It's one reason why he decided to launch a Facebook-based book club last year, with a reading list that focused on "different cultures, beliefs, histories, and technologies."
Although the birth of his daughter, Max, kept him from hitting his goal of a book every two weeks, he ended the year with 23 selections in his A Year of Books reading group.
We've put together a list of his picks and why he thinks everyone should read them:
'The Muqaddimah' by Ibn Khaldun
Khaldun's revolutionary scientific approach to history established him as one of the fathers of modern sociology and historiography.
"While much of what was believed then is now disproven after 700 more years of progress, it's still very interesting to see what was understood at this time and the overall worldview when it's all considered together," Zuckerberg writes.
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'The New Jim Crow' by Michelle Alexander
"I've been interested in learning about criminal justice reform for a while, and this book was highly recommended by several people I trust," Zuckerberg writes.
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'Why Nations Fail' by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
The authors argue that "extractive governments" use controls to enforce the power of a select few, while "inclusive governments" create open markets that allow citizens to spend and invest money freely, and that economic growth does not always indicate the long-term health of a country.
Zuckerberg's interest in philanthropy has grown alongside his wealth in recent years, and he writes that he chose this book to better understand the origins of global poverty.
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'The Rational Optimist' by Matt Ridley
In it, he argues that the concept of markets is the source of human progress, and that progress is accelerated when they are kept as free as possible. The resulting evolution of ideas will consistently allow humankind to improve its living conditions, despite the threats of climate change and overpopulation.
Zuckerberg says that he picked up this book because it posits the inverse theory of "Why Nations Fail," which argues that social and political forces control economic ones.
"I'm interested to see which idea resonates more after exploring both frameworks," Zuckerberg writes.
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'Portfolios of the Poor' by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven
A fundamental finding that they include in "Portfolios of the Poor" is that extreme poverty flourishes in areas not where people live dollar to dollar or where poor purchasing decisions are widespread, but instead arises where they lack access to financial institutions to store their money.
"It's mind-blowing that almost half the world — almost 3 billion people — live on $2.50 a day or less. More than one billion people live on $1 a day or less," Zuckerberg writes. "I hope reading this provides some insight into ways we can all work to support them better as well."
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'World Order' by Henry Kissinger
It's "about foreign relations and how we can build peaceful relationships throughout the world," Zuckerberg writes. "This is important for creating the world we all want for our children, and that's what I'm thinking about these days."
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'The Varieties of Religious Experience' by William James
"The Varieties of Religious Experience" is a collection of written lectures that explore the religious consciousness and the mechanics of how people use religion as a source of meaning, compelling them to move onward through life with energy and purpose.
"When I read 'Sapiens,' I found the chapter on the evolution of the role of religion in human life most interesting and something I wanted to go deeper on," Zuckerberg writes.
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'Creativity, Inc.' by Ed Catmull
"Creativity, Inc." is the story of Pixar, written by one of the computer-animation giant's founders.
Catmull intersperses his narrative with valuable wisdom on management and entrepreneurialism, and argues that any company should consciously avoid hampering their employees' natural creativity.
"I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity," Zuckerberg writes.
Catmull intersperses his narrative with valuable wisdom on management and entrepreneurialism, and argues that any company should consciously avoid hampering their employees' natural creativity.
"I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity," Zuckerberg writes.
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'Sapiens' by Yuval Noah Harari
"Following the Muqaddimah, which was a history from the perspective of an intellectual in the 1300s, 'Sapiens' is a contemporary exploration of many similar questions," Zuckerberg writes.
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'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' by Thomas S. Kuhn
Since its initial publication in 1962, this look at the evolution of science and the effect it has on the modern world has become "one of the most cited academic books of all time," according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Zuckerberg thinks that being aware of how scientific breakthroughs are the catalysts for social progression can be a "force for social good."
Kuhn's book is best known for introducing the phrase "paradigm shift," representing instances in scientific history when a perspective was fundamentally shifted, like when quantum physics replaced Newtonian mechanics.
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'Dealing with China' by Henry M. Paulson Jr.
"Dealing with China," by the former US Treasury secretary, explores China's recent rise in global influence and how it affects the world.
"Over the last 35 years, China has experienced one of the greatest economic and social transformations in human history," Zuckerberg writes. "Hundreds of millions of people have moved out of poverty. By many measures, China has done more to lift people out of poverty than the whole rest of the world combined."
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'The Beginning of Infinity' by David Deutsch
Deutsch concludes that human potential is infinite, perhaps the purest expression of the optimism regarding the fate of humanity that connects all of the selections in A Year of Books.
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'The Better Angels of Our Nature' by Steven Pinker
But the writing is actually easy to get through, and he thinks that Pinker's study of how violence has decreased over time despite being magnified by a 24-hour news cycle and social media is something that can offer a life-changing perspective.
It should be noted that Bill Gates also considers this one of the most important books he's ever read.
If you'd like to save some time, check out our summary of the tome.
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'Genome' by Matt Ridley
His 1990 book "Genome" is an exploration of the evolution of genes and the growing field of genetics.
"This book aims to tell a history of humanity from the perspective of genetics rather than sociology," Zuckerberg writes. "This should complement the other broad histories I've read this year."
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'The End of Power' by Moisés Naím
Zuckerberg launched his book club with this lofty title from Naím,
former executive director of the World Bank and senior fellow at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
It's a historical investigation of the shift of power from authoritative governments, militaries, and major corporations to individuals. This is clearly seen in what's now become a Silicon Valley cliché: the disruptive startup.
"The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply," Zuckerberg writes.
It's a historical investigation of the shift of power from authoritative governments, militaries, and major corporations to individuals. This is clearly seen in what's now become a Silicon Valley cliché: the disruptive startup.
"The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply," Zuckerberg writes.
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'On Immunity' by Eula Biss
"The science is completely clear: Vaccinations work and are important for the health of everyone in our community," Zuckerberg writes, adding that this book was highly recommended to him by scientists and public-health workers.
"This book explores the reasons why some people question vaccines, and then logically explains why the doubts are unfounded and vaccines are in fact effective and safe," he says.
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'The Idea Factory' by Jon Gertner
Bell Labs' research has won it the most Nobel Prizes of any laboratory in history, with seven in physics and another in chemistry.
Zuckerberg writes that he chose the book because he's "very interested in what causes innovation — what kinds of people, questions, and environments."
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'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu
It's set during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution and kicks off when an alien race decides to invade Earth after the Chinese government covertly sends a signal into space. It's notable because it's been reported to be indicative of a cultural shift in China, where rapid modernization and progress have captured the public's imagination.
Zuckerberg writes that it's a fun break from some of the heavier material he's been reading in his book club.
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'Gang Leader for a Day' by Sudhir Venkatesh
Venkatesh is a Columbia University sociology professor who, in a
radical sociological experiment, embedded himself into a Chicago gang in
the 1990s.
Zuckerberg says that Venkatesh's story is an inspiring one of communication and understanding across economic and cultural barriers.
"The more we all have a voice to share our perspectives, the more empathy we have for each other and the more we respect each other's rights," Zuckerberg writes.
Zuckerberg says that Venkatesh's story is an inspiring one of communication and understanding across economic and cultural barriers.
"The more we all have a voice to share our perspectives, the more empathy we have for each other and the more we respect each other's rights," Zuckerberg writes.
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'The Player of Games' by Iain M. Banks
Zuckerberg writes that he went with a sci-fi pick as a "change of pace." The novel is also one of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's favorite books because of its entertaining way of exploring plausible advancements in technology.
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'Orwell's Revenge' by Peter Huber
"After seeing how history has actually played out, Huber's fiction describes how tools like the internet benefit people and change society for the better," Zuckerberg writes.
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'Energy: A Beginner's Guide' by Vaclav Smil
"It explores important topics around how energy works, how our production and use might evolve, and how this affects climate change," Zuckerberg writes, noting that he also plans on reading Smil's book "Making the Modern World."
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'Rational Ritual' by Michael Suk-Young Chwe
"The book is about the concept of 'common knowledge' and how people process the world not only based on what we personally know, but what we know other people know and our shared knowledge as well," Zuckerberg writes.
Chwe's idea may sound complicated, but it's essentially a breakdown of the psychology behind people's interactions with others in public settings, and how they use these communities and rituals to help form their own identities.
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