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54 Books to Read In 2026 - by Mario Gabriele

generalist.com · 2,073 words · saved by 1 readers

If you had the power to assign a book for everyone on Earth to read and understand, what would you choose? Long-time supporters of The Generalist will know it’s my preferred way to wrap up a Modern Meditations interview or a podcast episode. So, why do I like it so much? Isn’t it just a convoluted way of asking “What’s your favorite book?” Not quite. (Though that is a pretty great question too, no matter how staid.) There is, I find, something useful about framing the prompt in this way, and asking people not just what books they liked but those they considered deeply important. Plenty of authors can grant us pleasure, but which ones created works that truly merited the world’s attention? It also opens up the possibility for all kinds of enjoyable subplots. Will someone indulge in the hypothetical chance to promote their own work, thereby locking in a casual 8 billion in new book sales? How might they tilt humanity toward their philosophical or aesthetic preferences? Does it seem utter

54 Books to Read In 2026 Essential recommendations from some of the world’s most interesting and accomplished people. Mario Gabriele Dec 04, 2025 ∙ Paid 126 2 10 Share Friends, This is one of my favorite questions to ask: If you had the power to assign a book for everyone on Earth to read and understand, what would you choose? Long-time supporters of The Generalist will know it’s my preferred way to wrap up a Modern Meditations interview or a podcast episode. So, why do I like it so much? Isn’t it just a convoluted way of asking “What’s your favorite book?” Not quite. (Though that is a pretty

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