95 Books: My 2021 Reading List

Another year, another round of interesting reads. I chose to yet again attempt reading 100 books as there’s just so much good stuff out there to be read.

Not going to lie, this year was a struggle and I only made it to a paltry 95… There was a lot of other things going on in my life this past year.

The methodology this year remained the same: 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 (or… 95) books seems pretty achievable.

My Top 10 books for 2021 (in no particular order)

1. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
2. The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall
3. The Core by Aki Hintsa
4. A Life on our planet by David Attenborough
5. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
6. Tribe by Sebastian Junger
7. Long Way Round by Charley Boorman & Ewan Mcgregor
8. Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne
9. Humankind by Rutger Bergman
10. Black Wave by Kim Ghattas

For 2022, I’m going to lower the goal back to 52 books at least… (so, a book per week) to allow myself a bit more room to pursue some other things.

For now, here’s my booklist of the 95 books I read in 2021, in the order I read them.

1. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

★★★★
As a longtime fan of Bourdain as a writer and TV host, I’ve been meaning to read this classic forever. It did not disappoint. A blisteringly rye, humorous and no-bullshit biography of Bourdain’s adventures in the kitchen. The seedy underbelly is laid bare in full view with incredible stories and a fascinating understanding of the real, gritty reality of what it’s like working in the fast past world of restaurant cooking and how it parallels to many industries and aspects of life. A very human and clear-cut look, this book is an easy enough read that I read in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. If you haven’t read it, read it right now.

2. Blank Spots on the Map by Trevor Paglen

★★★
“This is the adventurous, insightful, and often chilling story of a road trip through a shadow nation of state secrets, clandestine military bases, black sites, hidden laboratories, and top-secret agencies that make up what insiders call the black world.” Paglen’s book takes on an almost travel dialogue for an interesting adventure through an often mysterious aspect of the global spy and defence world.

3. Moneyball by Michael Lewis

★★★
I’ve really started enjoying Lewis. Moneyball was a bit of a slog but I think it’s because it got quite deep in the weeks. Moneyball explores the idea of high-level athlete recruitment and compensation and how one B-Grade team revolutionised the industry, essentially breaking down the age old maxim that there’s more to life than money. I wouldn’t start here if exploring Lewis’ work but it’s an interesting read / interesting film all the same.

4. Rigged by Ben Mezrich

★★★
Rigged is a pretty gripping airport novel. An easy but thoroughly enjoyable read. It follows David, a young trader scooped up into the world of the New York Mercantile Exchange and before he knows it, catapulted into Dubai, setting about exploring this ‘foreign land’ and setting up Dubai’s own oil exchange. Written in the early 2000s, it discusses the idea of how the West sees the Middle East, particularly the US in the wake of 9/11. Readable in a day or two, I think I’ll seek out some more of Mezrich’s work.

5. The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

★★★★
Taleb’s books are hard work but if you’re interested and you stick with it, they’re thoroughly interesting reads. The Black Swan looks at how we as humans look at risk and probability. Taleb essentially contends that “We put far too much confidence in our knowledge and underestimate our ignorance.”
The combatant to this is to be aware of your own bias’, your pre-conceived notions and assumptions you make about the world around you.

6. Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins

★★
An interesting read but not didn’t quite live up to expectations, this book tells the story of how the United States following world war two alongside the World Bank and other global multilateral organisations used a mafioso style approach to pushing their agenda globally. Through the process of offering huge loans to developing nations for construction projects and oil production, they seemed generous whilst simultaneously using it as. mechanism to advance their own interests where a select few people get rich. Furthermore, the loans are intentionally too big for any developing nation to repay and this debt burden virtually guarantees the developing nation will support the political interests of the United States.

7. Bunk by Kevin Young

★★
Taking a uniquely American take, Bunk looks at Hoaxes and fakery throughout time. Young finds that fakery is woven from stereotype and suspicion, race being the most insidious American hoax of all. To be honest, I didn’t finish this book. It had an intriguing premise (particularly in the “fake news” times we’re in) but seemed to consistently skew towards everything being to do with race relations.

8. Smartcuts by Shane Snow

★★★
Smartcuts is a read that echoes many of the business inspiration books currently on bookstore shelves — one that uses the experiences of many well known business leaders, ideologues and influencers and exploring their tips and tricks. Smartcuts reads like a Tim Ferriss book in many ways but that’s precisely what makes it so actionable and useful. Popular ideas like linear thinking, 10X planning and using super-connectors pepper the pages of this book. If you’re looking to find ways to hack your way to success or accomplish things in a rapid pace, this book is a worthy read.

9. The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz

★★★
Novogratz contends that traditional aid and development is unsuccessful because it ignores those receiving it. She suggests traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and can change millions of lives. It’s an interesting read of someone who went first hand from the corporate world to the aid world and saw the holes in the system.

10. How not to be wrong by Jordan Ellenberg

★★
Maths is everything. This book takes a deep dive into how mathematics is used in the everyday and how we can use it to make better decisions and make better assumptions. “Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It’s a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument.” It’s not a hard-core maths book by any stretch, in fact, I’d argue it’s an interesting read particularly for those who aren’t mathematically inclined.

11. The Gatekeepers by Chris Whipple

★★★
Since the Nixon administration, the role of Chief of Staff has been fundamentally re-envisaged. The Gatekeepers is Whipple’s exploration of this small cohort of people who’ve held the role as well as how they helped shape American political history. If you’re into US politics, it’s a good one to add to your list.

12. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

★★★
Traditionally most people are taught the same idea the world over — if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. However Achor contends it’s actually the reverse — Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. An interesting glimpse into the psychology of happiness and how we all go about trying to attain it.

13. What did Tashi Do? by Anangsha Alammyan

★
Alammyan’s book is a cautionary tale about cybersecurity in the times we live in where sexual blackmail and identity theft lurk around many corners. This short novel follows Tashi who’s being blackmailed using some X rated photos. A simple story, a quick read, not really a great novel. Likely a pass if you’re looking for a good fiction read.

14. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

★★★★
Recommended by a former boss, The Infinite Game is one of the best strategic leadership books I’ve read. It talks about the idea of working with a finite game mindset (where there’s a winner, an end, the short term like a football match, the end point is clear) vs the infinite game (life itself) where you’re not playing to win, you’re playing to play. Seems simple enough but Sinek contends that “The leaders who embrace an infinite mindset, in stark contrast, build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organisations. Their people trust each other and their leaders. They have the resilience to thrive in an ever-changing world.” If you’re into that sorta thing or you’re working in a position where you manage people, this is a good read.

15. Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

★★★
Set on an unnamed island, objects are routinely “disappeared”, both physically and also in the minds of the people. One day birds disappear. The next day it could be a type of candy. Anyone who dares to keep disappeared items is in danger. Those who actually remember them are in bigger danger. The Memory Police, keep everyone living in fear. People who remember are taken away, never to return again. Very Orwellian, an intriguing read with a Japanese bent, translated from the 1994 novel.

16. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

★★★
Another Lewis read. Sadly, I didn’t rate this as highly as some of the others. This story about the working of the human mind is explored through the personalities of two fascinating individuals so fundamentally different from each other that they seem unlikely friends or colleagues. In the process they may well have changed, for good, mankind’s view of its own mind. Through the partnership of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, behavioural economics has never been the same since.

17. Giving by Alexandre Mars

★★★
Do you give to charity? Do you give enough? These two questions make up Mars’ book ‘Giving’. A quick read for anyone trying to either run or be part of a business trying to make an impact in helping the world. Giving talks about the EPIC foundation, “a movement driven by our deep-seated desire to give. It’s about how the benefits of technology — increased connectedness and transparency — can amplify impact. It’s about holding our new centres of power — multinational corporations — accountable. It’s an urgent call to action: give more, give better.”

18. Up in the Air by Walter Kirn

★★★
I first heard this story by way of the Film and then discovered the book. Up in the Air is the story of a travelling consultant who spends the majority of his life travelling and not planting roots before his life being upended with the possibility of being made redundant. What follows is a soul searching tale of finding what’s important in life and prioritising family and friends over career. Probably a timeless lesson for us all. The variation of the book I read was the ‘Movie Tie In’ version so essentially the “movie” version of the book.

19. Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour

★★★
A homage to reading itself, “Like classic L’Amour fiction, Education of a Wandering Man mixes authentic frontier drama — such as the author’s desperate efforts to survive a sudden two-day trek across the blazing Mojave desert — with true-life characters like Shanghai waterfront toughs, desert prospectors, and cowboys whom Louis L’Amour met while traveling the globe.” L’ Amour travelled the globe reading and learning and these are his stories. From hobo life on the back country rails of the US to being a merchant seaman in Singapore, it’s a beautiful read on what’s possible when looking at life through a storytelling lens.

20. The One Week Job Project by Sean Aiken

★★
We’ve all been in our late teens, early twenties and unsure of what we want to do with our lives. Hell, some people experience that a lot later or a lot longer. Sean Aiken at 25 had just that thought. So he proposed a fascinating idea — if he wasn’t sure what he wanted in life, why not try 52 jobs in 52 weeks. This book is a record of his adventures and all the jobs he did along the way.

21. How We Change by Ross Ellenhorn

★★★
We all have things we wished were different, things we’d change about our lives if we could. Ultimately though, 90% of the time, nothing comes of it.

Successful change is more than just systems and goal setting, it’s also about understanding why we don’t change. Ellenhorn as a psychotherapist set about studying the science of change. Through the evolutionary conditions we’ve evolved in to the self titled ‘fear of hope, he explores the reality we all exist in and how, through being aware of such things, we might be able to work towards the changes we seek.

22. Politics by Aristotle

★★★
Aristotle’s Politics speaks volumes about what he thought was the most vital aspect of Greek life — The Polis. This city state was core to humans pursuing a good life. Polis over democracy, Aristotle advocated heavily for humans being political animals where having informed opinion is vital to human existence. He prioritised the middle class as the great arbitrators of society and that cities should only be run by the virtuous. Ultimately, he proposed that laws and virtue were more important than anything else, laws being the perfect fix for society due to their impartiality.

23. The Republic by Plato

★★★
Plato’s Republic goes beyond the exploration of political systems and order and focuses on the human condition ultimately asking ‘what does it mean to be just?’ He cites that cities and populations must be mutually beneficial. Justice for Plato lay in not merely appearance but action; where appearing but not being just is the worst injustice of all. Plato also explored the components he believed requisite for the good life. Healthy mind and body both imperative, he viewed a balanced soul as key to a balanced life. Beyond human life, there were three parts to god; gold, silver and bronze. Gold being reason, Silver being order and Bronze being emotion/desire.

24. How to read a book by Mortimer Adler

★★
It seems a little paradoxical to read a book on how to read but stick with me. I read Adler’s book because of some study I was doing earlier in the year and it’s an interesting premise. By no means a page turner, this is somewhat of a book to pick and choose as you see fit. Adler’s contention is pretty simple — If you read a lot, then it makes sense to spend time learning how to read better and increase the value from your reading. He suggests that after you learn phonics as a child and go through high school English, no one really teaches you how to read intelligently. That’s where this book steps in to help.

25. Too big to fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin

★★★
Sorkin’s book looks at the 2008 financial crisis from the banking and government point of view, detailing how Lehman brothers collapsed and the government reaction both domestically in the US and internationally led to bail outs and the 2009 stabilisation but ultimately, no banking reform or behavioural change. Sorkin is an expert in his field so this makes this book a worthy investigation. Also, has been made into a film (in 2011?) on HBO.

26. Together by Dr. Vivek Murthy

★★★★
Murthy’s book taps into our basic human desire to be social animals. As Surgeon General, he identified loneliness as a key medical risk across the United States and internationally. Together talks about how we connect as people and how we’re ultimately happier when part of communities, strengthened by trust and relationships. This book is a fascinating read into how we interact as groups, as people, as friends, families or romantically. A must read, particularly given the times we’re in and how COVID is forcing us globally to become more distant and isolated on a daily basis.

27. The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit

★★★
A reference text, a great book for any budding chef as it explores known, likely and thoroughly counterintuitive flavour combinations to have you throwing caution to the wind and cooking some fascinating flavour combinations.

28. The Odyssey by Homer

★★★
Homer’s Odyssey is an all time classic. It details Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends as Odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity, slaughters the suitors, and retakes the throne of Ithaca. In three books, it’s essentially a very, very long poem but a classic that deserves everyone’s attention at one time or another.

29. I will teach you to be rich by Ramit Sethi

★★
It’s a book I’ve heard mentioned relatively frequently where people refer to it as a ‘must read’ text for getting your finances in order. It was okay… I guess if this is an area where you’re not well versed or you need help, give this a try. For me, it was all just common sense.

30. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

★★★
A fascinating read by Lawrence Wright of the New Yorker. I read this after catching the mini-series on Amazon Prime. Exploring the actors involved in conspiring the September 11 attacks and their beginnings, interactions and lead characters, the book also explores the litany of failures associated with the lack of cooperation between the FBI, the CIA, and other U.S. government organisations that prevented them from uncovering the 9/11 plot in time. Side Note: The words “looming towers” or “lofty towers” (بروج مشيدة) appear in the Quran 4:78 (Sūrat an-Nisā’). According to Wright, Osama bin Laden, at a wedding before the 9/11 attacks, quoted the line, repeating it three times: “Wherever you are, death will find you, even if you are in lofty towers” (أينما تكونوا يدرككم الموت ولو كنتم في بروج مشيدة, ‘aynamā takūnū yadrikkumu l-mawtu wa-law kuntum fī burūjin mušayyadatin).

31. Tribe by Sebastian Junger

★★★★
Junger, a war correspondent with a wealth of battle hardened experience explores what makes us connect as a society. Ultimately, that we come from Tribes. “We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding — “tribes.” This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, but regaining it may be the key to our psychological survival.” This book walks the reader through a variety of settings — from the Native American tribes to how people respond in a crisis to battle settings and why we’re seeing such a high prevalence of PTSD in returned forces. At 136 pages, it’s a quick read but fascinating if you’re looking to understand a bit more about what makes us tick as people, as a tribe.

32. Me, Myself & Us by Brian Little

★★★★
Behavioural and personality psychology has always fascinated me. When I stumbled upon a podcast interview with Brian Little about his book, it sounded like a really interesting read. It did not disappoint. Me, Myself & Us is a walk through human consciousness and dives deep into our personalities, who we are and how we’re perceived as well as how we think about ourselves. This isn’t a self help book in the slightest, rather a fascinating, thought provoking take on psychological science.

33. Rich People Things by Chris Lehmann

★★
Rich People Things is an at times, tongue in cheek, look at what makes the middle-upper classes in the United States and by de-facto, how to identify who’s in the 1%. Maybe this hit too close to home, I mean, I always considered myself firmly middle class but I do read the New York Times, I invest on the NYSE, I have higher education and believe in the democratic party… maybe it’s time to look in the mirror. Not a heart stopping page turner but an interesting read all the same for those who like starting at people from cafes or holding up a mirror to society.

34. Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman

★★★★
Much like last year reading ‘Long Way Down’, I read this at just the right time, revisiting the documentary series. Essentially one is the same as the other but it’s a good read journalling an incredible adventure as these two travel, circumnavigating the world from Europe to East Coast United States via Russia on two wheels.

35. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

★★★
Aurelius’ Meditations veered slightly differently to the writings of Plato and Aristotle in that these were largely his private thoughts on stoic philosophy as opposed to a prescription for a system mankind would use and be part of. More straightforward and simple, the twelve books centre on the importance of analysing yourself and those around you. Knowing your place is society and the universe and understanding the interconnected, cyclical nature of all things on this planet. This ultimately means focusing on being a good person and doing your best is prioritised over a rigid set of rules. This also means accepting failings and faults and pushing consistently for improvement and betterment is key to a successful life over perfection which is never attainable.

36. Redeployment by Phil Klay

★★★
Klay’s book Redeployment is a gripping look at the challenges of coming home from war. A collection of short stories, “Klay sets in devastating relief the two worlds a soldier inhabits: one of extremes and one of loss. Written with a hard-eyed realism and stunning emotional depth”, the traumas often unseen — it’s a really fascinating and haunting read about stories, people and scenarios often unseen.

37. The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt

★★
Originally written in 1951, Arendt’s work is considered one of the great non-fiction reads of the 20th century. It’s not an easy read — it’s dense, it’s verbose, it’s very niche. Honestly, I dipped in and out of this text however — depending on your interests, it’s worth a look. What’s striking is that while she describes and analyses Nazism and Stalinism as the major totalitarian political movements of the first half of the 20th century, there’s a multitude of parallels to many political movements we see today — particularly where “Arendt discusses the use of front organisations, fake governmental agencies, and esoteric doctrines as a means of concealing the radical nature of totalitarian aims from the non-totalitarian world.” If you’ve been following or trying to understand political movements such as the far right, Brexit, Marie La Pen, Q-Anon or similar movements, you’ll likely find this an interesting historical comparison.

38. The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

★★
The Accidental Billionaires is the story of Facebook. In 2003, Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg were Harvard undergrads. After a lonely, drunken bender, Zuckerberg hacked into the Harvard network to pull off a prank that crashed it. This stunt almost got him expelled, but it also inspired Zuckerberg to create Facebook, the social networking site that has since change how we as a global population communicate. From dorm room to billion dollar company, the story charts the path to success and the characters, betrayals and problems along the wide. The book also formed the basis of the 2010 film, ‘The Social Network’.

39. Messengers by Stephen Martin & Joseph Marks

★★★
I read this book after accidentally being played the summary version on Blinkist. The premise is simple — it’s no longer what’s being said that it is important but who is saying it. In the modern, hyper connected world we live in, the message source is frequently either aiding or detracting to it’s credibility; so much so that it’s often the majority of importance. This book unpicks the psychology behind first impressions and how we interpret credibility and status, ultimately considering how we communicate and add credence, deciding who is an expert and who isn’t.

40. Spy the Lie by Philip Houston, Michael Floyd & Susan Carnicero

★★★
“Three former CIA officers — among the world’s foremost authorities on recognising deceptive behaviour — share their proven techniques for uncovering a lie.” Rooted in espionage and counter-terrorism theory, Spy the lie is an interesting read not only as an instructional book but also a vast array of anecdotes and stories from their time in clandestine services. Similar writing style to Chris Voss’ ‘Never Split the Difference’, it’s a decent read.

41. Fire by Sebastian Junger

★★★
After reading Tribe, I chose to read another of Junger’s books, Fire. This book is a collection of his writing centred on challenging and interesting places and scenarios few ever get to see. He reports on the diamond trade and its murderous consequences in Sierra Leone to telling stories of the Smoke Jumpers and Hotshots in Idaho fighting forest fires as well as war torn Afghanistan to genocidal events in Kosovo. Junger’s writing is fascinating and engaging while also being quite palatable. Not necessarily an uplifting read but a fascinating one on topics often untold.

42. The Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel

★★★
“Steel takes on the myths and misunderstandings behind procrastination and motivation — showing us how procrastination affects our lives, health, careers and happiness and what we can do about it. With accessible prose and the benefits of new scientific research, he provides insight into why we procrastinate even though the result is that we are less happy, healthy, even wealthy. Who procrastinates and why? How many ways, big and small, do we procrastinate? How can we stop doing it?”

43. The subtle art of not giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

★
It’s a bit of a red flag when the title includes the word “fuck”. Mark Manson, long time blogger has often written some fascinating articles before moving his pop-psychology/pseudo self help writing into the book realm. To be fair, it’s an easy read and it’s a good intro if you’re trying to sort your life out but the wisdom just isn’t there. It’s brash, it’s commercial and it smacks of privileged existence. If you’ve got the time and have no idea where to start, start here. If you’ve already done a bit of introspection and want to work on your life, start elsewhere. Basic Premise: We’re too soft and that “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.”

44. Post Corona by Scott Galloway

★★
With the past two years being unlike most seen in recent history, everyone’s trying to predict and understand what the ‘new normal’ will be; that is — life post Corona. Galloway’s book explores this contending that it won’t so much be a new world but rather one where existing trends will simply be accelerated. An interesting read but really just one of many voices currently trying to predict this topic as we make our way, day by day, into the post corona world. If you’re following all the Corona developments feverishly, this is a worth addition to your reading list.

45. Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne

★★★
Left of Bang, the idea that you’re acting before the explosion or incident. If you can train yourself to be receptive to the ‘left of bang’, you’re preventing incidents rather than reacting to them. This is the basis of the US Marine Corps’ combat hunter program and is built on the basics of situational awareness. Look, if you’re not interested in this kind of risk psychology, this book isn’t for you — but I am and it was an interesting take on the subject.

46. A Burning by Megha Majumdar

★★★
I’ve had Majumdar’s book on my list since before the 2020 COVID lockdowns. It sounded like a promising read according to the New York Times booklist. Centred on three characters and how their lives intertwine. “Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan’s fall. Lovely — an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dreams of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humour — has the alibi that can set Jivan free, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.”

47. Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo

★★
Simply put, Moyo doesn’t believe aid works. Despite receiving more than $1 trillion from the west over the last half century, Africa remains in dire economic straits. Dambisa Moyo thinks aid is to blame and should stop now. “She makes it clear at the outset what kind of aid she means. She does not mean humanitarian or emergency aid, mobilised in response to calamities; she does not mean charity-based aid, given to specific organisations and people on the ground, in order to achieve specific things (she sits on the boards of several charities, one of which distributes antiretrovirals); she is hopeful about a new attitude to food aid, whereby the money is used to buy food from farmers within a country, and then distribute it to those in need, instead of flooding the place with foreign food that undercuts local growers. What she means is “systemic aid”, the vast sums regularly transferred from government to government, or via institutions such as the World Bank.” A full review from the Guardian can be found here.

48. How to feed a dictator by Witold Szablowski

★★★
A really interesting take on what is essentially five abridged biographies of famous dictators. Szablowski threads a fascinating narrative of the lives of Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro and Pol Pot, understanding their lives through their cooks. The book details loads of great anecdotes not limited to the kitchen. Sure, there’s the fear of the cooks, what and how they cooked, the culinary likes and dislikes of the dictators and how they dealt with their respective crises and conflicts but it’s more than all that. It’s a really humanistic look at some of the most infamous people who ever lived and the personal lives they led. Overall, it’s a book about the very human impacts of cooking and how it is the great equaliser for every person on earth.

49. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

★★★
Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese. An easy, fun throw away read for a short flight somewhere (also now a feature film), it’s a bit of fun at best.

50. Humankind by Rutger Bregman

★★★★
If ever you were concerned about the future of mankind or simply the state of the world around you, Bregman’s book Humankind is here to provide the antidote. “There’s a great deal of reassuring human decency to be taken from this bold and thought-provoking book and a wealth of evidence in support of the contention that the sense of who we are as a species has been deleteriously distorted.” A wealth of stories, anecdotes, history, psychology and science — I can’t recommend this book enough.

51. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby

★★
A classic, written in 1958. Newby’s A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, tells the autobiographical tale of Newby as he account of his adventures in the Hindu Kush, around the Nuristan mountains of Afghanistan, ostensibly to make the first mountaineering ascent of Mir Samir. It’s the a-typical old boy British style tale set in a culture colonialist Britain but is an easy and at times humorous classic tale. I’m glad I read it but it wasn’t a favourite.

52. The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

★★★
Being an expat, you’re indoctrinated to working in a more globalised way. Whether you know it or not, you’re subconsciously more used to dealing with different cultures, languages and styles than those who are spending their day-to-day in their home countries. Meyer’s book is a great read for those people (like me) who work across the world, with teams from various places and having to adapt how they lead teams and work with people from a variety of cultures. Even if you don’t have to do that but you enjoy exploring new places, it’s a great read for how to understand and adapt to new places, cultures and ways of doing things.

53. Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun

★★★★
A brilliant and timely read given the world we’re living in and the pressures we’re all under. Goodbye, Again is a beautiful collection of personal essays, stories, poems covering topics such as mental health, happiness, and what it means to belong. All incredibly timely and appropriate in these times. Sun’s honest writings about his struggles with feeling productive, as well as his difficulties with anxiety and depression connect deeply in these times providing wisdom and thought all too welcome for those pondering life in 2021. This is one of my favourite reads of the year, one I keep diving into when I’m feeling introspective. One of my favourite thoughts from Sun: “I believe that the things you notice — that you love, that make you pause — make up who you are. And so it feels, in a way, like those things are a part of you, even though they are outside of you.”

54. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert Pirsig

★★★
One of the great works of popular philosophy, Pirsig wrote a narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken Pirsig and his son; Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance became a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator’s relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. The book has served as a core philosophical guide for decades essentially questioning what is quality? what is ability? how do we live?

55. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

★★★
I’ve never been a crazy McConaughey fan though he’s a good actor, he’s always struck me as a little typecast and honestly, a bit of an odd human. After reading this, I’ve got a new found respect and interest in him. Pulled together from 35 years worth of diaries, it chronicles McConaughey’s life and the adventures he’s had as well as all his inspired wisdom along the way such as “notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.” Overall — a great, worthy read. My recommendation would be to listen to this on Audible (as I did). McConaughey does the reading himself and it adds a lot to the experience to hear him tell his own story.

56. 100 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson

★★★★
Let’s face it, you and I are never really going to need these skills. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fascinating to learn. 100 Deadly skills comes from years of SEAL team training and includes everything from how to make J turns to how to hijack a Cessna, how to make a pinhole spy camera to how to survive a grenade attack. These might be real skills, but it’s pure entertainment for normal individuals like you and I who want to pretend they will ever have the day in a life of a spy or clandestine operator.

57. Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson

★★★
An extension to Manson’s previous work, ‘The subtle art of not giving a F*ck’, Everything is F*cked looks beyond the self and into the wider world. He distils down complex thinkers like Plato & Nietzsche into a palatable FM radio version ultimately challenging us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in new ways. I’d enjoyed this book more than his first and while it’s not the greatest psychology/sociology read, it’s a bit of a laugh and an easy book to dip into.

58. Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis

★★★
Liar’s Poker is the third book from Michael Lewis I’ve read this year. It’s Lewis’ typical narrative from his investment banking days on Wall Street detailing the heady days of the 1980’s and the take no prisoners approach these guys exhibited. Not an amazing read, but it’s an easy one. If you’re a fan of Lewis then this is worth a look.

59. Unstoppable Teams by Alden Mills

★★★★
I thought my managerial skillset could use a bit of a tune up ahead of heading into a new full time role, leading a new team. Unstoppable Teams was the topic of a podcast I was listening to and is an interesting book of advice based on how the US Navy Seals put together incredible teams that can achieve any objective. “Teams are nothing more than a series of interconnected relationships with a collective, single-minded focus.” For anyone looking for this kind of book, it’s a valuable read.

60. Black Wave by Kim Ghattas

★★★
Ghattas writes a fascinating book all about the modern history of the Middle East — most notably the rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, From allies to mortal enemies, it’s a wonderfully informed read on a fascinating part of the world currently going through immense pressure and change. A must read for anyone interested in this part of the world and the conflicts that continue to proliferate.

61. The Core by Aki Hintsa

★★★★
“The Core is a unique story from the top of the Formula 1 world, where Aki Hintsa, a Finnish F1 coach and a doctor, has for years guided drivers towards success, but more than anything, towards mental and physical wellbeing.” A long time follower of Hinta’s work, I found this book a fascinating read on so many levels. It’s entertaining as a biography and the characters he knows, it’s interesting to understand Hintsa’s culture as well as the medical and psychological science he applies and lastly it’s useful as book for understanding how to live a better life with optimised performance.

62. Come Back Alive by Robert Young Pelton

★★★
Following on from his hit read, ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Places’, Pelton writes a fascinating book about how to navigate some of the world’s most difficult places. “Whether you are young or old, man or woman, going on a business trip, a ski weekend, an African safari, or just to the corner store, Come Back Alive gives you the comprehensive and fascinating advice you’ll need to protect yourself. No matter where you’re going, what you’re doing, or how dangerous you want to get.”

63. The Nine lives of Pakistan by Declan Walsh

★★★
International correspondent for the New York Times, Declan Walsh, paints a fascinating and engaging picture of Pakistan. “In many ways this is like reading 9 different New Yorker articles with some more engrossing than others, but all make the reader much more familiar with the recent history and social makeup of this nation.” A country dogged with creeping extremism and political chaos, it’s an engaging read for anyone trying to understand such a fractious and precarious yet intricate and beautiful country.

64. Twelve Lessons from Formula 1 by John Huang

★★
Part history of the sport, part psychology and development read, Huang’s book chronicles key races in Formula 1’s history (from his perspective) and what life lessons they can teach us. It helps if you’re a formula one fan when reading as it’s part explainer and history text to the sport but it also takes these motorsport concepts of racing lines and cornering, car control and focus and applies them to everyday life. Let’s be honest, it could have been written better but for (I assume?) a first time author, it’s an interesting perspective on a dynamic world.

65. The Dawn Prayer by Matthew Schrier

★★★
Schrier’s story of being held hostage by Syrian terrorists is a gripping but human read on not only the trials of being taken hostage in a war zone and the mechanics of how that works but also the human side of relationships, emotion and how humans no matter their background or their side of the battle are ultimately the same. A fascinating look into the human psyche and the relationships that develop under stress and ultimately, when all is stripped away, how people truly behave when trapped.

66. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

★★
I wanted to like this book more. Boy Swallows Universe is set in Brisbane in the late 80’s. “A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crime for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli’s life isn’t complicated enough already. He’s just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way.” Released to wide spread acclaim, I had high hopes for this book but it just didn’t grab me. Maybe it’s the wrong time, I might look to pick this up again later on.

67. Freedom by Sebastian Junger

★★★
The third book of Junger’s I’ve read this year. It’s his newest release. Freedom takes a look at what freedom means and how that has changed throughout time and different societies. In contrast to his other books about community and tribe, freedom looks at what it means to truly have freedom and how the two core human desires for community and freedom coexist. Somewhat Americana, Junger explores freedom through various lenses: the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. An easy read and an interesting one if you’ve followed his other books such as ‘Tribe’ or ‘Fire’.

68. Two Years, Eight Months & Twenty Eight Days by Salman Rushdie

★★
Every time I try to read something of Salman Rushdie, I end up disappointed. This book was no exception. While reviewers have heralded it as “A masterful, mesmerizing modern tale about worlds dangerously colliding, the monsters that are unleashed when reason recedes, and a beautiful testament to the power of love and humanity in chaotic times”, I found it little more than confusing and overblown.

69. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

★★★
A true classic. “The book is noted for “changing the course of children’s literature” in America for the “deeply felt portrayal of boyhood”. It is also known for its colourful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Set in a Southern antebellum society that had ceased to exist over 20 years before the work was published, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an often scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism.”

70. Who are you, really? by Brian Little

★★★
Brian Little released this book on the back of his TED talk, arguing that personality isn’t simply driven by nature or characteristics nurtured but instead by the projects we pursue, which ultimately shape the people we become. Look at the hobbies, the passions, the work, the people you surround yourself with and Little ultimately contends that this is what drives personality. An interesting take on conventional wisdom.

71. Microadventures by Alastair Humphreys

★★

An unexpectedly UK-centric read, Humphreys’ book looks at the idea of a micro-adventure for those who want to go out of their comfort zone and do amazing things but are short on time. Indeed this book dispels the idea, ultimately championing that you don’t need lots of time and money to meet a new challenge to explore the world around you. A microcosm of wanderlust in a book.

72. You Are What You Risk by Michele Wucker

★★★★

Wucker’s book serves as a fantastic (and thoroughly entertaining) read at Risk, how we consider it and how it impacts our daily lives. “You Are What You Risk is a clarion call for an entirely new conversation about our relationship with risk and uncertainty. In this ground-breaking, accessible and eminently timely book, Michele Wucker examines why it’s so important to understand your risk fingerprint and how to make your risk relationship work better in business, life, and the world.”

73. The book of beautiful questions by Warren Berger

★★★

This book explores using questions to make smart decisions, to learn, to analyse and to make next steps. Through an interesting array of stories, there’s a load of examples of day to day life quandaries solved using the right questions and the power of inquiry. I was somewhat hoping for a deeper book or a book with more narrative but it serves as an interesting tome filled with the expertise of all sorts of different people trying to make key decisions in life.

74. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

★★

Haig’s book is a well written novel exploring the fantasy world of the midnight library — A place between life and death where there is a library. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets? While not the most pleasant of reads at times, it’s a strong narrative and a worthy read.

75. The Art of Manliness by Brett & Kate McKay

★★★

This book contains a wealth of information that ranges from survival skills to social skills to advice on how to improve your character. A practical read, it’s not necessarily one to be read from cover to cover but rather a manual to sit on a shelf, guiding the idea of what it means to be a modern man.

76. World Travel by Anthony Bourdain

★★★

Sadly published after the passing of Anthony Bourdain, “a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places – in his own words.” More travel guide than travel narrative, it features practical travelling advice and Bourdain’s recommendations for his favourite recommendations in a host of cities around the world.

77. The Lonely City by Olivia Lang

★★

“What does it mean to be lonely? How do we live, if we’re not intimately engaged with another human being? How do we connect with other people? Does technology draw us closer together or trap us behind screens?” Lang’s novel explores all of this through the lens of a mid thirties woman in New York City who explores what it means to be alone in modern times, how it’s exacerbated and how it may be redeemed. I saw this first in the New York Times and it seemed like an interesting premise, explored through a novel makes it oddly more poignant in this day and age.

78. The Book of Rumi by Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī

★★★

Not necessarily a book to start or finish, more a book of fables and poetry, Rumi transforms the seemingly mundane events of daily life into profound Sufi teaching moments. Every now and then I see Rumi’s poetry appear in random places and thought it time I actually sat and looked at some of his stories. An interesting book to pick away at.

79. The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

★★

The Beekeeper of Aleppo follows a Syrian refugee family as they leave war torn Syria and make their way to the UK. What they encountered in Syria was simply horrific. What they encountered on their journey was equally horrific. This is a heartbreaking story about the destruction, havoc and loss of war and the pain of watching your homeland and your way of life bombed and destroyed while losing the people and possessions you hold dearest. Unfortunately though, the book for me just didn’t fulfil it’s promise. Maybe it was the writing style but I simply couldn’t get fully engrossed into this one.

80. Kleptopia by Tom Burgis

★★★
“They are everywhere, the thieves and their people. Masters of secrecy. Until now we have detected their presence only by what they leave behind. A body in a burned-out Audi. Workers riddled with bullets in the Kazakh Desert. A rigged election in Zimbabwe. A British banker silenced and humiliated for trying to expose the truth about the City of London. They have amassed more money than most countries. But what they are really stealing is power.” Kleptopia is written by award winning journalist, Tom Burgis and effortlessly fuses together four stories of global corruption. Somewhat of a page turner, it’s certainly an eye opener to a hidden world… hiding in plain sight.

81. What belongs to you by Garth Greenwell

★★★
“What Belongs to You is a stunning debut novel of desire and its consequences. With lyric intensity and startling eroticism, Garth Greenwell has created an indelible story about the ways in which our pasts and cultures, our scars and shames can shape who we are and determine how we love.”

82. A life on our planet by David Attenborough

★★★★
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough is written by a 93-year-old man who has seen our planet deteriorate for most of his life. Few are as front-line equipped to speak on such things more than David Attenborough. Attenborough paints a clear picture of the environment at different decades of his own life and how it has changed, ultimately painting a devastating picture of the damage man kind has caused. Not all gloom though, Attenborough also writes about what practices could be put into practice to ensure our planet starts to repair itself and ultimately, how we can stem the tide of destruction. An incredible read that leaves the reader incredibly worried about the consequences so far but also enthusiastic about the future if we heed the lessons.

83. A duke in his domain by Truman Capote

★★
I wanted to read some Capote as a classic but was very short on time. Indeed, I found a very brief read of his in “A duke in his domain”. This book is a profile of a young Marlon Brando, brooding in a Kyoto hotel during a break from filming. Capote’s journalism in rare flight. I suspect it might be the choice of book but I could easily pass on this.

84. The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall

★★★★
“In this revelatory new book, Marshall explores ten regions that are set to shape global politics in a new age of great-power rivalry: Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Greece, Turkey, the Sahel, Ethiopia, Spain and Space.” This is the second of Marshall’s books I’ve read following on from the Prisoners of Geography. This book is a must-read geopolitical primer for the power of proximity and how different nations exist based on where they are, their scale and their neighbours and how this all relates to their global influence.

85. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

★★★★
There really isn’t much I can say about this book other than — go out and read it. Obama is well-known as a gifted writer and orator and this book doesn’t disappoint. This is the first of two volumes, and it starts early in his life, charting his initial political campaigns, and ends with a meeting where he is introduced to the SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden. Great read.

86. Fear Less: Real Truth About Risk, Safety, and Security in a Time of Terrorism by Gavin de Becker

★★★
I was recommended this book by a university colleague and it proved an interesting indictment on how we see terrorism and the fear therein post 9/11. Somewhat America-centric, de Becker manages to make solid points about security and risk in today’s terror-focused, 24 hours news cycle world more accessible and less scary to those who are inundated with fear.

87. The Well Educated Mind by Susan Bauer

★★★

88. Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

★★

89. Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford

★★
Crawford’s message is simple: in the age of the knowledge worker, we shouldn’t discount the value, experience and joy in working with our hands. “Using his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, Crawford presents a wonderfully articulated call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live concretely in an ever more abstract world.”

90. Off Script by Josh King

★★★
A fascinating read for anyone who’s mildly interested in American Politics and how it’s orchestrated. King has a great volume of stories from advancing presidential candidates and all the elements that go into it. From political faux-pas to scandals to simple gaffs, he explores everything from messaging to set design, water and glass placement to making sure the carpet is correct. An easy read but a fun one at that.

91. The Frontlines of Peace by Séverine Autesserre

★★
“In The Frontlines of Peace, Severine Autesserre, award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry. With examples drawn from across the globe, she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. Contrary to what most politicians preach, building peace doesn’t require billions in aid or massive international interventions. Real, lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens.”

92. The Art of War by Sun Tzu

★★★★
“The book contains a detailed explanation and analysis of the 5th-century Chinese military, from weapons and strategy to rank and discipline. Sun also stressed the importance of intelligence operatives and espionage to the war effort. Considered one of history’s finest military tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the basis of advanced military training for millennia to come.” Still used to this day, it’s a worth philosophical text to be familiar with.

93. How to Live on 24 Hours a day by Arnold Bennett

★★★
This book could be argued to be prescriptive or ‘self help’ and on one level it might be. How to Live on 24 hours is part of a larger work entitled How to Live. Given this was written in 1908 however, it’s more a fascinating time capsule of how society thought and lived and what remains of that today. A very quick read at 47 pages, worth a glance.

94. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

★★
Pretty disappointing read. It’s had great reviews but I just found it utterly boring. A great one line review suggested “Conversations with Friends is another one of those books about not particularly nice people entangled in awkward relationships.”

95. The Strenuous Life Handbook by Brett McKay

★★★
A handbook put out to accompany the Strenuous Life program but equally, a useful read on its own. The handbook is a an interesting read providing for over 55 ways to challenge yourself and get the most out of life, doing hard things that are worthwhile.