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Biography

The books in this collection have one thing in common: they have survived the most rigorous selection process imaginable — time. These are not books that were hyped when they were published and then forgotten. They are books that generation after generation of readers chose to keep reading, recommending, and building upon. That is the Lindy Effect in action: the longer a book has survived, the longer it is likely to survive.

Cover of Lives
Plutarch·100

Lives

Forty-eight biographies arranged in pairs — a Greek life alongside a Roman counterpart — followed by a comparison of the two. Plutarch was not writing history but moral philosophy in the form of biography: his subjects are chosen and their lives narrated to illuminate virtue and vice in action. Alexander alongside Caesar. Demosthenes alongside Cicero. Brutus alongside Dion.

Cover of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Richard P. Feynman·1985

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

The adventures of the unconventional Nobel Prize-winning physicist. The most entertaining scientific memoir ever written.

Frequently Asked

What is the Lindy Effect?

The Lindy Effect is a concept proposing that the future life expectancy of non-perishable things scales with their current age. A book that has been in print for 200 years is likely to remain in print for another 200 years.

How does The Lindy Library select books?

We select books that have demonstrated enduring value across significant periods of time — generally books that have been continuously read for at least 50 years, and preferably centuries. We prioritize primary sources over summaries, and ideas over trends.