Lately I've been grabbing a couple of Paul Graham's essays just before lunch and devouring them along with the meal. And I must say I'm getting addicted to them. He is clearly a well lived, intelligent person whose writing can be really inspiring to everyone, especially developers like me.

I recommend, with no particular order, the following:

The anatomy of determination : He breaks down the concept of determination and which factors can be worked on in order to increase it; How to be an angel investor : If you are into that kind of thing (and especially if you have money to invest :)), Paul explains the basics of investing in other people's ideas; Startups in 13 sentences : Explains the 13 things that he typically mentions to every startup founder he comes across. To dos and don'ts in startups; Cities and Ambition : One of my personal favorites. In it, Paul talks about the kind of vibes that cities usually send your way, and how it is important to surround yourself with people that are ambitious in the same areas you are part of. Disconnecting distraction : Exploring the concept of distraction, and what to do to get rid of it in order to make sure you take full advantage of your working time; You weren't meant to have a boss : Some cool analogies with food and wild life, depicting the idea that humans are not meant to work in large groups, but rather small ones.

But if I had to bring my list down to 2, I would say start with Cities and Ambition and You weren't meant to have a boss.