A reading list for exploring a life of many passions

My deep dive into many passions

For a long time, I’ve struggled with an inner force that drives me to be interested in many different, often unconnected, things. I tried to manage this by separating my identities. I wrote about art only on Instagram and about tech only on LinkedIn. It felt like the “professional” thing to do.

A few years ago, I read Refuse to Choose! by Barbara Sher, and it impressed me so much it genuinely changed my life. It was the first time I felt “seen” as a “Scanner” (her term for someone with many passions). That book planted a seed.

Recently, a friend saw me trying to keep my worlds separate and gave me some simple advice:

Don’t separate. Join your topics. Write about everything, everywhere.

That advice, combined with the memory of Sher’s book, made me realize I was missing something important. I’m now on a new “deep dive” to explore this world of multi-passions and multi-identities, to find a way to join all my parts and embrace them as a whole.

This reading list is my map for that research.

The reading list

This is a collection of the books that are guiding my exploration. They are for anyone who feels they live with various identities (like “developer” and “artist,” or identities from different cultures) and is looking for a way to build a whole, authentic life from all those different pieces.

I’ve collected all these books into a public list that you can follow: Multi-passionate reading list on Google Books .

Refuse to Choose! by Barbara Sher

This is the foundational guide for people who feel an intense curiosity about many different subjects and have been told they need to “pick one.” Sher argues that you don’t have to. The book provides practical models and strategies to design a life that joyfully incorporates all of your interests, freeing you from the pressure of following a single path.

How to Be Everything by Emilie Wapnick

A practical “how-to” guide for people who don’t have “one true calling.” It provides modern career models for building a sustainable life and career from multiple passions. It reframes this trait as a strength, highlighting “superpowers” like rapid learning and “idea synthesis” (connecting different fields) that are unique to people with broad interests.

The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine

This is another essential text for people who thrive on variety. It directly addresses the deep-seated fear of being a “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” It’s a life-planning guide that offers concrete strategies to manage your time, energy, and career, helping you build a fulfilling and financially stable life that honors all your passions.

Range by David Epstein

This book is the data-driven validation for having broad interests. It’s a compelling argument that in our complex world, “generalists” (people with a wide range of experience) are often more creative, adaptable, and innovative than narrow specialists. Epstein uses examples from sports, art, and science to prove that breadth of experience is a strategic advantage.

My current status

This is very much an active research project for me. As I write this, I’m currently reading Range and already feeling my perspective shift. This digital garden is where I’ll be processing what I learn and exploring how these ideas affect my own life and work. I’m excited to see where this path leads.