In keeping with yearly tradition, here are my single sentence 'summaries' for every book I read in 2022. Previous years versions: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018. Rated 5/5: Sovereign Individual Rated 4.5/5: Hundred Year Marathon, Parasitic Mind The world should be paying more attention to China's "New Middle-Income Stratum" as it ponders on its [...]
In keeping with tradition, here are my single sentence 'summaries' for every book I read in 2021. Rated 5/5: Man's Search for Meaning, Great Game, Righteous Mind, Destiny Disrupted. Rated 4.5/5: Misbehaviour of Markets, Thinking in Systems, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Psychology of Money, Age of Revolution, Science, Strategy, and War, Changing World [...]
Many personal finance books recycle the same content: build frugal habits, buy assets not liabilities, dollar cost average into indexes, understand power of compound interest, reframe your mindset etc. Despite this, it's no surprise they continue to capture people's attention. Wealth, greed, and happiness are timeless themes that remain on the top of many people's [...]
This is actually one of the best books I've ever read. Despite being published in 1946, this timeless classic grows increasingly relevant. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl presents a somewhat twisted perspective on suffering. This excerpt sums it up best: "If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be [...]
I've always been fascinated by the history of money. Not only as it's a key driver of human behaviour and geopolitics. But as major force that shapes the trajectory of human endeavor. Put simply, it's an integral part to understanding how the world works. "If you want to understand how the world works, follow the [...]
If you liked Nassim Taleb's books - Antifragile, Black Swan etc - then you'll love Mandelbrot's Misbehaviour of Markets. Benoit Mandelbrot is one of the greatest mathematicians of our time. Most renowned for his work on fractals (including the famous Mandelbrot set), he applies a complexity science lens to financial markets. As with most transdisciplinary [...]
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on It, Chris Voss, 2016 (Amazon US; Amazon Australia) Snapshot A former FBI hostage negotiator shares his field-tested negotiation tips. Definitely one of my top-10 all-time favourite books. Unlike many other self-help books that drag on and fluff around the key points, this one gets [...]
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics, Tim Marshall, 2015 (Amazon US;Amazon Australia) Snapshot Explores the geographical dimension in geopolitics, putting key historical events into context. While geopolitics can quickly become complex, there are certainly recurring themes: access to water transport routes, natural resources etc. Familiarity [...]
In keeping with yearly tradition, here are my single sentence 'summaries' for every book I read in 2020. The point of being rich is to be able to do interesting things, rather than own enviable things. Deeply rooted economic ideologies are difficult to dislodge even with compelling data. Human inquiry into the ultimate [...]
Commentary on every book I read in the quarter, covering: why I chose to read it, some insights and quotes, and review. Not intended to be a summary. Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker (2017) It's a truism to say sleep is important - along with nutrition, stress management, and exercise. Yet I still found [...]
