Books I've recently read summarized by yours truly. No particular order.

1. Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
Lewis documents his time in Salomon Brothers, specifically the mortgage bond department. This is a great account of Wall Street in the 80's and an eye into the life of a beginner. Not familiar with finance? Read this and research any terms you don't know.

"Those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know."

2. What I Learned Losing A Million Dollars by Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan
Imagine you have it all: you've achieved career success, you sit on the governing body of your entire industry, you have a perfect family. Then all of a sudden it's gone. Jim Paul shares his story of success and failure.

"When I was a kid, my father told me there are two kinds of people in the world: smart people and wise people. Smart people learn from their mistakes and wise people learn from somebody else’s mistakes"

3. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Aurelius was a Roman emperor from 161 to 180. You've been told to keep a journal, and this is why. This is a collection of his thoughts, ranging from advice on women to questioning existence, all is covered. Nearly every page has paradigm-altering knowledge.

"“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.”

4. The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
A fresh perspective on bettering yourself as a man and constantly pursuing knowledge and growth. Every man and woman has both masculine and feminine within them. Although men tend to have more of a masculine essence and therefore identify more with masculinity. And women vice versa. Read this with an open mind.

"Austerity means to eliminate the comforts and cushions in your life that you have learned to snuggle into and lose wakefulness. Take away anything that dulls your edge."

5. The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton
This goes deep into the realm of Psychopathy from a psychology professor's perception. Dutton explores the dangers and advantages of psychopathy, both for research reasons and to better understand his father. Obviously if you enjoy reading psychological (or Dark Triad) related literature you will enjoy this.

"The problem with a lot of people is that what they think is a virtue is actually a vice in disguise. It's much easier to convince yourself that you're reasonable and civilised, than soft and weak, isn't it?"

Have you read these? Share your insight.