Library & Readings

A curated collection of books shaping my thinking on technology, strategic behavior, and system resilience.

✅ Completed in 2025

“Theory of Games and Economic Behavior” : John von Neumann & Oskar Morgenstern
The formal foundation of strategic interaction. It teaches that rational systems can generate deeply human outcomes and highlights the importance of choosing disengagement when a game is negative-sum.
“Game Theory” : Drew Fudenberg & Jean Tirole
Rigorous treatment of dynamic and repeated games. Key insight: Optimal behavior depends on the long-term horizon, prioritizing consistency over momentary advantage.
“The Evolution of Cooperation” : Robert Axelrod
Demonstrates how predictability and reciprocity outperform manipulation over time. Essential for building trust in Multi-Agent protocols without overexposure.
“The Strategy of Conflict” : Thomas Schelling
Reframes conflict as something that can be stabilized through restraint and measured assertiveness rather than escalation.

“Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder” : Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Focuses on systems that improve under stress. Building an identity and infrastructure that does not require distortion to function.
“The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable” : Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Reveals how apparent stability often ignores rare but decisive events. Teaches structural humility and the need for safety margins.

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” : Daniel Kahneman
Explores the two systems of the mind: the intuitive and the logical. Essential for understanding cognitive biases in high-stakes decision-making.
“Atomic Habits” : James Clear
A framework for continuous improvement by focusing on tiny, consistent changes and systems rather than just goals.
“Building a Second Brain” : Tiago Forte
A system for personal knowledge management: increasing productivity and creative output through externalized digital memory.
“Games People Play” : Eric Berne
Identifies repetitive scripts in human interaction. Crucial for relational awareness and the intentional exit from disfunctional cycles.
“Ego Is the Enemy” : Ryan Holiday
Teaches that ego leads to short-term emotional wins at the cost of long-term instability. Focuses on self-restraint and dignity.
“The Moral Landscape” : Sam Harris
Treats morality as structural alignment: choosing internal coherence and psychologically sustainable ways of living.

“Multi-Agent Systems: Algorithmic, Game-Theoretic, and Logical Foundations” : Yoav Shoham & Kevin Leyton-Brown
The standard reference for communication protocols and interaction between autonomous agents.
“Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction” : Richard S. Sutton & Andrew G. Barto
Fundamental for understanding how agents learn to make sequential decisions in uncertain environments.
“Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies” : Nick Bostrom
Essential for understanding the risks of goal misalignment in autonomous systems.

“Drift into Failure” : Sidney Dekker
Explores how complex systems decline into disaster through incremental decisions. Vital for my research in Chaos Engineering.
“Resilience Engineering in Practice” : Erik Hollnagel et al.
Practical methods for measuring and engineering resilience in high-hazard sectors.

“Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions” : Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths
Bridges the gap between computer science algorithms and human decision-making strategies.
“The Beginning of Infinity” : David Deutsch
A deep dive into the nature of explanations and the reach of scientific progress.

“Chaos Engineering: System Resiliency in Practice” : Casey Rosenthal & Nora Jones
Core reference for my M.Sc. Dissertation at ITA.
“Designing Data-Intensive Applications” : Martin Kleppmann
Deep dive into distributed consistency and advanced data retrieval.

If a particular book has permanently altered your mental landscape, I would be honored to hear about it. contatorichardsonlima at gmail dot com

.last-updated: February 2026