With millions of titles to choose from, figuring out what to read can be a challenge. With only so many hours in the day there is a limit on how much one can consume. In 2018 I read over 40 books and hundreds of articles. Most of them were worth reading. When do I find the time to read? Well, I cheat. I have a 30-40 minute work commute each way, and I listen to audio books. I take notes with a hands-free voice recognition feature on Evernote. Books I actually read are typically on Kindle, and I rarely sit still for 5 minutes without reading something. Planes, airports, doctor’s office waiting rooms… never pass up an opportunity to expand your mind.
I try to vary what I read. While I prefer nonfiction, especially books about how to understand the world, each other, or myself a little better, I feel it’s important to also read fiction and classics. There is much to learn from these as well, and changing things up keeps the brain tissue limber.
While I would recommend all of the 32 books on this list, I highly recommend Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational (a wonderfully written book about how your mind doesn’t always function the way you think it does), Lois Zachary’s Starting Strong (a great guide for mentoring), and Lazlo Bock’s Work Rules! (an insightful set of guidelines that could revolutionize your organization). These books can challenge the way you think, which is the highest praise I can give an author.
Happy Reading!
History
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge
Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright
Light Falls: Space, Time, and an Obsession of Einstein by Brian Greene
Secrets Revealed by Willis Bullard
Fiction
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
The Book of Lost Things: A Novel by John Connolly
Strategy Strikes Back: How Star Wars Explains Modern Military Conflict by Max Brooks et al
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
How We Think
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schultz
Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp by John Medina
The Existential Pleasures of Engineering by Samuel C. Florman
Leadership and Management
Starting Strong: A Mentoring Fable by Lois J. Zachary
Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord
Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired: (Performance-based Hiring Series) by Lou Adler
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute
Behind Boardroom Doors: Lessons from a Corporate Director by Betsy Atkins
I can’t turn down a good book sale, especially when they are free on Kindle, so I’ve already collected quite a few books for next year. Here’s a preview.
Currently On the Shelf for 2019
Philosophy on Tap: Pint-Sized Puzzles for the Pub Philosopher by Matt Lawrence
Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Hidden-Hand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader by Fred I. Greenstein
The Divine Comedy: Dante Inferno Purgatorio Paradiso by Dante Alighieri
Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett
The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky
A History of the Corruptions of Christianity by Joseph Priestley
I hope you have a chance to read some or all of the titles above. If you do, I would love to hear from you, whether you enjoyed or hated the book.
Have a wonderful 2019!