What a reading year in 2024! I read 51 books this past year spanning book categories of Energy, the American Revolution, Finance and Investing, Entrepreneurship, Fiction, the Civil War, Philosophy and Stoicism, Self Help, Parenting, Sports, and New Orleans. I certainly grew from reading each of these books in my best books of 2024 list. Each book helped me to dive deeper into book categories I am interested like the American Revolution and Parenting. For someone who has issues with reading comprehension, going deep on these topics by reading multiple books helped me tremendously.
While 51 books are near a record high for me in terms of the number of books I have read in a calendar year, I am more proud of the number of books I started and put down. Articles like 2 Simple Rules That Great Readers Live By (But Never Tell) reframed how I think about my best books of 2024 list. Previously, I would white knuckle until I finished a book I did not enjoy or find value in. Now, I will give a book 25 to 50 pages. If the book does not gauge my interest at that point, no matter the book, I put the book down. From there, I start a new book rinsing and repeating that process. In the end, my goal is to have a list of books, like my best books of 2024, that are not only books I want to re-read but feel comfortable recommending to others. For previous best books lists, check out my best books of 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.
Energy
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes is the story of the three pioneers in the world of electricity. Many people know the name Edison but Tesla (outside of Elon Musk’s company) and Westinghouse may be names you don’t hear as often. Edison kicked off the race to electrify the world by creating the first incandescent light build and first direct current (DC) electrical networks. Tesla followed soon thereafter by pioneering the use of alternating current (AC). George Westinghouse, an industrialist from the gas industry, saw the value of Tesla’s AC system and partnered with Tesla kicking off what’s known as the War of the Electric Currents. The book ends with a race of DC vs. AC, the creation of the electric power industry, and patent wars to defend each of these inventor’s technologies. My main takeaway is that Edison was an incredible inventor who unfortunately couldn’t see the value in AC, Tesla was an equally talented inventor who would have been better off financially licensing his technology to Westinghouse, and Westinghouse is someone to model your character after by the way he treated others.
The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World
The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World by Randall E. Stross is the story of the famed inventor Thomas Edison. “Starting with the first public demonstrations of the phonograph in 1878 and extending through the development of incandescent light, a power generation and distribution system to sustain it, and the first motion picture cameras—all achievements more astonishing in their time than we can easily grasp today—Edison’s name became emblematic of all the wonder and promise of the emerging age of technological marvels.” Stross argues that Edison’s greatest invention was his celebrity, which is hard to argue considering how terrible he was at commercializing his inventions. It’s also evident that Edison is not someone to look to as a model of how he treated his children, particularly his sons.
The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip
The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn chronicles the founder of Ford Motor Company’s Henry Ford, naturalist John Burroughs, legendary inventor Thomas Edison, and tire manufacturer Harvey Firestone’s annual car trips. Following their Florida Everglades trip, the group “decided to call themselves the Vagabonds.” These summer road trips continued until 1925 when they decided to call it quits. The purpose of these trips was “to examine the conditions of America’s roadways and improve the practicality of automobile travel.”
American Revolution
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is Ben Franklin’s attempt to distill the wisdom he’s learned from his life to his son. It’s a story about all of the incredible work Franklin did throughout his life as a public servant, entrepreneur, father, businessman, inventor, writer, and diplomat. When reading the book I was consistently blown away by the amount Franklin accomplished in his life. It seemed that every day he was inventing a new product, writing an incredible article, negotiating treaties overseas, managing relations with the Native Americans, guiding the United States in its early days, and thinking about life. Franklin is an individual who has inspired me since reading Benjamin Franklin: An American Life followed by Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership. He’s just one of those people we can all learn from in our quest to explore the world.
In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown
In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown by Nathaniel Philbrick is one of three books in his The American Revolution Series. The other books in the series are Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution (fantastic read!) and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution (can’t wait to read it!). The Hurricane’s Eye “tells the thrilling story of the year that won the Revolutionary War.” George Washington came to realize in the early 1780s that he needed the French navy to win the American Revolution. Washington’s army eventually teamed up with the French expeditionary force led by Rochambeau and the commander of the French fleet led by de Grasse. Washington, Rochambeau, and de Grasse were able to get Charles Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown effectively ending the war and gaining America its independence. For a deep dive into Washington, consider reading Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership, The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution, Washington’s Crossing, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, and Washington: A Life
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick is the “second book of his acclaimed American Revolution series” where Philbrick focuses on the relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. Washington was forced to retreat from New York in the fall of 1776. Arnold came to his rescue after Washington’s retreat by blocking the British navy advancing south from Lake Champlain. Arnold continued to fight for the Americans until his financial commitments to his wife’s family plus his inability to advance his career came to a head. At this point, Arnold agreed to fight for the British by surrendering Fort Ticonderoga. What is fascinating about this book is how incredible of a fighter Arnold was for the Americans only to be remembered as an infamous traitor. Also check out the podcasts Nathaniel Philbrick, “Valiant Ambition” and Valiant Ambition in the American Revolution for a deeper dive into the book. Additional books about Washington to read include In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown, Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership, The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution, Washington’s Crossing, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, and Washington: A Life.
Finance and Investing
Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor
Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor by Tren Griffin may be the best book I read all year, and we’re in early January. I highlighted text on nearly every page of this book that covers his investing strategy by using Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholder’s letters, interviews with Munger, and commentary from other fund managers. What I appreciate most about Munger is how clear his mental models are for anyone to use. Munger and his partner Warren Buffett developed their investing philosophy around Ben Graham’s value-investing approach. This book distills Munger’s investing style for your portfolio. He’s able to convey timeless wisdom for you and me to use.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charlie Munger covers eleven of his talks between 1986 and 20207. Quotes like “Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up” show up throughout the book. One of the many fascinating aspects of this book is Munger’s near “encyclopedic knowledge of business, finance, history, philosophy, physics, and ethics” which he uses to build “the latticework of mental models that underpin his rational and rigorous approach to life, learning, and decision-making.” I appreciate Mungers’ wit and no BS style and writing that he uses in his talks for this book.
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins starts with an exercise to imagine that you did everything right throughout your life, including investing for your retirement, and at the end of your life, the only thing you wasted was your time. Die with Zero argues that we should get the most out of our money during our lives, not simply during our retirement years. Perkins wants to teach you how to optimize your life by not prioritizing over saving and not using your financial resources while you can. The main takeaway from Die with Zero is that we should use our money and accumulated wealth for experiences before it’s too late.
All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense
All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense by Peter Bevelin starts with the fictitious Seeker and the Seeker’s visit to the “Library of Wisdom” where the Seeker meets another fictitious character, the Librarian, along with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. The premise of the book is the Seeker learns how to make better decisions to help his children avoid the dumb things the Seeker has done in his life. Bevelin uses Buffett and Munger’s quotes from interviews, articles, and presentations to help us all become wiser. I may not read a more impactful book in 2024 than this book. Additional Buffett and Munger books worth reading include Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor, and Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth With Commentary by David Clark.
Entrepreneurship
Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way
Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way by Ryan White is an autobiography of one of my favorite musicians. The book covers Buffett’s beginnings in Mobile Alabama (we went to the same high school) from his rise through the music ranks with his Coral Reefer Band to eventually becoming a massive tropical and lifestyle brand. His musical career took him from New Orleans, Nashville, Key West, and eventually around the world. Through this journey and struggle, he built a huge following of loyal fans. This allowed him to create the Margaritaville brand which encompasses restaurants, merchandise, resorts, and all kinds of products. It’s hard not to appreciate how hard Buffett worked to create songs that told a powerful story in each song that fans (Parrott Heads) could relate to. He was able to build a loyal following by being true to himself. Buffett was also great at putting on the persona of a laid-back, carefree guy who in reality was relentless in his pursuit to become great. What a fantastic book!
Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos
Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos is a compilation of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon annual shareholder letters covering the principles and philosophy he lived by to create, build, and lead Amazon. Similar to Warren Buffett’s annual shareholder letters, which I love, Bezos’ originality comes through in his letters. The book also includes speeches and interviews he’s done where he shares his personal side – spending summers in Texas with his grandparents, why he left D.E. Shaw in New York in 1994 to start Amazon in Seattle, and how his thinking has changed over time as he receives more information. His shareholder letters are the ultimate inside view of one of the best entrepreneurs of all time. Bezos’s core focus is customers. There’s no denying that. However, the book shows Bezos also cares deeply about public policy, climate change, and space travel (his company Blue Origin is tackling this). I love how down-to-earth Bezos comes across in this book considering how wealthy he is.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon
Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two long-time Amazon execs, shares the principles and mental models used by Amazon and Jeff Bezos. Bryar and Carr were at Amazon for the launch of products that included Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios, Amazon Web Services, and Kindle, among other products. One of the goals of the book is to share how your company can repeat and scale the principles Amazon used to become one of the best companies of all time.Amazon’s fourteen leadership principles and how they informed decision-making at the company are a common theme throughout the book. One of my biggest takeaways from any book about Amazon, including Working Backwards, is the company’s focus on customer obsession, thinking long-term, and the ability to invent new products. You can think of Working Backwards as a guidebook to help your business succeed. Or at least that’s how I plan to use this book. The authors show that Amazon’s incredible success is achieved not by one leader but rather by the execution of sound company principles by all employees.
Disney’s Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World
Disney’s Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World by Richard Snow is the story of the creation of the California theme park Disneyland in the 1950s. Walt Disney dreamed of building a modern theme park where visitors “could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever.” Even though Disney had wealth and fame, lenders, except for Bank of America, were not lining up to provide financing for the theme park. What’s wild is that Disney financed Disneyland against his insurance policy and with sponsorship from ABC. “With financing in place, Disney assembled a team to make his theme park come to life in a year and a day from when Disney said go. The park’s first day was a disaster but 75+ years later one could argue Disney truly made it the “happiest place on earth.”
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz is a book that’s been on my radar but I haven’t read it for whatever reason. What a mistake. This book is great. Horowitz is a cofounder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and an experienced entrepreneur, who offers readers fundamental advice on building a startup. Anything you want to know about building a business is in this book. I appreciate Horowitz’s honesty about how difficult it is to run a business. This book gives it to you straight whether it’s how to fire friends, hire executives, or when to sell your business.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company is a fantastic, candid auto-biography from Disney CEO Bob Iger. It shocked me how open Iger was about his career, the relationships and interactions he’s had along the way, and the corporate battles he faced throughout his career. When Iger became CEO, he pitched the Disney board on three goals: focus on branded content, utilize technology, and grow globally. It’s fair to say after the Pixar, Marvel, Lucas Films, and 21st Century Fox Acquisitions, Iger was able to pull off these goals.
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin walks you through the hilarious and at times sad story of Martin starting his career in the mid-seventies when he exploded onto the comedy scene. Fast forward to the early 80’s and Martin quits stand-up forever. Martin starts the book at age 10 when he sells guidebooks at Disneyland, at the time a newly opened theme park. After his time at Disneyland in the magic shop, Martin next worked at the Big Cage Theatre where he performed his first comedy/magic act working and honing his craft that would last a lifetime. Two things are clear in this book. One, the incredible sacrifices and discipline required to hone your comedic craft. Two, how hard Martin’s father was on him by never acknowledging his work.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace may be the best book I read this year. Just wow! Catmull and Wallace’s book is a business book providing an “all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made.” Creativity, Inc. dives deep into how its beloved films like the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, WALL-E, and Inside Out came to be and shares the “ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.”
To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History
To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History by Lawrence Levy is the story of how Steve Jobs turned his focus to acquiring a little-known graphics company called Pixar after Jobs was ousted from Apple. The story starts with Jobs calling Harvard-trained lawyer and Silicon Valley executive Lawrence Levy to persuade Levy to come run Pixar as Pixar was on the brink of failure. In the book, Levy explains how Jobs, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, and Levy turned Pixar into a Hollywood juggernaut. Levy gives readers a first-hand account of Pixar’s origin story, what it was like working with Jobs, and the lessons we can learn from Pixar and apply to our personal and business lives. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration is an incredible companion book to check out.
Jesus: A Biography from a Believer
Jesus: A Biography from a Believer by Paul Johnson (one of my favorite authors!), shares the influence Jesus had on the world. Johnson’s concise biographies, including this one, capture the message and historical significance of Jesus. Jesus: A Biography from a Believer gives you a vivid account of what life and Jesus were like. Few figures have had such an influence on the world as Jesus of Nazareth. Johnson once again tells a fantastic story in this book.
Fiction
The Collector
The Collector is book 23 of 23 in Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allons series. The story starts with the backdrop of the 2022 war in Ukraine in tandem with climate change concerns. Allon, currently retired, is asked by Italian authorities to find the most valuable stolen object in the world, The Concert by Johannes Vermeer. To no one’s surprise, Allon finds the thief and the Dutch energy executive who put the theft in motion. In the process of finding The Concert’s thief, Allon uncovers a Russian plot to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Allon recruits both The Concert’s thief and the Dutch energy executive to steal Russia’s secret plans to use nuclear weapons.
The Gray Man
Mark Greaney’s The Gray Man features Courtland Gentry, a former CIA operative who’s now hired to kill. The story follows Gentry across Europe as he attempts to rescue his handler, Sir Donald Fitzroy and his family held hostage in Normandy, France from Lloyd Hansen, an American attorney and ex-CIA operative now working for LaurentGroup, a multinational French corporation. Lloyd wants Gentry terminated to help finalize a billion-dollar oil deal in Nigeria with the Nigerian president who wants Gentry dead because he killed the president’s brother.
On Target (Gray Man)
On Target (Gray Man) by Mark Greaney is the second book in the Gray Man series. Court Gentry aka the Gray Man is recruited by his old handlers, the CIA, for a hit against the president of Sudan. The majority of the story takes place in Sudan and eastern Africa. Gentry first attempts to kill the president of Sudan for the Russians but is soon lured by the CIA to kidnap the president. This story is wild.
The Old Man and The Sea
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway was the first of two books I read over the past week. Hemingway is a once-in-a-generation author and this book proves it. The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who is likely depressed, and his relentless battle with a giant Marlin in the Gulf Stream. The story captures the classic themes of “courage in the face of defeat and of personal triumph won from loss.”
Ballistic (Gray Man)
Ballistic (Gray Man) by Mark Greaney is the third book in the Gray Man series that follows the main character Court Gentry aka the Gray Man who “was betrayed by his compatriots and forced to take on a near-suicidal covert mission by the CIA.” Gentry, living in refuge in the Amazon rain forest, has his bloody past come back to haunt him “when a vengeful Russian crime lord forces him to go on the run once again. Court makes his way to one of the only men in the world he can trust—and arrives too late. His friend is dead and buried.”
A Death in Cornwall: A Novel
Daniel Silva is out with the 24th book in the Gabriel Allon series, A Death in Cornwall: A Novel. I started reading this series in early 2020. I can’t get enough of the characters. A Death in Cornwall starts when legendary spy Gabriel Allon is contacted by an old friend with the Devon and Cornwall police seeking his help in a murder investigation. The killer’s identity appears to be the work of a serial killer in the area. However, Allon discovers the professor who was killed was looking for a stolen Picasso. Allon helps the case by forging six Impressionist paintings and putting together a team of operatives to solve the professor’s murder taking him to the gates of 10 Downing Street. Pair this book with the podcasts Murder, Greed, and Power with Daniel Silva, #1 NYT bestseller Daniel Silva explains how he keeps it fresh with book 24 of his Gabriel Allon series, and Daniel Silva on his latest novel “A Death in Cornwall”.
Civil War
Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times
Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips examines how we can apply Abraham Lincoln’s leadership abilities to today’s complex world (note the book was written in 1993 but still holds). Roughly 10 days before Lincoln took the oath of office in 1861, the Confederate States of America succeeded from the Union. In addition, Lincoln’s advisers thought he was nothing more than a country Illinois lawyer with no leadership experience. Phillips showed how Lincoln’s wisdom and leadership philosophy can be applied to your business and life. Every Lincoln book that I read makes me appreciate the job he did to lead the nation during its most challenging time.
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson is a beast of a read that I have been wanting to read for quite some time but have been scared to read due to the book’s length. At nearly 900 pages, I cringed at the thought of attempting to open the book. James McPherson’s book “fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox.” Battle Cry Freedom covers “episodes that preceded the Civil War–the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry–and then moves into a masterful chronicle of the war itself–the battles, the strategic maneuvering on both sides, the politics, and the personalities.” McPherson’s book is your one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about the Civil War.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson is incredible! Demon of Unrest gets to the core of the months between Abraham Lincoln’s November 1860 election and the “Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter,” a federal fort in Charleston. Demon of Unrest tells this story through the lens primarily of four characters – “Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them; and Abraham Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.” Pair this book with podcast episodes I enjoyed including Demon of Unrest: Why the Civil War Matters Today (with Erik Larson), “The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson, and Erik Larson “The Demon of Unrest”
Philosophy and Stoicism
Meditations: A New Translation
I read Meditations: A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius in 2017 for the time and loved the book. I needed a short read on our most recent trip to the Baha Mar so I grabbed this book for our flights. One of the most incredible aspects of this book is that it was written 2,000+ years ago but offers timeless lessons for us all. Meditations is Aurelius’ journal never meant for publication. How he talks about life events is beyond powerful. Aurelius teaches you how to control your thoughts. If there’s a “the best” philosophy book out there this book gets my vote.
Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness
Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus is Sharon Lebell’s retelling of Epictetus’ “influential school of Stoic philosophy” that “stresses that human beings cannot control life, only their responses to it.” I appreciate how elementary, in a positive way, this book allows us to tackle whatever life throws at us. The simplicity of Epictetus’ writing is what I most appreciate about him as a philosopher. I clobbered this book in a couple of hours. It’s that good of a book.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz is a book about how our self-limiting beliefs take away our joy and create unnecessary suffering. The book is based on “ancient Toltec wisdom, and offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.”
On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It
On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It by Seneca offers “powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and provides profound guidance to many through its eloquence, lucidity, and timeless wisdom.” Like Epictetus, I love the simplicity in Seneca’s writing. Every Seneca book I read makes me realize how short life can be if we are not focused on what’s important.
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday “offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms.” I finished my second spin through The Daily Stoic (I read the book in 2017). I realized this book is one that I will read every year because of how valuable the book is in calming my mind. Additional Holiday books to check out include Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a military treatise by a “military strategist and philosopher” that masks as a leadership book. The book was written around the fifth century BC (this is a very cool fact) providing “valuable insights into warfare and strategy.” One of the best aspects of this book is its simplicity in how it “emphasizes the importance of careful planning, understanding the enemy, exploiting weaknesses, and employing tactics to achieve victory. It covers various aspects of warfare, including tactics, intelligence gathering, leadership, and the importance of adaptability.”
Self Help
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide
Anthony Bourdain was one of my favorite humans. I was hooked after watching his many shows, including Parts Unkown and No Reservations. His book Kitchen Confidential which I read in 2017 is also quite good. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide explores his travels to some of the most fascinating places he’s been to. It’s incredible how much of the world he was able to see before his tragic death. The book was published after his death but includes his own words about the food he ate, the drinks he tasted, the places he visited, and how he thought about the world.
Four Thousand Weeks
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman offers a stark reality that the average human life is four thousand weeks. Said another way, most of us live until we’re 80. This book drives home the point about how best to use your limited four thousand weeks. It’s an approachable guide that weaves in quotes from philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers as old as time. Instead of getting everything done, Burkman introduces you to the concept of only getting done what needs to get done. Everything else falls to the side. One of the stories he tells is about how short our lives are. Human civilization is roughly 6,000 years old. If you take a human lifetime of 100 years old, that’s roughly 60 human lifetimes to get you to the beginning of human civilization. Jesus is only 20 human lifetimes ago. It’s insane to think about how short this period is. I’m guilty of trying to get too many things done, some of which I can argue are not essential. This book was a reality check on how I use my limited time on this earth.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
There’s no shortage of time-management books out there. I’ve read quite a few myself. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown offers a systematic way to find what’s essential and eliminate the rest. This allows us to make the highest effort towards what matters most to us. Essentialism forces you to be more selective in what you put your focus on. Pursuing less helps you regain control of where you spend your time and energy instead of others choosing it for you. What I loved about this book is its simplicity. We should not be doing one more thing (I’m guilty of this). Instead, we should do less. Only do things that matter most to us. Everything else gets put to the side.
Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results
The ability to think is something I have been working on recently. Is there anything more powerful? My ability to think under pressure, like an athlete, is a huge asset. Shane Parrish, author of Clear Thinking, argues that we must improve our ability to think to live the life that we seek. Clear Thinking helped me realize how much of my life I live on autopilot. My default behavior can be changed. I just needed a wake-up call from Parrish. One of the many things I appreciate about Parrish and his blog Farnam Street, is his use of mental models. Using these models gives us a manual for life to optimize our decision-making. The end goal is to live a more optimal life – a life that works best for you and no one else.
South and West: From a Notebook
South and West: From a Notebook by Joan Didion are “two extended excerpts from notebooks she kept in the 1970s; read together, they form a piercing view of the American political and cultural landscape.” Didion takes a road trip with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The book is her observations about the small towns they pass through, “her interviews with local figures, and their preoccupation with race, class, and heritage.” I will be the first to admit this book is about as far from a book that I thought I would enjoy. It is not my favorite book, however, I loved the writing about the small towns she visits.
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout is yet another book in the Newport list of books I connected with on a deep level. And how could you not after reading this book? Newport is talking about productivity and burnout, two issues successful people think about all the time. Newport argues that our current definition of productivity is to treat busyness as a proxy for productivity. This leads to endless to-do lists and meetings which leads to overwhelm which leads to burnout. Newport argues that modern knowledge workers should look to the past for answers – “history’s most successful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers who had staying power.” Slow Productivity gives knowledge workers step-by-step advice such as “introducing seasonal variation and shifting your performance toward long-term quality.”
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko Willink offers leadership principles that can applied by business owners, parents, and employees. The book offers skills that can be practiced and implemented immediately. Willink, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer teaches readers how to lead in any situation. He uses leadership lessons he learned on the battlefield in Iraq that readers can use in their lives. Decision-making tactics are prominent throughout the book. I appreciate the simplicity in Willink’s writing making books like this one accessible to the masses. Other Willink books to check out include Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win and Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual.
Parenting
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy shares her philosophy on parenting and provides actionable strategies to become a more confident parent with your kids. Good Inside is now my resource for how to raise my son to set him up for a lifetime of confidence and resilience. Hat tip to Ryan Holiday for recommending this book.
How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent
How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent by Carla Naumburg is another book I enjoyed on my journey to becoming a better parent. Naumburg draws “on evidence-based practices” to deliver an “insight-packed and tip-filled plan for how to stop the parental meltdowns.” The book offers a “pragmatic approach” that helped me feel more empowered to be a role model for my son.
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey is “a groundbreaking manifesto” focusing on the “critical school years when parents must learn to allow their children to experience the disappointment and frustration that occur from life’s inevitable problems so that they can grow up to be successful, resilient, and self-reliant adults.” I am certainly guilty of the modern parenting trap of overprotecting my child. What this book taught me is that my behavior is not giving my child the opportunity to experience failure and solve his problems. The book argues that “overparenting has the potential to ruin a child’s confidence and undermine their education.” Lahey “lays out a blueprint with targeted advice for handling homework, report cards, social dynamics, and sports.” Pair this book with Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd Jessica Lahey, Jessica Lahey on Parenting, Desirable Difficulties, The Gift of Failure, Self-Efficacy, and The Addiction Innoculation, and Ryan and Jessica Lahey Talk Parenting, the Process of Writing, and How to Fail Gracefully.
The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids
The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids by Ryan Holiday provides parenting medications in short form every day of the year. The book draws on lessons from historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Elizabeth II, and Marcus Aurelius,” weaving stories from these figures in a daily devotional format for parents.” I read this book in 2023 and got just as much out of it the second time I read it in 2024. Other Holiday books to check out include Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.
Sports
Driven from Within
Driven from Within is Michael Jordan in his own words on what led to his “six NBA Championships and some of the most spectacular performances in sports history.” Jordan makes it clear in Driven from Within that his success came from those around him, primarily his parents. He then added his “skill, work ethic, philosophy, personal style, competitiveness, and presence” to the mix to become a force and ultimately one of the greatest basketball players of all time. I love the way Jordan thinks, the way he works and prepares, the way he treats people, and how he motivates himself every day. For more on Jordan check out Michael Jordan (The Life), Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan In His Own Words, Michael Jordan, and Michael Jordan: Most Inspirational Speech Ever.
Drive: The Story of My Life
Drive: The Story of My Life by Larry Bird “reveals a side of himself-and of basketball-you’ve never seen before.” The book details his decision to transfer to Indiana State from Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers, the pain he felt from his father’s suicide, Bird’s failed first marriage, his basketball discipline to be great, why the Celtics are the Celtics, and the intense rivalry with the Magic Johnson and the Lakers in the ’80s. Pair this book with podcasts The ’86 Celtics Interviews (Ep. 11): Larry Bird and The Larry Bird Interview. I also enjoyed watching Larry Bird’s highlights.
Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich
Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich by Mark Kriegel is “the story of a boy transformed by his father’s dream—and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became Pistol Pete—a basketball icon for baby boomers—all the Maraviches paid a price.” Maravich averaged an astounding 44.2 points per game at LSU without the three-point line. He was basketball’s great white hope eventually becoming a prisoner to his fame trying to please his father. Pete was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Next, Maravich traded to the New Orleans Jazz. He was then then transferred with the Jazz to Salt Lake City, and then was signed by the Boston Celtics. Along the way, his mother committed suicide, his brother became an alcoholic, and his father died of cancer. Pete eventually died of cardiac arrest post his NBA career during a pickup basketball game at the age of 40. Maravich left behind his two young sons with his wife. After his death, both of his sons tried to make their deceased father proud. However, both sons ended up having the same demons as their father Pete.
Michael Jordan: The Life
Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby explores the competitor and adrenaline junky that is the basketball GOAT Michael Jordan. Lazenby’s biography of Jordan starts the book by returning to Jordan’s ancestors in North Carolina bringing you along for a ride through his life. The story begins with Jordan as a baseball little leaguer followed by the infamous story of Jordan being cut from the high school basketball team. Jordan goes to UNC to play for legendary basketball coach Dean Smith. He’s then drafted by the Chicago Bulls where he goes on to win six NBA championships. In between the champions, Jordan retires, attempts to play pro baseball, comes back from retirement, retires after this sixth championship, unretires to play for the Washington Wizards, and then becomes the owner of the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats. You read about his the highs of his life from winning NBA champions and relationship with Nike to the murder of his father, his divorce, and struggles with his brothers and sisters. Additional Jordan books include Driven from Within and Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made.
New Orleans
Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair
Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair by Bryan Batt is the story of the “Pontchartrain Beach amusement park founded by his grandfather Harry Batt Sr.” The book contains “reminiscences from celebrities, former employees, and frequent park-goers.” Batt creates a snapshot of this amusement park through “candid moments with musical stars, tales of beauty pageants, and photographic traces of the exciting rides and attractions that drew families from throughout the region.”
