My wife often asks where my random information comes from, and it is usually from reading. Which at our office is a passion of most. Here is a list of books that I finished in 2019 that were my favorite. These span the financial markets, business, behavioral related topics, spiritual related topics, and books I read with my kids. If you decide to read any of these or have already read them, shoot me a message! I would love to talk about that book with you. These are in no particular order:
Principals for Success by Ray Dalio. To be fair, I have read all of his works, and just pre-ordered this without even looking at it. Nonetheless he has narrowed down some great principals to live by and work by and then illustrated them. I have an entrepreneurial daughter who is getting this as a Christmas gift, now that I have read it!
Red Notice by Bill Browder. This is a true story about finance in Russia post USSR, and is page turner for those that love ‘Grisham-style’ books. It makes you think about active management without a presence, how geopolitical risk is real, and how families are put in danger for trying to do the right thing.
The One Year Father-Daughter Devotions by Jesse Florea and 2 others. This has been the most rewarding read! Almost every night I lay down with my daughter, and we read over the historical event, then reflect on it over a scripture, and discuss. Simple, Powerful, Effective, and Memorable.
Nudge by Richard Thaler. There is a reason he won a Nobel Prize. This book dives deep into behavioral economics in health, wealth and other topics. One that sticks out the most and that I have used frequently is called Paternalistic Libertarianism. It is the idea of putting the most ideal choices as the easiest and best to choose, but still having other choices out there, yet more difficult to obtain. There is also a fascinating chapter on negative consent.
Range by David Epstein. In a world where everything is highly specialized, Epstein makes multiple cases that not only learning a variety of topics but the cross-application of those is what has made some of the greatest advancement of late. This is a great read, as he often writes in the world of sports, and starts there, but then moves to music to science to other fields. A great gift for just about anyone.
A Fragile Stone by Michael Card. A great in-depth study into the life of Simon Peter. The Rock of Jesus was much more delicate than most imagine. What a great book to read on a man that was said to be Jesus’s best friend but would forsake him. While a ton have written on Paul and others, this is a great book to dive deeper in on Peter.
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. A great, yet long read. It will make you re-think political sides, mortality rates, etc. This is a long book, but worth grabbing a highlighter, and saving. I would say this is probably not a “Books-on-Tape” read.
I hope you enjoy.
