What books does Mark Zuckerberg recommend?
In 2015 Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, set out to read a book every two weeks under the banner "A Year of Books," and that project supplies the backbone of his 44 book recommendations collected here. Most were posted to his Facebook page, alongside endorsements he has written and titles surfaced in interviews with the New Yorker and the Lex Fridman podcast. His reading runs toward history, science and technology, society and politics, and philosophy, favoring big-picture arguments about how civilizations rise, fall, and progress. His anchoring pick is Virgil's The Aeneid, whose hero he recalls wanting to build a city that "knows no boundaries in time and greatness." The shelf spans Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature, Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens, and Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem, which he welcomed as "a fun break from all the economics and social science books I've read recently."
Last updated January 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
byVirgil
2008496 Pages(143,669)
“I remember reading the story of Aeneas's quest and his desire to build a city that 'knows no boundaries in time and greatness.'”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: New Yorker profile, 2010
Read by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Manson and 4 others
The Better Angels of Our Nature
Why Violence Has Declined
bySteven Pinker
2011832 Pages“It's a timely book about how and why violence has steadily decreased throughout our history, and how we can continue this trend.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Tim Ferriss, Barack Obama, Ray Dalio and 21 others
byYuval Noah Harari
2014443 Pages(1,100,000)
“Following the Muqaddimah, which was a history from the perspective of an intellectual in the 1300s, Sapiens is a contemporary exploration of many similar questions.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Tobias Lütke and 3 others
byCixin Liu
2014400 Pages“It's a Chinese science fiction book that has gotten so popular there's now a Hollywood movie being made based on it. This will also be a fun break from all the economics and social science books I've read recently.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and 9 others
Zero to One
Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
byPeter Thiel, Blake Masters
2014224 Pages“This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Book endorsement / Blurb
Read by Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Andreessen and 4 others
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
byBen Horowitz
2014304 Pages“Ben's experience and expertise make him one of the most important leaders not just in Silicon Valley but also in the global knowledge economy. For anyone interested in building, growing or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Book endorsement / Blurb
Read by Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Andreessen and 8 others
byAndrew S. Grove
1995272 Pages“This book played a big role in shaping my management style.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Public comment / Press mention
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
The Last Days of Night
A Novel
byGraham Moore
2016371 Pages“It's about the competition to electrify the nation between Edison, Westinghouse and Tesla. Graham is a great storyteller.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Suggestion to Dylan Byers (NBC)
Lean In for Graduates
With New Chapters by Experts, Including Find Your First Job, Negotiate Your Salary, and Own Who You Are
bySheryl Sandberg
2014432 Pages“For the past five years, I've sat at a desk next to Sheryl and I've learned something from her almost every day. Her words will help all readers — especially men — become better, more effective leaders.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Facebook post
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
Why Nations Fail
The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
byDaron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson
2012544 Pages“This book explores the different kinds of social institutions and incentives that nations have applied to encourage prosperity, economic development and elimination of poverty.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
The End of Power
From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being in Charge Isn't What It Used to Be
byMoisés Naím
2013320 Pages“This is a book that explores how the world is shifting to give individual people more power that was traditionally only held by large governments, militaries and other organizations.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
Portfolios of the Poor
How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day
byDaryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, Orlanda Ruthven
2009296 Pages“It's mind-blowing that almost half the world — almost 3 billion people — live on $2.50 a day or less. I hope reading this provides some insight into ways we can all work to support them better.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves
How Prosperity Evolves
byMatt Ridley
2010448 Pages“I'm interested to see which idea resonates more after exploring both frameworks.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Creativity, Inc.
Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
byEd Catmull, Amy Wallace
2014368 Pages“I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Sam Altman, Naval Ravikant, Mark Zuckerberg and 3 others
The Beginning of Infinity
Explanations That Transform the World
byDavid Deutsch
2011487 Pages“It's about how the way we explain things unlocks greater possibilities.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Way of the Warrior Kid
From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way
byJocko Willink
2017192 Pages“My daughters love it. And now they started training jiu-jitsu.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mention on Lex Fridman Podcast / Tim Ferriss Show
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
World Order
Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History
byHenry Kissinger
2014432 Pages“It's about foreign relations and how we can build peaceful relationships throughout the world.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
The Muqaddimah
An Introduction to History
byIbn Khaldun
2015512 Pages“While much of what was believed then is now disproven after 700 more years of progress, it's still very interesting to see what was understood at this time.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
The New Jim Crow
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
byMichelle Alexander
2010312 Pages“I've been interested in learning about criminal justice reform for a while, and this book was highly recommended by several people I trust.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg, Daniel Ek, David Sinclair and 1 others
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
50th Anniversary Edition
byThomas S. Kuhn
2012264 Pages(138,542)
“It's a history of science book that explores whether science and technology make consistent forward progress or whether progress comes in bursts.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
byMatt Ridley
2006344 Pages“This book aims to tell a history of humanity from the perspective of genetics rather than sociology.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
The Idea Factory
Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
byJon Gertner
2012432 Pages“I'm very interested in what causes innovation -- what kinds of people, questions and environments.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
Dealing with China
An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower
byHenry M. Paulson Jr.
2015430 Pages“Over the last few years, I've spent some time learning about Chinese culture, history and language. This book focuses on China's role in the global economy.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Read by Mark Zuckerberg
On Immunity
An Inoculation
byEula Biss
2014205 Pages“Vaccination is an important and timely topic. This book explores why people question vaccines and then explains why the doubts are unfounded and vaccines are effective and safe.”
— Mark Zuckerberg
Source: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page, A Year of Books
Loading more
Also recommends books in
Frequently asked questions
What books does Mark Zuckerberg recommend?
His 44 recommendations include The Aeneid by Virgil, The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, and Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu and Robinson.
What is Mark Zuckerberg's favorite book?
A top pick is Virgil's The Aeneid, whose hero he recalls seeking to build a city that "knows no boundaries in time and greatness." He has also praised The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker for charting the long decline of violence.
Where do Mark Zuckerberg's book recommendations come from?
Many stem from his 2015 "A Year of Books" project posted on his Facebook page, supplemented by book endorsements he has written and interviews including the New Yorker profile and the Lex Fridman podcast.
Which books did Mark Zuckerberg pick for A Year of Books?
That project surfaced titles such as Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, Why Nations Fail, The End of Power by Moisés Naím, Creativity, Inc., The Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun, and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
What genres does Mark Zuckerberg read most?
His recommendations concentrate on history and science and technology, with strong strands of society and politics, philosophy, and psychology and human behavior.
All 44 Books Mark Zuckerberg Has Recommended
- The Aeneid · Virgil
- The Better Angels of Our Nature · Steven Pinker
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind · Yuval Noah Harari
- The Three-Body Problem · Cixin Liu
- Zero to One · Peter Thiel
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things · Ben Horowitz
- High Output Management · Andrew S. Grove
- The Last Days of Night · Graham Moore
- Lean In for Graduates · Sheryl Sandberg
- Why Nations Fail · Daron Acemoglu
- The End of Power · Moisés Naím
- Portfolios of the Poor · Daryl Collins
- The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves · Matt Ridley
- Creativity, Inc. · Ed Catmull
- The Beginning of Infinity · David Deutsch
- Way of the Warrior Kid · Jocko Willink
- World Order · Henry Kissinger
- The Muqaddimah · Ibn Khaldun
- The New Jim Crow · Michelle Alexander
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions · Thomas S. Kuhn
- Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters · Matt Ridley
- The Idea Factory · Jon Gertner
- Dealing with China · Henry M. Paulson Jr.
- On Immunity · Eula Biss
- The Player of Games · Iain M. Banks
- Gang Leader for a Day · Sudhir Venkatesh
- Orwell's Revenge · Peter Huber
- The Varieties of Religious Experience · William James
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! · Richard P. Feynman
- Einstein: His Life and Universe · Walter Isaacson
- The Information · James Gleick
- Decoded · Jay-Z
- Open · Andre Agassi
- American Lion · Jon Meacham
- The Giving Tree · Shel Silverstein
- Ender's Game · Orson Scott Card
- The House of Rothschild · Niall Ferguson
- The Republic · Plato
- Physics of the Impossible · Michio Kaku
- Why We're Polarized · Ezra Klein
- Ready Player One · Ernest Cline
- Xi Jinping: The Governance of China · Xi Jinping
- The Dark Forest · Cixin Liu
- Death's End · Cixin Liu