As the leaves fall off the trees, the coats and boots come out and ski season is around the corner, I come to the realization that 2017 is coming to an end. As I reflect on the many things that have taken place in the past year, it has also been a good time to reflect on the intentions I had for this year when it started.
One of those, of course, is a reading list! I get the occasional request to share what I'm reading and here are my top picks of the year.
Why I read it: Curiosity, really. It was recommended by a friend and the author's narrative/style was interesting.
Why it was valuable: It was the first human history book I've read that took in the perspective of biological evolution mixed with an anthropological view. The author is able to describe man as a species as though I was looking into a fishbowl and threw in some pretty interesting revelations.
Why I read it: I was looking for a few web design classics. Something that gives me insight into how designers think, how they approach their craft and what is important to them.
Why it was valuable: A great summary into the kind of learning I wanted to get out of this book - for someone with a more technical/delivery based background. It's easy to read, and easy to understand. It won't bring a rookie to a state of any kind of proficiency (no one book should - skill is earned by practice!) but is very useful and fresh nonetheless.
Why I read it: Neal Stephenson was an author recommended by a friend. This seemed to the one of the gateway books - easy enough to pick up on hard science fiction.
Why it was valuable: The plot line is poised in a way that it could and could not be realistic at the same time, taking the reader in the sweet "what if" spot. The explanations on the physics of space travel, as hard science fiction tends to do, served as interesting thought experiments on what life could be like in space! Very cool stuff. I see myself reading more Neal Stephenson in 2018
Why I read it: Because, Elon Musk. But also because I was visiting my family and it happened to be a book on the bookshelf.
Why it was valuable: It humanizes (in some form) someone who I admire. I think that's what is great about well written biographies. It has given me an idea of what it takes to be well, Elon Musk (TL;DR a lot of risk). In some level, motivational because I realize I have the same number of hours in a day as Elon Musk. If he can run 2-3 highly risky, innovative and arguably successful mankind-changing companies with 24 hours, I can likely do whatever mundane (it's all relative) thing I'm trying to achieve.
Why I read it: Wanting to bridge a gap between what I know about product management, and what I don't know about it. This happens to be the product management bible for technology companies, which is very apt for what I spend most days thinking about.
Why it was valuable: It helps identify how to position and build upon a product depending on which stage a company is. It also adds to the knowledge of how products fail, why they fail, and lessons into what can be done to make them successful. The case studies were particularly entertaining since they involved real world examples of well-known technology products/companies. (nerd alert!)
What have you read in 2017? I'd love to hear your thoughts on good reads. Is there anything I should pick up in 2018?