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Lex Fridman's book recommendations
Across 3 podcasts. Every show Lex Fridman appears on, in one place — not just one.
Lex Fridman’s most recommended books
- The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer
- The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- The Idiot by Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenit︠s︡yn
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- THE PLAGUE by Albert Camus
Alexei "Lex" Fridman is an American computer scientist and podcaster who has hosted the Lex Fridman Podcast since 2018, interviewing notable figures across science, technology, sports, the arts, and politics. On his podcast, Lex Fridman frequently introduced and recommended books written by his guests. In an episode focusing on psychiatry and mental health, he recommended Andrew Scull's Madness in Civilization: A Cultural History of Insanity from the Bible to Freud, from the Madhouse to Modern Medicine alongside Desperate Remedies: Psychiatry's Turbulent Quest to Cure Mental Illness. Discussing the mindset of historical leaders, he recommended reading Marcus Aurelius's Meditations as an insight into a humble mind. For listeners interested in artificial intelligence, Lex Fridman strongly recommended Sebastian Raschka's programming guides, including Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch) and Build a Reasoning Model (From Scratch), noting their value for both beginners and experts. Additionally, he encouraged his audience to pre-order Paul Rosolie's Junglekeeper ahead of its release to read intense stories about the author's experiences in the Amazon jungle.
Books recommended by Lex Fridman
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L.
Discussed“On the bias front, for example, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer is a good example. It is full of bias. But he was there, and to me, he has written probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, book on the Third Reich ever.”
Where to get it
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The Denial of Death
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning philosophical and psychological study that argues human behavior is fundamentally driven by an unconscious terror of mortality and the subsequent cultural mechanisms created to deny it.
Discussed“Burley brilliant previous guest on this podcast she just released a video where on her bedside was the book denial of death uh by owners Becker which of course you would have on her bedside”
Where to get it
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1984
George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 depicts a totalitarian society characterized by perpetual war, government surveillance, and the complete eradication of individual truth and freedom.
Discussed“Of course, "The Trial" is a work of fiction, but I think it is often useful to go to the surreal world of literature, even of the over-the-top dystopian variety like "1984," "Animal Farm," "Brave New World," "The Trial," "The Castle," "Metamorphosis," even "The Plague" by Albert Camus, all to better understand our real world...”
Where to get it
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Man's Search for Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E.
Discussed“- And also, I mean, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. - Yeah. Oh, yeah.”
Where to get it
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a classic dystopian science fiction novel that depicts a technologically advanced future society controlled through engineered reproduction, psychological conditioning, and constant superficial pleasure.
Discussed“Of course, "The Trial" is a work of fiction, but I think it is often useful to go to the surreal world of literature, even of the over-the-top dystopian variety like "1984," "Animal Farm," "Brave New World," "The Trial," "The Castle," "Metamorphosis," even "The Plague" by Albert Camus...”
Where to get it
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The Idiot
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound 19th-century Russian novel that follows the compassionate, innocent, and deeply misunderstood Prince Myshkin as he navigates the cynical and corrupt high society of St.
Discussed“Dostoyevski said, "Beauty will save the world" in "The Idiot," one of my favorite books of his. What is beauty to you?”
Where to get it
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic allegorical novella that uses a farmyard setting to satirize the corruption of socialist ideals and the rise of totalitarianism following the Russian Revolution.
Discussed“Of course, "The Trial" is a work of fiction, but I think it is often useful to go to the surreal world of literature, even of the over-the-top dystopian variety like "1984," "Animal Farm," "Brave New World," "The Trial," "The Castle," "Metamorphosis," even "The Plague" by Albert Camus...”
Where to get it
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The Gulag Archipelago
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a monumental historical exposé detailing the brutal Soviet forced labor camp system through survivor testimonies, archival research, and the author's own imprisonment.
Discussed“so I'm I'm a big proponent of SOI nen's famous uh the the author of gulak archipelago that that the line between good and evil runs to the heart of every man that all of us have that in us”
Where to get it
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is a beloved comedic science fiction classic that satirizes bureaucracy, existentialism, and the absurdities of the universe.
Recommended“And now let me leave you with some words from Douglas Adams in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": "Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."”
Where to get it
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THE PLAGUE
The Plague by Albert Camus is a classic existentialist novel that uses the allegorical setting of a city struck by a deadly epidemic to explore profound themes of human suffering, absurdism, collective responsibility, and resilience.
Discussed“Of course, "The Trial" is a work of fiction, but I think it is often useful to go to the surreal world of literature, even of the over-the-top dystopian variety like "1984," "Animal Farm," "Brave New World," "The Trial," "The Castle," "Metamorphosis," even "The Plague" by Albert Camus...”
Where to get it
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A new kind of science
A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram is a sprawling foundational text that explores cellular automata, complexity theory, and alternative computational models for understanding the universe.
Discussed“I'm deeply grateful that you wrote a new kind of science, that you explored this mystery of cellular automata and inspired this one little kid in me to, to pursue artificial intelligence in all this beautiful world.”
Where to get it
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On the Road
On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a seminal autobiographical novel that chronicles the cross-country road trips of its protagonist and captures the restless energy of the Beat Generation.
Discussed“The end of On The Road by Kerouac: "Forlorn rags of growing... ...old." I just remember closing that and thinking, "What the fuck am I doing in this big... ...world?"”
Where to get it
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Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a practical guide on cultivating focused success and eliminating distractions in an increasingly noisy world.
Recommended“And I'm very much with Cal Newport on this, he wrote "Deep Work," and a lot of other amazing books.”
Where to get it
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Sapiens
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is a sweeping narrative that traces the evolutionary and historical development of the human species from prehistoric bands to modern civilizations.
Discussed“author of several highly acclaimed, highly influential books, including Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.”
Where to get it
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The Myth of Sisyphus
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus is a prominent philosophical essay examining the absurdist condition, human suffering, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe.
Discussed“Camus said, I believe, in "Myth of Sisyphus," "the only way to deal with an unfree world, is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."”
Where to get it
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The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound philosophical novel that explores deep spiritual questions surrounding faith, free will, morality, and the human condition.
Discussed“Like these characters exist, authors exist, Dostoevsky exists, but also "Brothers Karamazov."”
Where to get it
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Bloodlands
Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder is a historical examination of the mass killings and political atrocities committed by the regimes of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in Eastern Europe during the mid-twentieth century.
Discussed“but another excellent book on on the topic and by the way thank you for recommending that to me”
Where to get it
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The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea is a classic novella by Ernest Hemingway about an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.
Discussed“there's probably echoes that represent the 20th century now in old man in the sea by hemingway that also has similar i guess themes”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is Adolf Hitler's notorious autobiographical manifesto detailing his political ideology and antisemitic worldview.
Discussed“We should read Mein Kampf.”
Where to get it
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford is a historical re-evaluation of the Mongol Empire's profound and often overlooked contributions to global trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.
Discussed“He has written a legendary book on his topic, titled "Genghis Khan and The Making of the Modern World."”
Where to get it
- Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark
- Artificial Intelligence: a Modern Approach by Stuart Russell
- 2001, a Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
- Life Ascending by Nick Lane
- Love and Math by Edward Frenkel
- Something Deeply Hidden by Sean Carroll
- Flowers for Algernon by David Rogers, Daniel Keyes
- Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
- Russo-Ukrainian War by Serhii Plokhy
- Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
- On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins, Sandra Blakeslee
- The Case Against Reality by Donald David Hoffman
- Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
- The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous, James Fouhey
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Deep Undercover by Jack Barsky, Cindy Coloma
- The Worm at the Core by Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski
- Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka
- Meditations by Aurelius Marcus
- Projections by Karl Deisseroth
- Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett
- A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka, Sheba Blake
- A short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
- How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Man's Search For Ultimate Meaning by Victor Frankl
- Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark
Questions about Lex Fridman’s book recommendations
What book does Lex Fridman recommend most?
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer. Lex Fridman recommended it in 17 episodes, with 3 explicit recommendations.
How many books has Lex Fridman recommended on podcasts?
We have found 380 books Lex Fridman recommended or discussed, across 275 episodes of 3 podcasts. Ad reads and passing mentions are not counted.
What books are on Lex Fridman's reading list?
The books Lex Fridman has recommended most on podcasts are The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker, 1984 by George Orwell, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The year-by-year lists below have all 380.
What did Lex Fridman recommend on Lex Fridman Podcast?
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Denial of Death and 1984, among 376 books in all.
What is the latest book Lex Fridman recommended?
Madness in Civilization, recommended on Lex Fridman Podcast (2026-09-17).
People who recommend the same books
Lex Fridman’s latest episodes with books
Michael Levin: Reality is an Illusion - Alien Intelligence, Biology, Life | Lex Fridman Podcast #486
Lex Fridman’s book recommendations by year
All 380 books Lex Fridman recommended or discussed across 275 episodes, filed by the year each episode came out. Each year goes episode by episode, with the minute every book came up.