100 Books: My 2020 Reading List
With 2020 being the all out unexpected tyre fire and revolving door of surprises and let downs, it actually proved quite a fertile ground for me to pursue my extreme reading goal — 100 books in a year.
Following 2019 with a book a week, I chose to ramp it up and see if I could make it to 100. How you may ask? A combination of real books, audio books (via Audible) and the occasional book summary on Blinkist. I don’t profess to finish books I don’t like but I do give them a decent chance (at least 30 pages). The key is consistency — audio books in the car, trying to read every night before bed, whatever works for you. Pretty soon, 100 books seems pretty achievable (even without all that downtime that a global pandemic might provide). If you’re interested, you can read the 2019 list here.
My Top 10 books for 2020 (in no particular order)
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
- The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English
- The Desert & The Sea by Michael Scott Moore
- The Education of an idealist by Samantha Power
- Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
- The Last by Hanna Jameson
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
- Round the Bend by Nevil Shute
- Rapport by Emily & Laurence Alison
For 2021, I’m not foolhardy enough to try and increase the goal but I am going yet again for 100 books in the year — even with (hopefully) less time off.
For now, here’s my booklist of the 100 books I read in 2020, in the order I read them.
1. Scream : Chilling adventures in the science of fear by Margee Kerr
★★★★
This book has been on my list for quite some time. A fascinating and easy to digest book about fear and why we have it. Everything from skydiving to haunted houses, personal crisis to understanding fear in our ancestors, I found this a really interesting read in one more way of understanding how we as humans tick. Not only is it a good non-fiction read, Kerr strings it all together through a series of personal adventures and explorations making it a great story too.
2. The Parade by Dave Eggers
★★
It might be Eggers’ style of writing but I just couldn’t get into this book as much as I’d hoped. Last year I read ‘A Hologram for a King’ on the recommendation of a colleague and while I enjoyed the story, I liked the film much more. Trying another Eggers read, it’s a decent plot that has all the makings of a book I’d love — A country recovering from a decade of civil war sees the two protagonists sent there to build the highway connecting the two states. Give it a try if you’re a fan of Eggers’ other novels.
3. Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
★★★
Sales, a hallmark of ABC news broadcasting in Australia writes a fascinating book around the idea of people experiencing the worst day of their lives and how these stories often leave people in different ways. The premise for this book is an intriguing one — predominantly that your life could change in a split second for a million different reasons. This is her collection of stories from people she’s met and interviewed over the years. A pretty easy but oddly compelling read that leaves you considering every little action in your day.
4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
★★
Written in a similar vein to Orwell’s 1984, Fahrenheit 451 is about a dystopian world in the future where books are banned and firemen are trained to burn books rather than extinguish. We follow Guy Montag, the lead fireman as he explores his existential crisis on the destruction of knowledge and history. For me, Bradbury doesn’t stack up against Orwell so I’d more stridently recommend Animal Farm or 1984 but Fahrenheit 451 is a classic nevertheless so if you’re rolling into 2021 with a cynical, dystopian view of the world following COVID, maybe this book is for you?
5. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
★★★★
This book is in my top 10 for the year. Marshall takes a robust exploration into the preconceptions and ideas we have around nation states and their geography. The FT writes that “Tim Marshall’s book is a reminder of the salience of geography in international affairs — of the threats such open plains continue to pose in this age of Predator drones and cyber attacks. Countries’ relations with their neighbours are still dictated by their physical characteristics, he argues.” This book is a must read for those interested in geopolitics and how it affects our world today as well as critical thinkers who want to consider how and why we have the global assumptions and ideas we do. For the full review in the Financial Times, you can view it here.
6. Brave new world by Aldous Huxley
★★★
Following the dystopian theme of Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley takes a darker look at everyday life in the future, one rooted in science, technology and centralised control. Often considered a pairing or complementary read to Orwell’s 1984, this book holds its own in that dystopian genre. Still, while a classic and an essential read, I found the plot heavy and stilted and an over-riding moral heaviness made it a less captivating read than 1984.
7. The Last by Hanna Jameson
★★★★
It’s the end of the world and there’s a hotel in the Swiss mountains where 20 survivors remain huddled up. Jameson’s novel is a page turner. Particularly given the current times we’re in, this book could be described as unsettling at best. A cinematic read, it’s beautifully descriptive and a thriller of a read. It’s also oddly personal making you wonder what you’d do if you were in the same shoes. Definitely in my top 10 of the year.
8. No one is too small to make a difference by Greta Thunberg
★★
Not a page turner but rather a collection of eleven of Thunberg’s recent speeches around the state of our climate globally. This was interesting to explore given the world we’re in and try and understand more about what’s happened and what we can do. Not a catch-all book in itself but a fast read and insight into Greta Thunberg’s movement.
9. Round the Bend by Nevil Shute
★★★★
This book is a beguiling read. It follows the story of Tom Cutter and the air service he setups in the Persian gulf and the adventures across the region before expanding further to East Asia as well as the adventures of his colleague, Connie Shanklin, who increasingly through the novel, attracts a following across the Middle East and the Asian Pacific and is thought to be some kind of prophet. A book that really throws you back to a time and land of old. Fairly easy read too, would definitely recommend.
10. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
★★★★
A classic written by Martel, Life of Pi has recently been made into a blockbuster film. The book tells the story of a boy who’s family moves from Pondicherry. “Pi” then gets stuck for 277 days aboard a boat with his pet tiger. My description doesn’t do this book justice — it’s a beautiful weaving of religion and spirituality, humanity as well as how wee coexist with animals and the environment.
11. Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss
★★
Ridiculously dense and rich in facts and data, Beschloss’ book details how various American presidents have led their way through their respective conflicts. From James Madison and the War of 1812 to Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam, we see how various presidents contend with their colleagues and other politicians, their constituents and the public as well as their personal lives and families. A massive read, I didn’t finish this cover-to-cover but it’s a good reference book to pick up. If US political history is your thing, this book should form vital reading. For me, while a passing interest, reading this book comprehensively was too bigger an ask.
12. The Dip by Seth Godin
★★★
A very quick read from Godin. It’s a quick 80 page business read for those starting a new endeavour or looking for a bit of insight in dealing with a challenge. The Dip has a very simple premise that often runs counterintuitively to all other business advice — Persistence is overrated. That doesn’t necessarily mean quit or give up but it does mean pick your battles and once chosen, push for number one.
13. Do/Pause by Robert Poynton
★★★
Life’s busy, that isn’t news. One of the challenges I’ve had in 2020 is being forced to slow down. This book has come at quite an interesting time in the spirit of teaching the reader to pause, to take back control of your time and to just generally slow down rather than running on auto-pilot all the time. This is a great read for anyone that needs a bit of help to slow down — from understanding why you should pause to looking at the effects and learning ways to give yourself a bit more breathing space, I’d definitely gift this book to anyone that just runs a bit manic.
14. The Desert & The Sea by Michael Scott Moore
★★★★
An autobiography of Michael Scott Moore, a journalist who travelled to Somalia in 2012 and was subsequently kidnapped and detained for ransom for 977 days. A personal memoir that is candid and at times quite funny, this chronicles Moore’s personal experience of being kidnapped in Somalia. “Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the Sea falls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history. Caught between Muslim pirates, the looming threat of Al-Shabaab, and the rise of ISIS, Moore observes the worlds that surrounded him — the economics and history of piracy; the effects of post-colonialism; the politics of hostage negotiation and ransom; while also conjuring the various faces of Islam — and places his ordeal in the context of the larger political and historical issues.”
15. Saudi Inc by Ellen Wald
★★★
With Saudi Arabia on the rise, modernising and growing on a daily basis, this book tells the fascinating history of Saudi Arabia and how it came to be the nation it is today. Primarily focused on the government, royal family and the rise and growth of Saudi Aramco, Wald tells the story of Saudi Arabia from it’s origins through to present day and the relationship with Aramco which has made al Saud the wealthiest family in the world and on the cusp of a new transformation.
16. The Education of an idealist by Samantha Power
★★★★
Power’s personal memoir from childhood to education, war correspondent to Ambassador to the United Nations. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Partly because I’ve been a fan of Power for a long time and find her career and her ethics incredible but also because it’s an amazing chronicle of a life lived in the service of others. I took the opportunity to listen to this one via Audible where Power reads her own book making it more personal and a lot more impactful.
17. Black Flags: The rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick
★★★
From the smallest of origins in a remote Jordanian prison, Warrick looks at the rise of one of the world’s largest terrorist organisations. An accessible read, it details the proliferation of ISIS and it’s early leader Musab al-Zarqawi as well as the mantle shifting from Al Qaeda in Iraq to ISIS into the broad based Islamic caliphate. Fast paced at times, this book reads in part like a novel as operational details and anecdotes flood forward, mixed with facts and history and finally, perspective on what the future might hold.
18. The World beyond your head by Matthew Crawford
★★
This was a bit of a battle. An interesting premise, the book seeks to make sense of how we pay attention to things and how we control our attention. Very similar in style to Behave by Robert Sapolsky, the book prosecutes the idea of how and when we pay attention to things and how we can better do this for the things most important to us. Ironic that a book about attention is so challenging to pay attention to, it’s just a little too dense for me. Crawford does however deliver a very important message that needs hearing, that without actively managing our attention and what we think and do all day, we’re destined to be constantly distracted by the technological and social demands around us.
19. Ikigai by Hector Garcia
★★★
A simple but cute self help book couched in just the right amount of Japanese culture. The Japanese believe in the concept of ‘ikigai’, a reason to jump out of bed each morning. This concept is considered key to the longevity of the residents in Okinawa, known to be some of the longest living people on earth. Without being too preachy, this book walks you through the process of finding and cultivating your Ikigai — leaving urgency behind, finding your purpose, nurturing friendships and throwing yourself into your passions.
20. Verge: Stories by Lidia Yuknavitch
★★★
Dark, Visceral and brooding, this collection of short stories is strangely alluring. Yuknavitch’s stories in Verge are dark, there’s no getting away from that — each of its narrators or protagonists are from a marginalised group; Recovered drug addicts. Sex workers. Victims of domestic abuse. It’s like peaking through a window into the lives of people that most can barely comprehend.
21. The Monopolists by Mary Pilon
★★★
Certainly a random addition, I forget how I’d been recommended this book. The Monopolists tells the story of the famous board game. The official origin is that “Charles Darrow, an unemployed salesman, had a sudden light-bulb moment about a game to amuse his poor family during the Depression. After selling it to Parker Brothers in 1935, he lived lavishly ever after on the proceeds.” The truth is anything but this. It’s an interesting read, not the world’s greatest book but a random font of knowledge into a game everybody knows. The New York Times reviewed this book back in 2015 and can be read here.
22. Crisis in the Red Zone by Richard Preston
★★★
Poignant reading for our current times, Crisis in the Red Zone details the Ebola outbreak of 2013–2014. Much like COVID, Ebola likely started with contact between a young child and a wild animal. Preston details not only the course of the disease and its transmission path but also the healthcare providers along the way. It’s graphic, it’s gritty and it’s a real description of the terrors and tragedies that a pandemic like Ebola brings.
23. Thank you for Smoking by Christopher Buckley
★★★
I first saw the film before I read the book and found it pretty good. It’s like an Erin Brockovich, social justice kinda thing but the plot kept my attention and it was a good afternoon relax film. Thank you for smoking chronicles the life and times of a Tobacco lobbyist, his family and his ethical challenges with being good at his job and a family man versus the industry he represents. The book is pretty true to the film for the first half however there’s a lot more to the kidnapping in the book than there is in the film so the book takes on a darker twist. A good read but I personally preferred the film.
24. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
★★★
There’s plenty of books out there detailing what success is and how it’s contrived in modern day. Think Tim Ferriss or Brett Mckay at AoM. Gladwell’s book is an interesting glimpse into the topic. Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success but tends to push a more realistic, real world bent, consistently pushing on the ‘10,000 hour’ concept to mastery. An interesting read if self improvement is what you’re currently thinking.
25. Sea Power by James Stavridis
★★
Another niche read, I originally discovered this on Blinkist. Sea Power is Stavridis’ tome of naval history, personal biography and geopolitical analysis effort. The book isn’t for everyone and while I found it moderately interesting, I definitely prefer the Blinkist (20 minute summary) over actually reading the book. It’s an interesting walk down naval history looking at naval and geopolitical strategy and whilst it would probably be at home as a university textbook or a naval aficionado, it’s not armchair reading.
26. The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase
★★★
So I’m not going to pretend I’ve read this book cover to cover but FSH produced by Studio D Radiodurans is a wonderfully practical and human manual for conducting field research, exploring anthropology or really just attempting to understand a new place, people or culture. Studio D do some great work and I’m always fascinated by what they’re doing and what they’re reading. The FSH is like a small insight into their world.
27. Agent Storm by Morten Storm
★★★
Agent Storm came out of a recommendation on Stratfor’s podcast. A book written by a former Jihadi come CIA informant, Agent Storm is effectively Morten Storm’s biography. This book takes you on the journey from normal western civilian, along the path of radicalisation to the largest terrorist groups in the world. “Storm attended a militant madrasa in Yemen, named his son Osama, and became close friends with Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born terrorist cleric. But after a decade of Jihadi life, he not only repudiated extremism but, in a quest for atonement, became a double agent for the CIA and British and Danish intelligence.” Not a tough read and not an amazing book but interesting all the same and worth a look.
28. Treasure Islands by Nicholas Shaxson
★★★
Following on from reading Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein last year, I was still fascinated by the saga of the Panama papers and how this shady world of offshore tax havens works. With a quarter of the world’s fortunes sheltered in these tax havens, it’s a fascinating shadow world. A review in the Guardian notes, “Nicholas Shaxson has provided a slightly damp squib. He’s lit his bonfire of the vanities and poured liquid anger on the blaze. Yet, as the flames roar higher, he doesn’t quite know what to do next. The diagnosis is awful, the prognosis alarming: but his prescriptions won’t keep you warm… Shaxson, a seasoned financial journalist with a talent for asking awkward questions, details how lousy things happened, and why, with a sigh and a neat turn of phrase.” You can read the full review here.
29. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
★★
A distinctly American story with global examples, Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is a revelation on the problems within the fast food industry. Initially I somewhat expended ‘Super Size Me’ in book form but actually ended up reading an interesting book around the corporate dark side. Greed, Corruption, unethical marketing and consumer acquisition. It may not really be news to anyone but it’s an interesting read to understand that these practices exist and they’re rampant.
30. See No Evil by Robert Baer
★
See No Evil is interesting writing from Robert Baer, a veteran case officer in the CIA and makes some damning judgements on the CIA and how it lost it’s way as well as how terrorism proliferates globally. Sadly, I just didn’t enjoy this read. Part of it is the writing and style but part of it just feels like ‘bad blood’. There’s plenty of other, better reads if you’re trying to understand global intelligence and terrorism proliferation.
31. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
★★★
Recommended to me by a friend in China, Ready Player One is a sci-fi dystopia novel set in 2054 where our main character sets about seeking an easter egg in the game and in turn, inheriting the game creator’s fortune. Good book, better film. Keen to read Ready Player Two, Cline’s sequel.
32. A Myth of the strong leader by Archie Brown
★★★
“Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that strong leaders — those who dominate their colleagues and the policy-making process — are the most successful and admirable.” A good exploration of political leadership in this day and age. Where we’re constantly seeing “tough” politics and the rise of authoritarian leadership, Brown proactively dissects and explores what traits actually make successful and long lasting political leaders. A review on goodreads sums it up, “The author must point out what used to be common sense. Autocracy and oligarchy and tyranny are bad and that such regimes are highly miserable and destructive. This would have been taken for granted in the west shortly after the apocalypse of 1945 but here we are and we need history and political science books to point out what was obvious to our grandparents and parents.”
33. The men who stare at goats by Jon Ronson
★★
I think I just need to suck it up and understand that I don’t like Ronson’s style. The book has an interesting premise — The Men Who Stare At Goats deals with the US army’s willingness to use all methods to secure victory in the cold war. All methods. This extends to the training of the Psycorp — a group of men being specially selected and trained to be able to walk through walls, stop the heartbeats of animals by a glance and become invisible. This book was made into a feature film which is worth watching but the book…. take it or leave it.
34. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
★★
An easy read (as well as a recent film release), Julie and Julia is a lighthearted novel about a woman who follows the cooking career of Julia Childs and seeks to cook every recipe in her famed “The Art of French Cooking” cookbook within a year. An okay read, not too taxing. Nothing remarkable. Not my thing.
35. Dot Con: The Art of Scamming a Scammer by James Veitch
★★★
From TED talk fame, James Veitch published a book called Dot Con. Not actually a novel per-say, more a printed account of his scam emails and his work to date. Not something to read cover to cover but certainly a fun read to dip into for a good laugh.
36. Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong
★★★
Armstrong’s book is a fascinating glimpse at an often misunderstood religion. The book begins in the seventh century and detailing Muhammad, the origins of the Sunni — Shia split as well as the emergency of the Sufy mysticism and the spread of Islam across Africa, the Middle East and into Asia. Beyond history, it also explores modern Islam and the challenges it faces in modern day.
37. Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization by John Robb
★★
Robb’s book explores the fascinating correlations between the rise of modern terrorism methodologies and globalisation. It’s a fascinating exploration in how the world may be better off due to global trade, social networking, communications and a more connected existence but these same conveniences enable terrorism to proliferate like never before. A niche read but an interesting one.
38. Rules of Contagion by Adam Kucharski
★★★
An incredibly timely read given COVID-19, Kucharski’s book details more than just how a pandemic might spread globally but how movements, ideas, pandemics spread. Rooted in mathematical modelling, Kucharski brings a fascinating insight into how things move and grow globally. The Guardian has a fantastic review, readable here.
39. Permanent Record by Edward Snowden
★★★
Permanent Record is Edward Snowden’s autobiography. Snowden served as an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, and worked as a contractor for the National Security Agency. An incredibly polarising individual, this book is a great read to understand the man behind the headline, where he came from and how it got to the place in history he currently holds.
40. Moonraker by Ian Fleming
★★★
Always a bond novel or two in my list, this is one of Fleming’s better books. Moonraker, published in 1955 follows 007 as he sets out to defeat villain Hugo Drax, who controls “Moonraker”, Britain’s first nuclear missile project. Good, fun spy read.
41. Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
★★★
Let’s face it — Obama has released alot of books. They all chronicle different aspects or different times in his life. He’s a fascinating and articulate man, there’s no doubting that. Audacity of Hope is Obama’s second book and quite dense. I didn’t read this cover to cover, I skimmed it but it served as a great primer to Obama’s political and spiritual beliefs allowing the reader to get a greater understanding of the man behind the personality. If you’re looking for which Obama book to read, it’s not a bad start but the upcoming ‘A Promised Land’ is likely the best place to start.
42. Black Edge by Sheelah Kolhatkar
★★★
I found this book after watching the TV series ‘Billions’. Black Edge chronicles the story of Steven Cohen, wild hedge fund billionaire of SAC Capital who became the ever increasing target of multiple FBI, SEC and Southern District of NY investigations. A fascinating look into the darker side of wall street trading and what people try to get away with.
43. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
★★
A biography of perhaps one of the greatest tech entrepreneurs of all time, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. It’s a good read around the well told story of Jobs and his life built using dozens of interviews with friends, family and colleagues. Jobs himself, I’m not a fan but there’s no denying the incredible legacy he’s built and the fact that he’s changed all our lives in more ways than we can count.
44. The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English
★★★★
This was a great read that got me through many weeks in COVID lockdown. The novel tells the story of book keepers and manuscript owners in Mali as they strive to protect the works in their archives against militant destruction. A beautiful if simple read filled with passion but stark realities of militant cultural suppression and the people who fight it to save culture in all its forms.
45. The Crisis Caravan by Linda Polman
★★
Not for everyone, Polman lays bare the realities of the Aid/INGO sector and the issues it’s plagued with. Filled with ugly truths and eye openers, it exposes not only various levels of hypocrisy but also inevitable conflicts when trying to do the right thing in the worst places on earth, trying to remain impartial in conflict zones and how aid ultimately sometimes becomes an actor of their own in the neutral space.
46. The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
★★
Recommended by a friend, The Incdendiaries follows Phoebe, University student who is increasingly drawn into a religious group — a secretive extremist cult. Goodreads puts it best: “The Incendiaries is a fractured love story and a brilliant examination of the minds of extremist terrorists, and of what can happen to people who lose what they love most.”
47. Charlie Wilson’s War by George Crile
★★★
Charlie Wilson’s War is the tale of how an unlikely American sociality, an American Congressman as well as the CIA pulled together to support the Taliban in an effort to combat the Russian invasion. Yet another, unbelievable but true tale from American’s foreign military interventions. The book is great as is the film. If you enjoyed Argo, you’re likely to find this very similar.
48. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
★★
This is for all intents and purposes, a great book. I think I just don’t get along with Bryson’s narrative style. Bryson has attempted here to bring the reader an abridged history of all life. It’s a big aim and he reaches it admirably… but it’s dense and you really need to want it.
49. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
★★★★
My second read of Malcolm Gladwell for the year. Talking to Strangers is a great look at how we communicate and interact with those we don’t know. “Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don’t know. And because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.”
50. The Little book of fixers by Jan Chipchase
★★★
A second book by Studio D Radiodurans as a good accompaniment to their Field Study Handbook. It’s basically a how-to guide for working with fixers in far flung places. It’s definitely one of those books I read out of professional intrigue so it’s not for everyone but if you are someone who works in anthropology or social science or geopolitics, it’s a good primer for working with fixers.
51. ISIS by Michael Weiss
★★★★
Syrian journalist Hassan Hassan and American analyst Michael Weiss explain how the terrorists of ISIS evolved from a nearly defeated insurgent group into a jihadi army — armed with American military hardware and the capability to administer a functioning state. A fascinating read if you’re wanting to know more about this organisation and how they came to be.
52. How Asia Works by Joe Studwell
★★
Studwell’s in-depth analysis focuses on three main areas: land policy, manufacturing, and finance. It’s a dense read and you really need to want it. I didn’t read this book cover to cover — in fact this is one of the few books on this list that I read via Blinkist (15 minute summary) then dipped in and out on things that interested me. I somewhat consider it more a textbook that I’ll go back to. If Asia is a thing for you though, it’ll be a great read.
53. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
★★★
Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. It’s a fairly achievable read and pretty impactful in changing day to day behaviour, particularly about reinforcing how important sleep is in your daily life. You’ll likely walk away understanding your nREMs and circadian rhythms in a whole new light. Worth a read for sure.
54. Body of Lies by David Ignatius
★★★★
CIA soldier Roger Ferris has come out of Iraq with a shattered leg and an intense mission — to penetrate the network of a master terrorist known only as “Suleiman.” A fast paced, gripping read about a CIA operation across the Middle East. Definitely worth a read and worth checking out the film version too.
55. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff
★★
A dense read by Zuboff, it’s an important read for the times we’re in. It tackles the trade-off we all live in, trading information and personal information for convenience and speed. Zuboff’s book takes a long hard look at silicon valley and social media/big tech as a whole to look at how it’s developed, how we use it, what we get out of it but ultimately, what we’re trading too. There’s a great review in The Guardian, readable here.
56. The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
★★★
Let’s face it. You’ve seen the film. The book is pretty good too. It’s the story of Jordan Belfort and his meteoric rise as a trader and how he lives his life. “By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting.” A fun read.
57. The Anarchy by William Dalrymple
★★★
Dalrymple tells the story of the rise of the East India Company an ultimately how it functioned as a colonial power more than a multinational corporation. In less than four decades it had trained up a security force of around 200,000 men — twice the size of the British army — and had subdued an entire subcontinent, conquering first Bengal and finally, in 1803, the Mughal capital of Delhi itself. The Company’s reach stretched until almost all of India south of the Himalayas was effectively ruled from a boardroom in London.
58. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
★★
As a non-American, I often sit on the sidelines looking at the US from afar and let’s face it, the past few years haven’t been great. If you’re looking for an uplifting narrative about life in the United States, this is not the book you’re looking for. Desmond takes us into the poorest neighbourhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. The book ultimately is built using years of fieldwork and research culminating in a strong understanding of extreme poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving a devastating, uniquely American problem.
59. Argo by Aziz Chouaki
★★★
A story so crazy, it’s hard to believe it’s true. Following the storming of the American embassy in Tehran in November 1979, six hostages escaped. Argo chronicles their escape and return to the United States. With the help of CIA agent Antonio Mendez, they set about an elaborate rouse — a fake Hollywood film. While pretending to find the ideal film backdrops, Mendez and a colleague succeeded in contacting the escapees and eventually smuggled them out of Iran. Also a great film in it’s own right.
60. Salmon Fishing in Yemen by Paul Torday
★★★★
A superbly relaxed read. Torday’s book tells the story of a disillusioned British scientist who gets roped into helping a Arab business man attempt the impossible, start a salmon stream in Yemen.
61. The Constant Gardener by John le Carre
★★
An old world spy novel — not great.
62. Outside Looking In by TC Boyle
★★★★
Outside Looking in is a book I couldn’t put down. It tells the story of Timothy Leary and his band of merry men as they dive head first into the proliferation of LSD and the free love of the 60s and 70s. A trippy read into the lives of a group of experimental psychology academics who convince themselves and each other that they are all part of ground breaking new research by testing LSD. In reality, it is little more than addiction and admission into a strange sort of cult like following.
63. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
★★★★
McKeown has some ideas in this book that really struck a chord with me. Like many people in 2020, life is busy. Essentialism contends to the reader the idea of really channeling down on what’s important, what is absolutely essential and then eliminating all other things.
64. 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff
★★★★
You’ve no doubt heard mentions of Benghazi. This book is the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. 13 Hours is an action packed tale of what really happened.
65. Tuesdays with Morrie by MItch Albom
★★★
At times a little preachy but nevertheless a heartwarming read, Tuesdays with Morrie chronicles the story of a university student rekindling his connection with a dying professor. The professor is busy reconciling his imminent death, the student is learning how best to live.
66. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
★
Did not like.
67. The Plague by Albert Camus
★★★
“In Oran, a coastal town in North Africa, the plague begins as a series of portents, unheeded by the people. It gradually becomes an omnipresent reality, obliterating all traces of the past and driving its victims to almost unearthly extremes of suffering, madness, and compassion.” Kafka-esque in it’s narrative style, this book is incredibly relatable given the times we’re in. Definitely recommend.
68. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
★★
I first heard about this book series looking at Bill Gates’ must read list. It’s a lighthearted look at a genetics professor chasing love. Not really my thing.
69. House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
★★★
The first book in the trilogy, Dobbs’ book is the basis for the Netflix series ‘House of Cards’. Political thriller, Francis Urquhart is Chief Whip. He has his hands on every secret in politics and has vast aspirations to become Prime Minister. A fascinating companion whether you read it first or watch the series first, both offer something the other does not.
70. Too Much & Never Enough by Mary Trump
★★★
This long awaited book from Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump chronicles stories of family dissent and the real character and upbringing of Donald Trump. Maybe not so relevant now that he’s not in for a second term, it’s still a valuable insight into the human and the Trump family.
71. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
★★★★
This book is a classic. In April, 1992, Christopher McCandless from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Abandoning his car, getting rid of all his possessions, four months later, he’s found dead in the wild. But this isn’t a murder mystery — it’s a beautiful story of human drive and a desire to get back to the core of existence and what it means to be alive.
72. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
★★★
The Kite Runner set in the Afghanistan of the early 70’s and of today, about a young boy and his friend growing up in Kabul. It tells the story of friendship, of death and horror, of a tortured and complex country.
73. So You’ve been publicly shamed by Jon Ronson
★★
My second foray into Jon Ronson. Sadly, just a confirmation that Ronson’s work isn’t for me.
74. Dark Money by Jane Mayer
★★
Dark Money is a scary look at billionaire money and how it fuels the radical right in the United States. Jane Mayer spent five years conducting hundreds of interviews in reporting this book, detailing the players funding the right wing political war. This is primarily a network of exceedingly wealthy people with extreme libertarian views bankrolled a systematic, step-by-step plan to fundamentally alter the American political system. Not exactly a page turner, but if you’re interested in that sort of thing, it’s worth a read.
75. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
★★★★
I can’t believe it took me this long to read this book. The first in Harari’s fascinating trilogy. “ Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical — and sometimes devastating — breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, paleontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities.” Must Read.
76. Pandemic by Sonia Shah
★★★
In trying to get some understanding in how the current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our world, Shah’s book tackles Ebola and Cholera amongst others to try and understand how this pandemic came about and how we might be better prepared.
77. The Unexpected Spy by Tracy Walder
★★★
The entertaining biography of Walder as she makes her way into the CIA and then into the FBI. Not alot to say really but it’s a decent and easy read with some pretty great stories and anecdotes from the field.
78. Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
★★★★
Thomas Erikson explains that there are four key behaviour types that define how we interact with and perceive the people around us. Understanding someone’s pattern of behaviour is the key to successful communication. The book is an easy read but invaluable if you’re in any kind of team management role.
79. My Friend Anna by Rachel Williams
★★★
I stumbled upon this book following listening to the podcast series ‘My friend, the fake German heiress’. It tells the crazy story of Anna Sorokin who blew into NYC pretending to be a German Heiress, throwing cash around and infiltrating high society when actually, she was nothing more than a con artist. At times, this felt like trashy drama but like all good trashy drama or trashy airport novels, it’s too gripping to put down.
80. The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
★★★
Happiness of Pursuit is a book with a simple message — find a way to follow your passions and then do that. Guillebeau’s book is filled with stories and anecdotes. I forget at first why I picked this book up but it was a nice book to dip in and out of, if not slightly preachy at times.
81. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
★★★
Trevor Noah’s biography tells a down to earth, gritty and frequently humorous re-telling of his childhood in South Africa. A great read; winding through poverty, violence and childhood mischief, I didn’t really know alot about Trevor Noah beforehand but this was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
82. Educated by Tara Westover
★★
I picked this up after looking at Barack Obama’s must read list in 2019. There’s no doubt this is a well written book and it piqued my interest with an intriguing premise — learning about someone so different than myself. But in such difference, I found myself not connecting or really enjoying the story. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Westover prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. It’s an account of balancing family loyalty with the wider world and the rebellion that comes from wanting to explore it.
83. Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry
★
Found this on the Booker Prize Longlist. Night Boat to Tangier’s premise is simple: Irish criminals Maurice and Charlie, lifelong partners in drug smuggling, are hanging about the ferry terminal at Algeciras hoping to locate an estranged daughter. The narrative however is complex and reads more like a play than a novel. Not an easy read and not a pleasant one either. Maybe it was more about where I was when I tried to read this but I wouldn’t recommend it.
84. Rapport by Emily & Laurence Alison
★★★★
Written by two former law enforcement pyschologists, Rapport is a practical but fascinating read about how different types of people interact, how to understand people at work and in daily life not to mention how to better understand yourself. This book was an eye opening read for me and has changed how I work with people. If you’re interested in psychology or human interaction, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
85. Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman
★★★★
Read this at just the right time. I recently revisited the documentary series so decided to accompany that with reading the book. Essentially one is the same as the other but it’s a good read journalling an incredible adventure as these two travel from John O Groats in Scotland to Cape Town on motorbikes.
86. Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
★★★★
The second book in Harari’s trilogy. Homo Deus picks up from Sapiens (which looked at our evolution and where we’ve come from to today) to look at what might be next and how we might evolve over time. I would definitely recommend reading this in conjunction with Sapiens as it flows effortlessly.
87. The Big Short by Michael Lewis
★★★
The Big Short tells the story of the collapse of the American economy, the 2008 financial crash. Telling the story of CDOs, default swaps and the traders that thought they were untouchable, the story of the crash is a rollercoaster of human greed and financial ignorance that Lewis tells really well.
88. The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
★★★★
On the back of the Big Short, I decided to read some more Lewis. The Fifth Risk is ostensibly a non fiction read released in 2018 that chronicles the transition and political appointments of the Donald Trump presidency, especially with respect to three government agencies: the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce. An easy read but a worthwhile one.
89. Spider Network by David Enrich
★★
“In 2006, an oddball group of bankers, traders and brokers from some of the largest financial institutions made a startling realisation: Libor — the London interbank offered rate, which determines the interest rates on trillions in loans worldwide — was set daily by a small group of easily manipulated administrators, and that they could reap huge profits by nudging it fractions of a percent to suit their trading portfolios.” A decent read but one I just didn’t find myself passionately turning the pages on.
90. By Any Means by Charley Boorman
★★★
Following on from reading Long Way Down, I read By Any Means. This is Charley Boorman’s chronicle of his trip across the world from the UK to Sydney, Australia by any means of transport (Except flight). A rollicking read that was also a great documentary series.
91. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
★★★★
This was a re-read for me. I’ve long listened to Tim Ferriss’ podcast on and off. Tools of Titans is a distilled look at many of those interviewees and how they see life, how they’ve become as successful as they have and their tips on navigating learning, life and whatever their speciality might be. It’s not a cover to cover read (it’s a massive book) but it is a great book to dip in and out of or drift around in depending on how the inspiration takes you.
92. It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be by Paul Arden
★★
An interesting look into Arden’s life as an advertising director and how he became so successful. “This book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom.”
93. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming
★★★
The second of my Ian Fleming reads for the year. Live and Let Die is one of my favourite older James Bond films. The story has everything — exotic locations, 60’s sex appeal, good vs evil. The story centres on Bond’s pursuit of “Mr Big”, a criminal who has links to the American criminal network, the world of voodoo and SMERSH — an arm of the Soviet secret service — all of which are threats to the First World.
94. The Adventurist by Robert Young Pelton
★★★
I first read Robert Young Pelton’s work in his book ‘The World’s most Dangerous Places’, a Lonely planet meets handbook style read on all sorts of sketchy places around the world. Pelton, journalist and adventurer’s book ‘The Adventurist’ is more a personal memoir of sorts, spouting short and sharp anecdotes about his life and travels. It’s a bit of a challenging read in that there isn’t much of a continuing narrative thread, it really is just a big book of anecdotes. But they’re good anecdotes making it a worthwhile read.
95. Every day is Extra by John Kerry
★★★
Kerry’s autobiography was a good follow up after reading Samantha Power’s biography earlier in the year. Given they both served under Obama and thus on the same issues, it was a fascinating read to see his rise as a student, solider, activist and then politician. I’ve got great admiration for this man so hearing his story was fascinating. I highly rate this book, worth a read.
96. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
★★★
I originally thought I’d read this book in 2021 but it made the 2020 cut. Carreyrou’s book tells the true story of a Silicon Valley startup, Theranos, a firm that promised to revolutionise the medical industry with a machine that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier. One Problem — it didn’t work. It’s a cautionary tale in falling into hype and celebrity and how we often decide worth and value based on image rather than substance.
97. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
★★★★
This was actually a continuation of a read as I’d previously stopped and put this book down. Such a beautifully complex and dark read and at over 700 pages, it’s not for the faint hearted but it really is one of the great fiction reads of recent times. “When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, pride and trauma.”
98. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
★★★
I wanted to try and read more classics so The Great Gatsby was a good start. It tells the story of ridiculously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his life and times but also his evolutionary tale — how he got to where he is and the trials, tribulations and heartbreaks along the way. It’s also been made into a film a few years ago (which I haven’t as yet seen) but the book is a good read for those looking for more classics, more stories of times past.
99. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
★★★★
The last book in Harari’s trilogy — 21 lessons is more of Harari’s opinion and thoughts on what we should be paying attention to as mankind moves in the future. Assessing the big issues of our time, “Harari builds on the ideas explored in his previous books, untangling political, technological, social, and existential issues and offering advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in.”
100. The Archer by Paulo Coelho
★★★
A great way to finish the year of 100 books. I’ve long been a fan of Paulo Coelho’s writing and often find that it finds me at just the right time. In typically Coelho style, the archer strikes a balance between interesting rich narrative along side part philosophy along side thought provoking introspective reading. “In The Archer we meet Tetsuya, a man once famous for his prodigious gift with a bow and arrow but who has since retired from public life, and the boy who comes searching for him. The boy has many questions, and in answering them Tetsuya illustrates the way of the bow and the tenets of a meaningful life.”
