The 52 Books I read in 2024

I started reading (or rather listening to books) recently. It has helped me?generate new ideas, deliver new presentations, and understand the world through a new perspective.

Last year, I managed to read (or rather listen to) 32 books. This year, I listened to 52 books on Audible , running 2,000 Miles (3,220 KM) in the year. (I simply love the concept of Habit Stacking by James Clear ).

The 52 number may sound daunting, but did you know that a?typical user spends 2.5 hours every day on social media, which is nearly 1,000 hours of social media per year; more than enough to finish 50 books in one year.

List of Books and the Key Messages

In case you are a user of Goodreads then you can view my 2024 list of books here.

1. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell . The author discusses the key factors beyond the success of the exceptional people, the outliers. Gladwell emphasizes that external factors, such as the environment, support systems, and even birth month or year, play a significant role in shaping an individual’s potential for success.
2. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth ; the author emphasizes that success is not primarily about innate talent but is instead driven by a combination of passion and sustained effort over time, which she defines as "grit."
3. What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith . The author discusses that many successful people falter at the next stage of their careers. To grow as a leader, you must adapt by unlearning counterproductive behaviors and focusing on how you affect others. Success in the next phase of your career depends less on technical skills and more on emotional intelligence, humility, and the ability to build positive relationships.
4. AI for Good: Applications in Sustainability, Humanitarian Action, and Health by William Brinson Weeks, MD, PhD, MBA , Juan M. Lavista Ferres , and Brad Smith . This is a topic close to my heart. The authors have discussed how AI can address global challenges, offering real-world examples and practical tools for tackling climate change, disaster relief, and healthcare inequities. I covered some examples in my AI for Good blog last year.
5. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The author explores the concept of "flow," a state of complete immersion and focus in an activity where people experience profound satisfaction and peak performance. The key message is that achieving flow requires balancing challenges with one’s skills, setting clear goals, and receiving immediate feedback. This state leads to personal growth, creativity, and a sense of fulfillment.
6. Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity by Frank Slootman . The author has shared his leadership strategies for driving organizational growth without significant changes to talent or structure. He emphasizes aligning teams around critical objectives, executing with urgency, and relentlessly focusing on the mission to achieve unprecedented performance. I covered some themes in my earlier blog post, The Bias for Scale.
7. Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennet: The book is a framework for cultivating sharper, more effective thinking. By embracing thought experiments, avoiding intellectual traps, and refining how we approach problems, readers can better understand complex ideas and make better decisions. A message that resonated with me from the book was "A good library has all the good books; a great library has all the books," emphasizing that we must expose ourselves to diverse ideas to understand the world better.
8. Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging by Susan Fowler . The author argues that traditional motivation methods such as rewards, punishments, or external incentives are ineffective and often counterproductive. Instead, she presents a framework based on the science of self-determination, which emphasizes fostering people's intrinsic motivation by addressing their psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
9. Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. The authors explore how small changes in the way choices are presented can significantly influence decision-making, benefiting individuals and society without compromising freedom of choice. They have called this design practice Choice Architecture.
10. The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation by Frans Johansson . The Medici Effect refers to the phenomenon where breakthrough ideas and innovations emerge from the intersection of diverse disciplines, cultures, and perspectives. I discussed this concept in my earlier blog Innovation vs. Invention: Finding your own path to success.
11. Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman. The author explores the concept of "noise" in decision-making (unwanted variability in judgments) that leads to inconsistent outcomes, even when the same information is available. Noise reveals how judgment errors caused by randomness can lead to inconsistent and flawed decisions. By acknowledging and addressing noise, organizations and individuals can make more accurate, fair, and consistent choices, ultimately improving outcomes in various fields.
12. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink . The author explores the science behind motivation, arguing that traditional reward-and-punishment systems are often ineffective and can even be counterproductive. Instead, Pink proposes that intrinsic motivation, driven by the innate human needs for autonomy, mastery, and purpose, is key to high performance and satisfaction.
13. Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic . The book focuses on the importance of clear and effective data visualization for business professionals. The book emphasizes that data should not just be presented but rather used to tell a compelling story that resonates with the audience. I also wrote a blog on this topic earlier called Data Storytelling.
14. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari. The book is a history lesson; the author examines how information networks have shaped human societies throughout history, from early communication methods to the rise of artificial intelligence. He explores the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power, highlighting both information dissemination's positive and negative impacts. Harari also addresses the challenges posed by AI, emphasizing the need for informed choices to prevent potential harm.
15. To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Persuading, Convincing, and Influencing Others by Daniel Pink . The author argues that persuasion and influence are fundamental human activities, not just for salespeople. In today's world, everyone needs to sell their ideas, projects, and even themselves in various contexts. A colleague ( Chris Li ) recommended the book to me after I wrote a blog titled?We Are All in Sales.
16. The Industries of the Future by Alec Ross . The author explores the key technological advancements that will shape our world in the coming decades. The author is a former senior advisor for innovation to the Secretary of State , Hillary Clinton . The four key industries disputing our future, as per the book, are: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Genomics, Coding and Big Data, and Cybersecurity.
17. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz . The author explores how the vast amount of data generated by internet searches and online activity reveals deeper truths about human behavior and societal trends, often contradicting what people say publicly. Using data from sources like Google searches and social media, he uncovers hidden patterns, biases, and desires that shape our actions, decisions, and identities.
18. Human + Machine, Updated and Expanded: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI by Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson . The book highlights the transformative potential of AI in the workplace, arguing that the future of work will involve symbiotic relationships between humans and machines. AI should be seen as a tool to enhance human potential, automate routine tasks, and drive innovation. Organizations must embrace AI, foster collaboration, and focus on continuous learning to succeed in this new era. It is an "AND" story not an "OR" story.
19. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt. The author illustrates how economic principles can be applied to diverse, real-world scenarios, uncovering the hidden forces that drive human behavior. The book applies the Latin phrase Cui Bono (who benefits) to all the problems. The book encourages readers to think differently about the world and look beyond surface-level explanations by challenging conventional wisdom and exploring surprising connections. One of the most surprising analysis was the correlation between Abortion and Crime Rates.
20. Dopamine Detox : A Short Guide to Remove Distractions and Get Your Brain to Do Hard Things by Meurisse Thibaut . The author advocates for intentionally disconnecting from distractions and reducing dopamine-triggering behaviors to reclaim focus, productivity, and the ability to tackle difficult tasks. By resetting the brain's reward system, individuals can break free from instant gratification and improve their ability to engage in meaningful, long-term endeavors. I wrote a blog post on this topic:?How to be productive?
21. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier . The author critiques contemporary therapeutic practices that prioritize affirmation and identity over deeper psychological work, arguing that such approaches may prevent young people from developing resilience and maturity. The book calls for a return to therapy that encourages critical thinking, personal growth, and challenging difficult emotions to foster true mental well-being and adulthood. Some of the book's messaging may be over-simplistic for a complex topic such as human emotion and psychology.
22. The Genius Checklist: Nine Paradoxical Tips on How You Can Become a Creative Genius by Dean Simonton . The author explores the traits and behaviors that foster creative genius, offering practical advice based on scientific research and case studies. The book provides a set of nine seemingly paradoxical principles that can help anyone unlock their creative potential.
23. Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community by Joy Cho . The author offers a guide for aspiring bloggers who want to turn their passion into a profitable and sustainable business while building a strong, engaged community. She shared strategies for content creation, brand building, and monetization, emphasizing authenticity and maintaining a genuine connection with readers.
24. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. The book challenges conventional time management practices and encourages readers to accept the finite nature of life. Burkeman advocates for focusing on what truly matters, letting go of the pressure to do everything and living more intentionally with our limited time. I discussed the same topic in my earlier blog, The Time Billionaire.
25. The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization by Vince Beiser . The author brings attention to the critical importance of sand in shaping our world, from ancient civilizations to modern technology and construction. Vince Beiser highlights the hidden role sand plays in our daily lives. He explores the environmental and geopolitical challenges that arise from its over-exploitation, urging a more sustainable approach to this essential resource.
26. Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick . Another book that talks about the relationship between Humans and AI is based on "AND" and not "OR". The author explores the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, focusing on how AI can be integrated into daily life, work, and society to create more productive and ethical systems. The book explains "co-intelligence," where humans and AI collaborate to achieve outcomes neither could accomplish alone.
27. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman. The author discusses that love is communicated in many different ways, and understanding and speaking your partner's love language is key to building a lasting, healthy relationship. By recognizing the different ways people give and receive affection, couples can enhance their emotional connection and ensure that love is consistently expressed in ways that are meaningful to each person.
28. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. A philosophical book on the foundation of morals. The author argues that true morality comes from acting out of duty, guided by universal moral laws. He introduces the idea of the categorical imperative, which says we should act in ways that respect others as ends in themselves, not as tools for our own goals.
29. Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems by Martin Kleppmann . The book offers a comprehensive guide to building modern applications that can handle large amounts of data in a reliable, scalable, and maintainable way.The author combines theory with practical advice on tackling the complex challenges of distributed systems, consistency, performance, and fault tolerance to design robust data-driven applications.
30. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. The book highlights the connection between trauma, the brain, and the body. The author argues that healing trauma requires not just addressing psychological symptoms but also engaging the body and using a range of therapeutic approaches to rewire the brain and restore a sense of safety and connection. The book offers a comprehensive view of trauma recovery and provides hope for those seeking to overcome the lasting effects of traumatic experiences.
31. The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman. The book helps parents understand how to communicate love to their children in ways that resonate with them emotionally by identifying a child’s primary love language, whether through words, quality time, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch; parents can foster a deeper, more supportive relationship and help their child grow up feeling valued and understood.
32. Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas . The book explores how humor can enhance leadership, creativity, and relationships in business and personal life. The book provides practical insights into how humor can be used strategically to foster connection, reduce stress, and drive innovation without resorting to forced or inappropriate jokes. I have a piece of advice: while humor is a great thing, people who claim to be funny are never funny, and whatever you do, never pretend to be funny.
33. 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc Chernoff and Angel Chernoff, MBA . The book discusses that happiness and success are built on consistent, small actions and mindset shifts. By adopting gratitude, emotional intelligence, self-care, and intentional goal-setting habits, individuals can create lasting positive change in their lives.
34. Generative AI in Practice: 100+ Amazing Ways Generative Artificial Intelligence is Changing Business and Society by Bernard Marr . The author has shared how generative AI is reshaping business and society. Through practical examples and use cases, the book shows how AI is revolutionizing everything from creativity to healthcare while raising important ethical and societal questions that must be addressed as technology evolves.
35. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath . The book demonstrates that specific experiences can have extraordinary, lasting impacts due to their emotional significance. By understanding and harnessing the elements of defining moments, elevation, insight, pride, and connection, individuals and organizations can create powerful, transformative experiences that shape memories, relationships, and behaviors.
36. Loving Your Spouse When You Feel Like Walking Away by Gary Chapman. The author offers guidance on how to navigate the inevitable challenges in marriage. By improving communication, understanding love languages, practicing forgiveness, and reigniting romance, couples can strengthen their relationship and rediscover the love and commitment that brought them together in the first place.
37. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia . The book teaches that finding your reason for being, your ikigai, can lead to a longer, happier, and more meaningful life. In Japanese, Iki means 'To Live', and gai means 'reason or purpose'. By pursuing your passions, fostering strong relationships, staying active, and living in the present, you can cultivate a life full of purpose and joy.
38. What Works: Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet. As a father of a daughter, I am continuously thinking about how the systems around us will impact her as an adult. The author discusses that achieving gender equality requires more than just changing individual attitudes; it requires designing systems and processes that reduce bias and promote fairness. By implementing evidence-based interventions and making structural changes, organizations can create equal opportunities and foster a more inclusive environment for all genders.
39. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein . The author discusses that generalists (those with broad experiences and skills) have a distinct advantage in solving complex problems and adapting to change. By exploring various interests and fields before specializing, individuals can develop the creativity, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills necessary for success in today’s unpredictable world. I discussed this topic in detail in my blog post, Generalists vs Specialists.
40. When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Mate. The author discusses the connection between emotional stress and physical illness. He emphasizes that repressed emotions and untreated stress can lead to chronic diseases, urging us to become more aware of our emotional health and to address the hidden causes of stress for overall well-being. I always tell people to?learn how to say no?before your body starts saying no.
41. Crickonomics: The Anatomy of Modern Cricket by Tim Wigmore and Stefan Szymanski . I had to read a book on my favorite sports; the book offers an insightful exploration of modern cricket through the lens of economics and statistics, highlighting how data, technology, and commercialization have reshaped the sport. By analyzing the game's business dynamics, performance strategies, and global impact, the book comprehensively explains the factors driving cricket's evolution in the 21st century.
42. Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay Gibson. The book provides valuable insights for those who grew up with emotionally immature parents. The author offers guidance on healing from emotional wounds, recognizing dysfunctional patterns, and building emotionally healthy relationships, empowering readers to reclaim their emotional well-being and break free from the past.
43. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. The book, first published in 1776, is a foundational work in classical economics. It explores the nature of economic systems, the role of markets, and the importance of division of labor, laying the groundwork for modern economic theory.
44. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark . Another book that talks about the relationship between Humans and AI is based on "AND" and not "OR". The book examines the impact AI will have on the future of humanity, from the potential to enhance human life to the risks of AI surpassing human control. The author encourages careful thought and global cooperation to ensure AI's evolution is aligned with human values, promoting a future where AI benefits society while mitigating existential threats.
45. Quantum Computing: The transformative technology of the Qubit Revolution by Brian Clegg . The book introduces quantum computing, exploring how qubits and quantum algorithms could revolutionize industries by solving problems that are currently beyond the capabilities of classical computers.
46. Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn. The book critiques rewards and punishments in motivation, arguing that these strategies undermine intrinsic motivation and lead to negative long-term consequences. The authoradvocates for nurturing internal motivation by fostering autonomy, mastery, and purpose, rather than relying on external incentives like grades, praise, and prizes.
47. Leadership Principles Explained by Andy Jassy . The book provides a practical framework for leadership based on Amazon’s success, emphasizing customer obsession, long-term thinking, innovation, operational excellence, and empowering others. It promotes a leadership philosophy that values action, results, and servant leadership to drive sustainable growth and success.
48. AI Ethics by Mark Coeckelbergh . The book offers a philosophical and ethical exploration of AI technologies, addressing key issues such as bias, fairness, privacy, accountability, and the societal impact of AI. The author calls for a more thoughtful and responsible approach to AI development, prioritizing human well-being and social equity while navigating the ethical challenges posed by these powerful technologies. I covered some of the concerns in the blog post: AI is for humans, humans are not for AI.
49. Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. The author paints a thought-provoking picture of the future, exploring how advancements in AI, biotechnology, and human enhancement might transform humanity. He examines the ethical and existential questions surrounding the pursuit of immortality, happiness, and god-like abilities, urging readers to reflect on the societal implications of these technological advances.
50. Quantum Supremacy by Michio Kaku. The book offers an accessible exploration of the cutting-edge field of quantum computing, detailing its potential to revolutionize industries, solve previously unsolvable problems, and reshape society.
51. Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Lessons in Data-Driven Leadership in an Age of Disruption, Big Data, and AI by Randy Bean . The book encourages leaders to embrace data-driven decision-making, agility, and the lessons learned from failure to thrive in an age of disruption. The book highlights how big data and AI can be leveraged to navigate challenges, innovate continuously, and lead organizations to success in a rapidly evolving world.
52. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. The author is a holocaust survivor. In this book, he teaches that the search for purpose is the most fundamental drive in human life. Individuals can overcome adversity and lead fulfilling lives by finding meaning, especially in times of suffering. His logotherapy provides a path to self-transcendence and personal responsibility, encouraging us to discover meaning in every aspect of our lives.

In case you are a user of Goodreads then you can view my 2024 list of books here. I hope to read more books in the year 2025. Once you start reading books, your wishlist list grows much faster than you can complete.

I write weekly on different topics related to Data and AI. Feel free to subscribe to FAQ on Data newsletter and/or follow Fawad Qureshi on LinkedIn or FawadQureshi on X.