Sam Altman is an influential entrepreneur and investor, known particularly for his role as the former president of Y Combinator, one of the most successful startup accelerators that has helped launch companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. Born in 1985 in Chicago, Altman started his first company, Loopt, at the age of 19 while attending Stanford University. Although he eventually dropped out to pursue his entrepreneurial ventures, his leadership at Y Combinator and his investments across various technology sectors have made him a key figure in Silicon Valley. Currently, he is the CEO of OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab that aims to promote and develop friendly AI in a way that benefits humanity as a whole.
❝If you are not learning, you are regressing; such is the nature of the world we live in.❞ — Sam Altman
Sam Altman has expressed his appreciation for reading, particularly non-fiction and scientific materials, which he integrates into his work in technology and AI. Reading plays a significant role in his ongoing education and in staying abreast of the latest developments and ethical considerations in technology. Although not frequently public about his personal life, Altman's professional advice often includes the importance of continual learning and adapting, which reading undoubtedly supports. His leadership style involves a deep understanding of technological trends and societal needs, where reading and education are fundamental to navigating the complexities of innovation.
Sam Altman's Favorite Books
Last Updated: June 2024
Pandaemonium: The Coming of the Machine As Seen by Contemporary Observers
Author: Humphrey Jennings
Publisher: Free Press
Date: Dec 21st, 1985
Compiled by British filmmaker Jennings, this unique book presents a selection of firsthand accounts from 1660 to 1886, chronicling the industrial revolution and its impact on society through the eyes of its contemporaries.
Foundation and Empire
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher: Spectra
Date: Jun 1st, 2004
The second book in Asimov's Foundation series, exploring the inevitable decay of a sprawling empire and the efforts by the Foundation to manage and mitigate the catastrophic loss of knowledge.
Prelude to Foundation
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher: Spectra
Date: Mar 1st, 1989
In this prequel to his seminal Foundation series, Isaac Asimov recounts the early life of Hari Seldon, the brilliant mathematician who develops psychohistory, a method of predicting the future.
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World
Author: David Deutsch
Publisher: Viking
Date: Jul 21st, 2011
David Deutsch explores a broad range of scientific, philosophical, and cultural topics, arguing that through the pursuit of explanations, humans are capable of unlimited intellectual and practical progress.
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction
Author: Christopher Alexander
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: Dec 21st, 1977
This influential book proposes a functional approach to architectural and urban design, presenting 253 design problems typical of urban environments, and offering corresponding solutions based on natural and human-centered principles.
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius
Author: Dave Eggers
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: Feb 17th, 2000
This memoir, characterized by its postmodern style and humorous self-awareness, recounts Eggers' experiences raising his younger brother in San Francisco following the tragic deaths of their parents.
Einstein: His Life and Universe
Author: Walter Isaacson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: Apr 10th, 2007
Walter Isaacson delves into the life of Albert Einstein, illuminating how his revolutionary ideas reshaped modern physics while exploring his personal and professional journeys.
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life
Author: J. Craig Venter
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date: Oct 18th, 2007
Venter, one of the leading scientists in genomic research, recounts his controversial race to decode the human genome, offering insights into his groundbreaking scientific contributions and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic research.
The Fall
Author: Albert Camus
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date: May 25th, 2023
In this philosophical novel, Camus presents a monologue by Jean-Baptiste Clamence, a former Parisian attorney who recounts his life and moral failures, exploring themes of existentialism, guilt, and human hypocrisy.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Author: Peter Thiel
Publisher: Crown Currency
Date: Sep 16th, 2014
Peter Thiel provides unconventional wisdom and practical advice for entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of innovation and creating new products that jump from zero to one, rather than improving on existing products.
Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Date: Jul 5th, 2005
Set in a dystopian future where individuals are systematically controlled and conditioned for roles in a totalitarian society, Huxley’s novel critiques the dangers of sacrificing individuality for technological and governmental control.
The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison
Author: James Madison
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Date: Nov 8th, 2005
This book provides a detailed day-by-day account of the debates and discussions that shaped the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787, as recorded by James Madison, one of the key figures at the convention.
Anna Karenina
Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date: May 1st, 2004
Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece traces the tragic love affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky, set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Russian society, exploring themes of passion, loyalty, and societal norms.
Mind of Napoleon: A Selection of His Written and Spoken Words
Author: Napoleon
Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr
Date: Dec 21st, 2024
This collection offers insight into Napoleon Bonaparte’s thoughts on war, politics, and governance, providing a glimpse into the strategic mind and ambitious spirit of one of history’s most influential leaders.
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Hold 'em Poker
Author: David Sklansky
Publisher: Two Plus Two Pub. / Creel
Date: Dec 1st, 1996
This comprehensive guide by one of poker’s leading authorities provides strategies and theories for competitive players looking to win at Texas Hold'em, covering everything from the basics of play to advanced tactics.
The Kite Runner: A Novel
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Date: Oct 3rd, 2023
This bestselling novel explores the unlikely and profound friendship between Amir, a wealthy boy from Kabul, and Hassan, the son of his father's servant, as their lives take dramatically different courses in the backdrop of Afghanistan’s turbulent history.
Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
Author: Reid Hoffman
Publisher: Crown Currency
Date: Oct 9th, 2018
This book provides a practical framework for a strategy that prioritizes speed over efficiency in an environment of uncertainty, and it’s used by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to rapidly grow their companies and achieve massive scale.
Fundamentals of Plasma Physics
Author: Paul M. Bellan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: May 1st, 2006
This textbook offers a thorough introduction to the principles and applications of plasma physics, with discussions on kinetic theory, magnetohydrodynamics, wave mechanics, and diagnostic techniques.
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
Author: Nick Bostrom
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: Sep 3rd, 2014
Nick Bostrom examines the future prospects of artificial intelligence and the existential risks it poses, proposing strategies to ensure that AI developments benefit humanity.
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
Author: Lester R. Brown
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Date: Jan 17th, 2008
Brown provides a comprehensive plan for reversing environmental degradation and saving civilization, emphasizing the need for renewable energy, sustainable development, and population stabilization.
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
Author: Julian Jaynes
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Date: Dec 21st, 1976
Julian Jaynes presents a controversial theory that human consciousness arose as a recent development in history, linked to the breakdown of a previous mind-state where decisions were made through auditory hallucinations believed to be the voices of gods.
Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Year at Lockheed
Author: Ben R. Rich
Publisher: Little Brown & Co
Date: Dec 21st, 1994
Rich, the second director of Lockheed’s Skunk Works, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the top-secret aerospace development division, sharing stories of innovations that produced some of the most famous aircraft in history, including the U-2 and the Stealth fighter.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher: Macmillan Collector's Library
Date: Mar 21st, 2017
ilde’s only novel tells the story of a young man, Dorian Gray, who wishes his portrait would age instead of him, leading to a life of hedonism and moral descent, exploring themes of vanity, moral duplicity, and the nature of beauty.
Second Foundation
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher: Spectra
Date: Jun 1st, 2004
This installment of Asimov's Foundation series focuses on the mysterious Second Foundation, tasked with preserving the edges of science and ensuring the original Foundation's prophecies come to fruition.
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Author: Alice Munro
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date: Nov 6th, 2001
In this collection of short stories, Munro masterfully explores the complexities of human relationships through the tales of ordinary people dealing with love, loss, and the pivotal moments that shape their lives.
Medieval Technology and Social Change
Author: Lynn White
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: Dec 31st, 1963
White examines the profound impact of technological innovations on medieval society, including the stirrup’s role in changing warfare and feudalism, and the adoption of the heavy plow in agriculture.
The Old Way: A Story of the First People
Author: Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date: Oct 17th, 2006
This ethnographic work provides a vivid account of the life of the Ju/'hoansi people of the Kalahari Desert, exploring their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles and the profound changes brought about by contact with the modern world.
The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time
Author: Jonathan Weiner
Publisher: Knopf
Date: May 3rd, 1994
Weiner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book documents the work of biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant in the Galápagos Islands, providing compelling real-time observations of evolution in action among finch populations.
