Five Nonfiction Books You Must Read in 2022 (Out of the 50 I Read in 2021)
Daniel Esdale
The Human Services CMO - Blending mission-driven marketing expertise with a deep understanding of the sector's unique challenges and opportunities to amplify impact and stimulate growth
I did it again...I read 50 nonfiction books in 2021! Reading is a big part of my life, and I love the knowledge I gain from reading a diverse array of books every year. Reading other people’s perspectives and sharing in their actual experiences is very empowering, (and I still get excited when the Harvard Book Store shipment arrives!). So once again, I’m going to give you a quick review of every book I read.
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I'll start with my "Top 5" must-read non-fiction books of the year...
DAN'S TOP-5 NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR
by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass Sunstein
If you know me, you know I’m a total Dan Kahneman fan! I have been reading a lot of behavioral science books, and my wife Michaele Morrow Esdale turned me on to Kahneman. If you are a public, private, or nonprofit sector leader, you must read this book!
Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner, but he has a unique ability to effectively translate his research in ways where the average person can relate it back to their field. His premise in “Noise” goes beyond the cognitive biases he has made famous, and talk about the concept of system noise. He cites examples in the judiciary process, where outcomes can even be dependent on the time of day the case is heard – let alone who hears it! He goes into fascinating details on regulations versus standards, and how these can affect our decision-making. In short, if you make decisions or inform decisions – buy this book and share it with someone you know!
by Michael Moss
If you’ve ever watched the movie “Super Size Me,” you’ll appreciate this book. Obesity rates in our country are higher than ever, and the simple fact is that eating healthy is hard – and expensive. And there is a lot of money at stake in pushing highly-processed and unhealthy food onto our tables.
Remember how I said I had been reading a lot about behavioral science…this book is epitome of why that is an important field! Did you know that some unhealthy foods can be more addictive than alcohol and tobacco? Some of the largest companies in the world are simply flavor and fragrance infusers that you’ve never even heard of!
As a marketing executive, I appreciated the perspective of how effective marketing can influence human behavior. As a human being who wants my friends and family to live long and healthy lives, though, the deceptive tactics were the ugly side of the industry. It’s a frustrating story, but an important perspective to have when you’re shopping in the grocery store.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
“Caste” was on Oprah’s book list, and is one of the books that you routinely see on the bookshelves behind the experts on television providing commentary from their home office, and for good reason! Last year I read a lot of books on race, but this book dives deeper into the social hierarchy that exists among us – and has since our country was founded! It really is mind-blowing and causes you to take a step back, which is why I highly recommend everyone reading this post spend a few nights with it. There are so many reviews of Caste out there already that I won’t try to add value with my own take, other than adding that it’s a shame that there are public officials attempting to ban this book from schools in other states.
by Barack Obama
A stupendous book with a lot of great anecdotes that takes the reader back to the time before the President ran his first campaign for state senate.
The dichotomy between the Trump’s “America First” and Obama’s foreign policy agenda are stark. I really appreciated how eloquently Obama describes how the intricacies of conflict in small Middle Eastern and African countries threaten the national security of our country. And his recap of his role in the Recovery Act - and ultimately the near undoing of its impact when Greece’s financial system collapsed - opened my eyes to a lot beneath the surface.
But really it’s his work to pass the Affordable Care Act that was the page turner for me. And I have to say, reading Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” before reading “A Promised Land” made this book even more enjoyable, as there was some cross-over and I loved getting both perspectives in those instances.
Money. What is it really? I’ve read a lot of economics books, but I’ve never read a book that dived into the origin of currency.
This is an amazing book, and the concept of Modern Monetary Theory – which has been in the news this year – is really thought-provoking! I never really questioned “money” before, and when a book thoughtfully challenges long-held assumptions it will always get my attention. There are some great moments in the story arc as well, as the author’s take on shadow banking being the real culprit of the mortgage crisis is one I hadn’t heard before! This was also the best description of Bitcoin I’ve read, probably because you had a better understanding of the intrinsic value of money after reading the book.
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As for the other 45, I did my best to put them in the appropriate category so you can feel free to skip to a category that interests you!
MEMOIRS, BIOGRAPHIES, AND AUTOBIOGRAPHIES
Fun fact: Lamar Odom and I were both freshmen on the campus of URI in the ’97-’98 academic year and I have been following his career ever since. This memoir was such a powerful read, as the highs and lows of his life were so extreme.
Some nuggets of wisdom and moments of nostalgia from one of the biggest celebrities of my generation! Worth the read for the Fresh Prince origin story alone…
An absolute page-turner that takes you into the ruthless world of the cartels. One of the fascinating subplots is the increasing degrees of difficulty the cartels were facing to export drugs and import cash as law enforcement got more sophisticated.
This was a missed opportunity by Bob Iger to write a compelling memoir, and instead came across as someone taking sole credit for the success of The Walt Disney Company. A lot of focus on Board politics and infighting, and not enough on decision-making and overseeing a company with one of the world’s most recognizable brands and a $300 billion market cap.
Uncanny Valley: A Memoir by Anna Wiener
I would describe this as the outsiders insider view of Silicon Valley. Her stories and writing style made this a book I didn’t want to put down. And the mocking of some of the most extreme aspects of the culture she experienced – specifically that you better be “DFTC” (down for the cause) was perfect in its sort of “but it kind of worked though” way. I really enjoyed this book…it’s kind of the “Liar’s Poker” of Silicon Valley.
SPORTS
Since I was in the Garden with Conor Yunits when KG screamed “Anything is possibllllllle” while holding the NBA Championship trophy, of course I was going to read his memoir! The structure of “A-Z” was basically a series of disconnected short stories, but it actually works. If you’re a KG fan, you’ll love it. If not, not so much. I just wish he talked about the Ray Allen feud!
Eh…great story, but it’s been told so many times by so many people (including Mike Eruzione) that I didn’t really learn anything new. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the book, but it’s such a great underdog story that it was still a fun read.
Yes – I used to be a huge WWE fan! The company’s story from a regional wrestling promoter to a publicly-traded media and entertainment company with a market cap of $4 billion is incredible…but this book wasn’t focused on that. It was mostly a rehash of actual wrestling storylines with some backstage nuggets tossed in…not what I was expecting.
Probably the most controversial book for Patriots fans, as many viewed it as a hit job by the author who has a history of writing unflattering stories about the Patriots dynasty. But let’s be honest, the other books that have been published have been a bit over-the-top in their praise of all things Brady and Belichick. Bottom line: it was a great book – if you take it with a grain of salt.
HISTORY AND BIOPIC
Huge Anand fan, and after reading “Winners Take All” in 2020 I had to pick up one of his other books. This was nothing like “Winners Take All,” which demonstrates his range as a writer and storyteller. It’s interesting to read the perspective of a death row prisoner’s family, and the complexities of the subjects of this true story are mind-blowing! In short, people are capable of change.
Quick and engaging, and a hugely important story I knew nothing about! I didn’t know the legal interpretation that a sitting president couldn’t be indicted ties back to Spiro Agnew. I also didn’t know that he was a week away from ascending to the Office of the President, and three young lawyers may have prevented a constitutional crisis. This book reminds me a lot of “Fifth Risk” in that the authors highlight the unsung champions of our government who do the hard work behind the scenes to preserve our democratic republic.
I wanted to love this book, but it was not an easy read. The author presents you with a lot of information, and not a lot of storytelling. I will say this, Al Capone’s legacy as one of the most feared gangsters in history takes a major hit in this book!
This book is absolutely thrilling! I couldn’t put it down! It really puts the scale of the decentralized Russian spy network into perspective, but the fact that this nondescript housewife played an outsized role in the Cold War is chilling. And Macintyre tells the story beautifully!
Love Malcom Gladwell, and this is an incredible story – but this felt more like long-form story that was ?stretched into a book. Still a good read, and if you liked the movie “Memphis Belle,” this is for you!
Hand up…I had never heard of James Baldwin. Glaude might be his biggest fan, though, and takes you deep into his life and his views and his role in the Civil Rights movement.
ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
This book focuses on the concentration of power among white males, and had so many “wow” moments for me as a reader. I do wish it was more substantive, though, as it was rooted entirely in anecdotes and points-of-view; I would have loved to see some data presented to truly hammer home the book’s message. The irony is that this book could have easily been another 400 pages…wouldn’t be shocked to see a follow-up from the author in the new year!
I started following Senator Murphy on social media after finishing his book. The Sandy Hook tragedy remains unthinkable, and as the new U.S. Senator from Connecticut – and father to young children – it hit Senator Murphy incredibly hard. He has devoted the past decade of his life to understand this problem and has been a champion for reforms as we continue to suffer through mass shootings and gun violence at a rate far beyond other countries. A very powerful book…
领英推荐
Incredible book! A series of essays about key U.S. Supreme Court decisions that impact our civil liberties even today. In a lot of instances, I realize that I took for granted how these became part of our democratic society, which is why I loved reading this book. I’m going to continue reading books on the Supreme Court in 2022!
While there are many books out that focus on the divides in our country, with a focus on Donald Trump, MacGillis and MacGillis take a different view. There is a reason why I didn’t classify this as a business book, as Amazon isn’t the story – rather it’s the human sacrifices people make everyday in this new economic reality. This book talks about the societal cost of that “one-click” fulfillment we’ve all taken for granted. I wish every local elected official and opinion-maker in the country would read this book, as it’s an important lesson for all of us.
When you’re married to a tax professor, you start to internalize tax policy and next thing you know you’re reading Gabriel Zucman books!
The world is driven by data, but did you ever think of the consequences of data-driven algorithms in the age of machine learning? This is a fascinating book, and a recommendation from Suffolk faculty member Robert Smith.
I mean, I learned some new things in this book – like how frightening it was that Jared Kushner was granted security clearance – but I wasn’t a fan of the book. There was a lot of theories that weren’t rooted in fact and felt sensational. I decided not to read any of the bestsellers this year around Donald Trump after reading this book, as it’s such an emotional and polarizing topic where the story is still being told every day.
BUSINESS
I’m going to be harsh here, but this was a terrible book. It was more of a “look at all the CEOs I know” flex than substantive information from CEOs about getting ahead. Too many cliches; not enough insights.
I saw the Brown Brothers Harriman building when I visited New York City, and literally wanted to get a tour after reading this book! Not what I was expecting, but I learned so much about the history of the merchant banks that ultimately became the Wall Street powers of the 21st century.
This was such a precipitous fall for a storied company with one of the world’s most valuable brands…so of course it goes back to the 2008 financial crisis! It was an engaging book that featured a lot of reporting that if nothing else lets you appreciate the sheer size of GE in its heyday, and the many factors that led to the company being removed from the Dow after a 100-year run. It also puts in focus the inherent challenge of having a company that size run by someone who holds the Chairman and CEO title.
Very disappointing book, as the author has served on numerous Fortune 500 boards and rather than share her insight, the reader gets more of a business school overview of governance and Board structure? I was hoping to hear first-person accounts of the high-stakes decision-making that a Board member engages in…perhaps she’ll pen a follow-up with that focus. You can skip this one…
A 20-year old Michael Lewis book that I just never read until this year…actually hilarious reading it in 2021 given the pace of technological change as the protagonist was the founder of Netscape!
Interesting read, but not one I would recommend. The book was just too focused on a few platforms – like TaskRabbit – and didn’t have a lot of “aha” moments.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
Spoiler alert: the book won’t totally answer the question of “does the hot hand exist?” But man is it a mind-blowing read! Think “gamblers’ fallacy, Steph Curry exception” and that’s the crux of what’s explored. While athletes swear the concept of “the zone” exists, this is the first book to truly explore it and Ben Cohen is quite literally obsessed with finding answers!
Incredible book! It’s as if “Moneyball” crossed over with “Thinking Fast and Slow” to bring you an entirely new perspective on the field of behavioral science. Who can’t relate to baseball? Law isn’t a psychologist – and doesn’t claim to be – but anyone who nerds out for 300 pages on Kahneman’s principles of cognitive bias to take on the unwritten rules of baseball is going to get a two thumbs up from me!
You might remember reading about the author who earned a PhD in psychology, and ended up in the World Series of Poker after never playing the game until deciding to write this book. Think Matt Damon in “Rounders,” minus the Teddy KGB character. It’s the story of her journey getting connected to a professional poker champion and applying psychology to master a complex game in less than two years. The power of the mind on full display here, and I loved every second of her story! She also grew up in Massachusetts!
I like to think of myself as a change agent who rejects status quo bias, so I knew this book would resonate. I loved it! It’s rooted in behavioral science, but easy to read and follow – reminded me a bit of “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Dan Kahneman. I’m constantly trying to “shrink the problem” after reading this book, and it’s a principle that has served me well. ?
TECHNOLOGY
In my role at Incompass Human Services , focusing on learning as much as I can about assistive technology led me to this book, which I read after the Sara Hendren book. While Hendren focused on adaptive technology, Holmes focuses on inclusive design – and now I’m ready to jump into what I think will be the “next big thing” in tech: call it “adaptive, inclusive technology!”
Working in human services has given me a new perspective, and that perspective led me right to this book. The fact is that something as simple as a curb cut can be life-changing for so many, and no matter what the circumstances human beings have a unique ability to adapt. One of the best arguments the author makes is that all technology is assistive technology, and she argues that we should call it adaptive technology.
MARKETING AND SALES
An oldie, but goodie, an the author is the father of Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Did you know that the New Jersey Nets were this close to being the Nike Swamp Dragons of Nike, New Jersey? At the end of the day, this is one of the first – and best – books on the power of database marketing.
Another Ries and Trout classic that stands the test of time and is a quick read, but not in the same class as the “22 Immutable Laws” in my opinion.
It’s good to read some timeless classics in your area of expertise, and at a time when marketing can be infinitely more complicated than it needs to be, this book keeps you grounded.
POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND HEALTHCARE
I almost put this book in my top 5, as it was so powerful and eye-opening! The author shadowed the CEO of a small Midwest hospital in 2019 and 2020, and as a reader you leave with a new appreciation for the challenge of healthcare economics – especially in a small hospital. Should they pursue a merger? Allow themselves to be acquired? How do they provide top-quality care for a largely poor community? On top of that, the stories of the patients evoke an emotional reaction – and you are just amazed at their outlook and persistence. My CEO read this book, and is suggesting every member of her leadership team do the same!
You’ll notice this is the only Trump-themed book I read, and with good reason. I may have read some new facts about the numerous investigations into people in Donald Trump’s circle, but it’s honestly exhausting to read. It wasn’t a bad book, and there were some interesting aspects, but not one I would recommend.
I loved this book! The author is a Washington Post reporter who has been covering the embarrassing episodes within the United States Secret Service for years. While you may be familiar with the stories themselves, the context she provides is….unsettling! You come away realizing that you really don’t know anything about this federal criminal enforcement agency, and your forehead is sore from all the times you facepalm reading these accounts! I considered making this a top-5 book because it was truly a page-tuner and would highly recommend!
I don’t know if I agree with the “untold story” aspect of the title, as there wasn’t a lot of new information that Wallace presented. But the countdown format he’s famous for worked well as far as a story arc goes, and I plowed through this book!
If you grew up in Massachusetts, you probably know Jon Keller – or at least recognize his voice. This was published in 2013, so it’s admittedly a bit dated, and the less I say about it the better to be honest. You can skip…
The nine justices of the United States Supreme Court influence the course of every generation, and I’ve made it a point to learn more about this esteemed body. Cohen dives into recent history, demonstrating how many of the inequities in today’s society can be traced back to Supreme Court decisions that weren’t necessarily the most high-profile at the time. Think 50 years of “Citizens United” decisions and you’ll get a sense of what you’ll learn. An important book, and a great read to boot!
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food by Mark Bittman
I’ve come across so many people in my network who loved this book! It’s honestly fascinating, as who thinks to tell the history of food going back to the cavemen days! Literally my mind was blown after reading this book just thinking about how food has really written a large part of our history, and how we define food today looks nothing like it did in the history of mankind. Everyone should read this book and “Hooked,” and I guarantee you’ll make some changes that will ultimately extend your life.
Another food book I know (did I mention I was on WW all last year?), but this book was worth the read. Did you ever actually wonder how we define “food?” You will after you read this book. Spoiler alert: you’ll do much better if you avoid the middle aisles of your neighborhood supermarket.
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And that’s a wrap! It's still January, and I've already finished “Trejo,” Danny Trejo’s autobiography; "You Have More Influence Thank You Think, a though-provoking book by Vanessa Bohns ; and “No Filter,” the story of Instagram. And I’m presently reading “The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage” as I get ready for another season coaching my son’s youth soccer team.
Recommendations welcomed! Thanks for reading!?
EdTech | Career Services | Customer Success | Digital Marketing
2 年This list is incredible! Congratulations on not only reading 50 non-fiction books, but also taking the time to review them all! Definitely a few I need to add to my list.
Director, Marketing and Communications at Northeast Arc
2 年As a huge nonfiction fan I love this list! One recent new one I read that you would probably love is The Life Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. Truly a book for our times. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250271622/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_glc_i_TSSK5XTW69FCVZG33NW6
Senior Strategic Initiative Specialist at Liberty Mutual Insurance
2 年Awesome list. Have read a few of these but interested in quite a few more after reading this! Thanks Dan!
CEO @ Atlantic Strategies | Marketing Communications, Human Inspired Creative, Business Strategy, Digital & Traditional Advertising, Executive Coach, Board of Directors, Fractional CMO
2 年Really interesting list Dan
Increasing your tax and financial IQ | Transforming your financial EQ
2 年Love that I have infused your world with tax policy and behavioral economics!