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Introduction
TLDR
My Top Reads for 2023
The Neo-Generalist
Kenneth Mikkelsen
Termination Shock
Neal Stephenson
The Creative Act
Rick Rubin
The Promise of a Pencil
Adam Braun
When McKinsey Comes to Town
Walt Bogdanich, Michael Forsythe
Hidden Potential
Adam Grant
Making it So
Sir Patrick Stewart
The Kuiper Belt Job
David D. Levine
They Called us Enemy
George Takei
I Seem to Be a Verb
Buckminster Fuller
TLDR: Show Me All the Covers
All the Details!
By the Numbers
81
6
48
21
8
12088
10890
181.5
I am currently readingbooks.
0
2023 Books by Reading Format
21
2023 Books by Genre
Most Impactful by Theme
Innovators Bookshelf
Strategic Business Transformation
Mohan Nair
Disrupt Disruption
Pascal Finette
The Neo-Generalist
Kenneth Mikkelsen
Hidden Potential
Adam Grant
The Goal: Introduction to the Theory of Constraints
Dwight Jon Zimmerman, Dean Motter, Eliyahu Goldratt
I Seem to Be a Verb
Buckminster Fuller
All Things Octavia Butler
Creative Fire
by
Conversations With Octavia Butler
Conseula Francis
by
The Creative Act
Rick Rubin
by
The War of Art
Steven Pressfield
by
You Are an Author: So Write Your Book Already
Matt Rudnitsky
by
The Neo-Generalist
Kenneth Mikkelsen
Climate Science & Sustainability
by
Climate Changed: A Personal Journey through the Science
Philippe Squarzoni
by
Taking on the Plastics Crisis
Hannah Testa
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
by
Demystifying Disability
Emily Ladau
by
DEI Deconstructed
Lilly Zheng
What’s Next?
90
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Reviews by Genre
90
NonFiction
+1All
The Boys
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A memoir by Ron and Clint Howard and one of the most wholesome and positive books I read this year. Ron Howard has brought us iconic characters (Richie Cunningham, Opie) and movies (Field of Dreams, Apollo 13). Clint brought us so many troubled, quirky characters, including several favorites from Star Trek (Balok!). Film and performance are the Howard family business and this book describes in detail their father’s journey as a performer in westerns, then as mentor to Ron/Clint as they emerged as child actors, and to advisor as his kids took ever greater career leaps. There’s a bit of the usual drama - Clint was no angel and experienced his share of substance abuse - but on the whole the book is a lovingly written tribute to the family. Well worth a read to gain insight into the Howards and how they put principle first.
Octavia’s Brood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I recently discovered OEB's work and inhaled it all in the span of four months. Big mistake- I'm left hungry for more of her work, that will never come. Reading the works of those inspired by her is a gift unto itself and this book delivered. Like any anthology, there were hits and misses. The hits- particularly Lalibela, Runway Blackout, Kafka's Last Laugh, and Aftermath - wormed their way into my psyche and asked me what I could be doing to effect change. My favorite piece was "The Only Lasting Truth" by Tananarive Due, which drew a thread between all of OEB's works and gave me a frame to discuss their importance and themes with friends.
+ The style and compositions were all different, but the thread of Change made each of these feel spiritually connected to OEB's work.
+ Discovering Levar Burton's own SciFi story was a special joy.
+ The essays made this book for me.
- Some stories felt incomplete, like the first 50% of a larger narrative. That felt jarring.
Conversations With Octavia Butler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I inhaled all except the last of Octavia Butler's works in early 2023 and then started on every book about her work and life. This collection of interviews over the course of her career covered much of the biographical material included in her books, but slowly revealed her motivations and world view. A few gems:
+ Writers must read a lot to "fill your well" of ideas, but must withdraw from that well occasionally.
+ Master writing about how you feel first, then write about real experience. That will prepare you to write how others feel about fictional experiences.
+ We have all these myths, and we believe in them without even recognizing they're there. We just act on them.. and that's liable to be our downfall.
+ Tolerance, like any aspect of peace, is forever a work in progress, never complete, and if we're as intelligent as we think, never abandoned. Put in the terms of Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks, Tolerance should be everyone's atelic activity.
- The only slight negative was the repetitiveness of some stories. Given the minimal editing, I suppose that's understandable.
Mirroring her own life, the book ended abruptly and on a slightly sad note. I wish I had discovered her work when she was alive and when I could have sat with her for a conversation. This book left me longing for more of her work, which is no longer possible. A must-read for fans of her excellent work.
The Age of Selfishness
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quick, easy read in three parts: an overview of Ayn Rand’s life, how her followers influenced US policy, and the ensuring chaos of the Financial crisis of 2008.
Ayn Rand pitted her social circle against each other in a terrible zero-sum game for her attention. This worldview embedded into Alan Greenspan.
Alan Greenspan rose to become the head of the Federal Reserve and brought Randian concepts into government policy. This resulted in the removal of long-standing banking regulations, which lead to “innovative financing” that resulted in the 2008 crash.
“The age of selfishness” began after the banks were re-capitalized with government funds. Gains were privatized, loss was made public. The final section deals with wealth disparity and how idealogical differences have become magnified as a result.
I’ve been reading a lot more nonfiction graphic novels to quickly spin up on subjects new to me.
The thread: Think Again - almost like an illustration for that book.
The Lady From the Black Lagoon:
Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I abandoned this book because it isn’t really about Milicent Patrick, as much as the author’s obsessions with the former. The author uncovers tantalizing evidence that Ms. Patrick was the actual creator of the monster in the eponymous movie, but that material is sparse. This is really three books in one- a sparse bio of Milicent Patrick’s life, a memoir of the author’s journey in researching the book while becoming a filmmaker herself, and a scathing commentary on sexism (and credit stealing) in the movie industry. Until I understood this, I was frustrated by the book’s constant diversions. That said, my friend Carl recommended this book after having met the author. I loved the movie and was intrigued that there may have been more to the back story. I re-engaged with this book after reading other sources and primarily because I could listen to it in my car. I don’t think I would have given it another chance in print format, due to repetitive scathing commentary. What happened to Ms. Patrick was grossly unfair, but reading/listening to the same ideas phrased 15 ways was a little excessive for me.
The History of Science Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Searching for Indian Science Fiction Authors in the early 2000s (Samit Basu)
Where I learned I’m nowhere near as well-read in Science Fiction as I thought.
History- origin in the 19th Century, Pulp magazines (low-quality print/low-quality ideas?)
Exploring Inner spaces vs. Conflict
History of publishing
Women in the last 20 pages
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” - Philip K. Dick
The Promise of a Pencil
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommended
My friend Franck challenged me to find an author who has walked the path I want to walk. And to ask ChatGPT to find them for me. With a few simple prompts, ChatGPT recommended this book as the confluence of servant leadership, underserved communities, deep tech, and mentorship.
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I picked this up on a whim after it was suggested on Goodreads. This is one I couldn’t put down, largely because I already knew where it was heading, but was intensely curious who got us there and how.
Overall a fun, engaging read. Knocked off a star because after a time it felt repetitive- not sure if that was due to writing style or just that the subjects kept getting into the same kinds of trouble or both. Take it for what you will. Worth a listen for those who are curious about the history of psilocybin and LSD experiments and why they are forbidden today (written in 2023).
Making it So
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommended
An honest, emotional look into Sir Patrick Stewart's rise to fame from humble roots in working-class Yorkshire. I picked up this book for love of his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Gurney Halleck, but loved hearing about his journey on stage in his own voice.
+ "The role is within you already. You just need to let it out." Sage advice for anyone experiencing impostor syndrome.
+ No big insights like you see in other memoirs, nor many life lessons. Initially I was left wondering what message he was conveying, but as he chained his experiences together, I built my own "lessons learned." Step outside yourself to discover a new truth. Take chances even if the value/ROI isn't clear. Nurture professional relationships into lifelong friendships, chosen family.
+ Learning about his pandemic Shakespearean sonnets was a revelation.
- Chapters sometimes ended abruptly, with bizarre anecdotes.
It's fair to say I wanted this book to mostly be about the characters I loved. The reality is that those characters made Patrick Stewart famous and gave him the platform to perform on stage- his first and brightest love. Not all of us have the immense talent and skill, but we can all build such a platform, stitching together experiences that remove us from our personal comfort zones. This is well worth a read to see how Patrick Stewart did it. Do yourself a favor and get the audio book or Audible version. It's absolutely worth hearing this in his own voice.
They Called us Enemy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommended
You Are an Author: So Write Your Book Already
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Abandoned Reads
genre:
NonFiction
The Schoolhouse Gates
I picked this book up three years ago based on a podcast with the author. Starting with an intriguing premise- an examination of the modern school system at the intersection of education, legal rights, and technology - the author examines the role of schools in shaping the lives of students and the extent to which the law can limit or expand their rights. The book delves into landmark Supreme Court cases that have influenced the landscape of public education in the United States, analyzing their historical contexts, legal arguments, and implications for students and educators.
Driver raises crucial questions about the balance between school authority and individual liberties within educational institutions. From issues of free speech and expression to privacy rights and disciplinary measures, the author provokes educators to reflect on their responsibilities, boundaries, and the potential impact of their decisions on students' lives.
Through an exploration of significant court cases, such as Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, Driver emphasizes the importance of fostering an environment where students can engage in open dialogue, exercise their rights, and develop critical thinking skills. He encourages teachers to be cognizant of the power dynamics at play within the school system and to be mindful of how their actions can shape students' experiences and future prospects.
I abandoned this book because the writing style made reading it a chore, rather than a delight. I asked ChatGPT to summarize the important points above. I still believe this book contains important ideas. In the future, I’ll seek to learn from podcasts or direct author interaction rather than reading his long-form content.
genre:
Self Improvement
Failure Rules
Book about the author’s lived experiences with failure and rebounding. Lots of great stories from worlds I’ve never inhabited, but ultimately the advice was the same as I’ve heard elsewhere. I may revisit this later, but there are others I’d like to complete first.
genre:
Hard Science
Welcome to the Microbiome
I really wanted to like this book, but after finding two factual errors in the first chapter, I skimmed it and put it down. Other reviews call out good key learnings. I ended I using those to revisit specific passages in the book. This is the only reason I gave it three stars.
+ Lots of good information. Use other reviews to locate it.
- Very little actionable information for anyone seeking to optimize their microbiome.
- Poorly edited, with visible, glaring mistakes.
genre:
Innovation
Beyond Disruption
Lost interest. Summary: How to enter a crowded market by serving niches.
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