Best Reads of 2020

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” - Anna Quindlen

This quote holds true for me, especially for this year of 2020 as I got a lot of reading accomplished this year thanks to the amount of time spent indoors. Books also offered a welcome respite from the constant and never ending news cycle and books did feel like "home".

Here are my best 5 reads from 2020. Not in any particular order:

1. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company - Bob Igler. The book is an excellent resource on leadership and problem-solving. Through the book, you will see Iger's ability to navigate the evolving media landscape and make calculated acquisitions to position Disney at the top. The fascinating parts of the book were on how the big acquisitions were made by Disney (Pixar, Marvel & Fox). Iger talks on the lessons that have stuck with him, such as the value of taking big risks, accepting blame, rewarding well-intentioned failure, not letting good-enough ever be good enough, and letting acquired companies maintain their culture.

“Don't be in the business of playing it safe. Be in the business of creating possibilities of greatness” - Bog Igler

2. No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram – Sarah Frier. A gripping narrative of the birth and the growth of the most loved app and its inner workings. No Filter was hard to put down with so many behind the scenes looks from inception to ultimate domination. The book also delves into Mark Zuckerberg's philosophy on growth and competition. Numerous anecdotes suggesting the Kardashians, Justin Bieber having Instagram’s team on speed dial as they navigate the app’s explosive growth and upgrades. How early adapters like Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber “took down the internet” with their posts. The book was a fun read.

3. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World - David Epstein. In the book, Epstein argues that in most fields-especially those that are complex and unpredictable- generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. Epstein encourages readers to try lots of things, read broadly, and fail lots of times.

4. That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea - Marc Randolph. If you like backstories of the major companies and brands we interact with today, you will enjoy this book. Its a first-person account by the Netflix Co-Founder, Mark Randolph on the early days of Netflix and several of its missteps. From its inception during Mark and Reid Hasting's car pool rides on Highway 17, to getting their first set of users, the book is an engaging read.

A quote that stuck with me -

“Nobody knows anything. If Nobody Knows Anything, then you have to trust yourself. You have to test yourself. And you have to be willing to fail - Mark Randolph

5. Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business Into an Enduring Great Company – James L Collins. I wish I had known of this book earlier. It came highly recommended by the Netflix CEO, Reid Hastings and I now know why. It’s a bible on how to build the foundation of a great company. The books delves into how to take your company beyond survival towards sustainable growth. Excellent book for CEOs or managers on how to articulate Vision and Purpose for your company or team.