What We Read in 2022

I enjoy my annual tradition of sharing book recommendations that friends and I read through the year. Here are my earlier lists: 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

2022 managed to be as challenging and intense year as 2020 with war, financial & political crises all over the world, and others. It certainly impacted my reading. I heard the same from other friends.

Here are my highlights of the year:

Four Thousand Weeks - Thanks Igor Liskovets for the rec. Really enjoyed this book written by a recovering productivity addict. It starts with the 4000 weeks, avg human life span, being "absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” 😱 Then, quickly pulls you in with a good sense of humor. You won't find productivity hacks here. Instead different ways to be aware of our finititude on this planet.

The Psychology of Money - I love Morgan Housel 's writing. He simplifies complex areas in an easy to understand way with engaging stories. A great book on explaining our relationship with money, covering compounding, luck/risk, etc. “Money’s greatest intrinsic value—and thus can’t be overstated—is its ability to give you control over your time.”

Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away  - I like Annie Duke's (former professional poker player) focus on cognitive psychology and decision making. This is not a self-help book. Instead goes through how we might stuck in decision traps due to biases, culture, etc. Helpful read to improve our decision processes in the face of uncertainty, especially when it comes go/no-go decisions in life such as investments, marriage, jobs. etc. “Contrary to popular belief, winners quit a lot. That’s how they win.”

Numbers Don't Lie - I picked this up per Bill Gates's rec. It's a collection of essays on a large range of topics Vaclav wrote for IEEE magazines. he brings clarity of thinking to complex topics thtough his analysis of the numbers. Quick, fun read that you can pick up anytime.

Neuromancer - I was told this is the sci-fi classic to read. This is the father of the cyberpunk. I just couldn't get into it even though I gave it a good go.

Similar to last year, I included book recommendations from the smartest people I know. I will certainly read a number of these books. Take a look below 👇

Shane Riedel & Filipe Garcia (Founders of Elucidate)

• Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller
• Upgrade by Blake Crouch
• Inspired by Marty Cagan

Bel Lepe (Founder of Cerby)

• Antifragile (read it once a year)
• Good Economics for Hard Times
• The design of everyday things 

Marty Kagan (Founder of Hydrolix)

• On Repentance and Repair by Danny Ruttenberg
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
• Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen Kirby 
• The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson 
• The Bone Orchard by Sara Mueller
• Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher 
• The Ogress and the Orphans and When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
• Siren Queen and Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

Jack Vines (Founder of Measured Insurance)

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
• Endure by Alexander Hutchinson
• Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
• Essentialism by Greg McKeown
•  Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Igor Liskovets ( Google )

• Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
• A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
• Educated by Tara Westover
• Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen
• No Self, No Problem by Chris Niebauer
• Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal by George Packer

Seb Thomas (Founder of DataGalaxy)

• Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, Cass R. Sunstein