Read These Books To Become A Genius

Speed Reading by Kam Knight

Image Source/ Words Unite Bookstore

To kick off this list, you might want to head to Amazon and order Kam Knight's Speed Reading. Well, if you're planning on making your way through a few of the pieces in this list, then you probably want to get through them quickly! Knight describes the hints and tips on how to effectively speed read.

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

Image Source/ Keeping Up With The Penguins

In the first Stephan Hawking book to appear on the list, Hawking asks the most pivotal existential questions about the beginning of the universe and time itself. If you want to convince your friends that you're a genius, then this factual work will definitely provide you with some outstanding knowledge of the universe.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Image Source/ Twitter

If you feel like you need to go back to the basics in order to become a genius, then Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is a great place to start. Although, don't be deceived by its shortness, the book will take you longer than you think and you'll have to wrap your head around some confusing concepts.

The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul

Image Source/ Chris Bailey 

What better way to become a genius than learn how the mind works? In Annie Paul's the Extended Mind, she covers everything from neuroscientists and psychologists to unearth how our minds work, and provides advice on how to utilize the assets of your brain.

The Hidden Spring by Mark Solms

Image Source/ Twitter

The Hidden Spring, written by Mark Solms, puts forward some new theories about how our consciousness works, something which has baffled scientists and psychologists for centuries. Solms draws on our stray thoughts, impulsive emotions, attention deficits in order to construct some solid theories.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Image Source/ Twitter

Pulitzer Prize winner Jared Diamond took away his award after publishing Guns, Germs and Steel in 1997. The book details how geography and environment have a massive impact on civilization, and he compares the differences in the East and West societies.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Image Source/ Reddit

This book takes the biscuit for being the oldest book to exist in this list. Published back in the 5th century BC, it remains one of the most intelligent books ever written, detailing strategies from Chinese warfare... and the strategies still mirror today!

Think Again by Adam Grant

Image Source/ Diana Kander

Part of becoming a genius is all about being open to changing your beliefs and the way you think about life. Well, that's exactly what Adam Grant writes about in this pivotal book. He explains that we should routinely assess our beliefs and thoughts.

Remember by Lisa Genova

Image Source/ Hovik Bokhandel 

Written by the neuroscience Lisa Genova, Remember looks at why we remember some things but don't retain others. It poses an important, forever-debated questions and looks at how our brain stores memories throughout our lives, spanning from our youth to old age.

Useful Delusions by Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler

Image Source/ eBay

Both Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler ask some serious questions about how self-deception can be beneficial to us in many parts of our lives, including successful marriages, our relationships with others and how we rule a country. Read this if you want to get to that genius level.

The Politics of Our Time by John Judis

Image Source/ Twitter

Part of being a genius is understanding the theories and politics of countries around the world, from populism, to nationalism, to socialism. It offers views on the deep-rooted histories and reflects upon many parties from around the world that have changed politics today.

Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg

Image Source/ Ben Munoz

Charles Duhigg offers up some great advice in this renowned book about how to make smarter decisions quickly. The journalist looks at productivity concepts and looks deeply into anecdotes and statistics, teaching the reader how to motivate themselves and set goals.

Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

Image Source/ Lorelearning Venture

Given the fun title, you'd think that this book would be a great read anyways! The journalist Joshua Foer set himself a challenge of becoming a memory specialist, and he was able to come up with his own techniques and tricks of bettering his memory. After all, to be a genius, you need to remember a lot.

Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

Image Source/ The Stacks

Learning about anti-racism won't go amiss when it comes to being a genius. After all, you have to learn all about societal and minority issues in order to fully grasp an understanding of the world. This particular books looks at the history of racism in America!

Brainiac by Ken Jennings

Image Source/ Abebooks

Some people consider geniuses to be great a trivial knowledge. While not strictly true, remember all things trivia surely will help in your journey to become a trivia star. Ken Jennings holds a record for winning 74 consecutive games of Jeopardy! and shares how he retains his trivia knowledge.

Einstein's Fridge by Paul Sen

Image Source/ LinkedIn

Having a deep knowledge and understanding of science and the universe will be a great way to enhance your intelligence to genius level. This particular book by Paul Sen draws on information and comedy to shed a light on the thermodynamics of the world and universe as we know it.

Mastery by Robert Greene

Image Source/ The Collective Podcast

Mastery happens to be one of those books that you can pick up over and over again and continue to learn something new each time. It explores how people dominate in their fields and essentially become masters of skills or careers. That sounds like a genius to me!

Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality by Frank Wilczek

Image Source/ eBay

This particular work has been described as simple yet an in-depth profound evaluation into reality through the lens of modern science. It plays on all sorts of concepts and themes including time, matter, space, complexity and energy. This really does cover all grounds!

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

Image Source/ Aveyron Cards and English Books

Part of becoming a genius is learning all about language to become the best linguist you can be. Lynne Truss writes all about proper punctuation in modern society and the whole book starts with a joke about a panda bear and a comma in the wrong place. No points for what the joke would be!

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Image Source/ ScienceFiction 

Books about the mind's inner workings are guaranteed to make you a genius. Daniel Kahneman breaks down the mind's dual processing systems and illustrates the benefits and drawbacks of quick, intuitive thinking as opposed to deliberate, logical thought.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Image Source/ Cultivate What Matters

Building knowledge-enhancing routines is a great strategy to reach that genius status. Atomic Habits is James Clear's methodical breakdown of how to form new, positive routines while abandoning old, destructive ones. These methods will help you improve your life thanks to good insights and practical advice.

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

Image Source/ Idealistheart

Caroline Criado Perez demonstrates how we currently inhabit a world built for men that institutionally prejudices women. Perez reveals the pervasive gender-data spreads across many areas, from health and technology to urban planning, with overwhelming statistics. The overwhelming proof will shake your faith in all that you've been taught.

Quiet by Susan Cain

Image Source/ This Sheep Is Orange

For a long time, extroverts have been celebrated while the many advantages of introverts have been overlooked. Susan Cain not only explores the strength of introverts but also discusses the challenges they confront and offers advice on how to overcome them. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, this will shift how you view other people.

Genome by Matt Ridley

Image Source/ An Autonomous Agent

Now that the human genome has been mapped, scientists know more about genetics than ever before. Matt Ridley describes the functions of each of our 23 sets of chromosomes. Genome is one of the best books that help non-scientists learn more about biology and is applauded for its writing style.

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

Image Source/ Frost Magazine

Melinda Gates has spent a lifetime learning that empowering women is the key to ending poverty, reducing child mortality, and improving food supply. Gates presents convincing evidence that empowering women has far-reaching consequences, and the book's numbers are eye-opening.

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

Image Source/ Mindful of Science

Next up from Stephen Hawking is his final project: finding the answers to all of life's "big" problems. Hawking utilizes his trademark dry wit to simplify some of the most difficult concepts in order to shed light on the greatest concerns confronting humanity.

The Body by Bill Bryson

Image Source/ October Books

Using the same brilliant writing style that made his first bestseller so successful, Bill Bryson educates readers on the human body. The Body delves into what it is about the human body and mind that makes us unique. If you enjoy science or just want to read books that will make you smarter, Bryson is a wonderful choice.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Image Source/ RepPage

The best place to start if you want to improve your intelligence is with Bill Bryson's readable tome covering... well, almost everything. Bryson decides he has to learn more, so he goes and talks to famous people and takes courses from them. Bryson's amusing travels into the depths of human knowledge are both hilarious and informative.

The Signals and the Noise by Nate Silver

Image Source/ DBA

Nate Silver, a statistician, utilizes fascinating case stories to explain probability and uncertainty and to highlight why predictions are often wrong from natural disasters to sporting events. Silver does a fantastic job of breaking everything down for beginners.

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

Image Source/ CuriousKocab

Dramatizing and hero-izing are two of our culture's favorite past times. The story of the solitary genius who experiences a "eureka" moment and learns the meaning of life is entertaining to us. Steven Johnson debunks this theory and offers an alternative explanation for inspiration. He dispels our myths and enlightens us as to the mechanics of true invention.