The criteria
The following is a list of books that I have found match the following criteria:
They fit in your pocket (less than 400 pages).
They are a gateway to grok an human skill.
Centuries from now they will be considered “classics”.
They are or encapsulated the life’s work of individuals that manage to outrun the collective’s consensus.
The Books
How To Get Rich (Paul Getty)
Zero To One (Peter Thiel)
The Logic of Failure (Dietrich Dorner)
The Elements of Style (William Strunk Jr.)
Discrete Thoughts (Gian Carlo Rota, et all)
Taxation: The People’s Business (Andrew W. Mellon)
The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge (Calvin Coolidge)
Supply Chain Science (Wallace J. Hope)
The Design of Design (Frederick P. Brooks)
The Courage to Be Disliked (Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga)