From the Shelf · A Reading Log

Books that changed
how I think.

A growing, opinionated list — sorted by what they're about rather than how famous they are. Five categories, a few books in each. Each one earned its spot for a different reason.

Updated quarterly · Currently 16 titles

Economics & Decision-Making

No. 01 · Four Titles
Die With Zero - Getting all you can from your money and life
Bill Perkins
Behavioral Econ ★★★★★

Die With Zero

Bill Perkins

This book has all the underpinnings of economics between the lines. It does a great job of trying to highlight what is important.

Atomic Habits
James Clear
Forecasting ★★★★½

Atomic Habits

James Clear

We all have changes we need to implement, sometimes it's as simple as understanding the tricks to implementing these changes. Think on what Lao Tzu once said, "watch you thoughts..."

Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman
Career & Skill ★★★★½

Four Thousand Weeks

Oliver Burkeman

Think you have time for all those tasks. Well take the time to read this and you will re-evaluate how and what you spend your time on.

Mindset - The New Psychology of Success
Carol Dweck
Decision Quality ★★★★

Mindset

Carol Dweck

Having taugh mathematics and statistics for a long time, and having a genuine love of math. It was always hard to hear from students the "I hate math, I've never been good..." well sometimes the most important aspect is your mindset.

· · ·

Endurance & Movement

No. 02 · Four Titles
Born to Run
Christopher McDougall
Trail Running ★★★★★

Born to Run

Christopher McDougall

The book that recruits trail runners. Whether or not you believe every claim, the story of the Tarahumara will get you outside.

Endure
Alex Hutchinson
Sport Science ★★★★½

Endure

Alex Hutchinson

The most honest book about what actually limits human performance — and how much of that limit is in your head. Required reading for ultra-distance hopefuls.

How To, When To, Why To: A Norwegian Model Training Guide & Programs for Cross Country Skiers
Torbjorn Karlsen and Ruff Paterson
Recovery ★★★★

How To, When To, Why To

Torbjorn Karlsen and Ruff Paterson

The bible for all skiers to read, it's that starting point for any skier getting ready to think about training. Is it older, yes, it is still all accurate, mostly, is it fast and easy to consume the information? YES. Hard to find!

Running with the Buffaloes
Chris Lear
Memoir / Team ★★★★★

Running with the Buffaloes

Chris Lear

One season inside Mark Wetmore's CU cross-country program. A childhood book I read about the CU team.

Outlive: The science and art of longevity
Peter Attia with Bill Gifford
Health and Wellness ★★★★★

Outlive

Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

Perhaps one of my favorite recommendations, great to read after or along James Clear's Atomic Habits.

Culture Code: The Secrets of Successful Groups
Daniel Coyle
Health and Wellness ★★★★★

Culture Code

Daniel Coyle

Building culture is key to any team or organization.

· · ·

Teaching & Craft

No. 03 · Three Titles
Make It Stick
Brown, Roediger, McDaniel
Learning Science ★★★★★

Make It Stick

Brown, Roediger & McDaniel

The book I wish every new instructor read in their first month. Spaced practice and retrieval are not tricks — they're how learning works.

Small Teaching
James M. Lang
Pedagogy ★★★★½

Small Teaching

James M. Lang

Tiny, evidence-backed changes to your courses that add up. The opposite of a curriculum overhaul — and far more likely to actually happen.

On Writing Well
William Zinsser
Communication ★★★★★

On Writing Well

William Zinsser

Still the best book on writing clearly. I tell every student that the most underrated business skill is the ability to write a short, honest paragraph.

· · ·

Place & Nature

No. 04 · Three Titles
A Sand County Almanac
Aldo Leopold
Conservation ★★★★★

A Sand County Almanac

Aldo Leopold

Foundational. The land ethic still hits as hard as it did in 1949. Read "Thinking Like a Mountain" once a year, minimum.

Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Natural History ★★★★★

Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Indigenous wisdom and Western science braided together into something better than either on its own. A book you'll keep returning to.

Desert Solitaire
Edward Abbey
Place Writing ★★★★½

Desert Solitaire

Edward Abbey

Cantankerous, contradictory, indispensable. Abbey's season at Arches before the pavement is still the best book about the American Southwest.

· · ·

Currently Reading

No. 05 · As of this quarter
The Comfort Crisis
Michael Easter
In Progress ★★★★ (so far)

The Comfort Crisis

Michael Easter

An argument for putting some difficulty back into modern life. Halfway through. Cautiously optimistic.

The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt
In Progress — pending —

The Anxious Generation

Jonathan Haidt

Reading for the teaching side of my brain. I'll have a verdict in a few weeks.