Fun Friday: Summer Reading List
It’s the dog days of summer. The Gotham Gal and I spend our weekends at our beach house and I read a lot more.
Right now I am reading Dead Wake, Erik Larson’s story of the Lusitania’s last voyage.
I’m interested in what the AVC community is reading this summer.
So let’s crowdsource a summer reading list in the comments today.
Comments (Archived):
“A History of White People” by Nell Irvin Painter. Fantastic reframing of how we think about history.
we need an “add to kindle” button in the disqus comment widget
Yes! Triple like!
Eric, I haven’t heard of it. I am always looking for more insights and perspectives on history, but revisionism is so rampant, and usually such a mixture of screech and poor writing, that I am wary. Is it a good, well-researched and well-written book?Not implying that I assume it is, just that I am wary.
100% She is a Princeton history prof.
This is an extract from the (?)” A History of White People” in the NY Review : “Some ancient descriptions did note color, as when the ancient Greeks recognized that their “barbaric” northern neighbors, Scythians and Celts, had lighter skin than Greeks considered normal. Most ancient peoples defined population differences culturally, not physically, and often regarded lighter people as less civilized. Centuries later, European travel writers regarded the light-skinned Circassians, a k a Caucasians, as people best fit only for slavery, yet at the same time labeled Circassian slave women the epitome of beauty. Exoticizing and sexualizing women of allegedly inferior “races” has a long and continuous history in racial thought; it’s just that today they are usually darker-skinned women.” O tempora O mores !!
Reminds me of this great post by Ed West, Greeks v Franks: why culture still matters. A few brief excerpts:During the period of the crusades Greeks would refer to western Europeans by the generic term ‘Frank’, derived from the name of the leading barbarian tribe of the west.‘Frank’ is a useful term that really needs to be brought back to illustrate the great divide between the Greeks and their opponents in this current crisis, the people of what is sometimes referred to as ‘core Europe’, roughly the boundaries of Charlemagne’s empire – France, Germany, the Low Countries and northern Italy.As Greece collapses, why I am looking at maps of 9th century Europe? Because at the heart of the current tragedy is the inability of the ruling class to appreciate that history and culture matter (and because I’m weird, obviously). The European Union was cobbled together on the premise that people are basically the same everywhere and therefore open borders would simply reduce costs and larger states would produce economies of scale.He then goes into some interesting research on how Greeks and ‘Franks’ are different and how that has impacted the current crisis.
The last bookaneer by Matthew Pearl, about books before the advent of universal copyrights and mass publications, great beach escape
This is a great topic! Nice to see a curated list of this afterwards.Rereading a bunch of classics: Dickens (Oliver Twist, Tale of Two Cities), Dumas (Count of Monte Cristo, Three Musketeers); some more recent history: Joan Peters (From Time Immemorial), anything by Keegan; some fiction/historical fiction: Crichton (Pirate Latitudes), Patrick O’Brian (Aubrey/Maturin series).Always looking for more.
I should add, just read the Unincorporated Man sci-fi series last summer. Fascinating ideas.
Adding Michael Oren’s fascinating “Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East from 1776 to Today”. It was written before he was Israeli Ambassador to the US, when he was “just” a historian. It is a phenomenal tour de force.
Princess Bride. Not the movie, William Goldman’s original book that was the basis of the film.
All of Crichton’s stuff is entertaining, and some of it is thought-provoking too. Pirate Latitudes is good, though, as a posthumously published novel, it doesn’t have the polish of his earlier work. For history, Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad book is a great read about an aspect of WWII that hasn’t gotten as much attention in the US.
Ah…great nudge to re-read some classics, its been too long. Thanks !
Ramez Naam’s Trilogy, “The Flood of Fire” by Amitav Ghosh, again the last book in a trilogy, Rereading Carlota Perez’s Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital and Robert Pirsig……
Mission by Michael Hayman and Nick Giles
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. From Daniel Boorstin in 1962, but a GREAT picture of society today. Loving it.
I recently re-read Iain. M. Banks’ The Player of Games – anyone who hasn’t read it, I’d really recommend!
What is it about?
It’s a Sci-Fi novel about the power of different cultural set-ups, organisation of society and a couple of doses of moral judgements and gender discussions on the side: the plot follows a man from The Culture (almost completely permissive pan-galactic civilisation) going to a planet where position in society is determined by success in a highly complex board-game – the protagonist is also pleasingly grumpy.
Wow, sounds great! Downloading to Kindle right now. Right after I finish reading Oliver Twist, and Emmanuel Navon’s Zionism book, and Lucky or Smart. List is too long….
At least the Kindle version is cheaper. I was looking at a book a few weeks ago where the Kindle version was almost 2x the hardcopy!Wrote about it http://blog.atomicinc.com/2…
“More Human” by Steve Hilton – opinions on compassionate capitalism from a former UK political advisor (Director of Strategy for David Cameron) now turned technology entrepreneur (CEO and Co-founder – Crowdpac).
1776, not new, from the great David McCullogh. It’s far less intimidating and lighter to carry as an e-book!
It is excellent!
It is. The other books that came out right around the same time on George Washington, Ben Franklin and Alexander Hamilton were also excellent.
loved, the great bridge, about building the brooklyn bridge
Road to Character by David Brooks, exploring the language and learning of moral development. Empire of Cotton, the surprising basis of globalization, by Sven Beckert.
Sounds like a version of “Guns, Germs and Steel”, which was fascinating.
Tender is the Night by Fitzgerald
I may have to add this to the list, since it has been two decades or more since I read it. Love love love Fitzgerald. He was quoted as saying in reference to Tender is the Night: “Gatsby was a tour de force, but this is a confession of faith.”
Yup, me too…love reading him. One of his most famous lines from The Rich Boy (which he wrote while awaiting publication of the The Great Gatsby).I still remember when I read these lines for the very first time…”Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves”.
Have to mention his unfinished Love of the Last Tycoon too. Wonderful portrayal of an entrepreneur in studio head Monroe Stahr.
YEESSS
Oh my!!!Fitzgerald and Hemingway are my favorite Lit authors bar none.
Papa!
Haha!The Old Man and the Sea.Fitzgerald’s like the Gino Severini of Lit while Hemingway’s Picasso.
Currently reading Old Man and the Sea with my 11 yr old mad fisherman – loving it!
YES
The Attackers Advantage – Ram Charan
I thought defense always had the advantage. Isn’t the rule 3:1 over defenders to succeed?
If that’s the case – best to be the (1) or have strategic advantage.
Yep.
Fresh in my mind now. I had a lot of driving in last 2 weeks, put on Dan Carlin’s podcast on WWI. Great stuff.
Debt: the First 5000 Years – David Graeber
Right now: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.
How is it?
Yossarian!
Oh, you must ! (if you haven’t read it..)
Now I definitely will, somehow. 🙂
This is (embarrassingly) the 3rd time I’ve started to read, and I’ve never been able to get too far into the book.This time I’m reading with my book group, so I’ve got people keeping me accountable. (Also a reason I announced it here! I’m determined to finish it this time.)
My favorite book. When you’ve finished you’ll be able to tell me why Appleby can’t see the flies in his eyes….
‘Because he’s got flies in his eyes,’ Orr explained with exaggerated patience. ‘How can he see he’s got flies in his eyes if he has got flies in his eyes’.
Exactly.
Recently, in an interview with Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, there was a paragraph which said her Dad gave her ‘Meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius as she set off for Stanford:* http://www.inc.com/business…Philosophy and Art seem to play big parts in creating $ billion startups.It’s known that Facebook was informed by Peter Thiel’s philosophical leanings towards René Girard:* http://www.businessinsider….For Art, look to pretty much everything that Steve Jobs did at Apple.In my 20s I’d dated a lawyer who liked to try to strike up philosophical debates with me; I think it was his way of practicing his advocacy skills or something.Marcus Aurelius was his guru and he’d take me to Hyde Park just to expound Aurelius at me. He (the lawyer, not Aurelius) lost most of our debates so didn’t last long as a prospect.Meanwhile, I’d spent errant(*) teenage years with my nose in books by Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Hobbes, Locke, Canetti, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Voltaire et al…Everyone except Marcus Aurelius. Yes, a quote here or there but I didn’t read a full book worth of his ideas.So now, inspired by Elizabeth Holmes’ reading list, I’m catching up on Aurelius.————————–(*) Errant because I didn’t do the norm like other teens. I never got paralytic drunk, into drugs or have boyfriend-girlfriend dramas.I just liked to “feed my mind” and learn how to do things which has stayed with me as an adult.
Philosophy and Art seem to play big parts in creating $ billion startups.File this under “people are always looking for ‘the answer'” ie the easy route and the shortcut to success.I remember a few years ago there was much ado about successful businessmen reading “the classics”. An example is a girl that I dated (circa 2006) brother had bought a set of the classics. He ran a small hedge fund and thought (because of something that he had read) that it would help him with his trading. Of course that’s total bullshit on any scale. Similar to “philosophy and art” we have no data at all showing people who do the exact same thing and don’t end up creating billion dollar startups.(*) Errant because I didn’t do the norm like other teens. I never got paralytic drunk, into drugs or have boyfriend-girlfriend dramas. I just liked to “feed my mind” and learn how to do things which has stayed with me as an adult..Same here. (Although I would rephrase as “never drank at all” (and not because I wasn’t allowed or anything I just don’t like the feeling I guess I have that lucky gene..)By the way it’s possible that your lawyer boyfriend just enjoyed having intelligent conversations with you and a byproduct was “practicing his advocacy skills or something”.
Yeah, there are some things we can learn from the successes of others and a lot of it is simply to do with ourselves, our mind sets, our closest circles, the craft of our own busy hands.My mother (at least) liked him as a prospect, haha.
Better by Atul Gawande
Debut Author Vanessa Lafaye, “Under a Dark Summer Sky.” It is based on a real event in the Florida Keys when a Force 5 hurricane hits the keys. There is a twist; the US government failed to evacuate a group of WWI veterans and I won’t give the story away…. it feels like you are in the Hurricane….
The Rent Collector – Camron Wright – The power of literacy, storytelling and the human conditionGirl at War – Sara Novic – Beautiful story of lives broken from war torn childhoodThe Hour Between Dog and Wolf – John Coates – Biology of gut feelings and risk taking.
This weeks list. For the mind: Ken Robinson’s Creative Schools. The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education.For the heart: Paris, My Sweet. A Year in the City of Light & Dark Chocolate. By Amy Thomas.For the soul: Flow. Issue 9. A magazine produced in Amsterdam celebrating creativity, imperfection and life’s little pleasures. I instantly fell in love with the cover.
Currently reading Heretics of Dune, #5 in Frank Herbert’s series. Just before that, Peter Nevsky and the True Story of the Russian Moon Landing by John Batchelor. Thumbs up on that one, and thumbs up on this one, so far.
Well, AVC is not a book, but I am determined to be more frequent these days. The past few months have been consuming and I’ve not been around as much as I’d like until a few days ago.Mark Suster recently tweeted out that American Pastoral by Nathan Zuckerman was the best historical novel that he’d ever read so I immediately purchased it. I also purchased Far From the Madding Crowd. Really enjoyed the film version last month.Well, I bought the books, but I’m relaunching my firm this summer with the new name August Venture Talent, so finding time to read will be a challenge. Or at least I hope so. 🙂 Doesn’t escape me that the acronym is AVT. I really didn’t do that intentionally.
huge congrats!your summer sound as leisurely as my own–which is NOT!
Thanks, Arnold. Leisure? Someday, maybe.Hope your ventures are going well! BTW, any chance LuliTonix will be in my neighborhood anytime soon?
Everything is good.Having a startup in the house is both exciting and crazy.Luli is trialing a diversified urban distribution model this summer. One completely transparent brand across all of them. Mix of storefront, distribution and DTC.Oh–this matters to your question as they are doing a round and the possible lead is in LA with spot off the promenade so–when the model has some metrics, you best believe it will jump coasts!
Arnold will have to buy a car if Luli goes to LA
Ha. Only to carry his surfboard.
Honestly lots of friends on the west side who live and work there have bikes, some powered ones and Uber it everywhere.I like that honestly although a mixed model requires a delivery van of course so maybe a hybrid refrigerated suv that looks instead of an S4 will happen;)
So of course I’m trying to guess who is leading the round. I know of two firms in the location you mention and one does a lot in the consumer space . Hmmm…. ;)Good luck and will welcome.
Awesome Donna. Wishing you the best!
Thanks, Rohan. Hope to see you soon.
Ditto on congrats! Keep us posted!
Thanks, A. I feel a little out there, but I know it’s time. Excited.
Congrats!AVT = Amazing Valuable Talent.
Yesssssss
I’m adding documentaries to this list. Going to tackle this one as I’ve never seen it all so it is a 14.5 hour commitment.http://www.pbs.org/wnet/new…
Loved loved loved it.
The Lance Armstrong documentary, Stop at Nothing, is a blood-curdler. The Lives of Others is a fantastic drama/thriller if you missed it in 2006.
Have been thinking about Armstrong a lot lately – great rec & will pick it up!
If you haven’t, Delirious New York by Rem Koolhaas is an interesting take on New York’s history through the lens of urbanist sociology. Short and a page turner,
Thanks–buying it now.
Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joseph Sugarman – highly recommend for anyone interested in trying to improve writing
One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New YorkIt’s the story of the Jackie Robinson of the NYPD. It was just released and received great reviews. My dad wrote this book. I do not mean to come off as being spam-like. In fact, I’m proud to plug the book. It’s a great story that deserved and needed to be told.
Not spam at all. Very cool that you are promoting/supporting your Dad’s work. After all, you did answer the question. And the book sounds great.Although of course I just shared news about my business in a comment so probably not the best judge of what’s spam. 🙂
Thanks!As the old saying goes, one man’s spam is another man’s great recommendation … er, or something like that
Picked it up, looks like a great read (and the publisher is good folks)
Thanks Joe!!
The Rotten Heart of Europe (This book should be required of all college students): http://www.amazon.com/Rotte… Freedom From Fear http://www.amazon.com/Freed… America 3.0 http://www.amazon.com/Ameri…
Dead wake is a wonderful history. Once I finished I started digging into all the ww2 era submarine/cryptography/enigma books.
Steve – you might like the novel “Enigma” by Robert Harris.
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow.Read it based on Warren Ellis’ review:”one night I decided to just look at the first few pages. Which was a mistake. It bit in and didn’t let go. Finished it at 240 am on Sunday morning. It’s a monster. Winslow is one of those brutal writers, sentences all sinew and hard muscle, and, in Nabakov’s phrase, throws so many rocks at his characters that you genuinely don’t know which, if any, will survive to the end. He is incredibly good at threat, and anyone looking for a peaceful popcorn read will have to go elsewhere. It’s a story of The War On Drugs, and has the big decades-long sweep of the James Ellroy histories. Winslow writes with hammers, with cold and directed anger, lean and propulsive. It is angry. The anger at politics and societies and people ripples off the page in a stinging haze. As I approached the end, I kept checking to see how many pages I had left because there were characters I wanted to see survive and I honestly wasn’t sure how or if they were going to get out alive in the couple of thousand words left. And that is a remarkably rare thing, especially in this kind of novel.”
The Girl on the Train
I’ve recently read: the Startup of You, Zero to One, Delivering Happiness, The Alliance & Digital Gold. I wrote about the impact these book are having on me: http://www.mariocantin.com/….On my list now: Traction, Sacrifice (by Rene Girard), Hooked, Viral Loop, Unmarketing, Scaling up & Scrum.
All the Light We Cannot See – Just won the Pulitzer, and I can definitely see why. Story of a German soldier and a French civilian who’s paths cross in WWII
Prosperity in the Age of Decline by Alan and Brian Beaulieu. Economists discuss how to navigate the 2030-2040 depression. The Beaulieu brothers are incredible economic forecasters and really entertaining on the SMB conference circuit. But the book is gappy and mildly disappointing after hearing them speak live at numerous CEO events. They spend too much time in the minutia of some areas, too light in others, and don’t bring it all together in a beautifully written story. That being said, what their models are showing them is terrifying. I just wish they’d hired a ghost writer to give it some more flair.
Here is the list of books I won’t read this summer, but have next to me or on my Kindle app at any given time:Girl In A Band – Kim GordonParis, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down – Rosecrans BaldwinThe Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt’s Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer – Anne-Marie O’Connor (about the painting after which we named our youngest daughter)Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood – Michael WalkerSpam Nation – Brian Krebs (received a copy as a gift, so I’ll probably read it)What I will probably actually end up reading is 10,000 articles about information security and technology; international relations; links from Kottke, and AVC posts.
Reruns: Fountainhead, hitchhikers guide
The Better Angels of Our Nature – Steven Pinker: This has been on my reading list for about 2 years and I am finally getting around to it.The Water Knife – Paolo Bacigalupi: The Windup Girl was spectacular. I am excited he took a break from YA.Candide – Voltaire: This is one of my wife’s favorites that I have not read.I just finished re-reading Frank Herbert’s Dune Novels.I will be spending about a week on the beach in August, so I will be using this list comment section for some ideas!
Boys in the Boat, couldn’t put it down. About crew team from University of Washington in the 1930s, when crew was second only to track and field in terms of olympic sports, that wins gold in 1936. Unbelievable story. Hitler’s rise to power and the making of Olympia is also woven in. (non-fiction)Garden of Beasts, also by Erik Larson, weaves the story of America’s unlikely ambassador to Germany in the 1930s, his politically savvy and sexually promiscuous daughter, Hitler’s rise to power, and America’s reluctance to get involved. (non-fiction)Jim the Boy. An early memoir of a boy growing up in the South in the 1930s during the Depression and the early beginnings of Roosevelt’s New Deal. (fiction)My wife curates my reading list, and I haven’t read this one yet, but she says H is for Hawk is a “must, must, must read.” Rather than summarize here, she just finished a guest review of it for a blog called “Bacon on the Bookshelf.” Look for it next week if you are interested.
– The 8 minute meditation – I’m 3 minutes into it- Peers Inc by Robin Chase – I’m living it- The Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson- I wished I was there- Winston Churchill 7 book series biography – I like him- The Transhumanist Wager by Zoltan Istvan – Brad Feld recommended it
I ended up reading Treasure Island at the same time as Gulliver’s Travels a couple times from HS to just post college. There’s something fantastical about that era, can’t explain it but affects my world view in some way to this day (perhaps the lesson: everything is an adventure?).Also great reminder about Churchill, haven’t read anything on him in years.
Thats a great way to think about it….A World View of Adventure. Nicely said !
Do you watch Black Sails?
I don’t – looks interesting, recommended?
Yes.
Diary of the Dark Years 1940-1944: Collaboration, Resistance and Daily Life in Occupied Paris – by Jean Guehenno. Was required reading for French students for many years after the war. Engaging. Chilling. A must to understand what the streets and walls of a favorite city still whisper if you listen closely.
great tip, thanks
Right now I am reading Thumbs Up by Joey Reiman; and the Dealmaker’s Ten Commandments by Jeff B. Cohen
The short and tragic life or robert peace. It’s based on a true story of an incredible black kid from Newark that pulls himself out of a bad neighborhood to go to Yale, but then after college returns to the hood. Incredible, page turner and thought provoking.Also first time post! 🙂
The Chemistry of Calm, about the science behind anxiety. Fascinating read especially as it relates to restructuring one’s habits and reducing dependency on pharmaceuticals. Also reading On The Move, the Oliver Sacks autobiography that came out a few months ago.
Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried. I’m about to work with a team that is geographically distributed, and am trying to get into the right mindset.
Currently reading new release H is for Hawk–it got fantastic reviews and deserves them all. Looking at my bookshelves for a fun rec and I see Rodoreda’s The Time of the Doves, an all-time favorite, translated from Catalan. So if you need to feel like you’re in Barcelona….
My 5 recommendations:Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenanceCrime and PunishmentZero to OneA Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a boy soldierAgainst the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the only book I read religiously every 5 years. Is this your summer list or just a recommendation?
These are my recommendations. But I just finished rereading Zen for the 2nd time. It’s the only book I’ve had the urge to read more than once and will probably read multiple times.
I just finished The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce’s Ulysses(http://amzn.com/0143127543). Awesome book with some excellent insight into the censorship structure that existed in US and across Europe and how Ulysses was part of breaking that structure down.Definitely worth the read for anyone who has struggled through Joyce’s classic tome.
The Circle, David Eggers. My husband just finished and told me I have to read it. And I always read the September issues of In Style, Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. Those count, right? 😉
Circle was great. Think about it all the time.
To me the first 75% of The Circle was great. It kind of went off the rails towards the end.
I got it on audible. The voice talent was exceptional. One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to.
Two awe inspiring books fit for AVCers:100 Diagrams that Changed the World by Scott Christenson – From cave paintings to the iPod its a great one to have on your coffee table to flip through. Each diagram is accompanied by a one page description of the diagram and its import.The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes – An absorbing history of the men and women who gave birth to the romantic age of science. From Captain Cook’s voyages of discovery to the brother and sister who changed our conception of the solar system – its the history of science we need to teach, know and discuss
Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton.http://www.amazon.com/Alexa…Only in America,Leaving Berlin Joseph Kanon Berlin 1949http://www.amazon.com/Leavi…
Short Read – I just cant help re-reading it 🙂 Verdantix name us as one of “Most Exciting Energy Management Companies to Watch in 2015” http://www.verdantix.com/in…Long re-read for the summer Platos The Republic https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…I think the latter will outlive the former – and genuinely has a little more Gravitas :)But they both make great reading IMHO
Good morning everyone,Here is what I am reading with reviews copied from Amazon included:Empire Express – After the Civil War, the building of the transcontinental railroad was the nineteenth century’s most transformative event. … great story of politics, vision, persistence, persuasion to build something that made the nation.Michael Lewis’ Boomerang (rereading selectively) – Icelanders wanted to stop fishing and become investment bankers. The Greeks wanted to turn their country into a pinata stuffed with cash and allow as many citizens as possible to take a whack at it. The Germans wanted to be even more German; the Irish wanted to stop being Irish. … Good reference as the Eurozone is front and center again.Barbarians at the Gate (rereading selectively) – A #1 New York Times bestseller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date twenty years after the famed deal. The Los Angeles Times calls Barbarians at the Gate, “Superlative.” The Chicago Tribune raves, “It’s hard to imagine a better story…and it’s hard to imagine a better account.” And in an era of spectacular business crashes and federal bailouts, it still stands as a valuable cautionary tale that must be heeded. … Just a fun read and required reading in my view for people that want a narrative primer on business dealings at the Board / CEO level.Willie Mays (rereading selectively) – Now in paperback, the “enormously entertaining and wide-ranging” (Seattle Times) authorized, definitive, New York Times bestselling (4 weeks on the list) biography of Willie Mays, the most complete baseball player of all time.Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more than two decades. Now James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player…. I enjoy baseball and I enjoyed learning about this great person who played the game his way.Thanks Fred… like you I needed some thoughts from the AVC community on what new to read!Dana
Also Neil Stephenson’s latest, Seveneves, was a great read. No one weaves so much science into science fiction as he does….
I’ve been reading Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, which is about 1977 in New York City. The title is from a comment made by Howard Cosell during Game 2 of the 1977 World Series (Yankees vs. Dodgers) and it covers that Yankees team but also the culture of the time (specifically the arrival of Rupert Murdoch to NYC) and the mayoral race (Ed Koch ran and won against the incumbent Abe Beame and also Mario Cuomo).
The non sports city was burning as well though. I was in the city a bit during that time period (for the NY Gift Show with my Dad who was an exhibitor) and the NY that I remember (had nothing to do with sports) you can easily get the feel of by movies such as “The Taking of Pelham 123” (1974 version) in terms of the grittiness and filth in contrast to the way it is today. Most likely the reason I never ever thought of going there after college.And who can forget Ford’s famous “Drop Dead” to the NY Social Welfare State? [1][1] Oct 1975. Was a headline but some say it never happened…
the second greatest headline in nyc tabloid history
this was the greatest
Hah that’s great. The back story:http://nypost.com/2015/06/0…Edit: Wow just realized the headline writer died last month.
that is awesome.
this is a great book. I knew very little about baseball, and still thoroughly enjoyed this book.
really liked this book (much more than the miniseries) – I found it to be the most compelling and interesting take on what was a crucial year in the history of NYC. The coverage of the mayoral race is tremendous – one of the great campaigns in US history – Koch was the long shot but played it brilliantly. The visuals of the fires that burned each night in the Bronx and Brooklyn by those that battled them have stuck with me.
You might be intersted in The Power Broker – a book about Robert Moses and the creation of the urban ghettoshttp://www.amazon.com/Power…
Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari. Love it so far. Our comedians have more insight into politics than those in the biz, so wondering about how Aziz decodes digital dating.Also reading The Self Made Tapestry by Phillip Ball. His book on color was like a bible for me. This one is about patterns.
Fred, reading list request from my daughter – a few books on the economy. At 14, she wants to have a brief history and some info on how markets work. Any ideas? When did your kids start intro to finance?
The Armchair Economist by Landsburg
Thanks!
Buffett: the Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein
Thanks!
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd.An interesting historical fiction novel that follows a fictional family from the time the Dutch settled New Amsterdam (now NYC) through the present day. Fairly light, with good doses of history.
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis
liar’s poker, a classic; he’s said in interviews that he was dismayed that people a generation later took it as a how-to book and not as the indictment it is
There was a bunch of books in the late 80s about the excesses of those times – Liar’s Poker, Barbarians at the Gate, Predator’s Ball, Den of Thieves. Liar’s Poker of course was a good insider’s account with the added advantage of being funny.In Fiction, I thought Tom Wolfe’s BonFire of the Vanities was a good and somewhat under-rated satire of those times. This scene is a classic !https://www.youtube.com/wat…
yes. also: funny money
Somone I know, when I asked him what he did in the financial markets (he was a bond trader) said:” If you have $100M and you want 95% certainty of having $95M 5 years from now, I’m your guy.”
It’s a fun book. Especially because one of the main characters features just got cleared of all charges.
I always try to keep one nonfiction and one fiction book going at once, so right now I’m reading Islamic Finance for Dummies and William Gibson’s Mona Lisa Overdrive. Two vastly different ways of looking at the futuristic world we now inhabit.
– China’s Super Consumers by Savio Chan- Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille (John Corey is my favorite fictional character, a wise-cracking, smart-alecky New Yorker who breaks all the rules to get things done)
Team of Teams by Gen Stan McCrystal explains how the world is moving from hiarchael structure to a networked one. fuses lessons from Delta Forces with real life business situations.
I liked this way more than I thought I would.
Gates of Fire – Steven Pressfield
Loved that book. I bet JLM would too.
I have a newborn so I’m reading more than I normally have time for – while bouncing with Leo on a yoga ball, rocking him in my arms, all in the name of sleep!Recently finished:-All the Light We Csnnot See – by Anthony Doerr – won the Pulitzer, takes place in Europe during wwii and tells the story of a blind French girl and a German infantryman. Very good story.-Digital Gold – by Nathaniel Popper – history of Bitcoin and the cast of characters involved (some of whom are in this community).Proof that fact is stranger than fiction!Now I’m reading A Heartbresking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. He is one of my favorite – if not my favorite – authors. Funny, sad, eclectic, all rolled into one.
Reading The Martian for the Atlanta Book Club for Men. Great one. Fun and fast read. Movie comes out in October starring Matt Damon.
Here’s what I’ve read on vacation:1. Marissa Mayer and the fight to save Yahoo2. King of Oil – The Secret Lives of Marc Rich3. Alibaba’s World4. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish – David Schwartz5. Elon Musk – Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Reading these presently:Re-reading: 1. Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson. Next up – Quicksilver !Reading:1. The Proud Tower – A Portrait of the World before the War, 1890-1914 – Barbara Tuchman.2. Power, Sex, Suicide – Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life – Nick Lane.3. An Army at Dawn. The War in North Africa 1942-43 – Rick Atkinson.Selectively Re-reading:1. When Genius Failed – Roger LowensteinThanks.
The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough — a quick read (10hrs)I thought I knew their history from stories I heard in elementary school, but I had no idea how much effort and courage it took for them to accomplish powered flight.The book is extremely well written. It’s #1 on the NYT for a reason right now.
Books I am currently reading:”Battle Cry Of Freedom” – Great history of the Civil War. Was pleased to see Ta Nehisi Coates recommend this on twitter, right after I started reading it. This is my second time reading it.”The Inner Game Of Tennis” – I don’t play tennis, but this is a great book for anyone who has a craft that requires daily practice. I picked it up after hearing the amazing Jacob Collier recommend it, and it’s helped me immensely in music (I’ve started playing double bass recently)Nexus, by Ramez Naam. – Seems like a fun read, someone on twitter recommended this recently, can’t remember who.
TNC’s collected work in the Atlantic over the past few years educated me about things not taught in school in general and his Civil War work in particular.
I used to buy and read a ton of books. Always non-fiction never ever fiction. The only fiction that I consume is movies and TV and entertainment. I stopped buying books because I already have to much material to read on the Internet. I lost the pleasure of browsing in Barnes and Noble for hours to find a book to learn something that I wanted to know even when I hadn’t finished the books that I had already bought.The other reason I lost interest in books has to do with the breadth of opinion that is available on the Internet with comments from ordinary and not so ordinary people. What I found was a single book (once again non-fiction) is the perspective and angle of one person typically and taking that one person’s clearly biased view simply didn’t make sense anymore unless you were able to see what others thought in contrast and disagreement. It’s the old “ask 10 lawyers get 10 different opinions”. (Note that what I am saying has to do more with analog and general business books as opposed to books where it would typically be ok to follow a single perspective…)
East of Eden by John Steinbeck and At Fault by Kate Chopin – two fiction novels, but interesting themes of entrepreneurship intertwined in the plot.
A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari – Translated from hebrew, I realize that it is not your regular “summer” read but its an eye opener – here is end of the Guardian review ” That said, Sapiens is one of those rare books that lives up to the publisher’s blurb. It really is thrilling and breath-taking; it actually does question our basic narrative of the world.”
I read bits of it but was frequently turned off by the style of some of the flashes of opinion that felt a little too seamlessly mixed it. I might be overly sensitive as that’s something I’m working on.
Irrationally Yours – Dan Ariely
I’m a regular reader of his work but haven’t picked this up yet. If you read his blog, and bit surprises or mostly connecting similar dots?
It actually is just a compilation of his blog posts. I had not always been a big reader of his blog so it’s nice to see these little thoughts compiled.His prior books are excellent.
Wherever You Go There You Are – Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday LifePlastic Ocean – How A Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched A Determined Quest To Save The OceansThe World is Blue – How Our Fate And The Ocean’s Are OneThe Box – How The Shipping Container Made The World Smaller and the World Economy BiggerFour Fish – The Future Of The Last Wild FoodBlue Mind – The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do
Might as well add blue ocean to the list 🙂
You must like water.
Great themed group!
Lonesome Dove… long, but engrossing and just gets better as you read along
Earlier this summer I read Poisoner’s Handbook. Also read Ghost Map. Currently readingGeorge Washington’s Secret Six.
Just finished Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, and All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – both excellent. Now onto Book of Numbers, by Joshua Cohen.
“Innovation Nation” was mentioned as book to read at SolidCon – wrote a summary here: http://thinkingonthinking.c…
here is the book link: http://www.amazon.com/Innov…
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz, which I expect everyone in this community but me has read already. And The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama, which I expect most of the politically inclined avc readers have already read.So some contemporary classics.
Haven’t read yet but maybe soon.
Listen to the audible version just to hear the rap quotes.
If Ben was spitting them that could convince me.
I am rereading The Transparent Society by David Brin. Brin’s is the best book I’ve read about the challenges and importance regarding privacy in a transparent world.
on the stack nowwork:> understanding context, andrew hinton> microinteractions, dan saffernot work:> the lottery and other stories, shirley jacksondevastatingly sharp portraits of people: in nyc furnished rooms, in drafty new england houses, other points inbetween> an empire of their own: how the jews invented hollywoodwhere the movies came from> a motor-flight through france, edith whartontraveling in a land yacht through history
The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil
make this a regular feature, with affiliate links, send the money to donor’s choice?
Just finished reading Mindset by Carol Dweck. Must read for parents, teachers, and anyone who wants to lead others.
I am reading “Ted Cruz: A Time for Truth” Anyone who is concerned about corruption in Washington should read the Preface – which details how Cruz was thrown under the bus by his own party and the media for trying to tell the truth and serve the electorate.BTW – The always corrupt NY Times is keeping the book off of their best-seller list despite the massive sales that beat two other titles on their list.
Just finished The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson
Add on:Just finished Built from Scratch – Home Depot.Heard Ken Langone speak at an event a little while ago, which peaked my interest on how Home Depot came to be, and almost wasn’t. Although dated, interesting story.The Hard things about the hard things – Ben HorowitzNot new either but for those who have not read, and are entrepreneurs worth a readZero to One – Peter Thiel
The two I’m really looking forward to reading next month:[+] The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman. Tyler Cowen calls it “happiness for grumps”.[+] The Misfit Economy: Lessons in Creativity from Pirates, Hackers, Gangsters and Other Informal Entrepreneurs by Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips. About “diverse innovators operating in the black, grey, and informal economies”.
Armada by Ernest Cline. His last book, Ready Player One, was a tour de force of 80s geek nostalgia and I’ve been eagerly anticipating his next work. Also plan on re-reading a bunch of Malcolm Gladwell this summer starting with Blink.
http://www.amazon.com/Flash…. Written by CEO of http://www.stratfor.com
Finishing up Warlords, Inc.: Black Markets, Broken States, and the Rise of the Warlord Entrepreneur – so far an insightful collection of essays on how non-state actors (hackers included) successfullly challenge and disrupt systems for their own advantage
1. “Jab Jab Jab right hook” – Garyvee 2.The cross roads of should and must- Ella Luna 3.The connection Algorithm- Jesse Warren
CREATING INNOVATORS: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World, by Tony Wagner.Prose-style interviews with some of the most innovative and creators today, including a creator of the first iPhone. Explores how 3 groups of people (parents, teachers, mentors) can help create the next generation of innovators.Loving it for inspiration as a manager and leader.Link: http://www.amazon.com/Creat…
This looks like I need to read. Thanks.
Currently Reading: Einstein – Walter Isaacson
Fred, you seem to enjoy writing and have a lot to say. Have you given thought to writing a book? Maybe with GG?
This is really awesome. Fred, I hope you don’t mind if I turn this into a proper list: http://www.curatewith.me/li…
I’m reading The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. http://www.amazon.com/The-B…
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. One of the best reads in a long time.
I really want to do more of this, but I can’t find the time anywhere. I must have 100 books lying at home I’ve dipped into here and there, haven’t finished any. Where do folks find the time?
Armada by Ernest Cline (when it comes in next week). This is his follow up to Ready Player One which was very entertaining. Also The Age of Cryptocurrency by Paul Vigna and Michael Casey.
I came across this link: http://theweek.com/articles… of book recommendations from Nick Offerman a couple of weeks ago. I have read a few of them already this summer. “The Tenth of December” was an excellent collection of short stories. Some of which are still lingering with me, weeks later. “The Last American Man” by Elizabeth Gilbert was hard for me to put down. I can see this becoming a book that I often recommend to people. I have started “Our Only World” which is a collection of essays from Wendell Berry. I read Berry’s “Jayber Crow” last year and it is one of my favorite novels. Berry’s non-fiction voice is as compelling to me as his fiction voice. I have also started Pollans’s “A Place of My Own” and I am loving it. I intend to read all of the books on Offerman’s list. I find that these choices are really resonating with me. They seem to be touching that part of my brain and soul that gets pushed aside by day to day, not necessarily “the rat race” but just “obligations” that are constantly shouting for my attention. These books are resonating deeply within me. They are allowing me to slow down for a few minutes at a time.
Just finished two. Dick Cavett’s Talk Show. Fun and funny read. Not Fade Away: A Short Life well Lived. Peter Barton. Thoughtful, moving.
I read Dead Wake recently; it wasn’t one of my favorite Larson books (fun side note; Erik Larson lived a few doors down from us in Seattle, and we always crossed paths when he was walking his dog Molly, and I was out with Zach the Dog).I just finished “Ready Player One” — fantastic book if you were a child of the 80s… Atari, Adventure, Pac Man… tied to emergence of virtual worldsCurrently reading a lot of the http://www.waitbutwhy.com blog posts (and downloaded as an ebook as well) — I think WaitButWhy is the best content happening on the web right now.
A Feast for Crows – book 4 in the Song of Fire and Ice (GoT) series – and Against the Gods – The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein right now. I hope to get to The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
I am plowing through Dennis Lehane’s Coughlin TrilogyThe Given DayLive by NightWorld Gone ByRead Greg Iles “The Bone Tree” the day it came out.Norman Lear’s “Even This I get to Experience” (Ton of TV history there)A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal
Just finished Stephenson’s new book Seveneves. Here’s my review: http://thegongshow.tumblr.c…
American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
That’s a great book – and it’s going to be a cable series, I think.
Not in the reading-for-pleasure phase of my life, but when I do get a chance, this is my go-to:Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorkerhttp://www.amazon.com/Disqu…Also: Fran Lebowitz Readerhttp://www.amazon.com/Fran-…I honestly believe humor is the most challenging form of writing. There are pieces in these (and the prior New Yorker collection, “Fierce Pajamas”) that have had me in tears of uncontrollable laughter.If I had to choose between laughing and food, I’d choose laughing every time.
https://medium.com/@ben_mat…
As the issue of urban development is fresh on everyone’s radar, I’d recommend reading Two books. One is incredibly long, the other short. Both are really worth it.http://www.audible.com/pd/H…http://www.audible.com/pd/B…
I’m reading Working Out Loud by John Stepper. Working Out Loud (WOL) is defined as working in an open, generous, connected way so you can build purposeful networks, become more effective and access more opportunities. Public examples of WOL include Brandon Stanton from HONY, Jordi Munoz President 3D Robotics and our head bartender here Fred Wilson. You can check out workingoutloud.com for more info.
The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Şafak. Wonderful book about Istanbul. Brings it to life.
Recently finished reading China’s Second Continent by Howard French. Super interesting read about the Chinese migration into Africa for hopes of success and how they’re impacting the ecosystem.Just ordered Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
China’s Second Continent sounds like a great follow up to Evan Osnos’s “Age of Ambition” which I much enjoyed last year. Thanks for sharing.
That’s actually what prompted me to move onto China’s Second Continent! I was pretty intrigued by Age of Ambition and thought it transitioned perfectly.
The Candidate by Samuel Popkin
Reading:The wayfinders: why ancient wisdom matters in the modern world – by Wade DavisSouth of the border, west of the sun – by Haruki MurakamiRe-reading:The Internet bubble – by Anthony & Michael PerkinsWant to read :The entrepreneurial mindset – by Rita McGrathArctic dreams – by Barry Lopez
What are you learning in the Wayfinders?
TC Boyle, “The Harder They Come”
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin – it’s a classic.
‘Eat Bacon, Don’t Jog’….thought provoking book about what massive amounts of carbohydrates are doing to our society. Loved it.
I’m here on Cape Clear, so it tickled me to see you’re reading Lusitania’s last voyage – working remotely from here now. Great fun to work, and then pop down to South Harbour and pull a kayak out and go for a paddle.https://sarahpaddleswim.wor…you were also mentioned in last book we reviewedhttp://irishtechnews.net/IT…I’ll try to read the book you’re reading, and come on over for a paddle if you’re coming over to Dublin Web Summit.cheers Simon
Cape Clear + Lusitania https://www.facebook.com/in…
‘Wherever you go there you are’, by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Found it via a Tim Ferriss podcast with Rick Rubin.
Reading The Great Bridge by David McCullough about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. And Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill for fiction
Hello, The Martian, Andy Weir, Altered Carbon by R Morgan, Great books
Recently Finished The Accidental Superpower by Peter Zeihan – a very interesting read!
Digital Gold by Nathaniel PopperAsia Godfathers by Joe Studwell
Harper Lee’s new book Go Set a Watchman. First chapter was released today by the WSJ.
Mario Livio-The Accelerating Universe. remarkable in that, although written in 1998, many of the issues in cosmology still haven’t been resolved.
So far this summer I’ve read:-Dying Every Day, Seneca At the Court of Nero by James Romm-Blue Ocean Strategy by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim-Eye by Frank Hebert-Peace is in Every Step by Thich Nhat HanhNext Up: -Critical Path by Buckminster Fuller-Thou Art That by Joseph Campbell-Debt: the First 5000 Years by David Graeber-Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro-Why Don’t We Learn from History? by Liddell Hart (re-read)
Just read Elon’s book. Pretty incredible story, from start to present day. Highly recommend for any entrepreneur.
It’s not summer in my part of the world (Sydney) but chilly days make for good reading weather. I just finished The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein. Debut novel, beautifully written. Also, book four of Karl Ove Knausgaard’s strangely compelling autobiographical novel, My Struggle. Next on the list, Go Set a Watchman when it’s released next week and Among The Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont. Other favourites from the first six months of 2015: http://amyd.tumblr.com/post…
I didn’t get the appeal of Knausgaard until I read that travelogue he wrote for the NY Times. The part where he describes stopping up the toilet in his hotel room is hilarious, even though he’s playing it straight.
Short stories. Some of my favorites so far:A Little Cloud by James Joyce-http://www.classicsho…The Doum-Tree of Wad Hamid- http://www.unz.org/Pub/Enco…
Illan says Once Upon a Time in Russia by Ben Mezrich
Since you’ll be on the beach, I’ve got to recommend something nautical: We, the Drowned, by Carsten Jensen. Borrows a little heavily from the Odyssey and Rime of the Ancient Mariner at times, but still a great read and epic tale of nordic seafaring.More fiction: The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton. Set in the New Zealand gold rush.Or, for something closer to Dead Wake, (and non-fiction), try The Sleepwalkers, by Chris Clark, which covers the politics that caused the first World War.
We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider
The War of Art (on how to deal with procrastination)
How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention and Discovery by Kevin Aston, a great treatise on how the myths surrounding creativity and genius are just that, myths. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, Humans under severe pressure can be simultaneously the most wonderful and dreadful people, I’m really looking forward to this.Misbehaving by Richard Thaler the history of behavioural economics from one of the founders Geek Heresy by Kentaro Toyama, tech isn’t always the answer, sometimes it’s much harder than just carpet bombing with tech.There are a few more I would like to read but I’m not sure I’ll be flying enough to read them including Outline by Rachel Cusk and To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink
Peers, by Robin Chase. Great read by a pioneer in shared economy platforms. The Snowball (Warren Buffet Biography). Intriguing to see the journey of one of the great financial minds and champions of value investing.
I’ve been reading quite a lot of bios and autobios lately. Recently I finished Sir Richard Branson’s Losing My Virginity, which gives you a very deep glimpse into Branson’s fascinating and adventurous life plus all the ups and downs throughout his career – very inspiring though.I also recently read Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson, very good story on Einstein’s past and influence.I’m currently reading Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future which is extremely entertaining. Although I’ve done quite some research on Elon it still amazes me his will & power to see things go through – a lot to learn from.I’m still looking for my next book to read although I have quite a few ones in my wish list. Below is my list of the potential ones I’d like to read, not in any particular order:-Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money-Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World-The Player of Games (Culture)-The Misfit Economy: Lessons in Creativity from Pirates, Hackers, Gangsters and Other Informal Entrepreneurs Any recommendations?
This one is the top of the list Secret History of Wonder Woman http://www.amazon.com/The-S… but sadly the list of fiction is way longer – saved on my goodreads for the one week in the year i’m not connected to the internet
Looking forward to read some of these myself. I’ve collated an incomplete list of everyone’s suggestions at http://www.curatewith.me/li…. I hope this is helpful!
Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels. The writing is like nothing I’ve read before: direct, knowing, and (in)tense. And beautiful, even in translation.
My husband has been reading Dead Wake as well, so it looks like that should be on my list too! I’m reading and really enjoying The Third Plate, Dan Barber’s book on the future of food. It’s a great read – very thought-provoking. im looking to read Suite Francaise off my “to be read” stack this summer, too. It came to me highly recommended a while back. Hope those two are good additions to the crowdsourced list!
Reading Ready Player One – brilliant!http://www.amazon.com/Ready…
I read A Little Life: A Novel by Hanya Yanagihara (fiction) last week. – This wonderful book is a downer.Also read Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Townby John Krakauer (non-fiction) a couple of weeks agoTrudging through Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (fiction) – I hope I can figure out what is going on.Also reading Jack Keruoac’s On The Road and William Glass’s In the Heart of the Heart of the Country.Will read soon: The English Spy by Daniel Silva – I look forward to June/July every year when the next installment is published.
A Year Without Pants by Scott Berkun. It’s about working remotely at WordPress. Fascinating look at remote working.Gaining Ground by Forrest Prichard. It’s the story of saving a 7th generation family farm in the Shenendoah Valley. It’s not about being organic, but how can a farm support itself without commodity pricing.
TitleThe perfection of the paper clip : curious tales of invention, accidental genius, and stationery obsession / James Ward.TitleThis machine kills secrets : how WikiLeakers, cypherpunks, and hacktivists aim to free the world’s information / Andy Greenberg.TitleConsole wars : Sega, Nintendo, and the battle that defined a generation / Blake J. Harris ; foreword by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg.TitleThe boy who played with fusion : extreme science, extreme parenting, and how to make a star / Tom Clynes.TitleUngifted : intelligence redefined / Scott Barry Kaufman ; illustrated by George Doutsiopoulos.TitleThe radioactive boy scout : the true story of a boy and his backyard nuclear reactor / Ken Silverstein.TitleFinal Jeopardy : man vs. machine and the quest to know everything / Stephen Baker.TitleRaising kids who read : what parents and teachers can do / Daniel T. Willingham.PublisherTitleHarvard and the Unabomber : the education of an American terrorist / by Alston Chase.TitleBig weed : an entrepreneur’s high-stakes adventures in the budding legal marijuana business / Christian Hageseth with Joseph D’Agnese.TitleThe age of cryptocurrency : how bitcoin and digital money are challenging the global economic order / Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey.TitleBlood aces : the wild ride of Benny Binion, the Texas gangster who created Vegas poker / Doug J. Swanson.Silk Road by Eileen Ormsby (Author)DREAM BIG: How the Brazilian Trio behind 3G Capital – Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles and Beto Sicupira – acquired Anheuser-Busch, Burger King and Heinz Kindle Editionby Cristiane Correa (Author)The Heineken Story: The remarkably refreshing tale of the beer that conquered the world Kindle Edition
Shredded: The Rise and Fall of the Royal Bank of Scotland Hardcover –George Westinghouse : gentle genius / Quentin R. Skrabec, Jr.In my shoes : a memoir / Tamara Mellon.PublisherUncommon grounds : the history of coffee and how it transformed our world / Mark Pendergrast.Fukushima : the story of a nuclear disaster / David Lochbaum, Edwin Lyman, Susan Q. Stranahan, and The Union of Concerned Scientists.
I Am PilgrimThe Sisters BrothersThe Martian
Years ago Fred mentioned here “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay” and I read it then. Re-reading that along with my son this summer. Still wondering why it hasn’t been made into a movie. Great novel.
Just finished Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves. Quite long but well worth it.
Capital in the 21st Century by Thomas Pikkety – daunting tome that it is. If you’re doing audiobook, be prepared to take notes periodically to sketch out his charts or equations.Naked, by David Sedaris.
Recommended reading: The Boys in the Boat on audio — the reader is absolutely stupendous and the story is one for the ages. Truly a must listen!
I’m half way thruBehind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry by Marc Benioff .Has anyone else read this?
Anything Welles – It’s the 100 yr Anniversary of O W., and visit heeltote.com