I love books. Some of the wisest, most interesting people who ever lived wrote books. In reading those books, we have the incredible opportunity to confer with them, to learn from them, to meditate our minds with theirs.

Below is a graphic list of the best books I've ever read (made of photos of my own copies).

I read with a pen in hand, marking insightful and useful passages to return to later. After finishing the book, I go back write each that still resonates on a 3x5 index card. Over years, I’ve amassed thousands of index card — my library of condensed profoundness — that I use to renew what I've learned and cast a bird’s eye across a vast swath of perspective.

Click any book for a short review and ten of my favorite quotes: