46 Books in 365 Days
(Almost 30 Short of my Goal)
Like last year, my goal for 2020 was to read 75 books. And just like last year, nothing went to plan. There was more change in my life, the pandemic is still happening and my reading time was inconsistent. But, 46 isn’t too shabby and I got through some really long books this year.
Also the same as last year, my reading selections are all over the map. Biographies, sci-fi, economics, graphic novels, sociology and more. There are quite a few biographies in the mix this year–twelve, which is over 25%. Once again, audiobooks played a big part in my reading mix. I’m not driving a ton, but between walking and car time, it adds up.
The Good & Memorable
Check out everything on my Goodreads 2021 summary.
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis is pretty famous and I didn’t read it in 2014-15 when it was a NYT bestseller. The movie “The Hummingbird Project” is based on a similar story, but is not the sanctioned adaption. It’s a super interesting story about technology, money and greed. This story is still happening today with apps like Robinhood and others selling transaction data for profit.
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan details the recent science along with the history of psychedelic research.
Like the “The Big Short” and “Too Big to Fail”, All the Devils are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean, Joe Nocera details the backstory of the 2008 financial crisis and the mechanisms that continue to exist in Wall Street finance.
I used the app first. I learned more about Dan Harris and his on-air panic attack and then stumbled onto the book “10% Happier”. Meditation has a woo-woo identity, but the approach here is more practical, science-based and does not require that you wear anything tie-dye.
The classic “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell is known but less often mentioned or quoted. But, it’s as relevant and timely as any of his work. In these increasingly polarized and all-or-nothing society I found this really inspiring.
“The Art of Asking” by Amanda Palmer isn’t the kind of book I would normal read. I wasn’t a fan of her music or artwork but I related to her story and appreciated the insight.
“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty is a book that generates strong opinions among certain people. Elements of the book are dated, but the overall thinking and core are super important to reflect on in these times. It’s not an easy or short read.
I grew up skateboarding and Vans are a mainstay of skateboard culture. “Authentic” by founder Paul Van Doren gives the whole backstory and is also a lesson in business and ethics.
“Cryptonomicon” by Neal Stephenson, well anything by Stephenson is charged now, but it has ‘crypto’ in the title so it’s about crypto-currency, right? No. It’s about WWII, code breaking and the story crosses time. It’s super long, detailed and I liked it. I am a bit of a nerd though.
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” by Richard P. Feynman is a series of essays or glimpses of the life of this amazing scientist. It’s not all science and gives you a pretty good idea of the mind behind a curious and unique thinker.
I’ve been aware of James Baldwin for many years and I still have a lot of his catalog in my ‘to read’ list but “James Baldwin: A Biography” by David A. Leeming is a really great biography by his long time archivist.
“Pimp: The Story of My Life” by Iceberg Slim has been sighted by a wide range of smart people. It’s not a book for everyone, but if you can get beyond the raw details, there’s a lot of human nature woven into the story.
The ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past’ trilogy: “The Three-Body Problem”, “The Dark Forest” and “Death’s End” by Liu Cixin merges aliens, time travel, mutli-dimensional space and so much more into a deep and engrossing story. These books are not light sci-fi, but they are worth the time and effort.
In America, debt is such a loaded concept. “Debt: The First 5,000 Years” by David Graeber breaks down the history of debt, religion and how we got to the present state.
I love basketball and by extension Kevin Garnett is an iconic character. His autobiography “KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between” is full of amazing mini stories and insight into the mind of KG.
“Acid for the Children” by Flea tells the early story of his life. It doesn’t go into fame and success–but everything before. It paints a picture of Los Angeles from a young, hungry kid that I’ve never heard.
“Don’t Panic” is Neil Gaiman’s biography of Douglas Adams. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” was one of my favorite books in high school and I’ve re-read many times over the years. This biography is well done and written by someone who clearly loves Adams and his work.
“Why We’re Polarized” by Ezra Klein is a biased but well written and well researched look at our current political situation here in the USA. It does offer a few glimpses of hope, but in the 2+ years since it’s publishing, I wouldn’t say we’ve taken these ideas to practice.
I really love “Bad Science” by Ben Goldacre. Written by a doctor, it gives the reader a framework for looking at science, medicine and reporting in general with a clear, skeptical, fact-based eye. If you’ve ever accidentally shared fake news, thought about doing a cleanse diet or just want a more informed look at media then this is worth a read.
The autobiography “Sid Meier’s Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games” was written for nerds like me. I’ve been deep down the Civ rabbit hole many, many times. I love getting a look behind the curtain and seeing how the creative process works and this book doesn’t disappoint.
“The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy” by Anna Clark is a detailed look at the Flint water crisis. It gives the details of all of the tragic events but also goes into the history of how this came to be.
For 2022, I’m shooting for 50 books. I’m behind schedule already, but maybe once the pandemic is over I can get my reading schedule back to some normal cadence.