Read all about it - the first ever book review issue!
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The tech news is, as usual, pretty slow in December so we’re trying something new. Get a rare peek inside my head (LOL) with my 2023 book reviews. Yep, I really read most of these, and you can do the same.
Despite the barrage of digital information I sort through and absorb daily, it’s an ongoing goal of mine to read actual books. Old fashioned and archaic I know!
Sure, the internet is jammed with great information. You can research a topic to your heart’s content. But, until you deep dive into a book that an author has poured months or years of energy into, you’re missing out.
So, here’s one of my 2024 challenges to you - take a day a week and read a book. Turn off the screens, silence the phone (gasp), and read. The average American has about 4000 weeks on earth. How many of them do you want to spend scrolling or streaming nonsense? 🤔
On with the show - with a sentence or two for each to pique your interest. I hope you can find a book or two to enjoy!
P.S. There are NO links to these books as I don’t push any particular vendor. Matter of fact, if you have a local bookshop go grab them there! Of course, they’re all available at the “Big River” or other online stores.
2023 In Review
History / Non-Fiction
The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia by Paul Theroux
I love stories about trains and travel. As it happens, I’ve also been studying Persian language and history. This is a first-hand journey of an around-the-world trip by train in the 1970’s - a fascinating and entertaining read full of characters and perspectives from the 1970’s. They’ve just made it into India, so yep - I’ll probably be up all night reading. 😂
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer
Iran is mad at us. You know that from the news - Marghbar Amerqui! You don’t know half of the history, I guarantee it. This is the now declassified account of how the CIA and MI6 conspired to throw out the duly elected Mohammad Mosaddegh and re-install the Shah in the 1950’s. The American lead? None other than Teddy Roosevelt’s grandson. The result…. you see part of it 75 years on.
Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived by Amarillo Slim Preston
You’ll be laughing all the way to the casino cage with this selection from the late Amarillo Slim. If you’ve ever placed a wager on anything down to a coin flip, you have to read Ol’ Slim’s first-hand stories where he guides you through his life of good and bad bets. How to beat a horse in a quarter mile? Slim’s done it. Bet on flies landing on a sugar cube - yep. Did I mention he advised Kenny Rogers on the song “The Gambler”? Trust me, it’s worth the read.
Fiction
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
The lead character is asked to stand up at a funeral for a deceased wealthy uncle he never knew. The rest is a twist of James Bond, a bit of Men in Black, and great dialog. I read it in one afternoon because I couldn’t put it down. You’ll love the talking cats, and as for the dolphins….forgettaboutit😉
Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir
A sci-fi read that will make you question what life really is and can be. Written by the author of The Martian. Without giving too much away, a stranded spacefarer finds rescue in a most unusual way.
Sea of Tranquility: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel
Time travel, history, the future, and the moon, all meet in one surprise ending. I liked this quick and pleasant read that will have you thinking about relationships and time. A big sci-fi, a bit Back to the Future. We’ll leave the rest to you.
Science
The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey
Wow wow wow. If you’ve ever been fascinated by what’s literally right off the coast, you have to read this book. The author gets a rare chance to visit and learn about the deepest parts of the ocean and you get to join her.
We Are Electric: Inside the 200-Year Hunt for Our Body's Bioelectric Code, and What the Future Holds by Ms. Sally Adee
This one fascinated me. It’s been loaned and re-loaned it was so good! A deep dive into the latest medical discoveries in bio-electrics (the “electrome”). If you’re curious about how your body REALLY works at the core, and why the electrical system has been wrongly relegated to quackery, read this book. Electricity controls EVERYTHING.
The One: How an Ancient Idea Holds the Future of Physics by Heinrich Päs
This book isn’t for the faint of heart. Quite honestly, I found it to be a dense read and I have a good physics and math background. However, if you enjoy deeper reads like Hawking, you have to read it. This book describes the latest thoughts and directions in theoretical physics, including theories of “The One”, which harkens back to ancient wisdom and religion.
The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality by Andy Clark
How many predictions did your brain just make to read this sentence? Spoiler alert - A LOT. Reality check - there is no reality. What you perceive is your brain’s comparison between the expected outcome and what’s actually happening. Wow. Unlike The One, this read is more approachable and will fascinate you. Or will it? 😂
Humanities
On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint by Maggie Nelson
OK, gotta be honest, this one’s another dense read. It consists of a bunch of super compelling essays, but keep in mind a college professor is writing in a college professor tone. I’ve gotten some unique insights on humanity, although I’m taking this one a little at a time.
Subtract by Leidy Klotz
Did you know that 8 out of 10 people, when given the optimal solution, will overlook it if it involves subtraction? This amazing and insightful look at human behavior through actual studies will blow you away. What are you forgetting to take away? Surprisingly a child may be able to tell you.
Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester
If you like one of those “roll through history” books, here’s a treat for you. In it you’ll learn everything about how human communication has evolved. I found it interesting that a lot of the fears we’re having over information today have been going on forever!
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
THE. DUDE. PERIOD. Rick Rubin shares his Zen philosophy to creativity and life. As an artist myself, I found a lot in here to digest and keep going back to as I continue to covet this man’s (and my dream) job. 🙂
Hasht Ketab (Eight Books) (Persian Edition) by Sohrab Sepehri
Here’s a secret you may not know - I picked up studying Persian (Farsi) during the pandemic. An interesting side hobby for another story. This collection of poems came in a review along with the more famous Khayyam. Here’s another secret - after studying by myself for 2 years I can read sentences, listen to music, and ask where the airport is. But, these poems…..are still stretch and goal…..I hope to put more time into it next year.
Tech / Business
Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux
The “fan boy” book by Michael Lewis got all the attention. This is the one you want to read. If you know NOTHING about bitcoin or crypto, you’ll come away with an astute knowledge of the mechanics, the scams, the crazy, stories, and the wild ride. Strap in, because I think the FTX crash just weeded out the chaff. Crypto and decentralized apps are the future. Read this to get with the crowd (and some of our upcoming projects 😉).
Token Titans: The Secret Playbook for Building New Web3 Experiences, NFT Communities, and DeFi Protocols by Tugan Bara
If you want to go a little deeper in a highly understandable and awesomely illustrated way, support Tugan. (tuganapollo.com) I’ve been following his mailing list since he kicked off. His shop’s vision of the future of apps is a good read. They are spot on about what it takes to grow an audience in 2024.
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth
Even though this book is a few years old, it’s a super read. As a tech I knew about a lot of these hacks and dark markets. I STILL learned a ton through the shared anecdotes. As a “non tech” you’ll either be soiling your drawers or fascinated to learn what’s really going on when you think you’re “secure”.
Deep Learning for Coders with Fastai and PyTorch: AI Applications Without a PhD by Jeremy Howard
Like poems in Persian, I don’t expect this to be a hit with this audience, but I included it here just in case you have a tech friend. This O’Reilly series (always good) book is one of the de-facto recommendations for people looking to see how AI really works. It gets right under the hood to the code level. Although it setup to be easy to understand, you do need some code understanding. Full disclosure - tools are developing so fast going deep is becoming even more of a specialty. I haven’t explored this as much as I’d like to.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff
And then, in 2008, the world gave birth to Google. Google started as a nice little search project by two save the world college kids. The only problem - how to make money to run this massive computing engine? The kids try it all until…ding ding ding….the idea comes up that we KNOW what people are looking for and can serve them ads. The rest is history. Now, EVERY interaction that you make that involves tech, which is everything, submits data points about you to the “shadow docket”. Oh, if the masses only knew what they agree to every day…….😲
Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself--While the Rest of Us Die by Garrett M. Graff
Distaster recover, or DR, isn’t the sexiest item on the agenda for most companies. But it’s a BIG DEAL when it comes to the US government. So, just what happens when the next “big thing” happens? This book gives you a look through declassified documents, stories, and interviews. You may have heard about the secret bunker in the Greenbriar resort, but did you know about the 100’s of other secure locations around the country? Some may even be near your town. A good think piece on just what anyone would do in an emergency and a fascinating look at the US government.
Twenty for 2024
To get you going for next year, here are 20 books for 2024, from some of my reading goals for next year. To keep it brief - one sentence saying why I’m hoping to read each.
History / Non-Fiction
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall
A great review and look at how the average Palestinian struggles to navigate the West Bank, even in “peace time”.
On Palestine by Noam Chomsky
I admire his writing. I want to hear what’s said on this issue.
Inventor of the Future: The Visionary Life of Buckminster Fuller by Alec Nevala-Lee
I’ve always known about Bucky’s engineering, but recently learned about what a polymath he was.
The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut
I want to read more about John von Neumann, a computing pioneer and visionary. Plus Obama recommended the book 😉
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir by Curtis Chin
I was lucky enough to see the author’s book talk as part of a Zoom hosting job. It was highly entertaining - a look at Detroit in the 80’s as a second generation gay immigrant.
The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann by Ananyo Bhattacharya
See notes above on von Neumann.
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer
I have read some of Metzler’s historical fictions and like the show he hosted, “Conspiracy”. This one is historically based.
Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry by Adrian Goldsworthy
See notes above on my Persian project. 🙂
Fiction
Birnam Wood: A Novel by Eleanor Catton
Looks like an interesting read. Highly reviewed and recommended.
Humanities
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Someone suggested I read Frankl and I haven’t. This is supposed to be the tome.
Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman
I really enjoyed reading Subtract, and this one digs into human psychology.
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by R. Buckminster Fuller
If I read the bio, I want to read his book on his ideas about a green earth, which he was onto way before his time (like everything else).
Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis
Saw him interviewed. Interesting perspective and background. I’d like to read his thesis.
Science
Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death by Nick Lane
This one goes deep into cellular mechanics and chemistry. Yep, I’m a geek but this is supposed to be an entertaining read.
The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance by Dan Egan
It helps your bones, it grows crops, it glows, it makes bombs. Gotta learn more.
Tech / Business
Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World by Todd Rogers
I tend to write superflously. I can write tight phrases with GPT but it loses “the touch” a bit. Maybe I can pick up some tips.
Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours by Noah Kagan
Fan of Noah’s - been following him for a decade through his newsletters and businesses. Took the online course. Not a millionaire yet but he puts out a great product (and super entertaining YouTube vids too).
Oversubscribed: How To Get People Lining Up To Do Business With You by Daniel Priestley
Recommended. By whom? Don’t remember. May be interesting, may be scammy.
Confessions of the Pricing Man: How Price Affects Everything by Hermann Simon
The expert on pricing explains pricing - again looks good to a self-admitted dork like me! Seriously, it’s received great reviews.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charles T. Munger
There’s no Warren Buffett without Charlie Munber (RIP). His book of wit and wisdom has been out of print and on my eBay list for years. With his death, it’s back again.
Now it’s your turn!
What are you reading or planning to read in 2024? Just hit reply and give me your suggestions! You can see where my list is light - just don’t send romance novels 😂