Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Very long, very interesting read of Lincoln and everyone in his cabinet and social circle. Lots of great details their politics, showing Lincoln as a great mediator during a time when the civil war wasn’t the only thing tearing the nation apart. A movie or TV miniseries couldn’t do justice to all the stories and characters here. Lots of the content comes directly from the letters and telegraph records they sent to each other, and the diaries of their wives.
The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo—and the Sacrifice That Forged a Nation
I like this book because it gives a great snapshot of history, through the lens of this one struggle, which ended up being very important in the history of America. It’s amazing how much detail the author was able to put together from all kinds of varying accounts.
The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future
This is from Bill Gates’ 2016 list and I also found it to be pretty fascinating. I wish the book had been shorter, but more technical.
If this were a ranked list, I would put this near the top. I saw somewhere that this was required reading for soldiers today. I can see why—this first-hand account of many WWII battles tells every detail as the author saw it. I couldn’t put it down.
Hero: Becoming the Strong Father Your Children Need
Good book for someone who needs to be reminded how important they are in their kids’ lives. Very basic stuff, in my opinion.
Product Demos That Sell: How to Deliver Winning SaaS Demos
$1 ebook with great tips for anyone in the software industry. I find that working toward a great demo is a really good motivator.
American Assassin: A Thriller (The Mitch Rapp Prequel Series Book 1)
Good bedtime novel about fighting terrorists. I guess there is a movie coming out with this character.
I love the take on ‘80s nostalgia in this one. The writing isn’t a 10/10, but who cares? This was the biggest page-turner on the whole list.
If this were a ranked list, I would put this right at the top, and it would be an easy decision. Also from Bill Gates’ recommendations. Hard sci-fi novel about our reaction to the moon exploding, that quickly turns into much more. Pretty easy to see real-life figures as some of these characters.
A classic story that was never assigned to me in middle school. I can see why; it’s not very good.
Great fictional story about a fledgling mobster during prohibition. Made into a sub-par Ben Affleck movie, from what I hear. Book is riveting, though.
Hyperion Cantos series:
I made it through all four pretty quickly because they are a really good blend of approachable sci-fi with some philosophy mised in. Very very thought-provoking, especially from a Christian perspective.