition and building unique, monopolistic advantages.

Title : Atomic Habits

Author: James Clear

A practical guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones through small, consistent changes. It focuses on systems over goals and shows how tiny improvements compound over time.

Title : The 4-Hour Workweek

Author: Timothy Ferriss

A provocative book about redesigning work and life to maximize freedom and leverage. It challenges traditional career paths and explores automation, outsourcing, and lifestyle design.

Title : Man’s Search for Meaning

Author: Viktor E. Frankl

Part memoir, part philosophy, this book explores life in Nazi concentration camps and the human search for meaning. It’s a powerful reflection on resilience, purpose, and inner freedom.

Title : Creative Selection

Author: Ken Kocienda

An inside look at how Apple builds products, focusing on the iterative process behind great software. It offers practical lessons on craftsmanship, teamwork, and product decision-making.

Title : Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson

A short, accessible introduction to the universe, from the Big Bang to dark matter. It makes complex cosmic ideas understandable without dumbing them down.

Title : Elon Musk

Author: Ashlee Vance

A biography of Elon Musk that covers his role in Tesla, SpaceX, and other ambitious ventures. It paints a complex picture of obsession, risk-taking, and relentless drive.

Title : Range

Author: David Epstein

A compelling argument that generalists often outperform specialists in a complex world. The book shows how broad experiences and cross-domain thinking lead to better long-term success.

Title : The Psychology of Money

Author: Morgan Housel

A collection of stories about how people think about money, risk, and wealth. It focuses more on behavior and mindset than formulas, making it highly relatable and practical.

Title : The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Author: Ben Horowitz

A brutally honest account of running and building companies through tough times. It focuses on the messy, difficult decisions that don’t show up in typical business books.

Title : Rich Dad Poor Dad

Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki

A personal finance classic that contrasts two mindsets about money, work, and investing. It emphasizes financial literacy, assets over liabilities, and long-term wealth thinking.