The Best Books I Read in 2006
I read 83 books in 2006. Below are the gold stars from the past year. As always, it's an eclectic mix.
Here are all the books I've read since June '04. Here were my top picks from 2005.
Ron
Suskind: A Hope in the Unseen : An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the
Ivy League
A moving, inspiring (and depressing) story of a young man going from the ghetto
to Brown University. See my post.
Jonathan
Franzen: How to Be Alone: Essays
Good writing; a collection of non-fiction essays. See my post.
Katharine
Graham: Personal History
An excellent, fun tour through the life of this journalistic giant. See my post.
Steve
Coll: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden,
from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
A detailed, rewarding read for anyone interested in what the CIA was up to pre
9/11. See my lengthy
formal book review.
Rick
Bragg: All over but the Shoutin'
Great stories in a memoir style with an authentic Southern quality. My brief
review.
James
Joyce: Dubliners : Text and Criticism
A classic. So many great short stories.
Benjamin
M. Friedman: The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth
A powerful thesis: economic growth has good moral consequences. See my quick
post here.
Paul
Bilton: The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swiss
A fun, tongue-in-cheek, accurate look at the Swiss. (I consider myself half-Swiss.)
See my post.
Andrew
S. Grove: Swimming Across: A Memoir
An awesome memoir by the Intel founder....and it doesn't mention Intel once.
See my post.
David Foster Wallace: Consider the Lobster : And Other Essays
As always, very excellent essays. See my formal
book review.
Tobias
Wolff: This Boy's Life: A Memoir
A beautiful, classic memoir about childhood. See my brief post.
Rough
Guides: The Rough Guide to First-Time Around the World
Loaded with helpful travel tips and regional profiles. Good for world-wide travelers.
Charles
D. Ellis: Winning the Loser's Game
An excellent introduction to investing and finance. See post.
David
Sedaris: Me Talk Pretty One Day
Always hilarious...though I think "Dress Your Family" was better than this one.
Fred
Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
A great book that got me thinking about customer satisfaction in a whole
new light. See Chris Yeh's notes.
Cliff
Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations
That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire
An excellent intro to make compelling PPT's -- all presenters should read this
or Cliff's blog.
Nassim
Nicholas Taleb: Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and
in the Markets
One of the most important and best books I've read in years. See my post.
Philip
Roth: The Plot Against America
Perhaps the best living American novelist. See my brief review.
Stephen
King: On Writing
Excellent book for aspiring writers. See my notes.
Bill
Clinton: My Life
This is great as an audiobook...especially when Clinton deals with the Monica
scandal. See my post.
Tyler
Cowen: Creative Destruction : How Globalization Is Changing the World's Cultures
Excellent thesis on how globalization is providing more and better cultural
choice. See my somewhat lengthy review.
Lawrence
Harrison and Sam Huntington: Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress
A good collection of essays on the role of culture in shaping societies. Conclusion:
culture matters.
P.
J. O'Rourke: Holidays in Hell
Hilarious; He travels to the world's worst places and asks, "What's funny about
this?"
Francis
Fukuyama: America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative
Legacy
Awesome summary and analysis of neoconservatism as we used to know it and why
it's not compatible with the future.
Barbara
Pease: The Definitive Book of Body Language
Some very useful tips for thinking about how our non-verbal cues influence people.
The
Group of 33 / Seth Godin: The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being
Remarkable
Inspiring words of wisdom, tips, and stories. Good read for anyone in business.
Robert
E. Rubin: In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington
Excellent memoir and insight into the worldview of the former treasury secretary.
See my brief review.
Daniel
Gilbert: Stumbling on Happiness
Chock full of nuggets. Required reading for people who pursue happiness with
vigor!
Jack
Goldsmith: Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World
A quick and provocative read about how national borders and laws are rejecting
internet-utopians' prediction of borderless world.
Tom
Wolfe: I Am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel
An excellent, gripping novel about modern college life. See my formal
book review.
Patrick
M. Lencioni: Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful
Problem in Business
Another good Lencioni book. His big point is to infuse meetings with conflict
and drama, and to run different kinds of meetings (the standing-only, the strategy
monthly, etc).
Ariel
Levy: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
Solid read on feminism and porn, but predictable. See my review.
Benjamin
Kunkel: Indecision: A Novel
Excellent novel for 20-40 year-olds by a new literary sensation. See my brief
review.
Peter
Hessler: River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
An outstanding recollection of two years in the Peace Corps in China. Awesome
writing and great portrait of China.
Viktor
E. Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning
Inspiring. Read it. Here are some
quotes.
Susan
Orlean (Editor): The Best American Essays 2005
Awesome writing and essays. Good for any non fiction lover.
Howard
Schultz: Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at
a Time
A nice read from the Starbucks founder on how he cultivated a luxury brand.
See my review.
Joan
Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking
A simply moving and inspiring account of Didion dealing with grief and the loss
of her husband. A must-read.
Tim
Sanders: Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
Awesome book on how to bring compassion into the business world. See my notes.
Tom
Wolfe: The Bonfire of the Vanities
A masterpiece. A novel about New York in the 80's. Well worth it. My quick review.
Joseph
J. Ellis: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
An awesome book. Highly recommended for a look at the men behind the Revolutionary
Generation.
