Rishabh's blog

My year in books: 2018

I kept some of my resolutions from last year - specifically reading more books. I ended up going through a total of 29, some as phystical books, some as ebooks and others as audiobooks. I found that making a habit of reading books was good for me - every morning, I'd wake up and after making some coffee, would read for 30-45 minutes while playing some jazz music in the background. This routine helped me get the day started well and allowed me to enjoy the book I was reading without distractions (since both my wife and my dog are usually sleeping this early in the AM). Another interesting thing I learned was that listening to fiction books was much better than listening to non-fiction (for me, at-least; I needed to focus more on the latter and often times, re-read). This allowed me to listen to a bunch of books while commuting to work or walking the dog.

For those interested, here's the list of books I went through this year. I had started with a goal of 15 books in the year, ended up extending to 25 and finally 35. I obviously fell short of that final (and updated) goal, so I'll use that as a number for 2019.

Of these books, here's the ones I found particularly interesting and worth mentioning (in no particular order, besides the first one):

Thinking, Fast and Slow
- If I had to recommend one book to read, to anyone, fiction or not, this would be it. The book is about how people make decisions but adds a lot of interesting stories by the author to make the subject more approachable. The things you learn from it apply to both your personal and professional life. Finally, it's a rather entertaining read - so not only do you come out smarter for having read the book, but also enjoy yourself while doing so.
The World According to Garp
Old Man's War
- I have always enjoyed sci-fi stories (books, movies, tv shows etc.). This book falls fully in that category and was an amazing read (I think I finished it on a flight back from Burkina Faso - ignoring sleep or movies on the way over). My only problem with it was that it created a world for the reader very well, but then ended rather abruptly. Unlike many other books, I believe it had potential to be a longer read than it was.
Homegoing
- A book about cultures and experiences, a really engaging read. Many of the books I've read this year have made me realize that one of the bigger issues we all need to solve is to build empathy for folks of all stripes - something I plan to continue to work on by talking to and reading about folks from different walks of life.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
- A very educational read. I have often wondered why some people ended up being the colonists and others ended up being colonized (thinking about my place of birth's contemporary history). This book helps answer not only that question but many others.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Shōgun
- Not my first time reading this book. Each time I do so, I become even more enthralled by it. I truly enjoy reading about japanese culture (ever since I read this book the first time, I've wanted to visit Japan) and the storytelling is truly masterful. Coming off of this book, I've ended up reading (or listening to) many more of James Clavell's books, but this continues to be the crown jewel.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
- On the subject of empathy, understanding what the very poor go through was truly eye-opening for me. Understanding how we have failed some parts of society and learning about some of the things we can do to alleviate the pain was both heartbreaking and educational - especially for someone living in the bay area where housing continues to be a rather big problem.

This list is obviously not exhaustive, but I think what I would say is that read books, regardless of which ones you do. Like me, find someone who already reads and ask them for suggestions. Also, look at the pulitzer price winning books to find new ones to read and also the economist books section - both of which are good sources for recommendations.

Have a wonderful 2019!!

social