Best books you read in 2021
Been a while since we had a book thread in the off-topic forum. Thought I would make this to see what you people read so far this year, and inevitably add some of them to my ever-growing list of books that I have to get around to reading.
Favorite book this year has to be Hard Rain Falling by the late and great but forgotten writer Don Carpenter. One of the best books I've read in a while. On a totally separate note, I also enjoyed Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, I ripped through the whole thing in like two weeks. I don't know how many of you read fantasy but if you do I recommend giving it a shot.
im reading dortoyevskys 'the idiot' just now, its a complete slog, too much dialogue. ive been reading it on and off for probably over a year but I just picked it up and read 100 pages (out of 700) this fine sunday, because its been sitting on my shelf pissing me off. antagonising me to read it.
others ive read this year-
radical candor (I found this in a bag outside a random house while I was out walking)
start with why
feeling good
mr.pikes (recommended if you like ibiza and hedonism)
my manor
shogun - I randomly put this on YouTube one day and listened to about 6/7 hours of it
barbarians at the gate
an actor prepares
stanford Meisner on acting
in search of lost time (put this down, too confusing)
what a weird list. genuinely all over the place. ive got a list of about 200 I need to read in addition to the 30 or so I have lying around. I've been lurking on reddit books and I think im going to get some camus or voltaire next. here is a list of 4chans 100 most recommended which I found on reddit and is surprisingly good.
https://postimg.cc/nXMrnFwX
I have Crime and Punishment on my shelf been on there for over a year and have to give it read soon. Hopefully by the end of the year.
Crime and Punishment is easily my favorite fiction book. You really gotta keep track of all the names and nicknames for characters. If you can do that, then its an amazing book
I agree with Marcus, it's a phenomenal book. I used Sparknotes for the first four chapters to understand what was going on, especially since the Russian naming convention and all their nicknames is so confusing to an outsider.
camus the stranger is pretty good. add lost illusions and bel ami to your list - similar books about 1800s france and the journalism industry.
Reading Russian literature is a huge pain in the ass. So much meticulousness and sometimes unreasonable focus on details. Some hardcore fiction readers love this though.
I’d love to hear suggestions on books that are interesting to read but also provide valuable lessons/info/ideas. Books that can improve people’s lives or make them smarter.
influence by cialdini - prob my favourite.
thinking fast and slow
the art of thinking clearly (this Is quite dull/academic)
mans search for meaning
Marcus Aurelius meditations
the charisma myth
edit:
pyscocybernetics
emotional intelligence - goleman
never eat alone
strategize to win - Carla Harris
7 habits of highly effective people
moonwalking with einstein
how to talk to anyone
Thanks for the suggestions!! Really appreciate it.
Do audiobooks count? If so, the complete A Song of Ice and Fire series.
ASOIAF is great, read the whole thing a few years ago. But it's definitely a commitment lol took me 4 months.
Read Siege
Siege was a newsletter written by James Mason, a neo-nazi and convicted child pornographer. Please leave this board asshole
A pedo? That's funny, considering most of woke beliefs come from Foucault, Derrida and... John Money, all of which are liberals pedos. But that's okay I guess?
+1 for Siege. Great newsletter. Even greater author.
facts
Good list but why all the books by Bill O'Riley? lmao
Thanks! The audiobook thing it's a great idea, I have thought about doing the same. But how do you keep focused only listening for 3h? Also, do you retain well the information?
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (amazing science fiction book, and thought it couldn’t get better than The Martian but this one blew me away)
When Character was King - Peggy Noonan
Beyond the Call - Lee Trimble
Where Men Win Glory - Jon Krakauer
Barbarian Days - William Finnegan
Krakauer is great, Into Thin Air is one of my favorite books.
Read and can recommend:
Reading and good so far:
Brothers K is a labor of love but absolutely fantastic
I read All Quiet on my pre-MBA Euro trip, I wasn't in any of the primary areas where the book took place (I was in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy) but it was definitely sobering to walk around and think about what life in Europe was like 100 years ago with that in mind.
Well said and love this mindset. Keeping this in mind when visiting certain historic sites / monuments, makes the experience so much more meaningful / memorable.
The VIRGIN Remarque vs. the CHAD Jünger
If Storms of Steel is good enough for our God-Emperor Musk, it is good enough for you as well
World Order by Henry Kissinger. Fascinating book
I finished On China a couple weeks ago, it was really good. I have Diplomacy at home which I want to read before World Order.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
2 recent good reads:
Talking to strangers by Malcolm gladwell
Bright lights big city by Jay McInerney
first time reads: mark spitznagel save haven, various dostoyevsky essays, pablo neruda poetry, nassim taleb's statistical consequences of fat fails, carlo cippola's book on stupidity, seneca on the happy life, miguel de unamono tragic sense of life, some epictetus, jocko willink leadership tactical book, some thomas aquinas essays
re-reads: nassim taleb's entire incerto ex-bed of procrustes, seneca on the shortness of life (annual tradition), jocko willink extreme ownership
coming soon: descartes, kant, bertrand russell, and sextus empiricus
best new stuff I read this so far year was definitely dostoyevsky, I wish I'd discovered him sooner
UPDATE: best book I've read by far this year is die with zero by bill perkins, highly recommend. I take issue with some of the details, but the sentiment is spectacular
Dostoevsky's essays just make me not believe in God.
Dostoevsky’s great. Where are you planning to start with his novels?
I was gifted a book on existentialism that has several different authors, I can't recall where they plucked his work from, but once I'm done with his section I'll crack open crime and punishment which I own but haven't read
Also, I think you might enjoy William T. Vullman. Especially his greatest work which is Rising Up and Rising Down. I believe it’s a seven volume series where he attempts to develop a moral calculus for when it’s okay to use violence. Though you might have to shell out a couple grand for the set. There is an abridged version on Amazon but it’s not the same. I haven’t read it yet myself but from what I know it sounds like something you might enjoy. WTV is great in general, I read his debut novel, You Bright and Risen Angels which was awesome. Planning on reading his seven dreams series next.
Am I the only one who hasn't read a single book this year?
what do you do in your free time?
That's your anti-intellectual non-target side talking again
No it was a slow year for me as well, I got through like 6 during the start of the year and didn’t read much over the summer because of my internship. Will only get through like 15 books this year which is a shame.
Winston Churchill: Walking with destiny, by Andrew Roberts. Incredible Read.
just remembered another one I read this year which is highly recommended - dune
dont judge It by the 1980s movie.
I read the first Dune book but it just didn’t click for me. I can see how it’s good and the rest of the story sounds epic but I just couldn’t get into it. Have you ever read anything by Ian M. Banks? I read Consider Phlebas and that was a really good read, going to read the rest of the series soon.
I've never heard of him to be honest, I might take a look though- I usually see what people on reddit have to say on it. if its a must read I buy the book, if its a maybe then I just download it from library genesis.
Yeah that's the same way I felt about Dune too, it's a really interesting universe but I couldn't finish the first book yet.
It took me a long time to get into Dune, I think it took me close to 5 years to finish it the first time. I started reading it again this year, and finished it in less than a month, and read book #2 in ~2 weeks, and now I am on book #3. I am now totally immersed in the vast universe that is Dune.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
I really enjoyed "letters to a young poet" Do not read this in one sitting. Read one letter a week to give you time to think about it.
Almost done with "Dune" your classic sci-fi space opera.
Just finished "Thinking in Bets" I thought it was very good.
Currently reading "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau.
I read ''Homo Deus'' by Yuval Noah Harari. It was an amazing book that change many of your mindsets about life.
Do Schweser notes count?
Not quite as intellectual or deep as some of yalls books, but Red Notice was awesome. really fascinating, and tragic, story.
‘Super Life’ by Darin Olien. It’s basically about food science and nutrition. Really interesting if you want to learn more about being healthy
Ride of a lifetime - Igor great inner dialogue of M&A framework and inherent biz principles
Titan - Chernow - Rockefeller absolute G used scale to oblierate competition and talks through the rise of C-corps via holdingcos. Great historical overview of O&G as well. Hint bid Oil
Grant - Chernow - I think the depth of Civil War and reconstruction period is highly underrated. Grant fascinating figure as well. Echoes of today's media environment,, when the media or historians were quick to judge. The narrative not the facts led peoples perception of him. Reconsuctrion period good insight into the political sausage making as well
Sum of little things - great insight to consumerism and impact of branding. How people vote with their dollar based on their principles and implied social signals
Blood for Oil - insight to MBS fascinating, talk about a cutthroat figure / peep into the geopolitical framework
Profiles in Power - about JFK Presidency. Should be must read for anyone who tries to confer a opinion on political decisions and just an absolutely crazy time of history
The Discoveries- dan boorstein so many fascinating cultural nuggets and look into the rise of society & general progression of man kind
Have like 30 more. Love books please ping if any other suggestions
Titan was a great read, must check out the others as well and yes, please post the rest. You seem to have a similar taste to me.
Cable Cowboys - John Malone the father of EBITDA. Great insight into the formation of a broader industry coalition with cable mafia and navigating regulatory picture. Him using equity/JV to fund content players was genius. You'll notice amazon will do this occasion ahead of delivering a large contract to suppliers. Also the mans aversion to pay taxes is just beautiful
Deficit Myth - If your serious on macro or just investing your PA you need to have this book as the backdrop of your macro thinking imo
Amazon the everything store and unbound - the rise of amazon just remarkable, love that he targeted books because he knew they were a commodity and then his selection prowess / unlimited inventory would win vs. others. Unbound i think was super interesting just to understand the pros and cons of the amazon we know. Obviously, an insane amount of wealth, jobs, and consumer convenience created. One employee just talking about the conditions of working there (summarizing) "it was brutal, we pushed to our mental edges and the end of day i just convinced more people to spend money on amazon prime today on shit they don't need". Amazon ultimately a net benfiti to society but some interesting dark edges within the company .... think them bending 3rd party sellers over
Words that work - fucking genius and great interplay into both politics and marketing
Financial shenigans - more technical based and brilliant. But also just some hilarious fraud stories like krispy kreme just stuffing their inventory channelt
The One Device: Iphone story - great overview on the iPhone story. Apple definitely very shading on the supplier practices in FoxConn and general sourcing raw materials. Perhaps, more impressive is their press // narrative control and no really claps at them for this. Though it was really interesting that it was the app store that really drove initially sales and jobs actually against opening their development framework to allow 3rd parties
Seeking Wisdom - just fucking awesome. The navy boat captain principle was genius. So many good insights and stories. really pragmatic insights i though as well
Grand Strategy of the roman empire - not gonna lie skimmed a decent amount of these (fucking latin is brutal). However, i thought the political thinking as military strategy was fascinating. Miltary strategy of having condensed attacking power instead spread across empire and having zero tolerance for invasions was genius. Nuclear esque deterrent
Nelson's Traflghar - holy fuck was being a sailor in the navy brutal back in those days. Was a little too in the weeds on the battle for me. But British / France implications were interesting particularly post war. The freedom of the seas by the brits helped global trade develop and English language become the signature trade language
Empire of Pain - Excellent, must read given the COVID times. Just talks to the FDA/Gov't being hoodwinked and bribed by the big pharma players. It was just blatant ignorance or stupidity on the gov't part. Talks to the birth of the pharma industry/marketing and to some extent gov't lobby. To the sacklers credit maybe the best financial engineering and game theory on their part as it looks like they'll probably come out big winners. Does not instill faith in the FDA/govt. Opiod crisis is real and just a crazy story HBO Doc on it was great as well.
Really liked Ride of a Lifetime, will check out the others.
it was so good. Still have his lessons printed out on my desk. Really loved the evolution of the business from them going to streaming with bamTech, but the turnaround story of him identifying animation was their core competency and going back to their roots with the pixar deal. The steve job interaction stories were great as well.
Another business book that I forgot to add was Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Made me want to quit my job and do a start up asap (I have not followed through yet). Him going to Japan and securing his first order without having a product was straight out of a Disney movie.
Always set out every year to read at least 12 books. I've only completed 4 so far, but every single one has been an absolute joy. My favorite by far has been Extreme Ownership. It's already changed my life and will continue to do so. It has reinvigorated my work ethic and desire to succeed.
1. 7 habits of highly effective people - Stephen R Covey
2. Digital Gold - Nathaniel Popper
3. Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
4. Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West - James P. Owen
What were your main takeaways from Extreme Ownership? I'm like 1/2 through the audiobook; there's some actionable items but a lot of fluff in between. Seems to have relatively standard conclusions about being a strong, low / in-check ego leader that believes in their plan. Anything ground breaking towards the end?
Currently reading:
- Human Kind (Rutger Bregman)
- Flash boys (Michael Lewis)
- When Genius Failed (Roger Lowenstein)
On my shelf:
- The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy (Mariana Mazzucato)
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Yuval Noah Harari)
Some of the biggest IYIs out there
Anna Karenina was fantastic, I love Russian literature and need to dive deeper into it. I'm in the middle of American Pastoral by Philip Roth, and he is easily becoming one of my favorite authors. I read The Human Stain last year and it was like a breath of fresh air, his writing style is so different from anything I'd ever read before, and he is just brilliant at writing his characters.
Try Jonathan Franzen
Red Notice by Bill Browder is insane. Literally couldn't make up a better story.
For non-fiction I read all the Jack Carr books this year.
I tend to alternate a fiction with a non-fiction.
but Red Notice is... fiction
I'm still recovering from 'When Breath Becomes Air' - Paul Kalanithi. Learning about the moral dilemmas and internal battles of terminal cancer diagnosis for a young person at the top of their field really hit a special kind of different. Wealth worth a read if you can stomach it; the epilogue from his wife was one of the hardest things I've ever read.
Great book, I read it a couple years ago.
Seneca's Letters of a Stoic
Strong Towns
Billion Dollar Loser
The real-time collapse of neoliberalism motivated me to read Industrial Society and it's Future.
It's Ted Kaczynski's manifesto
How was that?
It's not the most entertaining read and it's quite short, but Teddy K. was right on the money for a lot of issues.
RETVRN TO MONKE
He was way ahead of his time. This Rick Roderick video on Baudrillard and Hyper-Reality reminds me a lot of Kaczynski:
Thanks for sharing..always nice to discover a new fantasy book :)
Napoleon By Andrew Roberts
Churchill by Andrew Roberts
Fooled by Randomness by Taleb
Got The Prince by Machiavelli on my person at all times. Keep a copy in my bag, keep a copy on my nightstand. Every night I reread a chapter and take notes. Before I do anything I ask myself "what would Machiavelli have wrote about this?"
quick fact: Machiavelli wrote that as satire after the Medici family broke the shit out of his arms
Mein Kampf
Are you just being edgy or do you really believe what Hitler said?
I am an ethnic Austrian, so obviously the latter...
Also, The Children of Hurin, narrated by Christopher Lee
12 Rules for Life—jordan peterson
I re-read Dune in preparation for the movie, and now I am reading the rest of the saga! I forgot how great these books are!
Robert Caro’s Lyndon Johnson series: Simply outstanding. Worth its weight in gold. Currently reading the Power Broker as well.
Why the West Rules for Now: Sapiens is quite overrated in my opinion. There are better general history books out there with more substance. This is one of them.
The Art of Action: Great book on strategy and decentralized management.
The Fish that Ate the Whale: Very underrated book on the power broker that single handedly shaped the fruit industry.
Papa Hemingway: Great account on Hemingway.
Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Chernow’s Titan
Vaillant’s The Tiger
Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me: Recommend the audiobook especially.
The Caesars Palace Coup. Very interesting and easy to read, would recommend for anyone interested in PE/Distressed HF
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
A very interesting read for investment professionals
De Bello Gallico
De Bello Civili
by Julius Caesar
I'll admit I didn't read that much this year. I'm uninspired. Watched a lot of documentaries to make myself feel less bad about it
Busy year for a lot of people, we'll get 'em next year. What docs did you watch?
On top of my head, I really enjoy two youtube channels, History Marche and Kings and Generals. Both are for nerds of history of military strategy so I can understand they are not everyone's bread.
The quality and quantity of information is surprisingly high, they are very well researched.
just finished A Farewell to Arms, I really enjoyed it
Little Women.
Uber-chad Barry Sommers (square jaw) quoted it in the JLC and asked if anyone knew where it was from. I felt like a big brain when I unmuted myself on Zoom and properly identified it. He seemed impressed..
Nassim taleb famous trio: Black Swan, Fooled by randomness, and antifragile. I've been putting these books off ever since he blocked me on Twitter lol. Gotta say though, he's a fucking genius. Highly recommend.
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