End of every year I put up a list of books I read that year, whether I write much on blog or not this one post that appears early January every year. Finding time to read is always a challenge as reading is a solitary pursuit unlike watching movies or TV or playing some game. So at this stage of my life carving time out is always hard. Around 4-5 years back in order to get some more time to read I decided on trying out Kindle and from being a skeptic turned into a huge fan of e-books and Kindle. It did help me read a lot of books as I could turn waiting time at several places spent doing nothing into reading time. So much so that from someone who believed only in actual book, I turned to reading only e-books until last year.
In 2017, I had started listening to podcasts and by early 2018 lot of my early morning walk time or commute time was dedicated to listening to podcasts. Many folks who read a lot had mentioned about trying Audio books and somewhere in Mid 2018 I decided that this was worth a shot. Though I did enjoy the convenience of e-books, since my day job was spent staring at a laptop screen and I was fairly well addicted to my mobile screen rest of the day, I figured it was time to take some load of my eyes and put it on ears instead. I decided to test waters with non-fiction at first and quite liked the experience. So majority of books this year turned out to be Audio books on Audible or Kobo
Enough of that, here is the actual list:
1) A Champions Mind : Lessons from a life in tennis : By Pete Sampras & Peter Bodo
Last year I read Agassi's biography and after a tour of late 80s to early 2000s tennis through that book, I wanted to read about what Sampras had to say as well. I enjoyed this one as well and the book also matches with the player's personality.
2) TCS Story by S Ramadorai
Having spent most of career working for Indian IT companies, I was really keen on reading this book which covered his life and the story of How Tata Consultancy Services got started and how they became a leading force in IT services world. This was strangely available only in Audio format on Amazon and that had kept me away until I decided to embrace Audio books this year. Its not a super entertaining read but folks who worked in these companies and are interested in the back story of TCS will certainly like this one. Its amazing how such companies succeeded despite our Government and bureaucrats who until mid 90s made things tough with archaic rules and regulations. People did wonder why India did not have great product companies ( several of my friends did in 2000s) and this book helps understand why it was super hard to succeed.
3) Bad Blood : Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up by John Carrerou
This was actually the first book I heard and what a book it was. I had vaguely heard about Theranos scandal which was about silicon valley based well funded bio startup which basically operated on false promises, claims and by fudging key data and basically got tons of funding and a free pass by most until a determined journalist blew the lid off. This certainly was the best read ( or I should say listen) of the year for me
4) Homo Deus : Brief history of tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
Several interesting ideas but did not really work for me as I was perhaps comparing this with his previous work.
5) Billionare Raj : A journey through India's new Gilded Age by James Crabtree
The author was an FT foreign correspondent who lived in India for a few years and this was his take on the growth of super rich in India and how it resembled the Gilded age in early 1900s America with Robber Barrons who control several industries and have good political connections to go unchallenged. He also examines how politics and business and corruption all co-exist and why that happens to be so. As the nation is transforming at a rapid pace economically and politically perhaps and finding its feet on global stage, it seems to finding itself at a stage where there is pronounced inequality in its society. Really liked this one
6) AI Superpowers : China, Silicon Valley and the new World order by Kai Fu Lee
Was an interesting book, he talks about current state of AI and where it could lead us and compares how US has progressed and how far China has moved. With its vast troves of data available and Privacy not a major issue and with government backing, China is well positioned to leap frog Silicon Valley. There are thoughts about the impact AI adoption could cause in society and what could be done to make the impact less painful for the workforce.
7) Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow by Daniel Kahneman
I got through this partially and put it on hold to read the story behind the Author ( refer #15 below). So I'm still listening to this book at the moment.
8) The Coming Storm by Michael Lewis
This felt too short, it examined how efficient and well run National Weather Service is getting run over by appointees backed by powerful private lobbies who want to further their commercial interest.
9) Saudi America : The truth about fracking and how it is changing the world by Bethany McLean
10) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
This was the only fiction I read this year, had noticed this in the year end lists of my cousins last year so wanted to give this a try. As young adult I had read JK Rowling and had loved her writing and though the genre was different I liked this one as well. Hope to get around to reading rest of the books in Cormoran Strike series soon.
11) Incarnations - A History of India in 50 Lives: Sunil Khilani
Author picks 50 Indians in the past couple of thousand years who mattered for the idea of India.
12) Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
In an era of sugar coated biographies and autobiograhies this one is a refreshing change as Isaacson tries to convey somewhat accurate portrait of one the visionary genius who was mercurial, arrogant and brash in dealings with other humans.
13) Everything Store : Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon by Brad Stone
14) Conspiracy : Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue - Ryan Holiday
This is actually non-fiction, but as they say truth is stranger than fiction. In late 2016, Gawker media empire and its millionaire founder Nick Denton were brought to knees as a US court sided with Wrestler Hulk Hogan who had sued them for leaking a stolen sex-tape and Gawker went bankrupt. Later it emerged that Hulk Hogan who fought a hard to win costly litigation was actually backed covertly by Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel. This was his way of settling scores with Gawker who had outed him as gay and their founder Nick Denton himself had made several comments poking fun at Thiel and fanning flames online and putting Thiel firmly in their cross-hairs for a while. The response from a hurt Thiel was a secret multi-year well funded conspiracy to legally stop Gawker through litigation by supporting any worthy fight against Gawker. Ryan Holiday examines all sides of the case and also details how the conspiracy was hatched and executed and how no one really ended up winning in the end.
15) The Undoing Project - The friendship that changed our minds by Michael Lewis
This one is about the friendship between Israeli Psychologists Danny Kahneman and Amos Tversky and how they collaborated to figure out how human mind makes decisions.
16) HillBilly Elegy - JD Vance
Much talked about book last year for understanding the rust belt America. This was a very good read.
17) 281 and beyond - VVS Laxman
There is lot of highlights reel as Laxman recounts the cricketing encounters in his entire career but there are also some interesting anecdotes here and there. Laxman also reveals a bit more about himself, so all in all was a good read. Not super insightful or anything but a very pleasant read for cricket fans.
18) A Full Life : Reflections at ninety by Jimmy Carter
Carter at 90 takes this book as opportunity to recollect and recount his journey from humble roots as peanut farmer to public service to eventually ending up as President and then he also covers what happened afterwards including his humanitarian efforts like building homes for poor/needy, which he incredibly does well into his late 80s as well.
19) African Diary by Bill Bryson
20) Silence : in the age of noise - Erling Kagge
This was fittingly the only book I read this year that was a physical / dead tree version. The author is an explorer who is perhaps the first to do North Pole, South Pole and climb Everest. He had done solo trek to South pole. This is a small but powerful read on the concept of silence and need to spend time without distractions and enjoying the silence and how it helps us.
Lot of reading was actually listening on Audible , Kobo , Libby apps. I started listening to books during lunch time and then if it was not a super busy day used to take a walk in the park nearby while listening. Plus tried listening during commute to work or during morning walks. Special word of thanks for the wonderful public library system in US. Several audiobooks and some e-books and the only physical book I read came from from Public Library.
20 is above the target I had for this year as things did get hectic from work perspective as anticipated, so really pleased with that. For 2019 I hope to match this, I really hope to cut down on time spent on twitter and channelize that to read some books instead so maybe just maybe I will do better.
In 2017, I had started listening to podcasts and by early 2018 lot of my early morning walk time or commute time was dedicated to listening to podcasts. Many folks who read a lot had mentioned about trying Audio books and somewhere in Mid 2018 I decided that this was worth a shot. Though I did enjoy the convenience of e-books, since my day job was spent staring at a laptop screen and I was fairly well addicted to my mobile screen rest of the day, I figured it was time to take some load of my eyes and put it on ears instead. I decided to test waters with non-fiction at first and quite liked the experience. So majority of books this year turned out to be Audio books on Audible or Kobo
Enough of that, here is the actual list:
1) A Champions Mind : Lessons from a life in tennis : By Pete Sampras & Peter Bodo
Last year I read Agassi's biography and after a tour of late 80s to early 2000s tennis through that book, I wanted to read about what Sampras had to say as well. I enjoyed this one as well and the book also matches with the player's personality.
2) TCS Story by S Ramadorai
Having spent most of career working for Indian IT companies, I was really keen on reading this book which covered his life and the story of How Tata Consultancy Services got started and how they became a leading force in IT services world. This was strangely available only in Audio format on Amazon and that had kept me away until I decided to embrace Audio books this year. Its not a super entertaining read but folks who worked in these companies and are interested in the back story of TCS will certainly like this one. Its amazing how such companies succeeded despite our Government and bureaucrats who until mid 90s made things tough with archaic rules and regulations. People did wonder why India did not have great product companies ( several of my friends did in 2000s) and this book helps understand why it was super hard to succeed.
3) Bad Blood : Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up by John Carrerou
This was actually the first book I heard and what a book it was. I had vaguely heard about Theranos scandal which was about silicon valley based well funded bio startup which basically operated on false promises, claims and by fudging key data and basically got tons of funding and a free pass by most until a determined journalist blew the lid off. This certainly was the best read ( or I should say listen) of the year for me
4) Homo Deus : Brief history of tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
Several interesting ideas but did not really work for me as I was perhaps comparing this with his previous work.
5) Billionare Raj : A journey through India's new Gilded Age by James Crabtree
The author was an FT foreign correspondent who lived in India for a few years and this was his take on the growth of super rich in India and how it resembled the Gilded age in early 1900s America with Robber Barrons who control several industries and have good political connections to go unchallenged. He also examines how politics and business and corruption all co-exist and why that happens to be so. As the nation is transforming at a rapid pace economically and politically perhaps and finding its feet on global stage, it seems to finding itself at a stage where there is pronounced inequality in its society. Really liked this one
6) AI Superpowers : China, Silicon Valley and the new World order by Kai Fu Lee
Was an interesting book, he talks about current state of AI and where it could lead us and compares how US has progressed and how far China has moved. With its vast troves of data available and Privacy not a major issue and with government backing, China is well positioned to leap frog Silicon Valley. There are thoughts about the impact AI adoption could cause in society and what could be done to make the impact less painful for the workforce.
7) Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow by Daniel Kahneman
I got through this partially and put it on hold to read the story behind the Author ( refer #15 below). So I'm still listening to this book at the moment.
8) The Coming Storm by Michael Lewis
This felt too short, it examined how efficient and well run National Weather Service is getting run over by appointees backed by powerful private lobbies who want to further their commercial interest.
9) Saudi America : The truth about fracking and how it is changing the world by Bethany McLean
10) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
This was the only fiction I read this year, had noticed this in the year end lists of my cousins last year so wanted to give this a try. As young adult I had read JK Rowling and had loved her writing and though the genre was different I liked this one as well. Hope to get around to reading rest of the books in Cormoran Strike series soon.
11) Incarnations - A History of India in 50 Lives: Sunil Khilani
Author picks 50 Indians in the past couple of thousand years who mattered for the idea of India.
12) Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
In an era of sugar coated biographies and autobiograhies this one is a refreshing change as Isaacson tries to convey somewhat accurate portrait of one the visionary genius who was mercurial, arrogant and brash in dealings with other humans.
13) Everything Store : Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon by Brad Stone
14) Conspiracy : Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue - Ryan Holiday
This is actually non-fiction, but as they say truth is stranger than fiction. In late 2016, Gawker media empire and its millionaire founder Nick Denton were brought to knees as a US court sided with Wrestler Hulk Hogan who had sued them for leaking a stolen sex-tape and Gawker went bankrupt. Later it emerged that Hulk Hogan who fought a hard to win costly litigation was actually backed covertly by Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel. This was his way of settling scores with Gawker who had outed him as gay and their founder Nick Denton himself had made several comments poking fun at Thiel and fanning flames online and putting Thiel firmly in their cross-hairs for a while. The response from a hurt Thiel was a secret multi-year well funded conspiracy to legally stop Gawker through litigation by supporting any worthy fight against Gawker. Ryan Holiday examines all sides of the case and also details how the conspiracy was hatched and executed and how no one really ended up winning in the end.
15) The Undoing Project - The friendship that changed our minds by Michael Lewis
This one is about the friendship between Israeli Psychologists Danny Kahneman and Amos Tversky and how they collaborated to figure out how human mind makes decisions.
16) HillBilly Elegy - JD Vance
Much talked about book last year for understanding the rust belt America. This was a very good read.
17) 281 and beyond - VVS Laxman
There is lot of highlights reel as Laxman recounts the cricketing encounters in his entire career but there are also some interesting anecdotes here and there. Laxman also reveals a bit more about himself, so all in all was a good read. Not super insightful or anything but a very pleasant read for cricket fans.
18) A Full Life : Reflections at ninety by Jimmy Carter
Carter at 90 takes this book as opportunity to recollect and recount his journey from humble roots as peanut farmer to public service to eventually ending up as President and then he also covers what happened afterwards including his humanitarian efforts like building homes for poor/needy, which he incredibly does well into his late 80s as well.
19) African Diary by Bill Bryson
20) Silence : in the age of noise - Erling Kagge
This was fittingly the only book I read this year that was a physical / dead tree version. The author is an explorer who is perhaps the first to do North Pole, South Pole and climb Everest. He had done solo trek to South pole. This is a small but powerful read on the concept of silence and need to spend time without distractions and enjoying the silence and how it helps us.
Lot of reading was actually listening on Audible , Kobo , Libby apps. I started listening to books during lunch time and then if it was not a super busy day used to take a walk in the park nearby while listening. Plus tried listening during commute to work or during morning walks. Special word of thanks for the wonderful public library system in US. Several audiobooks and some e-books and the only physical book I read came from from Public Library.
20 is above the target I had for this year as things did get hectic from work perspective as anticipated, so really pleased with that. For 2019 I hope to match this, I really hope to cut down on time spent on twitter and channelize that to read some books instead so maybe just maybe I will do better.
