What books does Changpeng Zhao recommend?
Having built Binance into the world's largest crypto exchange and now running the education venture Giggle Academy, Changpeng Zhao, known widely as CZ, shares book recommendations that read like a founder's operating manual. His 38 titles are published mainly through the Binance blog and his Twitter account, where he shares both reading lists and management principles, and they tilt toward business and strategy, leadership and management, psychology and human behavior, and science and technology. Among his top picks is Frederic Bastiat's The Law, a book he calls timeless and says 'aligns with a lot of my personal philosophy.' He pairs it with Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, which he praises because 'there are few books that better encapsulate the inner workings of economics than this one,' along with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens and Patrick Lencioni's The Advantage. CZ's list reflects a founder drawn to first principles about freedom, economics, and how organizations scale.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
byFrédéric Bastiat
199879 Pages“This short (only 60+ pages) but timeless book... aligns with a lot of my personal philosophy. It forms a fundamental view of the world and of what constitutes right and wrong.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Economics in One Lesson
The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics
byHenry Hazlitt
1979218 Pages“More than 60 years have passed since this book was first published, but there are few books that better encapsulate the inner workings of economics than this one.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Tim Ferriss, Barack Obama, Ray Dalio and 21 others
byYuval Noah Harari
2014443 Pages(1,100,000)
“You can't succeed in this world if you don't understand humans. This book gives unique and insightful insights into our history, how we got to where we are today, and why we behave the way we do.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
The Advantage
Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
byPatrick Lencioni
2012240 Pages“Why organizational health trumps everything else in business. In the early days of Binance, we dedicated one offsite meeting to go through the exercises in this book.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
The Starfish and the Spider
The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations
byOri Brafman, Rod Beckstrom
2006240 Pages“Essential reading if you want an idea of how a decentralized organization should operate.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Sam Altman, Sheryl Sandberg, Brian Chesky and 1 others
Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
byReid Hoffman, Chris Yeh
2018336 Pages“This book goes into detail on how organizations of different sizes work... This has been very helpful to Binance as we chart our growth as an organization.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Peter Thiel, Naval Ravikant, Marc Andreessen and 5 others
The Sovereign Individual
Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
byJames Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg
1999448 Pages“A book written 20 years ahead of its time, and fully accurate in its predictions.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Skin in the Game
Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life
byNassim Nicholas Taleb
2018304 Pages“I see this book as a complement to 'Economics in One Lesson.' And it's an excellent read on its own.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Antifragile
Things That Gain from Disorder
byNassim Nicholas Taleb
2012519 Pages“We definitely want Binance to be antifragile. This book may explain why we make some of the decisions we make.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Loonshots
How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
bySafi Bahcall
2019368 Pages“After reading this book, you will understand why we tolerate failures at Binance, and more importantly, what types of failures we tolerate or not.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Ryan Holiday, Kobe Bryant, Changpeng Zhao and 3 others
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
byDavid Epstein
2019352 Pages“While many books talk about specialization... this book gives a different view to balance that argument. And how many great inventions happen at the intersection of disciplines.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
Team Topologies
Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow
byMatthew Skelton, Manuel Pais
2019240 Pages“This book talks about organizing business and technology for fast flow. It also goes into detail about how organizational structures dictate system architectures.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
Work Rules!
Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
byLaszlo Bock
2015416 Pages“There are lessons in this book that are good to know, especially at Binance as we also release product after product at a fast pace.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
byStanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, Chris Fussell
2015304 Pages“I believe every modern organization should be run like this.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Alchemy
The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
byRory Sutherland
2019384 Pages“This book addresses some of the counterintuitive points in life and business. Pretty interesting book. Must read for marketing teams.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
The Infinite Game
How to succeed in the game of business and life
bySimon Sinek
2019272 Pages“This book gives a perspective on long term vision. It will broaden your horizons and views.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
On Writing Well
The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
byWilliam Zinsser
2006336 Pages“Excellent book about concise writing. Must read for everyone. We work remotely... mostly in writing.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
The Innovation Stack
Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time
byJim McKelvey
2020288 Pages“Must read for BU leaders.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Contagious
Why Things Catch On
byJonah Berger
2013256 Pages“A must-read for all product designers and marketers, and a lot of people in our team have taken the lessons in this book to heart.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Made to Stick
Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
byChip Heath, Dan Heath
2007336 Pages“Yet another great marketing book, this informs a lot of our public outreach in terms of making our services more essential for our users.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Super Pumped
The Battle for Uber
byMike Isaac
2019408 Pages“While I don't think that everyone should follow everything in this book, it narrates the opportunities and challenges that come with developing in a new industry... a great read.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
American Kingpin
The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road
byNick Bilton
2017329 Pages“The story of the Silk Road. Fascinating read given the industry.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Changpeng Zhao
Amazon Unbound
Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire
byBrad Stone
2021496 Pages“Detailed story of how Jeff went through some of the issues on his way to revolutionizing the world.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
Read by Ray Dalio, Satya Nadella, Richard Thaler and 1 others
byReed Hastings, Erin Meyer
2020320 Pages“Key points: talent density, candor, feedback.”
— Changpeng Zhao
Source: Binance Blog, CZ's Book Recommendations
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Changpeng Zhao recommend?
His 38 recommendations include The Law by Frederic Bastiat, Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt, Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, and The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni, spanning economics, history, and management.
What is Changpeng Zhao's favorite book?
Frederic Bastiat's The Law, which he calls timeless and says 'aligns with a lot of my personal philosophy,' adding that this short book 'forms a fundamental view of the world and of what constitutes right and wrong.'
Where do Changpeng Zhao book recommendations come from?
They are published on the Binance blog, in posts covering his book recommendations and his management principles, and shared through his Twitter account, rather than through podcasts or interviews.
Has Changpeng Zhao written a book?
No authored books appear in his profile. His recommendations reach readers through Binance blog posts and social media rather than through published works of his own.
What genres does Changpeng Zhao read most?
His recommendations favor business and strategy, leadership and management, psychology and human behavior, and science and technology, with a distinct interest in free-market economics and first-principles thinking about how societies, markets, and organizations actually work.
All 38 Books Changpeng Zhao Has Recommended
- The Law · Frédéric Bastiat
- Economics in One Lesson · Henry Hazlitt
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind · Yuval Noah Harari
- The Advantage · Patrick Lencioni
- The Starfish and the Spider · Ori Brafman
- Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies · Reid Hoffman
- The Sovereign Individual · James Dale Davidson
- Skin in the Game · Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Antifragile · Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Loonshots · Safi Bahcall
- Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World · David Epstein
- Team Topologies · Matthew Skelton
- Work Rules! · Laszlo Bock
- Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World · Stanley McChrystal
- Alchemy · Rory Sutherland
- The Infinite Game · Simon Sinek
- On Writing Well · William Zinsser
- The Innovation Stack · Jim McKelvey
- Contagious · Jonah Berger
- Made to Stick · Chip Heath
- Super Pumped · Mike Isaac
- American Kingpin · Nick Bilton
- Amazon Unbound · Brad Stone
- No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention · Reed Hastings
- Crossing the Chasm · Geoffrey A. Moore
- The DevOps Handbook · Gene Kim
- The Coaching Habit · Michael Bungay Stanier
- Platform Revolution · Geoffrey G. Parker
- Exponential Organizations · Salim Ismail
- The Culture Code · Daniel Coyle
- Hug Your Haters · Jay Baer
- Fallen Dragon · Peter F. Hamilton
- The Culture Map · Erin Meyer
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things · Ben Horowitz
- High Output Management · Andrew S. Grove
- Essentialism · Greg McKeown
- Delivering Happiness · Tony Hsieh
- The Psychology of Money · Morgan Housel