This may be my last post for 2022.
I am planning to use this time to gather my thoughts and prepare for 2023. I am also planning to make a slight change on The Daily PPILL. Most of the feedback I have received from you, is that you like the fact that they are fairly short and that reading them is not something that requires a lot of time or distraction. Some even suggested some places to be or activities to do while reading, but I am not going to repeat those here.
So don’t worry, that’s not changing, at least not every day, but I think that I have some thoughts I can share with you, that are related to what I do in my work, and that I have been doing for a couple of decades. These thoughts require some in-depth conversations, and therefore, a longer format. I feel like not doing so, would be shortchanging my audience, (You!); and that you could benefit more from articles with a longer format. I will share more details about this later on.
So, back to today’s post…
I did not want to let the year scoot by before throwing out a list. This is not a list of books published in 2022, and it is not a list of the overall best books in 2022, these are just the books I liked the best, out of those I read in 2022.
If you are looking for newness, this is not the place. I wholeheartedly adhere to the notion, heard for the first time from James Altucher, that it is more valuable to re-read best-in-class classics, than the newest paperback at the library on concourse B. The logic goes likes this: If you retain about 1-5% of a book content, but then assume that an exceptional book is 10X as good as a new, good one, aren’t you better of just re-reading the truly exceptional ones that are worth 10 “regular” books? (you would get 1-5% of something 10X more valuable). The only exceptions to this notion Stephens' and Srinivasan’s books.
Good or bad, here they are:
“How innovation works“, by Matt Ridley
Great book to remind us that innovation happens because the age requires it to happen. Good references to the story of innovation, as well as to recent examples from companies.
“Seeing like a State“, by James C. Scott
An explanation on why states and governments do things the way they do, and why excessive top-down planning fails.
“The Selfish Gene“, by Richard Dawkins
Why our genes shape our evolution, and evolution shapes the things we do.
“The Network State“, by Balaji S. Srinivasan
One of today’s sharpest minds gives us a plethora of alternative ideas for society. It is also free to download at that link.
“Turning the flywheel“, by Jim Collins
More than a book, a pamphlet. Short and sweet, a summary on why small, intentional actions lead to inevitable success.
“Don’t trust your gut“, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
Stephens debunks a few “generally known facts” with the use of data.
“When money dies“, by Rob Wolf
A chronicle on how post-war Germany entered a downward spiral (or should that be upward?) of hyperinflation. Good for understanding how today things are different.
“Customer Success“, by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman, Lincoln Murphy
If you are interested in Customer Success, this is the book to get started.