Person
Every book Shaka Senghor recommended on podcasts
Shaka Senghor has appeared on programs such as The Joe Rogan Experience, where he reflected on his past, personal survival, and the transformative power of literature and mental discipline. During his interview, Senghor discussed several powerful books and poems that served as vital survival tools and sources of guidance while he was enduring solitary confinement and serving time in prison. He mentioned reading William Ernest Henley's poem 'Invictus', explaining how the lines consistently reminded him that he remained the master of his own fate and the captain of his soul. Senghor also highlighted James Allen's short book 'As a Man Thinketh', noting that his personal copy was heavily worn down from frequent reading and that any page would remind him that mastering one's thinking leads to mastering one's environment. Furthermore, he discussed gritty urban literature such as Donald Goines's 'Black Gangster', noting that these stories reflected his own early life experiences and resonated with him because authors like Goines had also spent time in prison. Finally, Senghor brought up Ben Horowitz's book 'What You Do Is Who You Are', explaining how conversations he had with Horowitz regarding prison culture helped provide a structured framework for applying lessons learned behind bars to the corporate world.
Books recommended by Shaka Senghor
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As a Man Thinketh
As a Man Thinketh is a classic self-development essay by James Allen that emphasizes the immense power of thought in shaping personal character, circumstances, and destiny.
Discussed“There's a book called As a Man Think of by James Allen. It's about 60s something pages. I would literally my my my version of that was so dog here, but I would like literally just open it up and any page was about if you master your thinking, you can master your environment.”
Where to get it
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Black Gangster
Discussed“So he had these all these street books like Dope Fiend and you know uh Black Gangster and it was like all this kind of underbelly uh Iceberg Slim Pimp all these stories were stories I had read early on and these guys they were like me like Donald Go served time in prison.”
Where to get it
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Invictus
Invictus by William Ernest Henley is a stirring 19th-century English poem of resilience, courage, and unbroken spirit that famously concludes with the bold declaration that humans are the masters of their fate and the captains of their souls.
Discussed“I would read uh the poem Invictus. Like that poem always just kind of brought me back like you're the master of your own fate. You know what I'm saying? You're the you're the captain of your soul.”
Where to get it
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What You Do Is Who You Are
What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz is a prominent business and leadership book that examines corporate culture, accountability, and the actionable lessons drawn from both historical figures and unconventional modern environments.
Discussed“And Ben actually wrote this book called What You Do is Who You Are. And in the book, he talked about some of our conversations around culture. And it kind of gave them a framework to really understand how these lessons I learned in prison could really be applied in corporate.”
Where to get it
Books Shaka Senghor wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2353 - Shaka Senghor | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2025-07-22 | 4 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“it's one of the things that inspired me to write writing my wrongs because I really wanted people to understand how are you go from the innocence of childhood to being caught up in his very addictive culture”