I read 83 books in 2006. Below are the gold stars from the past year. As always, it’s an eclectic mix.
Here are all the books I’ve read since June ’04. Here were my top picks from 2005.
Ron Suskind: A Hope in the Unseen : An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League
A moving, inspiring (and depressing) story of a young man going from the ghetto to Brown University. See my post.
Jonathan Franzen: How to Be Alone: Essays
Good writing; a collection of non-fiction essays. See my post.
Katharine Graham: Personal History
An excellent, fun tour through the life of this journalistic giant. See my post.
Steve Coll: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
A detailed, rewarding read for anyone interested in what the CIA was up to pre 9/11. See my lengthy formal book review.
Rick Bragg: All over but the Shoutin’
Great stories in a memoir style with an authentic Southern quality. My brief review.
James Joyce: Dubliners : Text and Criticism
A classic. So many great short stories.
Benjamin M. Friedman: The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth
A powerful thesis: economic growth has good moral consequences. See my quick post here.
Paul Bilton: The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Swiss
A fun, tongue-in-cheek, accurate look at the Swiss. (I consider myself half-Swiss.) See my post.
Andrew S. Grove: Swimming Across: A Memoir
An awesome memoir by the Intel founder….and it doesn’t mention Intel once. See my post.
David Foster Wallace: Consider the Lobster : And Other Essays
As always, very excellent essays. See my formal book review.
Tobias Wolff: This Boy’s Life: A Memoir
A beautiful, classic memoir about childhood. See my brief post.
Rough Guides: The Rough Guide to First-Time Around the World
Loaded with helpful travel tips and regional profiles. Good for world-wide travelers.
Charles D. Ellis: Winning the Loser’s Game
An excellent introduction to investing and finance. See post.
David Sedaris: Me Talk Pretty One Day
Always hilarious…though I think "Dress Your Family" was better than this one.
Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
A great book that got me thinking about customer satisfaction in a whole new light. See Chris Yeh’s notes.
Cliff Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire
An excellent intro to make compelling PPT’s — all presenters should read this or Cliff’s blog.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
One of the most important and best books I’ve read in years. See my post.
Philip Roth: The Plot Against America
Perhaps the best living American novelist. See my brief review.
Stephen King: On Writing
Excellent book for aspiring writers. See my notes.
Bill Clinton: My Life
This is great as an audiobook…especially when Clinton deals with the Monica scandal. See my post.
Tyler Cowen: Creative Destruction : How Globalization Is Changing the World’s Cultures
Excellent thesis on how globalization is providing more and better cultural choice. See my somewhat lengthy review.
Lawrence Harrison and Sam Huntington: Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress
A good collection of essays on the role of culture in shaping societies. Conclusion: culture matters.
P. J. O’Rourke: Holidays in Hell
Hilarious; He travels to the world’s worst places and asks, "What’s funny about this?"
Francis Fukuyama: America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy
Awesome summary and analysis of neoconservatism as we used to know it and why it’s not compatible with the future.
Barbara Pease: The Definitive Book of Body Language
Some very useful tips for thinking about how our non-verbal cues influence people.
The Group of 33 / Seth Godin: The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable
Inspiring words of wisdom, tips, and stories. Good read for anyone in business.
Robert E. Rubin: In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington
Excellent memoir and insight into the worldview of the former treasury secretary. See my brief review.
Daniel Gilbert: Stumbling on Happiness
Chock full of nuggets. Required reading for people who pursue happiness with vigor!
Jack Goldsmith: Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World
A quick and provocative read about how national borders and laws are rejecting internet-utopians’ prediction of borderless world.
Tom Wolfe: I Am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel
An excellent, gripping novel about modern college life. See my formal book review.
Patrick M. Lencioni: Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable…About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
Another good Lencioni book. His big point is to infuse meetings with conflict and drama, and to run different kinds of meetings (the standing-only, the strategy monthly, etc).
Ariel Levy: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
Solid read on feminism and porn, but predictable. See my review.
Benjamin Kunkel: Indecision: A Novel
Excellent novel for 20-40 year-olds by a new literary sensation. See my brief review.
Peter Hessler: River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
An outstanding recollection of two years in the Peace Corps in China. Awesome writing and great portrait of China.
Viktor E. Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning
Inspiring. Read it. Here are some quotes.
Susan Orlean (Editor): The Best American Essays 2005
Awesome writing and essays. Good for any non fiction lover.
Howard Schultz: Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
A nice read from the Starbucks founder on how he cultivated a luxury brand. See my review.
Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking
A simply moving and inspiring account of Didion dealing with grief and the loss of her husband. A must-read.
Tim Sanders: Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
Awesome book on how to bring compassion into the business world. See my notes.
Tom Wolfe: The Bonfire of the Vanities
A masterpiece. A novel about New York in the 80’s. Well worth it. My quick review.
Joseph J. Ellis: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
An awesome book. Highly recommended for a look at the men behind the Revolutionary Generation.
Ben,
I was interested to know how you got across so many books over the past year?
Doing some rough math in my head. Assuming the average book you read had a length of around 300 pages, you’d be reading over 60 pages a day.
Is it that you put a high premium on your reading material, or are you a persistant insomniac?
Cheers,
Greg Nelson
try reading some novels for once in your life, expand your mind
1. Happy New Year!
2. Congratulations!
3. Ben, are you the new Harriet Klausner?
The Constant Critic
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570726,00.html
have you ever read Ronan, Frank?