Curated Collections

The UC Berkeley Summer Reading List is a decades‑long tradition, now in its 40th year, showcasing books recommended by Berkeley faculty, staff, and students. This year’s theme, generosity, brings together books that explore acts of kindness, magnanimity, and moments that can alter lives or communities. Selected works invite readers to reflect on how generosity shapes our decisions, relationships, and future, offering insights that resonate far beyond campus.

Essential reading on CRISPR, longevity science, and synthetic biology. The technologies reshape medicine, life, and the future of humanity.

From UC Berkeley's vibrant reading community — books that explore "(Re)Writing the Rules" and challenging conventional wisdom. Recommended by Cal students, faculty, and staff, this collection represents some of the most thought-provoking reads suggested by the Berkeley community for those ready to question and reimagine.

Some of the best tour guides aren't people. They're books. This collection plots a course through New York's diverse neighborhoods, from the Upper West Side to streets far beyond. Sourced from the Columbia University community, these titles delve into the rich fabric of the city, revealing the character and history written on every block. Consider this your map to the hidden stories of NYC.

A 10-book growth plan in working at your full cognitive capacity. From understanding why focus is rare, to building the systems and habits that let you do the work that actually matters.

A structured growth plan in Stoic philosophy as a complete life operating system. A practical toolkit for navigating adversity, clarifying values, and living with deliberate intention.

What holds a community together? Dive into this reading list, handpicked by the brilliant minds at UC Berkeley to explore that very question. Centered on the theme "Illuminating Communities," these stories are your ticket to discovering the threads that connect us all. Find your next unforgettable read right here!

Sourced from the UC Berkeley, this collection features engaging books and a film chosen by the Cal community for their profound exploration of "Defining Moments." These titles delve into the significant moments that shape us, offering powerful narratives about individuals, societies, and the world at large. We invite you to discover a story that might become a defining moment for you.

The Three Books program introduces incoming Stanford students to thought‑provoking themes and authors before they arrive on campus. Each year, a faculty member selects three works designed to spark conversation and reflection, serving as a shared intellectual experience for the new class. This archive presents past selections, ranging from explorations of biodiversity and environmental science to discussions of perspective, empathy, and hope — a tradition that connects students to ideas and to one another from the very start of their Stanford journey.

The 8 essential books YC-style founders read to think clearly, build fast, find product-market fit, and scale enduring companies.

A comprehensive 10-book curriculum in modern longevity science — starting with the biology of aging, moving through the four pillars of physical health, and ending with the psychological dimensions that determine quality of life in your final decades.

A growth plan in upgrading the quality of your thinking — from understanding cognitive biases, to building cross-domain mental models, to developing the kind of judgment that consistently produces better decisions and better ideas.