Vincent
Touati-Tomas

My favourite reads

My happy place? In the middle of the Scottish Highlands, wrapped in a cosy duvet on a sofa with a Shiba Inu by my side. There, I’ll probably be reading (for the tenth time) a book by Albert Camus right before hosting friends for dinner.

Books are often complementary, and one book leads to another, so there’s no such thing as a book list. Rather than a finite process, I envision my reading as a series of paths, each helping me explore a specific topic in-depth and feeding my insatiable curiosity.

This is a list of the most transformative books I’ve read.

Books that have changed my life and why

  • Stop Stealing Dreams – Seth Godin (This book walks through the misconceptions traditional education has about the workplace: you’re taught how to climb a ladder, starting as an intern, then junior, manager, director and corporate titles that only will slow you down. This was eye-opening as I was about to contract a large student loan that would have been a real burden as my professional life started. I owe Seth Godin so much for opening my eyes about the traditional route and following your “dreams”.)
  • The Courage To Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi (I wouldn't be able to count how many people I've recommended this book to, especially when overcoming trauma. I genuinely believe in Adler's psychology that there is no such thing as trauma, there are only emotions you can control. This book helped me and friends a great deal, and if you're in the right mental headspace, will probably change yours too.)
  • The Secret – Rhonda Byrne (This book is the most straightforward introduction to the Law of Attraction, one of my core spiritual beliefs.)
  • All three main religious books: The Bible, The Coran, and The Talmud (I was raised with faith but questioned the existence of God when my grandfather died while I was a kid. Since then, I've explored spirituality and what religions are made for. I believe these books are critical reads for understanding the world we live in.)

Books I'd take to a desert island

  • The Outsider – Albert Camus
  • Are you my mother – Alison Bechdel
  • On the Shortness of Life – Seneca
  • The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Articles I find myself sending over and over

  • What Is Strategy – Michael Porter
  • How to Win Founders and Influence Everybody

Favourite authors

  • Albert Camus (Litterature)
  • Seth Godin (Marketing)
  • Alison Bechdel (Psychology)
  • Seneca (Philosophy)
  • Michel Foucault (Philosophy)

Psychology

  • The Courage To Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
  • The second mountain – David Brooks
  • Too smart to have a happy life – Jeanne Siaud-Fachin
  • I think too much – Christel Petitcollin

Biographies & Stories

  • Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
  • Elon Musk – Walter Isaacson
  • The meaning of my life – Romain Gary
  • Sophia of Silicon Valley – Anna Yen
  • What It Takes – Stephen Schwartzman
  • Red Notice – Bill Browder

Business and Startups

  • Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy – Bill Janeway
  • Hedge: A Greater Safety Net for the Entrepreneurial Age – Nicolas Colin
  • Zero to One – Peter Thiel
  • The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham
  • King of Capital – Carey David

Management

  • Radical Candor – Kim Scott
  • The First 90 Days – Michael D. Watkins

Strategy

  • The Lords of Strategy – Walter Kiechel
  • Madison Avenue Manslaughter – Michael Farmer
  • Disciplined Entrepreneurship – Bill Aulet
  • Skin in the Game – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Marketing & Communications

  • Buck Up, Suck Up… and Come Back When You Foul Up – James Carville
  • This is Marketing – Seth Godin
  • Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits – Debbie Millman
  • Trust Me, I'm Lying – Ryan Holiday
  • The New Watchdogs – Paul Nizan