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Ender's Game
15 recommendations

Ender's Game

Ender Saga, Book 1

by Orson Scott Card

Tim FerrissRyan HolidayEv Williams
Recommended by Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday +
10 more

More Recommenders

Ev Williams

Co-founder of Twitter and Medium

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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Mark Zuckerberg

Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Meta Platforms

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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R

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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P

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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E

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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J

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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S

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

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T

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

Source →
S

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

Source →
W

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.

Source →

Recommended by 12 notable people, including Tim Ferriss and Ryan Holiday

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Proof-backed recommendation

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Reading Profile

Difficulty:easy
Themes:innocence vs calculated violencechildren as weapons

Should I read this?

Ender's Game pulls you into the mind of a gifted child forced into brutal military training to save humanity. The prose is crisp and efficient, propelling you through battle room tactics and psychological manipulation. The main value lies in its intense focus on leadership, empathy-through-understanding-enemies, and the cost of genius. The limitation: the narrative's relentless grimness and the detached tone can feel cold, and the violence inflicted on children might be off-putting.

Read this if...

  • A precocious teen feeling isolated by their own intelligence, who needs a protagonist that makes high-stakes loneliness and moral weight feel legible.
  • A mid-level manager in a competitive tech firm facing ethical compromises, seeking a fictional lens on tactical thinking and the human cost of winning.
  • A teacher or parent of a gifted child, looking to immerse in the internal pressure and manipulation that can accompany extraordinary expectations.

Skip this if...

  • You'll likely put it down when the zero-gravity combat scenes become repetitive and the tactical detail starts to feel like a video game walkthrough.
  • Not for you if you need warm, emotionally expressive characters; the book maintains a clinical distance even in painful moments.
  • Skip if you dislike stories where children are subjected to violence and psychological torment—the book doubles down on this and never lets up.

The worldwide bestseller, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card comes to the screen at last in a major motion picture event in November 2013. Starring Hugo's Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Ben Kingsley, the movie is sure to inspire a new audience of fans to read the book that started it all.Once again, Earth is under attack. An alien species is poi...

Before You Buy

Reading Specifications

Difficulty:easy

Themes:
innocence vs calculated violencechildren as weaponsempathy through destruction

Audience Fit

Recommended for:
  • A precocious teen feeling isolated by their own intelligence, who needs a protagonist that makes high-stakes loneliness and moral weight feel legible.
  • A mid-level manager in a competitive tech firm facing ethical compromises, seeking a fictional lens on tactical thinking and the human cost of winning.
  • A teacher or parent of a gifted child, looking to immerse in the internal pressure and manipulation that can accompany extraordinary expectations.
Not ideal if you want:
  • You'll likely put it down when the zero-gravity combat scenes become repetitive and the tactical detail starts to feel like a video game walkthrough.
  • Not for you if you need warm, emotionally expressive characters; the book maintains a clinical distance even in painful moments.
  • Skip if you dislike stories where children are subjected to violence and psychological torment—the book doubles down on this and never lets up.

Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.

View available editions on Amazon

Key themes

innocence vs calculated violencechildren as weaponsempathy through destructiongenius and isolationpreemptive genocide

Why recommended

Recommended by 15 sources and appears in For Men, Space Opera, and Books Recommended by Ryan Holiday.

Recommended by notable people

People and public figures who have recommended this book.

Recommendation Signals

Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.

S

Shaan Puri

Favorite book | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it?s #bookloversday, I thought I?d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. And since it’s #bookloversday, I thought I’d share my favorite book: Enders Game by @orsonscottcard. What is your favorite book Why | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better?all described in one sentence. | Read Ryan's list of 42 books that will change your life for the better—all described in one sentence. | Speaker for the Dead is the best book of the series including Ender’s Game. | Through Ender?s journey, you?ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries? weaknesses. | Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses.
View sources (5) ▾80%

Appears In

Principles
Try This Instead

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Consider Principles by Ray Dalio. Recommended by 61 sources.

This is Dalio’s operating manual for life and work—part memoir, part handbook. He distills his hedge fund’s culture into repeatable 'principles' for radical transparency and systematic thinking. The useful part is the concrete algorithms for error-logging and group decision-making; the annoying part is the cultish fervor around his own brilliance and the implication that his way scales universally. It reads like a boss’s extended memo, sometimes riveting, sometimes eye-rolling.

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How recommendation signals are reviewed

Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.

Ender's Game

Ender's Game

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