Teachers show up in many ways. Someone once told me, every interaction could be a teaching moment, if we pay attention to it. While the best teaching moments come from human interactions, I ascribe to what Charles W Eliot said,
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
Book interactions are like listening to total strangers. Except that, you get to choose what, who and when you listen to someone, but more importantly, your worldview changes in those 100 pages.
2021
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
I’m a fan of Michael Pollan. He has the unique talent of connecting Science, Nature and the Human body. I first came across his work through Omnivore’s Dilemma and I’ve been a fan since. In Defense of Food is equally good in my opinion. The basic premise can be summarized as: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. This book explains why.
Funny in Farsi: A memoir of growing up Iranian in America
It’s a hilarious memoir. Very well written.
The Good Gut by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg, PhD
The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer, MD
There are lots of discussions around the connection between the gut and brain, gut and immunity, gut and aging etc. If you need a primer on how gut works and how it interacts with the ecosystem, these two books are a great start. What I particularly enjoyed about both books is that how they broke down a complex subject into something a layman could understand and walk away with tons of insights.
The everything store by Brad Stone
When picking up this book, I genuinely thought I’d be bored reading about Amazon having read “Working Backwards” and “Invent & Wander” in the past 5 months, but I was hooked by Brad Stone’s narrative style. One of the must-reads if you’re interested in learning the origins and inner workings of Amazon.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr
One of the best business books I’ve read. If you’re in a small startup or a big company or anywhere in between, you could benefit a great deal from this book. Granted, the book covers mainly the successes Amazon has had, not the noteworthy failures but the processes (e.g.PR/FAQ, six page narratives etc) that fueled those success stories are worth emulating in any sized company
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
A honest, inspiring memoir from a President who will probably go down in modern history as one of the inspiring figures for not only those in the U.S., but many around the world. I had enjoyed reading “Dreams from my Father” before and this one clearly exceeded my expectations for the writing style.
Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos
by Jeff Bezos, Walter Isaacson
I’ve long been a fan of Amazon and Jeff Bezos. More so, the organizational ethos Amazon was built on. I enjoyed this book primarily because it is not a typical business story but a story of long-term thinking, innovative culture and operational excellence told through the lens of Jeff’s annual letters and his philosophies.
2020
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
by Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
Great book to learn about Netflix’s organization culture. I picked this up as I was interviewing there to get insights on what it’s like to work there. They decided not to proceed with me, but I ended up learning plenty.
Loserthink by Scott Adams
I’m a fan of Scott – famously known as the creator of Dilbert cartoons. His blog and twitter account attracts an interesting set of audience.
General concept of Loserthink being, how we lock ourselves into our own mental prisons and he uses his insights (post his entry into political periphery) to convince the reader how to get out of it.
I’ve always liked his simplistic story-telling approach, humorous style and Loserthink doesn’t disappoint. Except for the constant self-promotion part, it’s generally a good read.
When Pride Still Mattered by David Maraniss
I’d rate this one the second best biography I’ve read so far. (first being Truman’s).
Author portrays Lombardi’s life in vivid detail as a coach, father, husband and his life philosophies. If you want to learn what propelled him to greatness and set the tone for the game of football through generations, this is the book to read
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I rate this one better than “Fooled by Randomness” by the same author. I found it insightful but not a gripping book, nor does the author do justice with the word quantity.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
On Writing: Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’ve long been a fan of James. Having been a subscriber to his blog back in 2015, I have found his advice to be practical and helpful. After I bought the book, I didn’t touch it for 6 months thinking it will probably a rehash of his blog posts. To my surprise the book had a lot more to offer. I would highly recommend this book.
2019
Skin in the game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
This one is much better than the previous book “Fooled by randomness” by the same author. If you ignore his confrontational, rude, angry style of writing and his “all-academics-are-idiots” tone, the overall message of how one needs to be hands-on to be effective was very powerful.
Worth reading, but be forewarned of his insulting writing style.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of four meals by Michael Pollan
The author starts off with a simple question “What should we have for dinner?” – only to take you on his odyssey to explore the food chain. From industrial farming, to organic farming, to local farming and then ending the journey literally hunting and gathering for food, his chronicles are more than how food made it to his dinner plate. He combines science, nature, evolution, philosophy, consumerism and much more to answer what seemed like a straightforward question to begin with.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt –
This is the first non-fiction novel (if such a thing exists) I’ve read and I absolutely loved it. Witty and Mesmerizing is how I’d characterize it.
Captain Class by Sam Walker –
Not your typical leadership book. Thoroughly researched and well written.
Pursuit of Attention by Charles Derber –
In my opinion, this book is a timeless classic. The first edition was written around 1979, yet almost all of what’s written holds true today, as it exposes the human psyche and it’s relationship to the individualistic society.
Behave by Robert Sopalsky –
One of the comprehensive books I’ve read on this subject. Very informative.
But, be prepared, it’s one freaking long read. I also found some of the chapters were too technical.
The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson –
A must read for managers at all levels. From her Ted talks to this book, Amy has been advocating psychological safety in workplaces. This book makes a convincing case why it’s so important in the modern context.
God’s Debris by Scott Adams –
I can’t remember the last time I finished a book in one sitting. This book was one. Be prepared to bend your mind with this exceptional book.
Silence in the age of Noise by Erling Kagge –
Beautifully written. It made me realize silence is the new luxury. A quick read. I was able to finish it in a day.
Night by Elie Weasel –
If you read “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl and felt it left a lasting impression on you about the brutalities of WWII, while reading this one you’ll feel as if you’re in the midst of the holocaust.
It was a deeply moving book. Not surprised the author was awarded the Nobel prize.
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger –
It’s an incredibly well-written book. It’s part board-room drama, part his ascension to the CEO role, part Disney’s vision on how to dominate the media industry. Overall, it comes across as honest and humble.
Bob drops hints about his desire to run for presidency at some point in the future. If this book is about planting the seed in reader’s mind, I’d say he’s done a fantastic job.
Friend of a Friend by David Burkus
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler
Powerful by Patty McCord
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald
2018
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight –
Phil Knight has done a phenomenal job of retelling the story of building Nike, from his vantage point. His writing style makes it very engaging. Overall, it’s a funny, honest recount of how he (and his friends) built the iconic brand.
The only gripe I have is, it doesn’t talk much about Nike product itself, instead focuses on the business side.
Putting that aside, I’d highly recommend it.
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg –
Sheryl (with renowned professor Adam Grant) does a masterful job of giving readers psychological insights she gained while undergoing the most traumatic experience of her life and how she coped through the crisis. If you have gone through some sort of adversity, you can relate to what she is talking about.
They say, in a human body scar tissue is stronger than a normal tissue. Sheryl and Adam argue the same applies to our mental state as well.
Beautiful book. Very well written.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy –
One of the best novels I’ve read. Honestly, my interest in fiction books got rekindled after reading this masterpiece.
Getting Schooled: The Reeducation of an American Teacher by Garrett Keizer –
An educator’s job is one of the most challenging, under appreciated, underpaid (relative to the value they deliver) one here in the United States. I know that for a fact because I live with one.
In this book, the author recounts his one-year experience as a substitute teacher in a rural Vermont public school. It’s an interesting and engaging book and you’ll understand why I made that first statement. The author’s humorous and honest writing style makes the read worthwhile nonetheless.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl –
Wide acclaimed by many, this book was on my “Want to read” shelf for years. Finally, in 2018, I took the plunge and started reading. Once I did, I couldn’t simply put it down. This book is one for all ages. One of hope and optimism and it was written by a psychologist during one of the darkest periods in modern history. He recounts his experience at the Nazi concentration camp and what kept him alive.
The Evolution of Everything by Matt Ridley –
Seldom you read a book that changes your worldview. I felt this book changed my perspective profoundly. Basic premise of Evolution of Everything being, what we experience today is a result of human actions but not by human design. We tend to think it was by design AFTER the fact. Morality, Culture, Government, Religion, the author argues, are effected bottoms-up and not by top-down design.
It took me a while to finish the book, as each chapter had so much packed in it, I had to reread some of it.
Highly recommended book.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – One of the most inspiring books I’ve read. Not surprised it sold millions of copies worldwide. The book is filled with many inspiring and insightful thoughts, there is two that stood out.
“Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time”
“When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of these, seldom are you believed”
The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria –
Rafia Zakaria brilliantly weaves in the story of her Aunt and a violent history of Pakistan with engaging prose.
While it may be true, humanity have progressed in the past couple of centuries, after reading The Upstairs Wife, it’ll make you wonder if it’s a WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) and rosy view considering the systemic discrimination of women that takes place everyday across societies.
As someone who grew up in the other end of the subcontinent, I couldn’t help but think what would’ve happened to Pakistan (or for that matter to India) if Mohammed Ali Jinnah had chosen to remain with India in 1947.
I did find the non-chronological narrative a bit distracting.
Overall, it was a great read.
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
One of the best written memoir.
The book is split into three parts, where he first talks about his origins growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia. His internal struggles trying to rationalize his missing father, his ancestry, above all the self-exploration. Second part is about his choice to enter community service and his time in Chicago. Third is his quest to understand his father’s side of the family in Kenya. All of it comes across so beautifully.
The fact that he wrote the book (1995) even before entering politics, it’s clear how he was shaping his political career early on.
Truman by David McCullough
Throughout civilization’s documented history, very few individuals altered the course and make a profound impact to humanity. In my mind, Harry Truman is one of the few in the modern history, for playing a pivotal role during WWII that shaped world peace and hence evolution of prosperity.
Frankly, when I started the book, I wasn’t totally sure if I’ll be able to complete. The sheer size of the book was daunting. David McCullough has written it so vividly, he basically time ports the reader to the last century. He has used Truman’s life as a canvas to paint a picture on politics, history and America’s surge to world power. Each page is so exhaustive, at the same time engaging.
From his time in first World War to his accidental ascension to being the leader of the free world to handling McCarthys and the MacArthurs of American politics, this book takes us through the emotional journey of an ordinary farmer and thus proving the importance of emotional intelligence during turbulent times.
Overall, it’s a must-read for history buffs.
The Elephant In the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson
One of the best psychology books I’ve read in recent times.
The Longevity Project by Howard Friedman
The Power Paradox by Dacher Keltner
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Let me be Frank with you by Richard Ford
Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Genghis Khan and Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges by APJ Abdul Kalam
Mastery by Robert Greene
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Win Bigly by Scott Adams