For my August reading list, I leaned more into entrepreneurial books. The month started with Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, an ideal mental reset. Next came The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport—a deep dive into Formula 1. Next came The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant, which reframed how I think about running a large company. Finally, The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism, offered me a 180-degree contrast to Nvidia’s approach.
Tao Te Ching: A New English Version
Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, translated by Stephen Mitchell, is a short, powerful book attributed to Lao Tzu. This ancient text, written around 400 BC, focuses on balance, perspective, and intention.
It’s about knowing when to act and when to let go — nudging you to zoom out and see life more clearly.
What shines out is its simplicity. It cuts through the noise and reminds you what matters most: where to focus your time, how to live, and how short life is.
I love short, punchy books like this — ones that deliver lasting impact with just a few pages.
It’s one I keep coming back to. You can check it out here: Tao Te Ching: A New English Version.
The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport
The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport is a book I wouldn’t have picked up before I got into F1 a few years ago.
Written by two Wall Street Journal reporters, it covers F1’s breakthrough in America, the eclectic cast of characters in its history, the personalities it attracts, the engineering prodigies behind the modern F1 car, and the bitter rivalries that keep me glued to live races.
F1 had an early presence in the US, but trailed NASCAR and IndyCAR in popularity. Fast forward to today—it leads the pack in American fan interest.
One of the most fascinating lessons was how F1 saved itself from collapse before conquering America. The sport kept evolving and experimenting until it found its niche in the U.S.
Bernie Ecclestone, Adrian Newey, and Dietrich Mateschitz are just a few of the figures the book highlights — each leaving a unique mark on F1’s rise.
Whether you’re an F1 fanatic or a casual fan like me, The Formula is worth a read.
The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant
The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant draws on more than 100 interviews, including Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang, and reveals how Nvidia, under Jensen, stayed committed to the long game.
Jensen repeatedly created new markets with Nvidia’s chips, outmaneuvering giants like Intel.
Nvidia traces its founding back to the early 1990s. Like many early ventures, Nvidia survived costly missteps that sank others. One reason it survived was Jensen’s flat, decentralized structure.
Jensen is obsessed with solving the Innovator’s Dilemma — the fate of entrenched companies falling to nimble competitors. This obsession drove Jensen to refine his corporate strategy to fend off external threats.
Nvidia also spotted the AI wave earlier than most—thanks to Jensen’s foresight. And when he saw it, he pounced, making bold bets that seemed risky at the time but ultimately reshaped the industry.
The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism
The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism tells how charismatic founder John Mackey sparked a retail revolution with Whole Foods.
John recounts his early adventures building Whole Foods Market—originally called Safer Way—in Austin.
Whole Foods’ story is full of colorful characters, conflicts, and near-disasters—a reminder that even iconic brands were built through struggle.
If you know John’s story, it’s no secret that he taps into his spiritual side — and even psychedelics — to get through challenging times.
I love John’s philosophy of Conscious Capitalism: the idea that businesses have a higher purpose than profit alone, and should care for all stakeholders—customers, employees, suppliers, and beyond.
John wrestled with animal welfare—resisting meat and seafood sales in his stores for years.
I also enjoyed reading about John’s escapes from stress—especially his long hikes on the Appalachian Trail.
If you’re an entrepreneur—or hope to be one—this book is worth your time.
