Best Books to Understand 2020
I recently wrote a list of 158 books that I read in 2020. While it is an extensive list, and I felt myself a little stretched, reading, on average, a book every 2.3 days. A goal of 70–100 books is more manageable and leaves more time to think and process.
However, I wanted to highlight the books that helped me better understand the year that is 2020.
Here’s how to better understand 2020:
A Splendid Exchange by William J. Bernstein, to understand that trade is a universal human condition and everything that we had with US/China trade has happened before many times over.
Energy and Civilization: A History by Vaclav Smil, to understand how energy allowed our civilization to spread.
The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan to understand how empires collapse, and not one empire is immune.
The Deficit Myth by Stephanie Kelton, to understand modern “helicopter money” policy
1493 by Charles C. Mann to understand trade and the world post-Columbus discovery.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama, to understand how president makes decision, and that it’s a job, like any other.
Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman, to understand that there’s a thin line between genius and a con-artist.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, to understand life itself.
The Pioneers by David McCullough, to understand extreme struggles of the people who want to go to unexplored places and do new things, pioneers.
Sandworm by Andy Greenberg, to understand how current cybersecurity is being shaped and breached.
No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings, to understand how Netflix empire was build, and most importantly, how the company can reinvent itself across several generations of business models.
The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin, to simply be immersed into a different world that’s so far removed from reality.
The Billion Dollar Spy by David Hoffman, to get lost in a story of spycraft and humanity.
Underland by Robert MacFarlane, one of the most unusual themes selected by the author, it was a journey like no other, and taught me it’s okay to write about anything, as long as you are confident and smart.
At Home by Bill Bryson, to learn about evolution of a place we call home.
Cult of the Dead Cow by Joseph Menn, to understand how geeks came close to rule the US government
City of Thieves by David Benioff, to understand life through laughter and tears in Soviet Russia
Pandemic 1918 by Catharine Arnold, to understand the implications of previous global pandemic on the world.
Super Thinking by Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann, to understand how thinking can be processed by applying several mental models to help expedite decision making, a must read for any intellectually-inclined person.
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Nanh, to understand meditation and the power of calm.
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, to understand how to build resilient systems, though still processing this one because Nassim doesn’t make it simple.
In Order To Live by Yeonmi Park, to understand struggles of a life under a military rule, which surprisingly applies well to the lockdown world, just with Netflix and online delivery.
A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson, such a beautiful and simple read, just fell into it and it was quite a journey.
[Part II coming up]
