My 2020 reading list

One of my resolutions for 2020 was to read more. For all the unpredictably that the year brought, this was one thing that went as planned (actually better). I managed to read several good books across a broad spectrum of topics and genres – history, psychology, politics, science, business, memoirs etc. I thought I would share my top 5 picks for anyone interested.

2020 was extraordinary in many ways – the deadliest pandemic since the Spanish Flu, the worst recession since the Great Depression, the biggest anti-racism protests since the 60s, and perhaps the most consequential election in a long while. So I couldn’t help but view the books I read through the unique lens of 2020, and this has influenced my choice.

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The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Mukherjee, a cancer researcher at Columbia University, has written a masterful treatise on genetics, tracing its ‘evolution’ from the theories of Aristotle, Mendel, and Darwin to discovery of the double helix, mapping of the human genome, and the latest gene editing technologies. Mukherjee manages to explain complex concepts with simple analogies (for e.g. comparing the construct of a genome to the syntax of an English sentence); and embellishes the science with poignant social commentary.

This is an insightful and beautifully written book that gives us a better understanding of what it means to be human at a very fundamental level (despite our perceived differences, we are all so similar); sheds light on the perennial ‘nature vs nurture’ debate (it’s complicated); and offers a sneak preview into the future of humanity (exciting and scary). I read it just in time to understand how an mRNA vaccine for Covid may work.

“History repeats itself, in part because the genome repeats itself. And the genome repeats itself, in part because history does.”

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Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin Seligman 

Seligman is a pioneer in the field of Positive Psychology; and given my keen interest in the topic of happiness, I've been wanting to read this book for a while. And it did not disappoint. Seligman uses his extensive academic research to analyze happiness in the context of the past, present and future. He engages the reader with several exercises and provides practical tips (for e.g. a survey to discover signature strengths).

This is essentially a book about yourself – helping you understand yourself better and enabling you to create a customized path for a fulfilling life. It is also extremely relevant as you try to make sense of the suffering during a pandemic.

“This road takes you through the countryside of pleasure and gratification, up into the high country of strength and virtue, and finally to the peaks of lasting fulfillment: meaning and purpose.”

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Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark

Tegmark, a physics professor and AI researcher at MIT, lays out some likely scenarios for the development of AI along with the potential benefits and risks. He covers a variety of topics from the practical (the impact of AI on jobs, privacy, wars, society, and politics) to the philosophical (values, consciousness and free will); and recommends some foundational design principles for ethical and beneficial AI. Along the way, he takes geeky detours into quantum mechanics and cosmology (I warned you that he's a physicist!)

We have witnessed both the immense power and grave threat of AI this year – the ability to dramatically accelerate development of a vaccine, alongside the ability to spread disinformation and polarization at scale. This book provokes us to think about what type of AI-enabled future we want.

“This tale is one of truly cosmic proportions, for it involves nothing short of the ultimate future of life in our universe. And it’s a tale for us to write."

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Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall

Marshall, a renowned international journalist, uses 10 maps to provide context for geopolitics, explaining the rise of America, tensions in Europe, and conflicts in the Middle East. He shows how arbitrary borders drawn by colonial powers without regard for culture and topography have led to inevitable conflicts (Armenia and Ethiopia offer live examples). He also shares insights on potential flashpoints in the future, including the impact of climate change.

Marshall makes a strong case as to why geography is still relevant even as technology seeks to connect the world. The pandemic, which caused countries to lock down borders, has proved his point.

“But geography, and the history of how nations have established themselves within that geography, remains crucial to our understanding of the world today and to our future.”

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Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 

Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, chronicles his first-hand experience in Nazi concentration camps. He describes life in the camps in gory detail and shares his observations on what made some prisoners more resilient than others even in hopeless situations, and what made the guards commit extreme atrocities. Frankl dwells on the central role of ‘meaning’ in life, and ends with a description of Logotherapy, a field of psychotherapy based on this.

This is an eye-opening book, which offers a window into the human condition in the most extreme of circumstances, and encourages us to find our purpose. If you thought 2020 was the worst possible year, wait till you read Frankl’s description of life in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

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Which books made an impression on you this year?