My New Library

I added 52 new books to my library this year. Oh? You noticed? Nice. Yes, that's right, I read one book a week and it felt great.

52 weeks ago I set a goal for myself, a challenge. This post is mainly for me, a return and report sort of accountability thing. So this is what keeping your new years resolution feels like.

Jump in and let me know what you liked, hated, and what I should read next year! ??

Please enjoy!

Key: (!) = Informative, (?) = Inspiring, (?) = Interesting

1776?—?Wow. How did they do that?

(!) = 25, (?) = 9, (?) = 9

Seriously. America should not have been able to do that.

Essentialism?—?Less isn’t more, but less is better

(!) = 6, (?) = 11, (?) = 7

It’s about the disciplined pursuit of less. It’s about cutting out the non-essential bits, and improving your contribution where you have the most to give. Replace “I have to,” and “I can do both” with “I choose to,” and “I can do anything but not everything.” Instead of thinking about what you are giving up, you start to think about what you want to go big on. All in all a very good read that helped me focus on where I can do my best work, and cut out the rest.

Slicing Pie?—?Dynamic ownership is the new black

(!) = 19, (?) = 3, (?) = 8

A short guidebook on how to structure your cap table for your start up. Absolutely a must read if you plan to found a company with other people. Instead of allocating equity beforehand, the equity is based on contribution. The author offers formulas to help you calculate it fairly. Slicing the pie this way gets founders focused on building the company, instead of comparing who got what.

Matterhorn?—?An all around disaster

(!) = 21, (?) = -1, (?) = 15

A rugged look into a ragged company of soldiers sent to Vietnam. It sounds horrible. If you fought in Vietnam, or any war for that matter, you are brave. This book does not make war look glamorous?—?honestly it sounds like the worst possible thing for someone to have to do. It’s kinda scarring to be honest, but well written, and gave me a peek into a world I will likely never know firsthand.

John Adams?—?Being self aware enough to know you need to be famous

(!) = 27, (?) = 18, (?) = 23

I loved how honest he was in his journal. Much of what he wrote wasn’t necessarily flattering about himself, but it felt sincere, and so it made it one of the best biographies I have read. A very inspired, and inspiring man. He wrote about how he liked “walking 5 to 10 miles to rouse the spirits”. He kept a detailed journal and valued fine penmanship. Even though he himself found it harder to write than speak, he would admonish his son to write in a journal, a feat he would do for 68 years. He also said, “ All men would be tyrants if allowed,” and “ virtue is not in fashion, vice is not infamous.” He also wrote to his wife?—?a lot. While reading this book I came up with a lot of interesting ideas, got inspired to write more, adjusted some characteristics I didn’t like in myself, and grew to look up to him.

Bands of Morning?—?Conflict in plot, character and setting

(!) = 2, (?) = 4, (?) = 10

I am learning how to write stories for Fablemore from the author (Brandon Sanderson) of this book. This book is interesting and it shows how to carefully balance and rotate conflict in plot, character, and setting. He is a talented and prolific writer, known for his great endings. This book is no exception?—?what an ending. You should read the whole Mistborn series if you have the chance.

Promise of Blood?—?Do not eat gun powder

(!) = 1, (?) = 3, (?) = 5

Heard about this one because he was one of Brandon Sanderson’s students. Though a very compelling idea (there are people who can swallow gun powder and burn it to enhance their abilities), interesting setting (almost like a revolutionary England or France), and thrilling action (bending the path of bullets, Powder Mages, powder trances, Knacked, Privileged and so much more) I still didn’t really get into this one as much as I wanted. I can totally see why people love it, though.

Hamlet?—?I don’t understand what all the fuss is about

(!) = 1, (?) = 1, (?) = 2

It took all I had to stay strong until the end. I think I am going to have to read it again sometime because I don’t understand why this is a classic (-2 culture points, I know).

Open?—?Tormented from hating his greatest talent

(!) = 6, (?) = 31, (?) = 26

Brutal honesty about himself, his fears, his flaws, and it was pretty amazing. Not only is he a gifted tennis master, which people already knew, but he is a deeply flawed individual, which makes the narrative relatable, and page-turning. My favorite bit from the book was his dad’s repeatedly relevant advice, “control what you can control.” What a relief life is when you think that way. Perhaps the saddest part of the whole book was when you learn he never actually liked tennis. Or maybe the part after that when you learn how he loathes it. Incredible autobiography.

Star Wars Aftermath?—?Do not buy the audiobook

(!) = 0, (?) = -3, (?) = -1

I love Star Wars. I did not love this book. I opted for the audiobook on this one, and the overacting really derailed the story, and took focus off the plot. It took all my mental fortitude to finish (the acting was really bad). I don’t really recommend this one. Unfortunately, every noun felt like it had to be made up, or Star Wars-ified, which just made the story less and less relatable each time the author included one.

Dune?—?A lot to digest at first, but it pays off

(!) = 3, (?) = 6, (?) = 9

Slow at first, but as the chapters rack up, so too does the pace of the story. By the end it is a clever display of imagination and literary craftsmanship.

Amulet Series (1–7)?—?Gorgeous and complete

(!) = 1, (?) = 19, (?) = 14

A series of graphic novels. Beautiful series.

Automatic Millionaire Homeowner?—?Renting is for chumps

(!) = 17, (?) = 13, (?) = 6

Inspired me to start looking to buy instead of rent. Boy, Seattle isn’t cheap.

Augustus: The Life of Rome’s First Emperor?—?A mind bending look into ancient Rome.

(!) = 14, (?) = 4, (?) = 21

I have always wanted to build an empire, so Augustus is kinda the go-to guy for that. “How many statesmen in human history can lay claim to such a record of enduring achievement?” Augustus figured out how to (ruthlessly) rise to the most powerful position in Rome. He then figured out how to create a well oiled nation that lasted for over two centuries. “ I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” *mic drop

Into Thin Air?—?:O!!!!!!!!!

(!) = 7, (?) = 22, (?) = 29

It’s his memory of what happened on Everest in ’95. 8 people died after a series of unfortunate events. A tale so remarkable it broke my every desire to climb Everest. I’m good down here. Unreal.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt?—?One of the most inspiring books I have ever read

(!) = 45, (?) = 319, (?) = 477

Hugely motivational. This man was Achievement Embodied. There are a lot of ways I want to follow in his footsteps. You should stop what you are doing and read this book.

Seven Years in Tibet?—?I have done nothing interesting in my life

(!) = 23, (?) = 111, (?) = 10

I am probably the last person in the world to read this book, but now that I have, I can see what everyone was talking about. It just kept making me think I need to be more interesting. I need to go on an adventure. A fascinating firsthand account of Heinrich Harrer as he escapes the Nazis, meets the Dalai Lama and becomes the first Westerner inside the Forbidden City. This story is very inspiring. He is a caring and giving man who showed the world how a peaceful nation was being oppressed.

The Moral Epistles : 124 Letters to Lucilius— Get lost in philosophy

(!) = 24, (?) = 8, (?) = 13

Seneca lays it all out for his buddy. He shares a lot of relevant wisdom that has a long shelf life. The most meaningful bit for me was about clarity of purpose. Without clarity of purpose, we waste our time wandering, unfocused. Like a few other books I read this year so far, it has reaffirmed the need to trim the needless, and focus on my purpose. Lots more wisdom ripe for the picking?—?dig in.

The Book of the Five Rings?—?From one thing, know ten thousand things

(!) = 6, (?) = 14, (?) = 15

I can samurai now. I mainly read this one because it was a look into something completely different. A great short read full of anecdotes for talks or other stories.

Multipliers?—?Be a talent magnet

(!) = 3, (?) = 19, (?) = 11

Are you a multiplier or diminisher? Are you a talent magnet or a micromanager?

TED Talks?—?What is the human element? What is the through-line?

(!) = 87, (?) = 126, (?) = 57

Read this if you want to know how to give great narrative or story based talks.

SPRINT?—?5 steps to interviews

(!) = 41, (?) = 19, (?) = 25

Read this if you are thinking about building or designing something. Google Ventures Design Partners offer a great repeatable process you can follow to produce reliable results. Have a new idea? Try a design sprint and have a pretty good idea if it will work in one week.

Ready Player One?—?No tension, no build up

(!) = 2, (?) = 9, (?) = 14

Ok, this one was a bit of a let down, unfortunately. Such a promising idea, but the writing was a little too simple. For example, if Wade was in a tough spot, like he was dangling over a ledge, it seemed like the next paragraph would read something like, “luckily Wade wore his parachute today for some reason.” There was never any real tension because of the “lucky” breaks that came his way. There was no build up or clever foreshadowing either. Just mechanical problem then solution paragraphs. Still, the concept of life in VR is pretty cool.

Girl on the Train?—?I would have never chosen this, and loved it.

(!) = 1, (?) = 1, (?) = 144

I decided I should read some best sellers and while going through the list I came across this one. In an effort to read something different, I dove in. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. Pretty thrilling. Pretty original (at least to me), and I was pleasantly surprised multiple times how the story unfolded. Can’t say I really learned anything, but it was gripping until the end.

Strangers to Ourselves?—?Amnesiacs can learn and remember

(!) = 91, (?) = 34, (?) = 77

One of the few books on the list that I will for sure be reading again. A great look into our adaptive unconscious with a particularly interesting section on explanation and rationalization. It’s a book that shows you how warped your reality actually is.

Seveneves?—?Goodbye, world.

(!) = 16, (?) = 71, (?) = 21

What would happen if the Moon was broken up by asteroids, then came crashing to Earth tomorrow? Read this book to find out. Pretty interesting and semi-realistic look at what might happen in the near distant future. Recommended by Bill Gates, I can see why he liked it.

Sapiens?: A Brief History of Humankind—?Everything you need to know?

(!) = 34, (?) = 11, (?) = 50

A single stream of consciousness sharing a history of humans. A lot of amazing questions. I think you would like this one because I already know two things about you; you are human, and you like reading. On top of that the stories and anecdotes that are shared pull you in through their sometimes wild hyperbole, but always simple human storytelling. This book is at its best when it seamlessly transitions from one disparate idea to another, linking ideas together in one continuous chain about the history of humanity.

All the Light We Cannot See—?What if you used to see, but cannot now?

(!) = 2, (?) = 19, (?) = 6

This one had me appreciating my sight and exploring my senses. Every so often after a particularly detailed description of blindness, I paused to take a moment on consciously processing what I see, how many steps I had to take to move from the bed to the hallway, and what things smell like. The story takes place during WWII, and it is contrasted with modern day, and it kinda shows how good our life is, and how trivial some problems look when cast in that contrasting light.

The Vital Question—?Why is life the way it is?

(!) = 5, (?) = 4, (?) = 31

So much is know, but its strictly observational, reasons, and cause are still far from proven. I never thought I needed to know the link between earth, energy, and eukaryotes, but I was thrilled, so thanks Bill. Recommended by Bill Gates.

How not to be Wrong—?Math is the science of not being wrong about things.

(!) = 7, (?) = 1, (?) = 9

I know you might be expecting me to say, "wow this one just sounds dry and dull, but really it was fantastic and I recommend it to everyone forever!" Truth is though, most of it was pretty dry and dull. A few gems stood out to me however. Do you every see a pro curling a weight or zig zagging through cones on the field through cones? No but the stamina flexibility help them win. regression to the mean, investing expected value, Pascals wager "something". If gambling is exciting you're doing it wrong. MIT lottery rigging, probability. Genius is not a type of person, but something that happens to a person. There is always someone smarter than you, but with data, math and probability you can avoid being wrong.

Starship Troopers—?The power of making up your mind.

(!) = 10, (?) = 18, (?) = 42

Though fiction, this book might actually teach more about the power of leadership than most business books. How to make up your mind as a leader and training to make good decisions quickly based on the landscape before you. The importance of keeping first things first. You can only do one thing at a time, so just make sure it's the most important thing at the time. All of that with a fascinating and genre-defining narrative to propel you forward in chapters.

Adrift: 76 days lost at sea—?If he can do that...

(!) = 13, (?) = 77, (?) = 150

The title says it all. If he can do that, anything I have to do is easy. His mental will is astounding. It's like startup life to the jillionth degree. His story just gets worse and worse - yet at every turn he is able to make due with what he has to survive, and in some very limited cases, thrive. If humankind is capable of the things he did where he was, just think of what you can do where you are!

Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman - Physics has never looked so cool.

(!) = 65, (?) = 8, (?) = 34

I always liked my physics classes. Physics teachers are a different breed for sure. Richard Feynman is exceptional in sharing interesting stories from his life. The thing that stuck with me the most for the year was to take everything as far as it will go. He was a wild, yet inspiring man that made physics come alive to many, and surely lived a full life. Each chapter is a story from his life so it makes for a quick 300 page read.

The River of Doubt - Taming the Amazon

(!) = 12, (?) = 71, (?) = 23

I couldn't get enough of Teddy so I dove into another. This time it was about his trip up the Amazon. No white man had ever been down the river, and it jungle was still untamed and uncharted. Even people who had explored the jungle and rainforest had no idea where the river led. A fantastic true story that brought the President to his deathbed and back again.

Battlefield Earth - What if Earth was taken over by legit Aliens?

(!) = 5, (?) = 9, (?) = 30

Brandon Sanderson told me I should read this one so I caved. It was a long and gripping sci-fi that despite some silly sci-fi names, actually taught me a lot about writing, humanity, psychology, politics, and leadership. It only got such a low rating from me because it was flanked by Teddy Roosevelt books which makes all other books look gaunt and empty. If I didn't have that relational comparison I am sure it would have scored much higher.

Theodore Rex - A great president.

(!) = 80, (?) = 75, (?) = 120

Theodore Rex is part two in an epic biographical trilogy. My favorite quote from his time as President was

The greatest honor...comes to the man who does not shrink from danger from hardship or from bitter toil.

He also said that when you are tired, go work hard and with physical labor you can focus your mind and recover from your issues. Totally true. You can almost 1 for 1 trade time sleeping for time working out to a certain point.

Colonel Roosevelt - After the White House.

(!) = 67, (?) = 90, (?) = 134

You must read about his African expedition.

How to Measure Anything - The Rule of 5.

(!) = 28, (?) = 1, (?) = 16

The Rule of 5: 93.75% accuracy that the median of a population is between the smallest and largest values in any of the five from random sample of that population. When you know next to nothing, you need very little data to learn something new. If you understand it you can model it. "It is better to be approximately right, than precisely wrong." "Don't fear estimation," Warren Buffet. 3 reasons information matters to a business: 1. Information reduces uncertainty about decisions with economic consequences, or 2. affect behavior of others which has economic benefits, or 3. the information has market value. Wow--more info almost always leads to more confidence but not better results. Chapter 12 is great. Our intuition on what to measure fails us more often than not. "In a decision model with a large number of uncertain variables the economic value of measuring a variable usually inversely proportional to how much attention it typically gets." Got it?

Alexander Hamilton - What's your name man?

(!) = 66, (?) = 91, (?) = 64

Lin Manuel-Miranda read this book on a vacation and immediately thought to himself, "This is a hip-hop." I did not have a similar experience, which only confirms that he is a genius. So was Alexander actually, he was so impressive. Great writer, statesman and financial master. There is speculation that if he had not been shot there would have been no civil war. Look it up. Then read this book. Because you sure as heck don't have tickets.

The Richest Man In Babylon - Simple principles to real wealth.

(!) = 7, (?) = 7, (?) = 13

Short and sweet. Here are the 7 things you need to know to create wealth. 1. Start thy purse to fattening 2. Control thy expenditures 3. Make thy gold multiply 4. Guard thy treasures from loss 5. Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment 6. Insure a future income 7. Increase thy ability to earn. Truth. It's a short book and worth a read.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike ?? - I loved every part of this one

(!) = 12, (?) = 1000, (?) = 3000

The intro is magical. "It didn't even look like an idea, but a place," he is great at describing the early days of coming up with nike and making it sound mystical. Let everyone else call your idea crazy, but whatever you do don't stop. He takes a romantic religious trip around the world. No written words have ever made me want to see the world more. The man who moves the mountain starts by moving a few small stones. Belief is irresistible. "The cowards never started and the weak died along the way. That leaves us, ladies and gentlemen. Us."

Titan - The man who invented the monopoly.

(!) = 103, (?) = 98, (?) = 83

We fail to achieve great things because we lack the concentration and the ability to focus on something to the exclusion of everything else.

Is not good to keep all the forces at tension all the time. Hire good people when they're found not when they're needed. Make all you can, keep all you can, and give away all you can. Control of self wins the battle because it means control of others. "I am not here to sell, I understood that you wanted to buy. My father and I are absolutely indifferent..." Reading business books from someone who hasn't built one is like buying a cookbook from someone who has never eaten. So I prefer memoirs and biographies to learn from masters.

Shoe dog - Take two.

(!) = 15, (?) = 1050, (?) = 5000

I couldn't stop thinking about it. I had to read it again. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Please go read it. Where do we get 4 million dollars? How do we get there? Do whatever it takes. It was just as enchanting the second time. This book is the finest memoir in my new library. ??

Wright Bros - Focus on the details.

(!) = 9, (?) = 11, (?) = 6

A simple Biography focused on a pair of brothers who focuses on the work. They were very detailed. They were mechanical masters. If you wanna get a taste for a raw behind the scenes look at what it took to win that race, give this a read.

I confess that I told my brother in 90, man would not fly for 50 years.

Cleopatra: A Life - Awesome female leadership.

(!) = 4, (?) = 7, (?) = 16

She was much more than looks. In fact her intelligence let her hold onto Egypt for quite some time. With such a great example of female leadership over 2000 years ago, why is it so hard for some people to buy it in today's workplace? Makes no sense.

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill

(!) = 7, (?) = 5, (?) = 21

I love a great escape story. Brave leader on his white horse while other ducked for cover. Given an audience there is no act too daring or noble. A great look into the events that shaped him into the revered leader of World War II.

This Living Hand: And other essays

(!) = 3, (?) = 2, (?) = 18

His essays are lovely. His deeper look into some cut research from his Roosevelt trilogy was just as interesting as his books. Wish there was more of this.

The Warburgs - A Jewish view of WWII

(!) = 32, (?) = 21, (?) = 4

His background as a journalist really does show in his book that was only just released. I bought it because I really enjoyed Alexander Hamilton and wanted to see what else he could do. Though there is a lot of interesting perspective from very wealthy Jews in Nazi occupied Germany as things turn bad, there was not enough over all to keep me entertained. There were some very inspiring and informative chapters, but a dearth of deeply interesting ones. I might just be holding him to too high a standard. If you can major in your weakest subject you can tackle anything.

The Sixth Extinction - Brace yourself

(!) = 29, (?) = 18, (?) = 14

Preservation potential is the likelihood that an individual of a species will be fossilized. It varies greatly due to things like shellfish with hard shells are more likely to be fossilized than birds with their hollow bones. Belated adolescent not young adult. The path inward leads upward. Faustian exploring. Hobbits were real Homo floresiensis. Denisovins, too.

The Road to Character - How to be a good person

(!) = 12, (?) = 11, (?) = 48

Recommended to me by Bill Gates. Though the book starts really strong, it loses its way quickly after the introduction. Zig zagging back and forth between deeply interesting, and dull and disorganized. It can be hard to read at times. The good parts outweigh the bad, though. Plus, it's always good read hard books, it builds character.

The Book of Mormon - Another testament of Jesus Christ

(!) = 10, (?) = 888, (?) = 91

I never read this book like this before. It was an interesting approach to a book that is normally consumed in verses instead of pages. Most people don't read the book like you read a novel, and so I thought I would give it a try to see if it gave be any new perspectives. I found a new method of answering spiritual questions. Step one, write down your question. The only other step, read through the Book of Mormon in a week with that single question in mind. You may be surprised how many new things you glean, when you read it all at once.

A Christmas Carol - Pleasant bah humbuggery

(!) = 6, (?) = 41, (?) = 57

What if you could look at your past present and future. Imagine what people would be saying about you. Imagine how the things you said or did might effect them. Powerful question. Powerful imagery. Also, I learned what a Twelfth Cake is.

Dark Matter - It's like, matter, but darker.

(!) = 42, (?) = 31, (?) = 144

Everything that has the probability of happening, is happening. 5D Space, Tesseracts and so forth. Recommended by some friends at work - but there are totally some scenes you might want to skip over. What if you suddenly found yourself in a different reality that was the result of millions of choices you could have made but never did? Except, a version of you did. Somewhere, in some other dimension. What an electrifying concept and very well built sci-fi thriller.

Total?—?So that's what keeping a new years resolution feels like!

Thanks for sticking with it all the way. Here are the totals of my mostly arbitrary ratings.

I am glad I read each one of them for different reasons, and there are certainly some that stood out above the rest. It was a good balance of books I hadn’t heard of before, classics, fiction, biography etc.

One last thing

New years resolutions are a funny tradition. I learned a lot keeping up with a book a week, but one thing that stands out above everything else is that you should not wait for the new year to set goals, or change your habits, or be greater than you are today.

Make resolutions today, for tomorrow. If you want to read books, if you have always wanted to read more, just pick one of these books and start now. If you want improve in anyway, just start now, start small, and do a little every week. Slow and steady progress leads to greatness. With patience and focus, you can accomplish whatever you want.

You have the freedom to meet your own expectations.

The cool library image can be found here.

Thanks for reading! Oh and, please tap or click “??” if you think you might try any of these books!