To stand out as a PM you need to focus some portion of your time on learning things your peers are not. The more unique and well balanced your knowledge-stack, the more likely you will be to succeed. This means seeking out knowledge and learning from different and unique sources.
Here’s a list of books that few people are telling you to read that you should read:
 | Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think By Hans Rosling Data can be used to tell any story you want. So why not use it to look at the world through a more fact-based and positive lense? This book will help you not only realize the breakthroughs we’ve made but also know where to place your efforts and why. In other words, your instincts may be wrong. Get good at seeing things for the way they are. |
 | The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York By Robert A. Caro Robert Moses literally showed up on the doorsteps of robber barons with bulldozers in order to build the world he felt the world deserved. This book will help you realize that anything is possible and that your job is to get the job done. This masterpiece provides insight into how cities are built–and the degree to which political influence plays its role. |
 | Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics By Richard Thaler All economics is behavioral economics. We all have biases. Little we do is rational. The better you understand how people make their “calculated” decisions the better you will be at creating products for them. |
 | Letters From a Self-Made Merchant to His Son By George Horace Lorimer This book is full of timeless business and work advice. “Understand the job. Master it. Then get lazy and find ways to make yourself obsolete through systems of automation.” |
 | Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are By Seth Stephens-Davidowitz What we do and say in person and online are not always true. Getting at the heart of what people are saying is critical to the role of a PM. |
 | Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation By Tyler Cowen If you want to succeed–truly succeed–you need to understand the world as it is. You also need to understand how to figure out where things are going. Don’t let this book scare you. Use it as a blueprint. |
 | Spin Selling By Neil Rackham A good salesman isn’t in search of a good product they can sell. They first start with the right customer and discover what it is they need. As a PM you’re discovering people’s needs every day. This book will help you get better at that by giving you a base script to work from. |
 | Joel on Software By Joel Spolsky Get an understanding of how machines work from a wonderfully opinionated person. |
 | The Cathedral and the Bazaar By Eric S. Raymond There’s enterprise software and there’s free and open software. The better you understand the developer archetypes that live under each of these the better you’ll understand them and their motivations. |
 | The Courage to be Disliked By Ichiro Kishimi As a PM you interact with every personality type on a daily basis. It’s not your duty to compel them into action–nor to feel a certain way about you. Do what’s right–you can’t control how the world reacts. You’ll instantly be able to normalize the emotional ups and downs of being a PM after you read this book. |
 | The One Minute Manager By Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson Whether you “manage” people or not, people will always come to you for advice, needs, wants, questions, interruptions, et al. Read this insightful little book on how to properly “manage” all the people who come your way. |
 | Sam Walton: Made in America By Sam Walton There’s a reason Jeff Bezos makes this a required reading for his execs. Work is work-don’t forget it. And that’s a beautiful thing. Enjoy every moment of it because it’s where you’ll find the most meaning. |
 | Lord of the Flies By William Golding From this, you’ll learn the lure and madness of leadership. The story may not hold up well for an adult. However, seeing the power structure and struggle will help you understand what motivates people. |
