I believe that reading–especially the kind that helps us access new worlds of thought–is a quiet but powerful act of empowerment.
I made this page to share selected readings across themes I care deeply about: design, human agency, futures thinking, urban and critical studies, and the evolving ways we inhabit the world. Some books are introductory–ideal for those just beginning to explore a new field. Others reflect deeper inquiries I’m currently pursuing.
I offer this list as an evolving archive: part personal blog, part public resource. Literacy, after all, is a lifelong journey.
I still believe in the old saying–however cliche it may sound–“Knowledge is Power” by Francis Bacon. But for me, what resonates more, is Aristotle’s “To know oneself is the beginning of all wisdom.” I suppose I’ll spend a lifetime trying to know who I really am.
For those who find it hard to pick up reading, I’ve also tried to include a mix of accessble and foundational material. I’d suggest starting small: 30 minutes a day–morning or evening–accompanied by reflection, routine, and consistency. Over time, reading becomes easier, more instinctive, habitual.
Let’s invest ourselves in books as our closest and most trusted friends/allies.
This list below is a work in progress–curated and updated over time.
I’m on Goodreads. Follow me and explore this amazing portal.
____
Way of life
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Tao Te Ching by Derek Lin
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Awakening Your Ikigai by Ken Mogi
Ways of Seeing by John Berger
In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
The power of human beings–agency, ingenuity, posthuman, and more
The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt
Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen (suitable as introductory text)
Homo Deus by Yuvai Noah Harari (suitable as introductory text)
Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation by Margaret Archer
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes
Basic Writings by Nietzsche by Friedrich Nietzsche
Critical studies (incl. urban)
Critique of Everyday Life by Henri Lefebvre
Rebel Cities by David Harvey
Urban Futures: Planning for City Foresight and City Visions by Tim Dixon
Globalisation and its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz
Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide by Lois Tyson (suitable as introductory text)
The Just City by Susan Fainstein
Poverty Capital by Ananya Roy
Futures
The Future: A Very Short Introduction by Jennifer Gidley (Oxford Short Introductions) (suitable as introductory text)
Why Futures Studies? by Eleonora Masini (suitable as introductory text)
The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies 2020 by Richard Slaughter and Andy Hines (suitable as introductory text)
Urban Futures: Planning for City Foresight and City Visions by Tim Dixon (suitable as introductory text)
Foundations of Futures Studies: History, Purposes, and Knowledge Vol 1 by Wendell Bell (suitable as introductory text)