9 Recommended Books by Kei Tanaka (Ex-Goldman Sachs)

The 9 Books for This Session

1. "Interviewing, Writing, and Proofreading: The Textbook for Writers"
2. "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion"
3. "Enthusiasm of One Person"
4. "If It's Not Depressing, It's Not Work"
5. "The Kitchen as a Battlefield"
6. "Blind Spots of the Global Economy"
7. "The Thinking Technique"
8. "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant"
9. "This Is You and Me Someday"

01. "Interviewing, Writing, and Proofreading: The Textbook for Writers" by Fumitake Koga

■ For these people:

People who collect information but cannot apply it to their work.

■ What kind of book is it:

A 500-page textbook covering the entire process of interviewing, writing, and proofreading.

While it looks like it's for writers, it is actually a book about the technique of "collecting ambiguous information, thinking about it, and transforming it into a form that others can use to make decisions."

It can be applied to all work that involves "explaining and moving people," such as planning, sales, marketing, and presentations.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

A book he has publicly stated he has "read and reread many times since reading it three years ago." He says that investment work also consists of interviewing, writing, and proofreading, and introduces it as a source of learning that extends far beyond just writing.

02. "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini

■ For these people:

People who want to know the reasons why people take action.

■ What kind of book is it:

A global classic that explains the mechanisms of why people say "YES" through social psychology.

It reveals the secrets behind everyday psychological techniques—like wanting to give something back when you receive it for free, or wanting something more when you're told there's only one left.

Knowing this changes how you see the world, from advertising, sales, and social media to defending against scams.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He evaluates it by saying that psychological biases and the mechanisms of how people move are "all written here." He introduces it as a book for learning about biases and how the brain works.

03. "Enthusiasm of One Person" by Toru Kenjo

■ For these people:

People who want the resolve to persevere.

■ What kind of book is it:

51 words from Gentosha founder Toru Kenjo about effort, loneliness, self-loathing, luck, and work.

It is not a book that gently pushes you forward. It is a book that makes you face yourself head-on when you want to compromise.

It hits home when you are about to break in the face of high goals, or when there is work you want to see through even if others oppose you.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He says, "This is the origin of my current habits and efforts." He cites a passage stating that "overwhelming effort means facing the impossible and continuing to make efforts that push through hardships even when others give up" as the basis for his own habit-forming.

04. "If It's Not Depressing, It's Not Work" by Toru Kenjo and Susumu Fujita

■ For these people:

People who have days when they cannot be positive.

■ What kind of book is it:

A book that head-on acknowledges that even work that looks glamorous is accompanied by anxiety, criticism, hesitation, and responsibility.

Instead of forcing yourself to feel better by trying to "work happily," it helps you reframe depression as proof that you are seriously facing your work.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He clearly states, "This is the book that saved me during my seven dark years at Goldman Sachs." He says he was saved by knowing that successful people do not work solely with positive energy.

05. "The Kitchen as a Battlefield" by Masao Saisu

■ For these people:

People who want to vicariously experience professional work.

■ What kind of book is it:

Chef Masao Saisu of the French restaurant "Côte d'Or" talks about the essence of work through his training in Paris and restaurant management.

Preparation, repetition, observation, and judgment on the spot—it depicts the attitude of a professional who never lowers their standards.

Even if your occupation is different, you can experience the rhythm of a first-class workplace.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He posted on X that it is a "truly masterpiece." He says he was so influenced by it that he actually visited the author's restaurant after reading it.

06. "Blind Spots of the Global Economy" by Ryutaro Kono and Daisuke Karakama

■ For these people:

People who want to understand economic news deeply.

■ What kind of book is it:

Two popular economists delve into the global economy, exchange rates, interest rates, economic policy, and international affairs in a dialogue format.

It allows you to structurally understand "yen depreciation," "inflation," and "rising interest rates" within the connections of systems, politics, population, and corporate behavior.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He says he always checks the views of these two when deep insight is needed. He introduces it as a "book I want to reread periodically."

07. "The Thinking Technique" by Kenichi Ohmae

■ For these people:

People who want to train their ability to break down problems.

■ What kind of book is it:

A book that explains logical thinking, idea generation, and how to hone foresight.

It teaches the process of thinking step-by-step: how to set problems, how to collect information, how to create hypotheses, and how to reach conclusions.

It enables you to turn vague worries like "sales have dropped" or "work is slow" into elements and then into next actions.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He read Kenichi Ohmae's works one after another during his job hunt and clearly states that this is his "favorite" among them.

08. "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" by Eric Jorgenson

■ For these people:

People who want to think about life beyond money.

■ What kind of book is it:

A book that reconstructs the words of Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant into "wealth" and "happiness."

It develops around two questions: "How to get rich without relying on luck" and "How to live happily."

People who think about asset formation, work, health, family, and time separately can reconnect the dots into a line.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

He introduces it as a "book with much to learn about thinking regarding input, reading, health, money, and life."

09. "This Is You and Me Someday" by Moegara

■ For these people:

People who are tired and have days when they cannot read difficult books.

■ What kind of book is it:

A collection of 50 essays. It is packed with stories that feel like experiences from somewhere in life, along with words that bring scenes to mind.

You can read it without straining, and while remembering past events and relationships, you can gradually regain your emotions.

■ Kei Tanaka's Evaluation:

Introduced as a "book that can be read naturally even when you have no energy." The fact that he reads such essays in addition to business books shows the breadth of Tanaka's reading.

Summary

If you want to build your thinking for work:

• "The Thinking Technique"
• "Interviewing, Writing, and Proofreading"

When your heart is about to break:

• "If It's Not Depressing, It's Not Work"
• "This Is You and Me Someday"

If you want resolve:

• "Enthusiasm of One Person"

Reference Article:

https://ai-lifehack.net/tanaka-kei-recommended-books/

Thank you for reading to the end.

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