Five of the best books I’ve read in the first half of 2021

For 2021, I’ve committed to reading 52 books. Mostly, because I want to be a more structured reader. Committing to this practice has made have to become more principled and approach reading as a daily practice.

Not sure it will be a goal for every year.

I am already thinking about reading only 12 books next year. Deep-dive into each, study them closely, put time into summarizing them. I think it will deepen my knowledge of the ideas presented.

As we’re approaching mid-year 2021, I’ve read 32 books, and I’ve been reflecting on some of my lessons learned.

Here is my reading list on GoodReads.

And here are my top five picks from this year thus far:

Range: Why generalists triumph in a specialized world – David Epstein

Can we solve one problem in one domain in a similar manner in a different domain? An ode to generalists, and a case study for how the most “impactful investors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area”.

The Power of Myth – Joseph Campbell

I listened to the audio version, which is basically an interview with Joseph Campbell. He dives deep into myths. Incredibly rich, I already have it on my list to read again.

In the realm of hungry ghosts: Close encounters with addiction – Gabor Maté

An incredibly compassionate book. It dives into the topic of addiction from the lens of Gabor Maté’s work with heroin addicts in Vancouver. The book approaches addiction from many angles, it is a wonderful read which left me so much more knowledgeable and with a deep compassion for humanity.

Show your work: 10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered – Austin Kleon

A short read, that surprisingly is growing on me. I keep going back to my notes. Austin Kleon discusses how sharing your work is a powerful way to increase your output and creativity. In sharing it with others, and consistently getting feedback, we grow our body of work. My main takeaway is the idea of learning in public and sharing something daily.

How to survive a pandemic – Michael Greger

I still have some hundred pages to go, but this is already one of the most important books I read this year.