Book Reviews Archives

December 28, 2021January 1, 2022

The 16 Best Books I Read in 2021

(Reading Time: 7 minutes)

Welcome to my annual list of the books I read and loved in these last 52 weeks.

This is (mostly) a branding blog, but there’s not a single book on this year’s list that pertains to that field.

(Side note: I find myself increasingly disappointed with business books; lately, most read like blog posts that have been stretched and padded, or thinly-veiled pitches for the author’s products and services, or both. Am I being too harsh? Was there a branding or business book you read and loved this year? Please drop me a note and let me know. I’m always looking for the good stuff.)

December 21, 2020May 12, 2021

The 13 Best Books I Read in 2020

(Reading Time: 7 minutes)

2020 was the year I learned to quit a book.

See, I have a problem. Maybe you have it too. Once I start a book, I feel guilty about putting it down. Even if it’s awful. Mom & Dad said, “Don’t start something you’re not going to finish,” and I guess I took that to heart.

But then, earlier this year, I was about 10% into a book when I stumbled over this chunk of verse:

December 23, 2019January 4, 2020

The 26 Best Books I Read in 2019

(Reading Time: 9 minutes)

2019 was another good year for reading things. I completed 48 books, 26 of which I recommend to you here.

As either a warning or a selling point, most of them aren’t business books, and most weren’t released in 2019.

Instead of ranking them, I’ve listed them alphabetically by author, a cop-out if there ever was one. And I’ve provided links to Amazon for each (just click on the title). This is for your convenience – I’m not an Amazon affiliate and I’m not here to make money off your clicks.

With that, here are the books that made me laugh, cry, think and act in 2019. Many of these came to me via personal recommendation, and my hope is that you’ll find a few of them intriguing enough to check out.

March 11, 2019January 4, 2020

Two-Minute Book Review: Atomic Habits

(Reading Time: 2 minutes)

“Atomic Habits,” by James Clear, will be among the most valuable books I read in 2019.

I was drawn to it because, as a soloist, my time is my inventory. I’m always looking for ways to do more of the stuff that matters, both professionally and personally. With the subtitle “An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones,” I was hoping “Atomic Habits” would help me identify some areas where I’m getting in my own way.

The author delivers the goods. Clear describes the book as “an operating manual,” and there’s a heavy focus on systems: “You do not rise to the level of your goals,” Clear writes. “You fall to the level of your systems.”

January 2, 2019January 4, 2020

The 20 Best Books I Read in 2018

(Reading Time: 8 minutes)Here are the 20 best books I read in 2018. These books weren’t necessarily released in 2018. And they’re not just business books, because there’s more to life than business.

Instead, these are the 20 books, of the 38 I completed in 2018, that I’d recommend to a friend or colleague. My hope is that you’ll find a few of these intriguing enough to check out.

I read several of these for the third or fourth time. Given the oppressive awfulness of the daily news, this is one way I sought out “comfort food.” (Another: Plenty of ambient music.)

They’re listed alphabetically by author. And I’ve provided links to Amazon for each. This is for your convenience – I’m not an Amazon affiliate and I’m not here to make money off your clicks.

With that, here are the 20 books that moved me, changed me or comforted me in 2018: Continue reading “The 20 Best Books I Read in 2018”

October 3, 2018January 4, 2020

Two-Minute Book Review: Bad Blood

(Reading Time: 2 minutes)The story of Theranos, the one-time unicorn with the $9 billion valuation, has already entered the ranks of legendary cautionary tales. In “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup,” Wall Street Journal writer John Carreyrou puts together all the pieces behind its rise and swift decline.

It’s a fascinating, scary read.

Carreyrou is an investigative journalist, and his take is fact-driven, not character-driven. (Expect more character development in the upcoming movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.) But the facts speak for themselves, and will keep you engrossed. Continue reading “Two-Minute Book Review: Bad Blood”