Matthias Karner

Digitalization & IT leader. Avid reader. Dedicated Writer. Engineering PhD. Productivity enthusiast.

Hey everyone, thanks for dropping by my Favourite Picks page!

Here, I want to tell you about my favorite things – the books I enjoy, the software I personally use, and some must-have products.

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Books I love

Reading is fun.

You can dive into the minds of great scientists, explore the thoughts of creative minds and learn new things. Reading a non-fiction book is like installing a new operating system on your PC: it changes the way you process information and how you think of certain topics.

Books on Productivity

  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: This one is an essential book for all productivity enthusiasts with valuable tips on how to improve your workflow and be highly effective.
  • Atomic Habits: Building habits is the seed for long lasting success. When it comes to habit-building, this book is a true treasure trove.
  • Calling Bullshit: Bullshit has been out there since the beginning of mankind, and in today’s digital era, we must be cautious of misleading content across various media. This book provides helpful guidance on navigating our information-filled world and recognizing falsehoods.
  • Getting Things Done: This is, in my opinion, another must-read for productivity enthusiasts.
  • Grit: Talent is not the most important trait towards success, perseverance and passion is - this book tells why.
  • How to take smart notes: Notes are the core to each productivity-system. A great approach is the “Zettelkasten”- this book lays out the fundamentals.
  • SCRUM: How to do twice the work in half the time: A great read about how to be productive in the realm of project management
  • The subtle Art of not giving a f*ck: Ignoring things can be hard, especially if you’re someone who usually cares a lot. But it’s necessary not to care too much to prevent burnout and stay productive in the long run.

Books on Management & Leadership

  • Getting To Yes: This is an interesting read about negotiation. For me, it was a great introduction to this topic when I became head of a department.
  • Good Inside: This is a book about parenting. However, it also conveys messages very important to leadership.
  • Good Strategy Bad Strategy: A modern classic about how to develop good strategies.
  • How to fail: In this book the author tells us her personal story of where she has failed in life and what she learned about failure.
  • How to win friends and influence people: A short book on how to make new connections and have a positive impact on people in general.
  • Leaders Eat Last: This was one of the most interesting books about leadership I’ve read in the past years.
  • Meditations: A true classic about stoic principles in leadership written by the Roman emperor of his time: Marcus Aurelius.
  • One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey: This one is about how to delegate properly.
  • Outliers: What are the prerequisites for success? In this book, you will learn the power of persistence and chance.
  • Shaolin: An interesting book about leadership techniques you can learn from the Shaolin Monks.
  • Start with Why: A vision is important. This is especially true in leadership
  • The Art of War: An ancient Chinese book about military strategy that is still relevant in today’s leadership world.
  • The Infinite Game: This is the sequel to Start with Why. The author shows why strategies should focus on long-term effects and not on short-term gains.
  • The Miracle of Appreciation: An interesting but controversial book about appreciation in the workplace (and beyond).

Books on Entrepreneurship & Money

  • Capital in the Twenty-First Century: A modern classic about macroeconomics and inequality in today’s capitalistic society.
  • How to get rich like Norway: This is not a classic “get rich quick” book. On the contrary: it shows how you can learn from the investment strategies of the Norwegian government and become wealthy long term.
  • Psychology of Money: A must-read book about money.
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad: This book is quite controversial: some love it, some hate it. To me, it was interesting to read about the standpoints of the author. However, I do not agree with him on all points.
  • The 4-hour startup: Starting a business doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment. In this book, you will learn how you can start a business parallel to your 9-5 job.
  • The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: An interesting, contemporary book about money and happiness.
  • The Art and Business of Online Writing: This is an interesting book on how to structure texts for an online audience and how you can earn some income from publishing online.
  • The Lean Startup: An interesting book on the application of lean methodologies in the entrepreneurial realm.
  • The Millionaire Fastlane: This book is about how you can start and grow a business quickly and become wealthy within the next 10 years.
  • The Richest Man in Babylon: A classic book about money.

Other great non-fiction books

My favourite fiction books

  • 1984: This has become my favourite Sci-Fi book about a dystopian future.
  • Brave New World: In my ranking of Sci-Fi books, this on second place.
  • Don Quijote: A must-read classic and a national treasure of Spain.
  • The Alchemist: It follows a young shepherd boy on a journey to discover his Personal Legend, encountering spiritual teachings and life lessons.
  • To Kill a Mockingbird: The book explores themes of racial injustice and moral growth in Alabama during the 1930s. A great book with exceptional protagonists and many learnings.

Software I use

Productivity Tools

  • Notion: My productivity tool of choice for my note-taking for the last years has been Notion. I enjoy the freedom it offers in creating a structure that supports different workflows very much.
  • OneNote: At my job, I use Microsoft OneNote for note-taking and personal knowledge management. If you are in the Microsoft eco
  • TORP: Total Productivity Recall: This is the productivity method I use.

Webpage

  • GitHub pages: A great way to host a web page that looks great and is efficient when it comes to costs and maintenance.
  • Jekyll: An exceptional framework to create good-looking, static webpages.

Other bits and pieces

  • Google Pixel: I am a huge fan of the Google Pixel series. It is pure Android (without the unwanted parts) and comes with one of the best cameras in the whole smartphone world.
  • Google Pixel Buds Pro: Great wireless earbuds.
  • iPad Air: Although the iPad Pro is the best tablet on the market - from a technical point of view, I think the iPad Air is better. It has all the necessary features without breaking the bank.
  • Blender: Everyone needs a good blender, either for milkshakes, smoothies or soups. This is the one I am using.
  • Vacuum Cleaner: I am a big fan of wireless vacuum cleaners.
  • Vacuum Robot: I am even a bigger fan of robot vacuums.

Short Disclaimer: With the links I aim to give you direct and easy access to the books and products online, utilizing affiliate links for this purpose. When you make a purchase using these links, the price for you stays the same, but I receive a small commission.