2021 H1 Book Reviews
Books read Jan-Jun 2021- as ever a blend of fiction and non-fiction specific to my interests (as are the ratings). Highlights were Just Mercy, Sapiens and I Am Pilgrim.
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stevenson)
Powerful. Compelling. Emotive. Beautifully written. It’s hard to think of enough superlatives to describe this book. A heavy walk through a lawyer’s fight for black men on Alabama’s death row in the 1980s. Much of the book beggars belief, but the thread he weaves of undiminished hope and bravely clinging to his own sense of purpose is deeply moving. Sets the history of US mass incarceration into context, alongside the inextricable ties that has to the racial realities of modern America. A must read. 10/10
- His Dark Materials Trilogy (Philip Pullman)
Coming up to 3 decades old, Pullman’s epic fantasy world more directly tackles deeper concepts than its obvious comparatives from Tolkien and Rowling. Touching on and blending theology, philosophy, physics and our place in the world (or better, our world’s place in a multiverse) possibly puts it beyond the young adult audience to which it was originally marketed. The learning slope is steep in the second book (which could’ve been shared more with the first), but they’re enjoyable and fast paced reads as a whole. 8/10
- The Innovators Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Clayton Christensen)
A clear and intriguing theory unfortunately presented like an academic paper and very narrowly (almost entirely) focused on 1 industry- disk drives in the 1970s-1990s. The core question is prescient- can incumbent market leaders utilise disruptive innovation, or are they inherently prevented from doing so by their own successful tactics? Similar to ‘Good To Great’ in empirical investigation, but not presented in anywhere near as digestible a format- which is a shame as the concept holds weight (and lessons) across industries and innovations. 7/10
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Yuval Noah Harari)
An engrossing perspective on human dynamics and their ecosystem’s development. Delves into the meat of what makes us “us”. Geo-politics, religion and economics are naturally dug into, but it’s the wider look at our species move to interdependence (based upon collective imagination/fiction/myth) that marks his exposition of these macro threads as unique. It leans on very fresh (and naturally often controversial) lenses through which to view topics, but the net result is deeply thought provoking, and not too heavy or dense. 9/10
- The 4 Hour Work Week: Escape the 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Tim Ferriss)
I’m not a huge fan of implementing an “all or nothing” prescriptive formulae, but practically (and perhaps ironically) the magic lies in taking and wisely applying elements of the whole. Ferriss’ broader brush strokes like elimination and automation are pinned down with granular examples- virtual assistants, outsourcing email, improving reading speed. Explore how to spend your time doing what you want to be doing (a lot of which comes from applying the Pareto Principle). 6/10
- Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is shaping our future (Ashlee Vance)
I mean… what a guy. It transpires that realising out-of-this-world goals becomes the norm through long term execution grit fuelled by tenacious self-belief. Easy to draw comparisons with the pantheon of Jobs and Bezos. Vance does a good job of keeping it pretty light and moving, though it’s a thinly-veiled homage. 8/10
- Daisy Jones & The Six (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
I was devastated to learn this band weren’t real! The book should come with a warning. In light of that, it charts the rise of a super-star act in the 70s ingeniously presented as interviews with the ‘band’ and their associates. The format provides great depth- the ‘space-inbetween’ and conflict between different tellings of the same event is as much part of the context as the direct narrative itself. Very well put together, and… it’s rock ’n’ roll! 8/10
- Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business (Gino Wickman)
Similar again to the seminal ‘Good To Great’ (upon which it leans heavily), yet more practical and not as pioneering. Lots of frameworks to implement (and the usual unsaid expectation that none of it works without the whole): accountability charts, meeting pulse, people scorecards, etc. Lots to pragmatically draw upon for formalising processes to scale- in the main by getting an entire business on the same page (or ‘operating system’ as Wickman puts it). 7/10
- I Am Pilgrim (Terry Hayes)
A true thriller from end-to-end. Very in-depth (scarily so at points!) making it super lengthy and brilliant to dive into. Dan Brown-ish in places (yet less formulaic), it follows protagonist and antagonist’s journeys inexorably toward one another. A worldwide terror threat. Mysterious (and gruesome) unsolved murders… the best in the world requiring the best in the world to meet the challenge. Sounds like trite ingredients, but it’s well woven together for an engrossing result. 9/10
- Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One (Ross Brawn & Adam Parr)
A guide to the teachings of Sun Tzu and military history and wether they hold when applied to Formula One. Interesting conceptually as it explores the facets of strategy- a blending of economic, political and technical forces which proves to be an applicable read. Would have made a brilliant podcast as the entire format is an interview and subsequent discussion between the authors. 8/10
- Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story (Alistair & Jonathan Brownlee)
Starts a bit dull (we train a lot, we win a lot… yawn), but picks up throughout- building to the London 2012 Olympic final. Sport never fails to provide drama, but it’s the brotherly relationship that adds the most intrigue. #1 and #2 competitor athletes from a sport training and living together yet pitted against one another- it produces a see-saw cocktail of friction and jealousy yet camaraderie. A more nuanced and complex relationship than the media portrays colour a light guide to dominance in an elite discipline. 7/10
