It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since my original reading list. I’m pretty sure I’m reading as much as I dare at a time (quality over quantity). One thing I’d like to track this year is how many books I buy/receive v. how many I’ve actually read. For those of us who tend to buy books whimsically and/or recklessly, it might be a good idea to cut down on that pile of shame. (Confession: I’m already -1 on that count)
Anyways, on with the list..
Ghost in the Shell Deluxe Edition Volume 1 – A watershed work of cyberpunk. I’ve been a fan of the anime since the original release in the 90s. The original manga does not disappoint.
The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck – Kind of an anti self-help book. Some interesting premises and ideas around the futility of avoiding discomfort and making systemic changes with that in mind.
Babylons Ashes – Book 6 of The Expanse. Continues the arc of the previous book neatly while still taking us on a few tangents to flesh out the after effects of recent events.
The Churn – An Expanse novella. There’s a set of these, one for each of the lead characters. This one gives us the backstory of Amos Burton, the Rocinante’s mechanic.
Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes – A collection of (very) funny interpretations of world mythologies and religions. Think of it as if Cracked wrote a course on comparative religion
Persepolis Rising – Book 7 of The Expanse – This entry takes us forward about a generation past the events of Babylon’s Ashes while still keeping us up to date on familiar characters and introducing some new ones. Probably one of the weaker offerings of the series but I’m still hungry for more.
The Butcher of Anderson Station – An Expanse Short Story. Much shorter than The Churn, but still a good read. Little bit of insight as to how Colonel Fred Johnson got his infamous moniker.
Old Man’s War – This is my first introduction to John Scalzi and I was not disappointed. This book (series) is surely inspired by Heinlien’s Starship Troopers, but without all the bloviating. I’ll be continuing with the series.
Antifragile – IIRC, I read this book as part of a Strenuous Life challenge. An in-depth study of building better systems by microfractures and the idea that there is no strength or growth without resistance.
Blood Meridian – A vivid and nightmarish stream of consciousness using historical events as a backdrop. This was a bit dense and requires some concentration to truly appreciate. It was a nice reminder that just because something is critically acclaimed and makes a lot of Top 10s, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
The Accidental Billionaires – The story of the founding of Facebook. Interesting and familiar but that’s mainly because I already knew the story. Still, if it’s a Ben Mezrich book, I want to read it.
The Ten Day MBA – Very interesting crash course in business. Brushed up on existing knowledge and learned a few new things
12 Rules to Life – Excellent restatement of common sense principles by controversial personality Jordan Peterson. Accessible and interesting, if a bit long winded.
The Professor In The Cage – In the spirit of George Plimpton’s ‘Paper Lion’, this is solid behind the scenes storytelling of the world of fighters.
Skin In The Game – Another one by Nassim NicholasTaleb. A discussion of evaluating advice based on the risk profile of the advisor.
A Fighter’s Heart – An interesting examination of commonalities across multiple fighting styles from both the fighters and spectators.
No More Mister Nice Guy – Watershed work on breaking unhealthy conditioning and making your needs a priority. Intended for men but might be valuable to anyone.
Meditations – Marcus Aurelius intended for these musings to be for his own personal reflection. It’s since become regarded as one of the iconic works of Stoic philosophy. Suitable for reading beginning to end or for spot reading as desired.
Letters from a Stoic : Volume 1 – Another watershed work of Stoicism. Written as advice to friends which means the names might require some googling. Also, the content is a bit repetitive and comes off as a bit flowery and preachy. I prefer Meditations
This Will Never Happen Again – A collection of essays from David Cain’s Raptitude.com website. Good reads for grounding and motivation
I’d love to hear any feedback on this list and invite you to share your own reviews or recommendations. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to add them here or address them to john@benedettitech.com.