The eight books
1. Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda
A yogi's account of his life and teachers in India. Jobs found a copy on his trip there: "a previous traveler had left" it, "and I read it several times." It was the one book on his iPad 2.
2. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki
Talks on Zen practice and on meeting each thing as a beginner would. "Zen has been a deep influence in my life ever since," Jobs told Isaacson.
3. Be Here Now, Ram Dass
A Harvard psychologist's turn to meditation and Eastern spirituality. Of reading it, Jobs said: "It was profound."
4. Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé
The case for eating low on the food chain. "That's when I pretty much swore off meat for good," Jobs said.
5. King Lear, William Shakespeare
In his last years of high school, Jobs told Isaacson, he began reading beyond science and technology, Shakespeare and Plato: "I loved King Lear."
6. Moby-Dick, Herman Melville
Isaacson lists it with King Lear among the books Jobs loved.
7. The poems of Dylan Thomas
The poet Jobs read alongside Shakespeare and Melville, also in Isaacson's account.
8. The Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen
Why successful companies lose to newcomers who start with a cheaper, worse product. Isaacson writes that it deeply influenced Jobs, and Jobs used its idea to explain why Apple had to move to the cloud.
Common questions
What was Steve Jobs' favorite book?
Autobiography of a Yogi. He read it several times in India and kept coming back to it.
Which book should I start with?
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: it is short, and Jobs said Zen shaped him for the rest of his life. If you came for Apple, read The Innovator's Dilemma next.
Can I listen to these books?
As episodes, yes: ask the composer above for 15 minutes on Autobiography of a Yogi, or for all eight as an audio course, one lesson per book.
More reading lists: books recommended by Elon Musk, Bill Gates' reading list, Andrew Huberman's book recommendations, Joe Rogan's book recommendations, Jordan Peterson's reading list, Charlie Kirk's book recommendations.