Columbia University is one of the few colleges that asks applicants for a list of the books they’ve read, but that doesn’t also give you an opportunity to explain your choices. Instead, it’s a list devoid of additional context. Everything you have to say needs to be in the titles and authors, which means being strategic about what you include is critical.
And let’s be clear here, you do actually need to have read any books you put on your list. They may not be following up with a pop quiz to verify your lists, but the Columbia application readers are savvy enough to know if your list doesn’t quite feel right. To help you out, we’ve listed ten amazing books for prospective engineering majors at Columbia to read that are a mix of entrepreneurship, engineering, and bigger-picture-life-lesson stuff (a technical designation, obviously). Pick five or so from this list, read on paper, or listen on your school commute, and you’ll be all set.
If this whole reading list thing has you stressed out, send us an email. We help students find and get into their dream schools.
Delivering Happiness (buy)
By Tony Hsieh
Written by the founder of Zappos.com, this book has become a go-to resource (and not a bad narrative read either) for budding businesspeople who care about the nexus of people, purpose, and profits.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things (buy)
By Ben Horowitz
One of the most successful investors and entrepreneurs ever shares how to approach tough situations, and this is a book to keep on your shelf to refer back to when things get rocky.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (buy)
By Robert M. Pirsig
An iconic book that has impacted millions of readers and continues to shape the ideals, values, and dreams of readers globally. While this isn’t a motorcycle maintenance how-to, it is a how-to on living a meaningful life with some engineering speak mixed in for good measure.
Hatching Twitter (buy)
By Nick Bilton
Back before Elon bought Twitter and everyone lost their blue check marks, it was a messaging application invented by a group of friends who were nosey about what each other were up to. This book chronicles how that simple idea transformed into something so much bigger.
What They Teach You at Harvard Business School (buy)
By Philip Delves Broughton
The title says it all. This bestselling book promises to give you the lessons of an MBA without having to actually go get one. It’s not actually a substitute for the real thing, but it’s 100% worth a read.
Steve Jobs (buy)
By Walter Isaacson
The only biography on this list, Isaacson’s biography of Apple-founder Steve Jobs isn’t a fawning retelling of mythic rise to the top. Instead, it’s an honest look at how a man became an icon, while still struggling with being human.
Outliers (buy)
By Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell has an uncanny ability to distill big ideas into digestible nuggets that can change your life. In Outliers, he shares what makes high-achievers (and succeeders) different, and how you can become one yourself.
The Lean Startup (buy)
By Eric Ries
You don’t need a huge bucket of money or immense resources to get the ball rolling on your dreams, Ries argues. You simply need to work smart, surround yourself with immense talent and skill, and innovate continuously — which sounds a lot easier that it is, to be fair.
To Engineer is Human (buy)
By Henry Petroski
The author shares some of the biggest disasters in engineering history to illustrate not just how beautiful design turned terrifying, but also how failure pushes the field of engineering forward. The book also spotlights extraordinary successes that made humans reconsider what ‘impossible’ means.
How to Win Friends & Influence People (buy)
By Dale Carnegie
A classic that for a reason, this book has guided millions of people towards dream jobs and even dreamier careers. Getting people to like you is, it seems, an equation, and Carnegie has the secret to solving it. This is especially crucial for engineers, who’ve gotten an unfairly bad reputation when it comes to communication skills.
Now go back and pick 5. Buy or borrow, and start reading (or listening). You never know what a good book will spark.
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