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What books does Sir Lewis Hamilton recommend?
Lewis Hamilton's book recommendations reveal the reflective side of Formula 1's most successful driver, weighted toward identity, resilience, and social history. The seven-time World Champion, who founded Mission 44 and The Hamilton Commission to widen representation in motorsport, reads across memoir, history, and philosophy. This list of 7 titles is drawn from his Instagram reading list, official F1 interviews, and his MasterClass, with themes of society and politics, history, and biographies and memoirs. He describes Akala's Natives as "one of the most important books I've read," and says of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, "I think everyone should read it." On the personal-growth side, he draws from Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements the lesson to "not take anything personally," and cites The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, recounting its parable of a boy tasked with carrying a spoon of oil without spilling a drop.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Four Agreements
A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
byDon Miguel Ruiz
1997160 Pages“There's an element in there where it says don't take anything personally, so when someone says something about you, it's not actually about you, it's how they feel about themselves.”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: Interview with The Economic Times
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The Alchemist
A Fable About Following Your Dream
byPaulo Coelho
2014208 Pages(3,580,036)
“I read this book, The Alchemist, and I liked the story. There is this kid who meets the King. The King says to him: 'I don't have time for you right this second, but take this spoon with a drop of oil... don't drop the drop of oil.'”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: Official Formula 1 Interview
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire
The Sunday Times Bestseller
byAkala
2018352 Pages“This is one of the most important books I’ve read. It's about the history of the UK and the reality of where we are today.”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: Lewis Hamilton's Official Instagram 'Reading List'
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
As Told to Alex Haley
byMalcolm X, Alex Haley
1992544 Pages“I'm currently reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X and I think everyone should read it.”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: Lewis Hamilton's Official Instagram 'Reading List'
byKhaled Hosseini
2007384 Pages(1,717,776)
“I just finished 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'... it's a beautiful book, very sad, but definitely one to read.”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: CNN Interview (2017)
byMaya Angelou
197864 Pages“Maya Angelou is one of my biggest inspirations. 'Still I Rise' is a mantra I live by every single day.”
— Sir Lewis Hamilton
Source: Official Helmet Mantra and Public Statements
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Long Walk to Freedom
The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
byNelson Mandela
1995656 PagesSource: MasterClass: Lewis Hamilton Teaches a Winning Mindset
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Lewis Hamilton recommend?
His 7 recommendations include The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Natives by Akala, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
What is Lewis Hamilton's most important book?
He calls Akala's Natives "one of the most important books I've read," describing it as being about "the history of the UK and the reality of where we are today."
Where do Lewis Hamilton's book recommendations come from?
They come from his official Instagram reading list, Formula 1 and CNN interviews, a conversation with The Economic Times, and his MasterClass on a winning mindset.
Has Lewis Hamilton written any books?
Yes, one: Lewis Hamilton: My Story, published in 2007 early in his Formula 1 career.
What does Lewis Hamilton take from The Four Agreements?
He highlights the lesson to not take things personally, explaining that "when someone says something about you, it's not actually about you, it's how they feel about themselves."