A bunch of friends were discussing this over dinner recently. In no particular order, the books I enjoyed most this year include:
Lexicon, Max Barry
I don’t read a lot of fiction but found this to be both a page turner and brain bender. Anyone interested in the art and science of persuasion will love this book.
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, Brad Stone
Inside account of the birth and growth of Amazon. Fun gossip and dirt, interesting business strategies and how NOT to lead your people.
Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship and Betrayal, Nick Bilton
Inside account of the birth and growth of Twitter. Fun gossip and dirt, interesting business strategies and how NOT to lead your people. Wait a minute, didn’t I just say that…seems to be recurring patterns in the birth of startup tech companies.
Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder, Nassim Taleb
OK, maybe I skimmed this more than read it, but the concept of something that gets stronger and better in the face of risk and chaos is fascinating and has great business design implications.
Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
This is the most important book in a long time to elevate the discussion of diversity and gender equality in the workplace. This is a must read for both men and women.
Six Years, Harlan Coben
Best beach read of the year by far.
Enders Game, Orson Scott Card
My middle daughter–the reader–insisted I read this and it’s justified as a modern classic of science fiction. Haven’t seen the movie yet.
Gone Girl: A Novel, Gillian Flynn
OK, maybe I actually read more fiction than I realize, or maybe this was from 2012! Another page turner, creative flow, surprise ending. Probably best fiction of the year.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Re-reading before the awesome movie of course. Who doesn’t like watching Leo DiCaprio, um, I mean Jay Gatsby.
What were the best books YOU read in 2013?
Happy Holidays!
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