I’m big into reading, and since you’re on this page, I’m guessing you like reading at least a little bit as well. This page is an ongoing log of books I find to be awesome or useful.

The links on this page are affiliate links, meaning that if you click them and buy a book, I’ll get a small commission (though the price you pay is no higher). This page was created in order to support the work I do here on College Info Geek, so if you want to buy one of these books and would like to support this site, you can use these links. Thank you. :)

how to win at collegeHow to Win at College

It’s 7 years old now, but Cal Newport’s How to Win at College is still probably the best primer book for college success there is. It’s a short read (I read it in about four hours), split into 75 “tips” that each take up 1-4 pages.

I read this book as a freshman and it’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve been so focused on success in college; the book provides a great foundation for becoming a remarkable student and doesn’t weigh you down with idle words. A must-read for any student, but especially recent high-school grads and college freshman.

how to become a straight-a studentHow to Become a Straight-A Student

Whereas How to Win at College is a general, tip-based overview on ways you can become successful in college, How to Become a Straight-A Student gets its hands dirty by giving you an in-depth, well thought out method for pulling epic grades in all of your classes.

The book is based around that fact that there are many college students who get straight A’s, yet don’t study for more than a couple hours a day and still have plenty of other things going on in their lives. It lays out effective strategies for note-taking, quizzing yourself, writing papers, and more. If you want to be like one of the aforementioned students, get this book.

7 habits of highly effective peopleThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

I listened to this book during a six-hour drive to my roommate’s hometown last year, and I honestly think it changed my life. The habits Covey describes in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People seem obvious at first, but you’ll probably notice that you aren’t following all of them. I know I wasn’t.

I was already diligently following Habit 1 – Be Proactive - at the time (my life was literally full of work), but the I knew I needed to work on the others. I also realized that doing so would make my life way better. Take Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood - how many of us actually do that? Before reading this book, I would always think very selfishly in my conversations. Whenever I’d listen to someone else speak, I’d listen – but I’d also be actively formulating my (usually self-serving) response and looking for the perfect moment to throw it in.

I’ve worked hard to reverse this habit, and to get more in line with Habit 5. Covey is right – understanding others is so important and seeking to do so genuinely will result in you being understood without you even having to try.

confessions of a recruiting directorConfessions of a Recruiting Director: The Insider’s Guide to Landing Your First Job

No book has helped me more when it has come to getting jobs and internships than Confessions of a Recruiting Director. I was introduced to this book when the professor in one of my introductory business classes played a YouTube video made by Brad Karsh, the author. Unfortunately, they didn’t make this book required reading in that class – they really should have (it was a class on getting jobs, for crying out loud).

In this book, Karsh demystifies the job-hunting process and shows you how to most effectively scout out and land that crucial first job out of college. He goes through writing résumés and cover letters (read: how to make your cover letter not suck) and even provides a fairly large index full of completed examples of each.

Other topics covered are interviews – both job-seeking and “informational” – as well as how to impress gatekeepers, how to follow up an interview the right way, and more. Seriously, read this.

how to be remarkableHow to be Remarkable

Reading about Colin Wright’s life and learning his mind is like looking at the person I want to be in six years. After running his own company in LA during his early 20′s, Colin decided to leave it all and travel full-time, moving to a new country (voted on by his readers) every four months. During his travels, he’s learned a lot on how to be a “remarkable” person and I think he’s summed up quite a bit of what it takes in this book.

How to be Remarkable isn’t as pretentious as you’d think it would be, and it’s short enough to remain inspirational without getting overbearing. The book is actually laid out in a pretty similar fashion to How to Win as College, doling out a number a 1-2 page tips before wrapping up with a section that profiles some other remarkable people Wright looks up to.

how to travel full timeHow to Travel Full-Time

I did mention that Colin Wright is a full-time traveller, right? Long-term travel is something I’m looking forward to trying when I get out of college and get my debts all paid off (and I plan to have those two things happen concurrently). I know a lot of other students choose to travel after graduation – be it for a year or maybe just for a month.

Either way, How to Travel Full-Time is a great primer on long-term travel. This book can be read in an hour or two – it’s really short – and is packed with useful tips that should help you avoid some of the pitfalls that long-term travel can bring (you can’t avoid them all).

the personal mbaThe Personal MBA

I’ll come right out and say it; The Personal MBA is hands-down the best business book I’ve ever read, and probably the best ever published. It’s not because the concepts within are revolutionary or any more detailed than those of any other book – it’s because this book is so complete. It is absolutely the place to start when learning about business.

I’m not the only one who thinks so; Derek Sivers – the founder of CD Baby and one of my biggest heroes, said this of the book:

Wow. A masterpiece. This is now the one “START HERE” book I’ll be recommending to everybody interested in business. An amazing overview of everything you need to know. Covers all the basics, minus buzz-words and fluff. Look at my notes for an example, but read the whole book. One of the most inspiring things I’ve read in years. Want proof? I asked the author to be my coach/mentor afterwards. It’s that good.

Every important aspect of business is covered here – selling, accounting, working with others, individual work strategies, business development, and lots of others. If you’re a business major, or are interested in business, read this as soon as possible. You’ll get an unimaginable leg up on other students. Even if you’re not a business major, I’d recommend reading it; you’ll get a great overview of how business works and, as a result, become much more valuable to any company you work for.

your money the missing manualYour Money: The Missing Manual

Learning to effectively manage your money is should be priority #1 if you haven’t done it already. You’re most likely in college so you can get a degree and gain access to jobs with greater earning potential; make sure your degree goes as far as it should by learning what to do with the money once you have it.

Your Money: The Missing Manual is a fantastic general overview of personal finance, and it’ll show you just how to keep those bills in the bank rather than blowing them on random crap. This book will save you money. 

personal investing the missing manualPersonal Investing: The Missing Manual

Personal Investing: The Missing Manual is a great follow-up to Your Money: The Missing Manual, and I’d recommend that you save reading this book until you’ve read the former.

Once you have a solid grounding in personal finance, you should start taking the next step and get into investing. The book is a great tool to learn how to do that; it goes over the types of investments – Roth IRA’s, index funds, common stock, bonds, the works – and gives a good overview of which ones you’ll want to utilize based on your goals and lifestyle.

4 hour work weekThe 4-Hour Work Week

This is the book that got me into lifestyle design – the idea that we don’t have to simply graduate and just get a job, but that we are instead free to pursue the life we want, as long as we can set up the necessary systems to make it work.

The 4-Hour Work Week won’t show you a step-by-step method to set up a passive business and then party for the rest of your life, but it will show you how that kind of a lifestyle isn’t as impossible as you’d think, and it’ll point you toward the resources you’ll need to get started.

I didn’t start College Info Geek with this book’s principles in mind, but I’ve been able to build it into what it is today by using them – although I still don’t have my own army of virtual assistants. Still working on that :P

brain rulesBrain Rules

If you know how the brain works, you’ll be better equipped to manage your own and understand the ones contained inside the heads of the people you know and meet. The brain absolutely fascinates me, and that’s why I love Brain Rules so much.

John Medina expertly shows us how the brain does things, and lays out 12 rules that form a basis for using that pile of mush more effectively. It’s not just an excellent brain book – it’s an excellent business book and an excellent college success book as well.

confessions of a public speakerConfessions of a Public Speaker

Public speaking is the most common fear among Americans – and probably everyone – but it doesn’t have to be. By simply practicing, you can build your confidence and work up to being able to speak in public without too much fear. Doing so is important, too – being able to speak competently and confidently in public will open a lot of doors for you. Companies aren’t blowing smoke when they list Communication Skills as the #1 desired quality in college grads.

Confessions of a Public Speaker is a great read if you’re looking to increase those vital public speaking skills. Berkun goes over lots of related topics, like gaining confidence as well as using certain tools to help you out (confidence monitors are the best thing ever).

free the animalFree the Animal: Lose Weight & Fat with the Paleo Diet

I’m not here to tell you one diet it better than another, or that you have to eat a certain way – but if you’re looking for a clear, simple way to optimize your diet, I’d look to the Paleo diet. This is the diet I follow roughly (though I’m not perfect and chose to keep grains included).

The Paleo diet’s philosophy is based on the assumption that we as humans are adapted to eat the foods that our ancient ancestors ate – lots of meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, berries, and the like. Basically, we should eat the food that hunter-gatherers eat.

Whether you agree or disagree that this diet is the “optimal” diet for humans, it’s pretty clear that it’s a lot better than the Standard American Diet – i.e. crap and mountains of it. Free the Animal is a great introduction to this diet, and it only takes a couple hours to read. After reading it, you can continue on to Richard’s blog in order to get more info.

worldly wisdomWorldly Wisdom: Collected Quotations and Aphorisms

From the author of The Personal MBA comes a book with… not a single word written by the author. Yep, this book is just a big collection of quotes. That’s totally cool with me, though – I think curation is just as important creation. How else would we find great works?

Worldly Wisdom is a big collection of quotes from people spanning tons of disciplines and time periods. The quotes are grouped into chapters based on their subjects, including work, change, growth, entrepreneurship, money, and more. Here are a few good ones:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin, naturalist and pioneer of evolutionary theory

“You can’t be normal and expect abnormal returns.” — Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational

“What do you suppose will satisfy the soul, except to walk free and own no superior?” — Walt Whitman, essayist and poet

I turn to this book when I need a good dose of inspiration. It also sometimes helps to spice up articles and papers!

5 very good reasons to punch a dolphin in the mouth5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth

Yes, I’m including this book. Yes, it’s essential. Ok, maybe you could argue that it’s not – but to me, having a book you can turn to and always get a good laugh is a must.

My philosophy on stress management is this: be too stupid to be stressed. That’s right, only those who are smart all the time will get really stressed out; taking some time out of the day to turn off your brain and let stupidity take over will keep life fun and stress low.

That’s why I keep a copy of 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth in my room. Matthew Inman is one of the funniest comic artists I’ve ever read, and this book is an excellent collection of Oatmeal material that I come back to often.