This is my list of the most important books for me, that inspired or formed many of the mental models of the world. They contain mostly non-fiction, since fiction might be fun, but the real world is usually a better teacher, and more bizarre than most authors can ever imagine. These books provide mental tools to better understand the world, but none of them should be used literally in any topic but the actual topic of the book.
All models are wrong, but some are useful
(George Box)
It is a deeply human instinct to seek out community and a higher moral purpose. In a highly digital world, it is entirely understandable to look at systemic hypocrisy and corruption and think: "I want to be on the right side of history". For many well-meaning, empathetic individuals, the appeal of modern progressive, socialist, or communist spaces lies precisely in this promise. It offers a clear moral compass and a community that goes beyond general society and creates a new vocabulary to better express its points, expresses their intentions and virtues for others to follow the example.
Oh, humans. We're so great, so smart, with our huge brains and world-dominating intellectual power. We can see things nobody did before, and manipulate things that no other animal can. We're just amazing, aren't we? Except, we can't even see what's in front of us right now. No, really:
Let's do some back-of-the-envelope math, to represent Occam's Razor, why it's a thing, and why it matters.