Ev Williams is a serial entrepreneur and internet pioneer best known for founding Blogger in 1999 and later launching Medium, a digital publishing platform. His work has shaped how people write and share content online. With 124 book recommendations, he demonstrates a deep commitment to learning across disciplines.
124 Books Recommended by Ev Williams
Ranked by popularity across all reading lists on this site
Man’s Search for Meaning
36 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Dustin Moskovitz, Sam Altman, Aniela Gregorek, Bryan Johnson, Chelsea Handler, Chip Conley, Alastair Humphreys, Daniel Pink, Dave Elitch, David Blaine, Patrick Bet David, Emma Watson, Esther Perel, Fedor Holz, Jim Kwik, Jimmy Fallon, Jocko Willink, Jordan Peterson, Lex Fridman, Maria Popova, Mark Manson, Michael Gervais, Michael Hyatt, Pewdiepie, Phil Jackson, Robin Black, Ryan Holiday, Shane Parrish, Simon Sinek, Steve Kerr, Terry Crews, Tom Bilyeu, Tony Robbins, Turia Pitt, Derek Sivers
The 4-Hour Workweek
27 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Eric Jorgenson, Marc Andreessen, Tim Draper, Aj Jacobs, Blake Mycoskie, Caterina Fake, Charles Poliquin, Brian Dean, Daniel Pink, David Heinemeier Hansson, Derek Sivers, Eric Weinstein, Gary Keller, Jason Silva, Jodie Cook, Laura R Walker, Lewis Howes, Marc Goodman, Mark Bell, Maurice Ashley, Michael Hyatt, Mike Maples Jr, Mike Shinoda, Rolf Potts, Tristan Harris, Walter Isaacson
Atlas Shrugged
23 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Steve Jobs, Brian Armstrong, Ray Dalio, Travis Kalanick, Amelia Boone, Bob Metcalfe, Austen Allred, Blake Scholl, Patrick Bet David, Fred Wilson, Gabby Reece, Joe De Sena, John Carmack, Paul Krugman, Peter Diamandis, Phil Jackson, Rand Paul, Russell Brunson, Shah Rukh Khan
Thinking, Fast and Slow
20 people recommendedI love surprising scientific findings, as well as information about how our brains work. [This book] is a treasure trove of both.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Naval Ravikant, Bill Gates, Marc Andreessen, Ray Dalio, Ron Conway, Sam Altman, Ben Greenfield, Bryan Johnson, Derek Sivers, Jason Fried, Jay Shetty, Mark Manson, Michiko Kakutani, Nassim Taleb, Preston Pysh, Sahil Lavingia, Scott Adams, Stewart Brand
The Innovator’s Dilemma
18 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Drew Houston, Marc Andreessen, Marc Benioff, Michael Bloomberg, Aaron Levie, Ben Horowitz, Bill Gurley, Caterina Fake, Blake Scholl, Chris Dixon, Guy Kawasaki, Max Levchin, Steve Blank, Tim Oreilly
The Fountainhead
17 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Mark Cuban, Larry Ellison, Ray Dalio, Travis Kalanick, Emma Watson, Fred Wilson, Jesse Williams, Jim Carrey, Kevin Kelly, Noah Kagan, Shah Rukh Khan, Tim Urban, Vince Vaughn, Deep Kalra, Kalyan Krishnamurthy
Snow Crash
15 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Cameron Winklevoss, Tobi Lutke, Adam Savage, Brandon Stanton, Austen Allred, Fred Wilson, Nolan Bushnell, Ryan Shea, Seth Godin
Mastery
14 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Raj Shamani, Aubrey Marcus, Patrick Bet David, Mark Hart, Maurice Ashley, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Robin Black, Robin Sharma, Rollo Tomassi, Ryan Holiday, Terry Laughlin, Tom Bilyeu, Derek Sivers
The Selfish Gene
13 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Elon Musk, Brian Armstrong, Bob Metcalfe, Charlie Munger, David Deutsch, Mark Manson, Matt Ridley, Mr Money Mustache, Nick Szabo, Phil Libin, Tai Lopez, Derek Sivers
Mindset
12 people recommendedOne of those ideas that is obvious only once you know it.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Bill Gates, Dustin Moskovitz, Tobi Lutke, Josh Waitzkin, Kathryn Minshew, Mark Manson, Satya Nadella, Tom Bilyeu, Tony Robbins, Derek Sivers
Good to Great
12 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Sam Ovens, Jeff Bezos, Brian Armstrong, Daniel Ek, John Doerr, Dave Ramsey, Frank Blake, Jason Calacanis, Max Levchin, Michael Hyatt, Tracy Dinunzio
Antifragile
11 people recommendedFew books have made me think more than this one over the last decade.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Changpeng Zhao, Tobi Lutke, Vinod Khosla, Vlad Tenev, James Altucher, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Shane Parrish, Tom Bilyeu, Derek Sivers
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”
11 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Brian Armstrong, James Clear, Noah Kagan, Peter Attia, Sahil Lavingia, Tim Ferriss
Crossing the Chasm
10 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Changpeng Zhao, Drew Houston, Ron Conway, Aaron Levie, Andrew Ng, Bill Gurley, Chris Dixon, Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin
The Black Swan
10 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Pavel Durov, Art De Vany, Edward Norton, James Altucher, Nick Kokonas, Ryan Shea
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
9 people recommended[The author's] message was that there is a bigger world out there, and that I didn’t need to conform to those around me.
Also recommended by: Osho, Vinod Khosla, Ed Latimore, Fred Wilson, Laird Hamilton, Mike Maples Jr, Peter Attia, Wim Hof
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
9 people recommendedOne of the few novels I’ve ever read twice.
Also recommended by: Drew Houston, Bryan Johnson, Austen Allred, Fred Wilson, Jordan Peterson, Josh Waitzkin, Paul Graham, Phil Jackson
Fooled by Randomness
9 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Howard Marks, Art De Vany, James Altucher, James Clear, Nick Kokonas, Ryan Shea, Derek Sivers
The Great Gatsby
9 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Bill Gates, Taylor Swift, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Pink, Jim Carrey, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Ryan Holiday, Ta Nehisi Coates
The Catcher in the Rye
8 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Bill Gates, Tim Draper, Gretchen Rubin, Jennifer Lawrence, Kathie Lee Gifford, Larry King, Sarah Jessica Parker
Getting Things Done
7 people recommendedStill the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative.
Also recommended by: Dustin Moskovitz, Howard Stern, Michael Hyatt, Michael Mccullough, Tony Hsieh, Derek Sivers
The Tipping Point
7 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Kevin Systrom, Jenn Im, Joe Rogan, Kevin Rose, Michael Hyatt, Mike Shinoda
The Martian
7 people recommendedWhat’s great about this adventure—which I find rare in pop culture—is the celebration of the mind, invention, and science.
Also recommended by: Chris Sacca, Christopher Paolini, Matt Ridley, Max Levchin, Noah Kagan, Tom Hanks
Founders at Work
7 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Sam Ovens, Ron Conway, Alexis Ohanian, Paul Graham, Ryan Holiday, Derek Sivers
Made to Stick
7 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Robert Cialdini, Brian Armstrong, Changpeng Zhao, Andrew Wilkinson, Sahil Lavingia, Derek Sivers
The Making of a Manager
7 people recommendedIts practical wisdom is immediately useful for the newly minted manager—and us old ones.
Also recommended by: Sam Altman, Stewart Butterfield, Ali Abdaal, Daniel Pink, Gretchen Rubin, Marty Cagan
Hackers & Painters
6 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Brian Armstrong, Derek Sivers, Keith Rabois, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Ryan Holiday
The Wisdom of Crowds
6 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Kevin Systrom, Ben Shapiro, Barry Ritholtz, Kevin Rose, Derek Sivers
Don’t Make Me Think
6 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Brian Armstrong, Garry Tan, Jeff Atwood, Nick Ganju, Derek Sivers
Stumbling on Happiness
6 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson, Derek Sivers, Maria Popova, Mark Manson, Sam Harris
On the Road
6 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Steve Jobs, Bob Dylan, Josh Waitzkin, Lex Fridman, Walter Isaacson
The Effective Executive
5 people recommended[The author] writes about first principles and makes things seem obvious—once he explains them in his straightforward way.
Also recommended by: Drew Houston, Guy Kawasaki, Jim Collins, Matt Mullenweg
Hackers
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Austen Allred, Donald Knuth, John Carmack, Zooko Wilcox
Built to Last
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon, Bill Gurley, Patrick Bet David
Lolita
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Jk Rowling, Bryan Callen, Pewdiepie, Tavi Gevinson
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Evan Spiegel, Alain De Botton, Justin Boreta, Shah Rukh Khan
The Diamond Age
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Peter Thiel, Kelly Starrett, Seth Godin
The Dip
5 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Brian Armstrong, Chris Do, Thomas Frank, Derek Sivers
Focus
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Ben Horowitz, Michael Hyatt, Derek Sivers
The China Study
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: James Cameron, Suzy Amis Cameron, Derek Sivers
Cryptonomicon
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Peter Thiel, Cameron Winklevoss, Tobi Lutke
Freakonomics
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Daymond John, James Altucher
Lord of the Flies
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Douglas Murray, Jordan Peterson, Scott Belsky
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
4 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Melinda Gates, Donald Glover, Shah Rukh Khan
Out Of Control
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Noam Chomsky, Steve Jurvetson
Einstein’s Dreams
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Eric Weinstein, Patrick Oshaughnessy
Positioning
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Michael Hyatt, Patrick Oshaughnessy
The Long Tail
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Eric Schmidt, Seth Godin
The Way of Life, According to Laotzu
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Dr Andrew Weil, Tim Oreilly
Nonzero
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Jonathan Haidt, Nick Thompson
On Intelligence
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Patrick Collison, Keith Rabois
The Bonfire of the Vanities
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Charles Koch, Christopher Hitchens
Ogilvy on Advertising
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Neville Medhora, Noah Kagan
Winning
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Sam Altman, Patrick Bet David
Blink
3 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Kevin Systrom, Mike Shinoda
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Sam Altman
Dancing Naked in the Mind Field
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Peter Attia
Revolutionary Wealth
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Carlos Slim
The Pragmatic Programmer
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Jeff Atwood
Absurdistan
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Adam Sessler
Losing My Virginity
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Jen Sincero
Understanding Comics
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Seth Godin
Get Back in the Box
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Keith Rabois
The Monk and the Riddle
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Keith Rabois
Reinventing Fire
2 people recommendedOffers a thoroughly researched set of options for engineering our way out of the [climate change] crisis.
Also recommended by: Bill Gates
The Art of the Start
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Keith Rabois
The Starfish and the Spider
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Changpeng Zhao
Cumulus
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Daniel Pink
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Fred Wilson
The Corrections
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Oprah Winfrey
The Da Vinci Code
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Shah Rukh Khan
The Halo Effect
2 people recommendedOn the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Also recommended by: Matt Mullenweg
Why Most Things Fail
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
The Cluetrain Manifesto
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Smart and Gets Things Done
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Everything Bad is Good for You
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Small Pieces Loosely Joined
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Mindfulness for Beginners
Mindfulness meditation is the most important habit I’ve taken up in my adult life.
The Social Life of Information
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
What Should I Do with My Life?
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
You Shall Know Our Velocity!
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Me Talk Pretty One Day
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
User Interface Design for Programmers
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
In Search of Excellence
Didn’t solve the problems of my tiny web development shop.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
In the Beginning… Was the Command Line
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Bill & Dave
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
It’s Not About the Bike
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Seeing What’s Next
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
The Victorian Internet
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
The World Without Us
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
