I was perusing HackerNews when I came across Bill Gates book recommendations, a tradition he does every year. Like so many other bloggers, I’ve decided to publish my own list of my top four book recommendations I read in 2018, although unlike Gate’s list these books are those I happened to read that year, as I believe none of them came out in 2018 itself. The books are in no particular order.
The Psychopath Test (Jon Ronson) One of my favorite authors, Jon has an incredible ability to take a reader through a series of chronological short stories that eventually lead up to a much larger and deeper understanding of the universe. His ability to make these stories intertwine into a single cohesive story is nothing short of extraordinary. The Psychopath Test is perhaps the best example of his ability to do this, as he looks at how our depiction of mental illness, specifically our views on psychopaths, has developed. Absolutely fascinating read, I had to force myself to put the book down just so I could get other things done.
Although I didn’t want to recommend two Ronson books in one year, I also read So You’ve Been Publically Shamed, which is a similarly written book but on public shaming and how this is impacting our society. Although I chose The Psychopath Test as my favorite of the two, they’re both worth reading.
Atlas Shrugged (Anne Rand) The only fiction book I read this year, Atlas Shrugged is a historically significant novel following the logical conclusion of imposing mandatory moral guidance onto our markets at the cost of the individual and personal freedoms. Here we follow a number of different characters, each with their own story line, whose lives fill the 1100 pages of the novel. The book has accurately been criticized for being ideologically driven, although I don’t believe this detracts from the story line as a whole. It’s a fun read with historical significance which will finally let you know: Who is John Galt”
Liars Poker (Michael Lewis) Liars Poker follows the life of Michael Lewis as he’s inducted into Lehman Brothers and looks at the culture of wall street which brought it to the crash in 2008. Michael is known for writing finance related books, and Liars Poker is perhaps my favorite one so far. The book is quite funny, as he looks at the absurdities occurring around him and the company that’s matured in front of him. This is definitely one of the most fun books I’ve ever read, though it’s relevance may be waning as we move farther and farther away from the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the crash of ’08.
The Quantum Labyrinth (Paul Halpern) I picked this book up from a B&N right before a plane ride, and it was a great choice. The book follows Feynman and his advisor Wheeler, although mostly from the perspective of Feynman. It’s shocking how well sourced this book is, as the author seems to know about every detail of his life, and is able to publish the most interesting portions. Without a running interest in the history of physics, Feynman, or the atomic bomb I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to you, but if you do have an interest in either of those three topics this is an exceptional read.
That’s it for my list! I hope I’ve been able to impact your reading decisions in a positive manner. See you in 2020 for my 2019 list!