I closed out the reading year and my December Book List on a high note once again.
My goal this year was 3 books per month and I’m happy to see that I finished the year with 38 books.
I’ve come a long way from when I started having a yearly reading goal.
I read 8 books in 2011, 11 books in 2012, 12 books in 2013, 15 books in 2014, 23 books in 2015, 24 books in 2016, and 33 books in 2017.
My sights will be set high as I plan to read 40 books next year and feel confident I’m up to the task.
With that said, here are the 3 books from my December Book List and my thoughts on each one.
The Fifth Risk
Michael Lewis killed it again with this book and it was one I immediately wanted to reread.
The Fifth Risk takes readers into the depths of the different US government departments revealing how the administration transitioned from the previous administration.
Lewis covers the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, and Commerce in incredible depth, highlighting the dysfunction unfolding every day.
All in all, this book is one I’ll likely read again because I found its detail and information fascinating and important.
Recommend: Yes
Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman
I put off reading this book for more than a year and finally got around to reading it this month.
Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman focuses on physicist Richard Feynman’s curious nature and his experiments as it relates to science, and in particular physics.
Feynman lived an incredibly interesting and entertaining life, however, I simply couldn’t get into this book.
To sum up, I’m sure some people will find value in it but it’s not a book I plan to revisit.
Recommend: No
Never Split the Difference
A book on negotiation is a new topic for me because it’s one of those “just in time” information books.
I was in the midst of an important negotiation and felt that this book would deliver the goods.
Never Split the Difference is an interesting look at negotiation from FBI international lead kidnapping negotiator Chris Voss and his work in the world of high-stakes negotiation.
What I most appreciated about this book is that Voss shared how his tactics and strategies relate to the real world. The book has so many actionable takeaways it’s nearly impossible to count.
In short, I’ll be referencing this book every time I’m about to go into any type of negotiation.
Recommend: Yes
What’s In My Cart?
I went 2 for 3 this month and am proud of the books I picked to close out the year strong.
Looking into January, here’s a list of books that I’m eyeing as we start the new year:
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
- Red Notice by Bill Browder
- 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Browder
- Deep Work by Cal Newport *read in 2017
Conclusion
Reading is a skill I’ve continued to work on by focusing on books that pique my interest at the time. Hopefully, my December Book List includes books that you’ll enjoy too.
