2019 in books

Several years ago while visiting my parents, I found a book that I had read back in high school. I remembered when I got the book, and I even remembered reading it…but after that my mind went blank. Zero recollection of any details of the plot and characters. I had no idea if I liked it or hated it, or if I learned anything new. It was like running into a familiar face in the street, when you know that you’ve met the person and have not the slightest clue from where.

I thought this was a shame. A book allows for the temporary inhabitation of another person’s mind, and I had no record in my memory or otherwise of its impact on me. And not only on me, but the me of that particular time and place. To borrow from Heraclitus, you can’t read the same book twice.

So shortly after that visit to my parents, I started keeping more careful track of the books that I read, and making some notes about each one.

Here are the books I read last year. 10 fiction and 20 non-fiction. I liked most of them. The books I most strongly recommend are in bold, and the ones I specifically do not recommend are in italics.

• “Trust Me” by John Updike
• “I Will Teach You How To Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi
• “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt
• “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut
• “Demian” by Herman Hesse
• “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow

• “The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time” by Jeffrey Sachs

  Sachs gives a great introduction to developmental economics. He preaches caution about systemic problems with modern capitalism while simultaneously maintaining clear-eyed optimism about the tremendous power for good of a globalized economy. This level of nuance is a sight for sore eyes.

• “John Adams” by David McCullough
• “The United States Since 1980” by Dean Baker
• “Manual on the Art of Living” by Epictetus

• “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” by Frederick Douglass

  This is Douglass’ first autobiography, and describes his childhood as a slave up through his successful escape. The writing is incredible, and gives you a punch in the gut. A short read, and well worth the time.

• “The Heroic Slave” by Frederick Douglass

• “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin

  Contrary to popular belief, Lincoln was not the most staunch anti-slavery guy (he was actually a moderate on the issue), and the Emancipation Proclamation was more about military tactics than about compassion. What made Lincoln remarkable was his skill as a leader: he convinced a group of talented rivals that openly disrespected him to become his (mostly) loyal advisors. This is required reading for any American citizen.

• “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• “The Second Treatise of Government” by John Locke
• “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” by Mark Manson
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age” by Dale Carnegie

• “We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe” by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson

  I wanted to like this book. Whiteson is a brilliant guy, and I have had the pleasure of watching him speak in person about his research. And Cham is, of course, a great cartoonist. So it pains me to say that this book was a disappointment. Complex subjects were brushed aside without explanation, except for replacing the relevant aspects of the issue with something silly like llamas or hamsters. This baboon has an antiparticle called an anti-baboon, so now you understand antimatter! (To be clear, that is not a real example from the book, but it does capture the tone.) Somehow Whiteson does not realize that being goofy is no replacement for a thoughtful and guided approach when it comes to navigating foreign concepts. In fact if I put myself in the shoes of a layman, I would come away feeling insulted. Now, I understand that I am not the target audience. Still, I have a decent amount of experience with science communication (the importance of it is hard to overrate), and like to think I can recognize good science writing. This was not it.

• “Foundation” by Isaac Asimov
• “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” by Tim Ferriss

• “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear

  A guide on forming healthy habits and kicking unhealthy ones. Simple and straightforward.

• “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence” by Michael Pollan
• “Angels with Dirty Faces: How Argentinian Soccer Defined a Nation and Changed the Game Forever” by Jonathan Wilson
• “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera

• “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand

  I like philosophical fiction. There are two different avenues of enjoyment. If the storytelling is good, then I can forgive bad philosophy. If the philosophy is good, then I can forgive bad storytelling. Unfortunately this book whiffs on both. This is a 1000-page-long strawman argument with boring, static characters who behave in ways surprising to anybody that has ever had a normal human interaction. Remind me to not take book recommendations from Paul Ryan.

• “Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration” by Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith
• “The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir” by Samantha Power

• “Grant” by Ron Chernow

  In 1860, a 38-year old Ulysses Grant was a failed farmer with no money and few professional prospects, having resigned in disgrace from the military because of his alcoholism. Within ten years he would be President. That story is already dramatic enough to be a Lin Manuel Miranda musical. The biggest value I got from this book was learning about Reconstruction, and the (underrated) Grant presidency. Chernow is a master.

• “The First Man: The Graphic Novel” by Albert Camus and Jacques Ferrandez

• “Trapezoids” by Agustin Lopez

  Full disclosure, the author has been my best friend since age 3. But still, this is good, I promise. Solid writing, interesting characters, and you can devour the whole thing in one sitting. Although I read it quickly, I still find myself thinking about a few of the stories. Sticking in one’s brain like that is a key characteristic of a good book (and good art in general).