If you loved
Books like Cubed
A wry, fascinating cultural autopsy of the spaces where we spend our waking lives, blending architectural history with existential office dread. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Cubed.
- fluorescent-lit
- intellectually stimulating
- slightly claustrophobic
- 01
The Glass Cage
Nicholas Carr
A thoughtful, cautionary exploration of how our increasing reliance on automation and screens is quietly reshaping the human experience.
- 02
Coders
Clive Thompson
An immersive, anthropological deep-dive into the minds and culture of the people quietly engineering our modern reality.
- 03
It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
A cool glass of water for the burnt-out professional soul, offering permission to simply do less and do it better.
- 04
The Culture Map
Erin Meyer
An eye-opening decoder ring for the invisible cultural forces that shape how we work, communicate, and connect.
- 05
Money
Jacob Goldstein (Cohost of Planet Money podcast)
A witty, globe-trotting tour through the collective hallucination that makes the modern world go round.
- 06
Palaces for the people
Eric Klinenberg
A hopeful, eye-opening exploration of the physical spaces that bind our communities together.
- 07
How we got to now
Steven Johnson
A thrilling intellectual treasure hunt that reveals the invisible threads connecting a glass of clean water to the invention of the microchip.
- 08
Library
Matthew Battles
A sweeping, novelistic journey through the triumphs and tragedies of human knowledge, celebrating the institutions that preserve our history while mourning those we have lost.
- 09
The culture code
Daniel Coyle
An energizing masterclass in the invisible forces that transform a group of strangers into a powerhouse team.
- 10
Billion Dollar Loser
Reeves Wiedeman
A dizzying, jaw-dropping front-row seat to the spectacular implosion of a charismatic grifter and his unicorn empire.
- 11
Rest
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
A validating, science-backed permission slip to step away from the grind and reclaim your downtime as a vital creative force.
- 12
Then we came to the end
Joshua Ferris
A brilliantly deadpan, hive-mind chronicle of the absurdities, anxieties, and unexpected intimacies of modern office life.
