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STORIES THAT SHAPE US Collection

Fiction & Literature

Fiction & Literature

The novels and literary works that CEOs, creators, and visionaries name as the stories that changed how they see the world.

The Council

The Literary
Tastemakers

Curated by the world’s most influential readers & thinkers.

48 books in Fiction & Literature

35 books in Fiction & Literature

21 books in Fiction & Literature

21 books in Fiction & Literature

16 books in Fiction & Literature

15 books in Fiction & Literature

All 382 Fiction & Literature Books

The Lord of the Rings

Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Reid Hoffman
Reid Hoffman

Read by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and 3 others

The Fountainhead

Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison
Chip Wilson
Chip Wilson

Read by Donald Trump, Larry Ellison, Chip Wilson and 3 others

The Alchemist

LeBron James
LeBron James
Daniel Ek
Daniel Ek
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams

Read by LeBron James, Daniel Ek, Pharrell Williams and 3 others

Siddhartha

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant
Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson

Read by Tim Ferriss, Naval Ravikant, Bryan Johnson and 2 others

Atlas Shrugged

Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs

Read by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and 2 others

The Three-Body Problem

Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Tobias Lütke
Tobias Lütke

Read by Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Tobias Lütke and 2 others

1984

Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson

Read by Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Jordan Peterson and 2 others

Dune

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos
Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer

Read by Tim Ferriss, Jeff Bezos, Hans Zimmer and 1 others

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant
Sean Carroll
Sean Carroll

Read by Elon Musk, Naval Ravikant, Sean Carroll and 1 others

The Player of Games

Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg

Read by Elon Musk, Naval Ravikant, Mark Zuckerberg and 1 others

The Brothers Karamazov

Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson

Read by Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Jordan Peterson and 1 others

Faust

Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Karl Marx
Karl Marx

Read by Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Karl Marx and 1 others

The Consensus

Most Endorsed

1
6Endorsed
#1 Most Endorsed

The Lord of the Rings

An epic high-fantasy novel that follows the quest of a group of companions to destroy the One Ring. The story chronicles the struggle for Middle-earth against the dark lord Sauron.

Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Reid Hoffman
Reid Hoffman
Chip Wilson
Chip Wilson

6 independent endorsements

2

The Fountainhead

Innovative architect Howard Roark refuses to compromise his unique creative vision for societal approval or professional success. The narrative follows his professional struggles and personal conflicts, illustrating the tension between individualism and collective conformity.

6 endorsements
3

The Alchemist

A Fable About Following Your Dream

6 endorsements
4

Siddhartha

An Indian Tale

5 endorsements
Setting aside the political football this book evokes, this book champions the entrepreneurial drive to invent products and run a great company. This includes rewarding employees who are responsible, who do not complain, who move to action and think for themselves as partners and equals.
Chip Wilson
Chip Wilsonlululemon Founder & Philanthropist
For me, it's relaxing honestly. You spend so much preparation for the games, sometimes you just need to get away from it for a little bit. The reading has helped me get away from the game a little bit, and I'm able zero in once I'm done and get ready for the games.
LeBron James
LeBron JamesNBA All-Time Leading Scorer
It encouraged me to think as an individual, take risks to reach my goals, and responsibility for my successes and failures. I loved it. I don't know how many times I have read it, but it got to the point where I had to stop because I would get too fired up.
Mark Cuban
Mark CubanShark Tank Investor & Cost Plus Drugs Founder
The whole thing about empowerment of yourself and having your visions become a reality and the more and more that you dream and actually talk about something that you want to do, it can become true... That was one of the one things I got out of it.
LeBron James
LeBron JamesNBA All-Time Leading Scorer
It's not exactly a book about genetics but about a world in which the fate of an individual is determined from the start... It would all sound absurd, until one realizes how it isn't and how we are perilously orbiting such brave new worlds today.
Siddhartha Mukherjee
Siddhartha MukherjeePulitzer Prize-Winning Oncologist & Biologist
FAQ

Common Questions

Curated answers to the most common inquiries about our collection and curation process.