[xiaoma]

1) Hackers and Painters, by Paul Graham—This book had a huge influence on me and is why I left a successful and growing low tech business in Asia to move to California and become a software engineer.

2) Zero to One, by Peter Thiel—Zero to one opened my eyes to several angles of business that I hadn't been thinking about. It made me think much harder about making long-term plans towards a concrete goal, even if changes must be made along the way. It also clarified my thoughts about the nature of competition and non-conformity. Courage is in even shorter supply than genius.

3. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell—While it's not a business book, this book is a deep look at mythology and psychology. I find it helpful both for understanding people and for understanding myself.

[nibs]

Same top two, 3) Softwar: Larry Ellison and Oracle by Matthew Symonds