Summary of my 2021 reading list

Yet another year goes by and here I am continuing my tradition of summarizing the books that I read this year. Why is it important to do this?

Well, for one it helps me put perspective around my reading. Secondly, like I am always looking out for recommendations for my next read, I am sure there must be others who may want to know what's out there that is worth a read. So essentially this is my attempt at paying it forward.

Here is what I read this year:

1. Ego is the enemy: Each of us has some degree of ego. Ryan Holiday, inspired by stoic philosophy shows how ego hurts Aspirations, impacts Success, and leaves us unprepared for failures. Its a fairly quick read.
2. The Inheritors: Here is a book for those wanting to get insights into some of India's renowned brands like Marico, Dabar, Keventers, Berger Paints, Select Group, Max Group, and many others. The book focuses on the culture, family politics, business rivalries between and within families, ego battles, and a lot more.
3. Antharjanam: Memoirs of a Namboodiri Woman: Being a non-resident Keralite for most of my life, I am fascinated by the history of the state. So when I came across an English translation of the book "Antharjanam" which was written by Devaki Nilayangode in Malayalam, I decided to give it a read. Interestingly Devaki started writing well into her 70s after her grandson persuaded her to pen her memoir. This book gave me ideas on how to structure a memoir that I am penning about my dad's life. The translation is so good that one doesn't feel losing the vernacular flavor which is so very important in such narratives.
4. The art of learning: Josh Waitzkinn, an 8-time national chess champion and a martial arts champion recounts the inner workings of his methods on mastering the art of performance psychology.
5. Man's search for meaning: This is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome.
6. Positioning - The battle for your mind: This was a book that I got as part of my course work for a Product Strategy course from IIM Kozhikode. This is a fantastic book, almost a bible on marketing/advertising that I recommend to any person in a sales kind of role.
7. Heart: Ever since my dad succumbed to a cardiac arrest I have been trying to understand what could have caused my seemingly healthy father's sudden demise. When this book came along, I picked it up to get a sense. What it helped unravel was probably not what happened in Dad's case, rather it showed the advancement in heart health technology and the innovations that made this possible. Being the biologist that he was, my dad would definitely have loved this book. One of the finest books if you like medical history, research, and a personal story tied to it.
8. The bumps are what you climb on: For the last couple of years every time during the Lent season, I try to read some books on spirituality. This year I picked up this book by Warren W. Wiersbe. Here he offers solid hope and comfort in times of depression, frustration, disappointment, or loneliness by extracting wisdom from the Bible.
9. Bhima - Lone Warrior: This is the English translation of MT Vasudevan Nair's classic Randamoozham. A very different retelling of Mahabharata, one from Bhima's perspective that does not look at the epic from a divine perspective but rather humanizes it. The epilogue is very interesting as well giving insights into MTs thought process in writing this.
10. Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead: This book by the former head of Google’s people function, Laszlo Bock, is the ultimate guide to attracting the most spectacular talent and how to ensure the best and the brightest succeed. His revolutionary methods have transformed how Silicon Valley harnesses the greatest talent on the planet. At my current workplace, I see in action many of the tenets he has elaborated in this book.
11. Draw to win: "A picture is worth a thousand words" we have all heard of this adage. The premise of this book by Dan Roam is around how ideas can be visually expressed so that they resonate with stakeholders at all levels. He identifies the types of pictures that work best in various settings and shares the basic shapes that all business pictures can be built from. In a world that is becoming less verbal and more visual every day, here is a guide that can help you communicate better.
12. That will never work: Way back in 2006, when I was stationed in Bethlehem, PA on a 2-year onshore stint, one of the modes of entertainment was the Netflix DVD. I used to use Netflix services to binge on movies. A decade and a half later I still use Netflix, here in India and a service that I never imagined in 2006 was possible. Marc Randolph pens an exceptional story akin to Phil Knight's Shoedog ( which was the startup story of Nike). This one tells it all. How the idea of Netflix came about. Why he decided to leave netflix and a lot more. This one rekindled the same feeling I had while reading Shoedog last year. One of wonder, one that brought emotions alive just like viewing a movie. My best read in 2021 for sure !

On a scale of 1 to 5 ( 1 being best ), my ranking is as follows

1. That will never work
2. Heart
3. Work Rules
4. Bhima
5. Antharjanam