My Favorite Books of 2024

From the pit lanes of Formula One to the secretive world of commodities trading, from the championship poker tables to storytelling competitions, I enjoyed a wide range of different books this year. Here are my favorites :

1. Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen: A hand-by-hand narrative of Professional poker player Gus Hansen winning the 2007 Aussie Millions tournament. Hansen had a unique style at the time, aggressively defending his blinds.
2. The New Map by Daniel Yergin: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin explores the changing landscape of energy, geopolitics, & climate change. He presages the Ukrainian conflict in 2019.
3. The World for Sale by Javier Blas & Jack Farchy: This book delves into the secretive world of commodity traders, the individuals who buy & sell raw materials like oil, metals, & grains. It exposes the immense power & influence these traders wield in shaping global markets & how they supported some failing countries, like Cuba & South Africa, during energy crises.
4. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli: I love to read books about theoretical physics because it’s at the limit of what I can grasp. Rovelli describes quantum concepts in an approachable way.
5. The Seventh Floor by Richard D. McCloskey: Spy fiction is my way of relaxing. I’ve read every John le Carre book & discovered the Golden Dagger award, given to the best spy fiction each year & have started looking for new ones . “The Seventh Floor” is one in a series about the CIA’s efforts to subvert Russian spies.
6. How to Build a Car by Adrian Newey: Adrian Newey revolutionized Formula One car design with a background in aerodynamics. He is the single most successful car designer in the history of Formula One, having won many championships. This is his autobiography.
7. The City & Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood was my first Murakami novel, & since then, his magical realism has echoed Gabriel García Marquez. I’ve read every one of his books, & this is the most recent, which ties back to some themes he wrote about when he was just starting as an author.
8. Storyworthy: How to Use Stories to Sell, Stand Out, & Win by Matthew Dicks: Matthew Dicks is an award-winning storyteller. He won several awards, including one for a story about a magic fork captured by one of his students. It’s worth listening to if you have 15 minutes. He shared some tactical techniques for creating a story, including developing an elephant & using a backpack - some great mnemonics for improving your stories.
9. Chronicles of a Liquid Society by Umberto Eco: One of the most learned men & broadest vocabulary, Eco is also famous for amassing a library of over 10,000 books. This collection of his essays laments progress. In other words, a curmudgeon’s foil to the techno-optimism I love.
10. The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber & David Wengrow: Graeber & Wengrow challenge conventional narratives about human history, arguing that early societies were far more diverse & complex than previously thought. It shares stories of Native American diplomats during the 17th & 18th centuries who traveled to Paris & may have influenced political thought.
11. Active Measures by Thomas Rid: The history of information warfare. Not a beach read, but fascinating.

Send me your recommendations for 2024!