I always intend to write more online about what I read, but I never seem to get around to it. A yearly reading review is about the only thing I have stuck with. In 2015, I read 27 new books and reread 3 for a total of 30. I am over halfway through about 6 longer non-fiction books too so I am kind of sandbagging 2015 and inflating 2016.
I mostly read the traditional culprits of science-fiction and entrepreneur biographies. The list is in reverse chronological order for the most part with few notes below some of my favorites.
Chocky by John Wyndham
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
True Names by Vernor Vinge
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams
The beginning and end of this book are pretty disturbing, but if you can look past that, this is a very unique take on artificial intelligence run amok.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
This is an amazing and inspiring biography on Elon. His vision and drive to push the world forward is unparalleled in our time.
The Martian by Andy Weir
I read this book before the movie came out and then reread it after the movie. It is a thrilling, well-researched, and easy science fiction read on par with Ready Player One and Ender’s Game. This is my new go to vacation book recommendation.
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat
The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned from Patagonia’s First 40 Years by Yvon Chouinard
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
This is a great deep dive into the life of the world’s best investor. He is laser focused on investing, sometimes at the expense of other aspects of his life. I wish this book talked about Charlie Munger, Warren’s long time business partner a bit more. I am currently reading Poor Charlie’s Almanack to learn more about him.
Apex (Nexus, #3) by Ramez Naam
My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla by Nikola Tesla
Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie
A surprisingly excellent book on business and socially conscious entrepreneurship. It is the perfect length at 208 pages. Most business books ramble on trying to convince you of their main tenets over and over again. If I was an editor, I would force all of them to stay under 250 pages.
Spoiler: TOMS wasn’t started by a guy named Tom. The name comes from “tomorrow” which is from the original title “Shoes for Tomorrow Project”.
What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
This is probably my favorite book that I read last year. I actually just finished reading it a second time. Some questions Randall tackles: What would happen if you pitched a baseball at 90% the speed of life? What if all the rain in a storm fell to the earth in one raindrop? Randall Munroe’s creative, funny, and well researched answers make you think about basic science in a completely different way.
When to Rob a Bank by Steven D. Levitt
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
Egghead: Or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone by Bo Burnham
Enchanted Objects: Design, Human Desire, and the Internet of Things by David Rose
I enjoyed David Rose’s look beyond the traditional black slab interfaces of today to more whimsical interactions in the future. Technology should empower us like the magic in Harry Potter, instead of making our lives more complicated.
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippletoe
I wish I had read this years ago when I first began lifting weights. Make sure you watch Mark Ripple’s youtube videos to really understand proper form. He is an excellent teacher and a pretty hilarious guy.
I like working out this way now that I am lifting by myself. It lets me know exactly how hard I am working because everything from the weights to rests are quantified.
Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
“Understand” and “Story of Your Life” are two of the best short stories I have ever read. I wish Ted Chiang would write more.
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
A compelling vision for near term human level AI. What if there are no shortcuts and AIs have to be raised like kids through experience and social interaction?
Foundation (Foundation, #1) by Isaac Asimov
A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1) by Vernor Vinge
#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso
An entertaining and enlightening business book from a nontraditional business person. It’s another business book in the goldilocks page range of ~250 pages.