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Paul Graham

Co-founder, Viaweb and Y Combinator

A programmer and investor who co-founded Viaweb, acquired by Yahoo, and Y Combinator. His own writing documents reading recommendations in history and mathematics.

Wikipedia

Founder Technology Computing Investing

3Books recommended

Books Paul Graham recommends

3 books, each linked to the source where Paul Graham recommended it.

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

by Benjamin Franklin · 1791

Listed by Paul Graham among his most exciting books for learning history.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Paul Graham

Evidence details

Rarely-Asked Questions

The person’s own reader-facing recommendation. Citation paraphrase, not a verbatim quote.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Paul Graham · undated · accessed 2026-09-30

Personal writing · Personal reading advice

Graham answers what to read to learn history with a positive named list including Franklin, Autobiography. Roberts history is discussed without a recommendation and not imported.

Amazon Audible Bookshop.org

A Mathematician’s Apology

by G. H. Hardy · 1940

Recommended by Paul Graham to readers ambitious to do great work in any field.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Paul Graham

Evidence details

How to Do Great Work

The person’s own reader-facing recommendation. Citation paraphrase, not a verbatim quote.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Paul Graham · 2023-07 · accessed 2026-09-30

Personal writing · Personal essay with explicit reading recommendation

Footnote7 explicitly recommends Hardy’s A Mathematician’s Apology. Page gives July2023, not an exact day.

Bookshop.org

Civilisation

by Kenneth Clark

Selected in his history-reading answer.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Paul Graham

Evidence details

Rarely-Asked Questions

Graham names Clark’s Civilisation in his positive history-reading list. The list is the same original RAQs event as his Franklin selection; no endorsed edition is inferred.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Paul Graham · undated · accessed 2026-10-02

Article · Original written source

Graham names Clark’s Civilisation in his positive history-reading list. The list is the same original RAQs event as his Franklin selection; no endorsed edition is inferred.

Bookshop.org