Resources
What shaped
the way I think.
A running list of the things that really changed how I see the future, my work, and living intentionally. If you want to understand where my thinking comes from, start here.
Books
Books worth your time.
Each one gave me a piece of the mindset I use every day.
The War of Art (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Steven Pressfield
Helped me update my vocabulary as I was transitioning out of religion and acknowledging myself as an artist and creative.
The Alchemist (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Paulo Coelho
Probably one of the most impactful books I've ever read. It connected deeply to my soul; I felt every page.
The Architecture of Meaning (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Oana Leonte
My newest addition, and it has been wildly impactful. It resonates so deeply it's as if I wrote it. Every page gives me goosebumps.
Rework (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
It helped me rewire outdated thinking, and it was very useful in my early years in innovation.
Unfu*k Yourself (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Gary John Bishop
Massively useful in helping me through both my divorce and my journey out of religion. I revisit this one often.
Big Magic (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Elizabeth Gilbert
It genuinely spoke to the creative center of my soul. I love how she describes inspiration finding you and pulling the work out of you.
Poke the Box (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Seth Godin
A very short read, but massive for building a foundation of curiosity: always be willing to poke the box and see what happens.
Things a Little Bird Told Me (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Biz Stone
One of the first books I read when I started my career as an inventor. I loved the idea of creating your own luck to craft the life you want.
Creativity, Inc. (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Ed Catmull
A masterclass in turning ideas and dreams into reality, and then into a scalable system. Pixar's Braintrust is such a foundational idea.
Peace Is Every Step (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Thich Nhat Hanh
I read this in the deepest, darkest hours of my divorce. It taught me mindfulness and how to be present in every moment of my life.
Out of Our Minds (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Ken Robinson
Another critical read in my early days as an inventor. Childlike wonder and play are vital to our creativity as adults.
Start Something That Matters (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Blake Mycoskie
I was deeply moved by the idea of business as a way to create impact in the world, now and long after you are gone. Impact is bigger than money.
Caste (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Isabel Wilkerson
A breakdown of how we humans have built systems and social rules around hierarchy, and the damage they can do for generations.
Mind Set! (opens Amazon in a new tab)
John Naisbitt
Where I first learned the title "futurist," and that you can cultivate the way you see the world to look beyond today. The greatest toolset.
Man's Search for Meaning (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Viktor E. Frankl
Deeply moving. It strips away the noise of modern life to the deepest part of being human, and it taught me to see every moment as a gift, especially the hard ones, because they reveal who we are.
Why Do We Recycle? 🙂 (opens Amazon in a new tab)
Scott Emmons
Designed by Mark Warnick
I was lucky enough to design a children's book for StoryBots. It's a reminder that opportunities flow in ways you can never see when you pursue your passions.
3vies Magazine, Volumes 30–40
Mark Warnick
This decade built me into who I am today. It was in the work: the quiet early hours where I forged my most foundational work.
Essays
Essays worth rereading.
The one I hand clients before a workshop, and the one I keep going back to myself.
Mark Warnick, 2025
Change, Rhythms and Feedback loops
The piece I pass to clients before a workshop. Learning how to build effective feedback loops is one of the most important things you can do to create environments for building a life, or executing projects, that connect to the deepest parts of you.
Paul Graham, 2002
Taste for Makers (opens in a new tab)
I stumbled on this in 2012, when I started working in innovation, and I have gone back to it ever since. It speaks to the importance of developing your own taste, which is vital to developing your deepest self. And as we move forward, taste is the layer of a person that will drive so much of their projects, career, and life fulfillment.
Watch
Worth watching.
Talks and films that arrived early and stayed with me.
Bret Victor, CUSEC 2012
Watch it: Inventing on Principle (opens in a new tab)
So far ahead of its time, and so formative in my early career that it shaped my mindset. More than anything it spoke to my soul, and it lined up with so much I already believed.
Apple, 1997
Watch it: Here’s to the Crazy Ones (opens in a new tab)
One of the most incredible pieces of marketing I have ever seen, and it has stuck with me through all the years. I have always yearned to be part of a project that could create a product or brand that lands like this. It reminds me of what I still want to create: things with a deep, resonant impact on people’s lives decades after I am gone.
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