My 2023 in books

It's that time of the year! Looking back at 2023, here are the twelve books from my reading journey!

Books:

Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk is a captivating and insightful read that delves into the life of one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of our time. Isaacson’s writing is both informative and entertaining, making it a must-read for fans of biographies and tech enthusiasts alike.

Isaacson’s previous works, including biographies of Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci, have been highly acclaimed for their depth and detail. In this book, Isaacson once again highlights his talent for weaving together a compelling story while providing a wealth of information about his subject.

Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life, is a self-help book that offers practical advice on how to live a meaningful life. Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He is known for his controversial views on gender, political correctness, and other social issues. Peterson’s writing style is engaging and thought-provoking, making it easy for readers to follow along with the narrative. One of the strengths of this book is Peterson’s ability to provide practical advice that readers can apply to their own lives. Peterson’s previous works, including Maps of Meaning and Personality and Its Transformations, have been highly acclaimed for their depth and detail.

The book that claims to help you deal with difficult coworkers and improve your work relationships the book categorizes eight types of problematic coworkers and offers some generic strategies for handling them the book also tries to teach you some general principles that are supposed to help you resolve any conflict and build interpersonal resilience the book is based on some behavioral science research and some anecdotal examples but it lacks depth and originality this book is not very helpful for anyone who has already read other books or articles on the topic of work relationships it is a repetitive and superficial guide that does not offer much value or insight.

The book of hope by Jane Goodall surely rates as the best book i have read in 2023 it is a timely and inspiring book that explores the nature and power of hope in the face of the many challenges we face today through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue with Douglas Abrams jane Goodall shares her four reasons for hope the amazing human intellect the resilience of nature the power of young people and the indomitable human spirit the book is filled with stories and photographs from janes remarkable career as well as insights from the latest behavioral science research this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to find hope and take action to create a better world.

The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti is a treasure trove of wisdom and insight from one of the greatest thinkers and spiritual teachers of the 20th century. J. Krishnamurti, who renounced all forms of authority and dogma, explored the essential questions of human existence, such as freedom, love, death, and meditation. This book presents 365 passages from his talks and writings, organized thematically over seven days, covering topics that are relevant and meaningful for anyone who seeks to understand themselves and the world. The book can be read in any order, as each passage stands on its own and offers a fresh perspective on life.

Meditations: by Marcus Aurelius is a timeless classic of Stoic philosophy, written by the Roman emperor himself as a personal guide to living a virtuous and meaningful life. He was an emperor with a strong army and power at his command but also a humble and honest philosopher who sought to live according to reason and virtue. I was inspired to read this book after listening to Ryan Holiday , the author of The Daily Stoic and the host of The Daily Stoic Podcast, who is one of the leading voices of modern Stoicism.

The book consists of twelve sections that cover diverse topics such as self-control, duty, death, and nature. The book teaches one about facing the challenges and uncertainties of the modern world with calmness and wisdom.

The 360 Degree Leader by John C. Maxwell is a book that teaches how to lead from any position in an organization. The book also offers practical advice and strategies on how to lead up, across, and down in different situations and contexts. Based on Maxwell’s extensive experience and research as a leadership expert and mentor offers insights, examples, and tips on how to become a more effective and influential leader.

Deviate by Beau Lotto is a fascinating book that explores the science and psychology of perception. Lotto, a neuroscientist, and entrepreneur, reveals how our brains create our reality, and how we can use this knowledge to innovate and create. The book is full of optical illusions, case studies, and exercises that challenge our assumptions and biases. Lotto also provides a cognitive toolkit for how to see differently, and how to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity. Deviate is not only an informative and entertaining book, but also a call to action, inviting us to discover ourselves and the world anew. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the brain, perception, and creativity.

The book is written by behavioral economist Sendhil Mullainathan and psychologist Eldar Shafir, and it explores how scarcity affects our psychology, behavior, and decision-making1. The book argues that scarcity creates a similar mindset for everyone who experiences it, whether it is a lack of time, money, food, or social connections. Scarcity makes us focus on the immediate problem at hand, but also makes us neglect other important aspects of our lives.

I heard about this book after listening to Senthil on the Knowledge Project, here is the YouTube video link to that episode.

The book “Failing Forward” by John C. Maxwell is about how to overcome failure and use it as a steppingstone for success. Turns out, this is the second book by John C Maxwell in this list.

Failing forward is a mindset that embraces failure as feedback and a motivation to do better next time. The author emphasizes the importance of having a positive attitude, a growth mindset, and a resilient spirit. The author shares his own experiences as well as stories of famous people who have failed and learned from their mistakes. To summarize the learning, Failure is not the opposite of success and it's not final. We should not take failure personally, but rather analyze the causes and effects of our actions and decisions and take responsibility for them.

This was gifted to me on my birthday last year by one of my wonderful friends! ?? I am grateful to have people like that who show up and stand up for true friendship and believe in bringing harmony and compassion to a fellow traveler.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most influential and profound texts in the history of world philosophy and spirituality. It is a collection of 81 short verses that express the essence of Taoism, the ancient Chinese way of harmony and balance. The Tao Te Ching has been translated and interpreted by many scholars and practitioners, but few have captured its true spirit and wisdom as well as Thomas Cleary. In his translation of the Tao Te Ching, he not only renders the original Chinese into clear and elegant English, but also provides insightful commentary and analysis from the perspective of Zen. He reveals the connections and contrasts between Taoism and Zen and shows how they complement and enrich each other.

The beginning of Infinity: David Deutsch, is a British physicist and a visiting professor at the University of Oxford. He is a pioneer in the field of quantum computation and a proponent of the many-world interpretation of quantum mechanics. His books, like Fabric of Reality, and this one – The Beginning of Infinity explore the evolution of scientific thought and the infinite potential for human progress. Some of the key learnings are, we don’t learn by experience alone, but by using conjectures and explanations to test our theories and expand our understanding of reality. There is no such thing as a final theory of everything, but only better and worse explanations that can always be improved or replaced by new ones. The quantum multiverse is the best explanation for the nature of physical reality, and it implies that everything physically possible happens in some parallel universe.

Footnote: ChatGPT has become so ubiquitous in 2023 that it is impossible to discuss anything without referring to it. ??

So, I asked Bing Co-pilot to analyze the themes and insights of my reading habits based on this list of books. This is what it told me!

Biography and Leadership: These books are about the lives and achievements of influential people, such as Elon Musk, Jane Goodall, and Marcus Aurelius. They also offer insights and advice on how to become a better leader, such as John C. Maxwell’s books.

Philosophy and Spirituality: These books are about the fundamental questions and principles of human existence, such as the meaning of life, the nature of reality, and the source of happiness. They include ancient wisdom from the Tao Te Ching and Meditations, as well as modern reflections from Krishnamurti and David Deutsch.

Psychology and Science: These books are about the workings of the human mind and the physical world, such as how we perceive, think, and behave, and how we can understand and improve our situation. They include research and experiments from Beau Lotto and Sendhil Mullainathan, as well as practical tips from Jordan Peterson and Amy Gallo.

My previous year's reading lists

2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017