Literature

Foundation

Isaac Asimov · 1951

Lindy Score

9,375·Classic

75 yrs

Age

4

Endorsers

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Why it endured

Asimov's magnum opus follows mathematician Hari Seldon, who predicts the fall of galactic civilization and creates a plan to shorten the coming dark ages from 30,000 years to one thousand. A foundational work of science fiction that shaped how generations of scientists and entrepreneurs think about civilization-scale problems.

What they're saying

4 people recommend this book

Elon MuskCEO of Tesla & SpaceX

Foundation — I read it as a teenager. It affected my thinking more than almost anything. It is about the development of civilization and how you can take actions to minimize the probability of a dark age and reduce its length.

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Sam AltmanCEO of OpenAI

Foundation shaped how I think about the long-term trajectory of civilization more than almost any other book.

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Bill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with science fiction. Paul Allen and I would spend countless hours discussing Isaac Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy.

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Naval RavikantEntrepreneur & philosopher

Matt Ridley, Neal Stephenson, Taleb, Borges, Ted Chiang, Anthony DeMello, Osho, J Krishnamurti, Harari, Asimov, Bradbury, Greg Egan, Feynman, Schrödinger, Bohr, Chris Alexander, the Durants, Darwin, Adam Smith, David Deutsch, Karl Popper, Douglas Hofstader, Douglas Adams

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