6 books you didn’t know but should read. Non-obvious reading choices from the past five years.
Over the last 10 years, my average books-per-year rate has been around 30. This pretty high number has given me a chance to read beyond the bestsellers known by everybody and search a bit into specific titles. Here I offer a unique look into my past and a few book recommendations.
McMafia from Misha Glenny
After the Dark Market, McMafia was the second book I read from this author, a British war reporter who had experience from the Balkan war and specialization in organized crime. The emergence of the internet, synthetic drugs as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union brought new dimensions into the world of organized crime. Through deep interviews, the author spoke with players on both sides.
For me personally, this book was the most controversial by topic I read at the given time. Understanding the resistant supply chain of the global drug industry is also an ultimate reason I support full legalization since then up to today. Narconomics I read later only supported my opinion. One day, I want to read the history of the Balkans.
20 years of new Poland in reportages
20 let v reportážích nového Polska
Once I attended a talk from a foreign correspondent of the Czech radio in Poland, Petr Vavrouška. His book later led me to outstanding polish writer Mariusz Szczygieł. In my country, he is mostly known for Gottland, bringing original views on stories from modern Czech History.
20 years of new Poland in reportages is a collection of the most read, impactful or controversial media stories written after the fall of the communist regime in Poland. They cover stories where majorly conservative polish society meets the reality of living in a capitalist country. The life of the polish immigrants in the United Kingdom, homosexuality and HIV amongst religious representatives were probably the most memorable stories for me.
If all the economics books made me support the economic right (you can also call it classical or libertarian), this book definitely made me a liberal — I can’t accept the idea that something we’re “used to” should have an impact on the lives of sovereign people.
The audacity of hope from Barack Obama
Occasionally, I like to read something long. This one was certainly worth it. Written two-year prior to his presidency, Barack Obama shares his political views, beliefs and hopes, but adds a significant context of history, politics and philosophy. I understood for the first time the reason for private televisions news broadcasting, the development of relationships between both parties over time and much more. Later, I come back to his Dream from my Father and I expect to read A promised land soon.
Facts and mysteries in elementary particle physics from Martinus Weltman
If you were wondering where the physics was, here we go.
Nobel prize laureate, a Dutch physicist wrote a book about particle physics. He is starting very smoothly with a basic description and building up laws of relativity and quantum mechanics. There are many (Feynmann’s) diagrams presented within the book and the number of real reactions helps to see all the laws on practical examples. Towards the end of the book, Weltman reaches up to date experiments at the world’s largest facilities.
Even though the book was written before the discovery of Higgs boson in 2013, I read it two times and don’t regret it. Martinus Weltman died in the early days of 2021.
Gentleman in Moscow from Amor Towles
I barely came across a fiction book. I saw this one for the first time during one long visit to the bookstore, later I noticed it also in Gates’ recommendations. The most fascinating about this book is the setting — just two hotel rooms, very few characters, but an incredible plot based on modern Russian history. Together with many links to other texts, it’s making a short novel you shouldn’t ignore. Other books from the author are Rules of Civility and the third novel to be released soon.
World Order from Henry Kissinger
Once I couldn’t fall asleep so started reading half-done World Order. By the morning I was finished. The book is written by an eminent figure of the world’s diplomacy. For me, the most mind-blowing were the first two chapters about historical changes in European diplomacy. Technology, ideology and World Order are the keywords. After the introduction to historical roots, the author continues in geographical order — including the Arab world, Iran and Asia.
It’s worth note that all successor Secretary of State in the US worked either with or for Kissinger — this closed world and the related distribution of power is elaborated in the book of another Kissinger’s former colleague, Superclass from David Rothkopf.
To explain the world from Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg is a professor of theoretical physics and the Nobel prize laureate. Given the nature of his job — the book follows a very rigorous structure, at least at the beginning — chronologically summarizes the most significant thought processes in physics and connected areas — mathematics, technology, poetry, philosophy and religion. After this a bit tough beginning, an interested reader will recognize a subtle ongoing message on how science actually works and the origin of modern philosophy of science. Towards the end, you don’t want to stop reading and the author is reaching arguably the most interesting part discussing his own research/context of scientific research almost today.
It is hard to argue what are more and less known titles as almost all previously mentioned books are international bestsellers — from my experience, they usually enjoy less attention then they deserve. Book titles below are more frequently recommended, but I think it doesn’t hurt to look at them anyway.
Steve Jobs from Walter Issacson
Iconic
Delivering Happiness from Tony Hsieh
The best book about the customer-centric approach you’ll ever read. An amazing story of an immigrant son founding Zappos.
Everything from Dan Ariely; Thinking Fast and Slow from Daniel Khaneman
Behavioural economics from well-respected professors is always a promise of good reading, lots of laughs and lesser trust in humanity and your own decisions.
Chaos Monkey from Antonio García Martínez
Every time I know a bit more about startups and VCs (which is hopefully every time), I have a better time reading this book. It wasn’t very funny for me the first time, but since then, I just open a random page and have fun. The book also contains nice gossips from Facebook IPO, so you can then flex in front of your friends.
7 habits from Stephen Covey
A little confession. I’m aware that this book doesn’t have the best reputations. Yes, it is oversimplified and a bit redundant. I can say that it was probably the first self-help I have read and I got a useful language to address many common issues.
My top three books:
Zero to One from Peter Thiel
My personal bible, I’ve read around 9 times and if you ask me about any chapter on content in the book, we will have a nice discussion. The book is originally intended as a how to build a company notes, but in fact, it’s much more — life, competition, philosophy. There are also many graphs, which adds just another reason why you will like it.
The everything story from Brad Stone
Story of Jeff Bezos and Amazon from Day One. Later this year, a sequel is coming.
No room for Small Dreams by Shimon Peres
Story on the man who was Israel from the very beginning. Former president and prime minister. Operation Entebbe, nuclear program and Startup Nation. Terrific book. Many real-life examples that some decisions are right though they lead to bad outcomes.
Bonus #1 — books I haven’t finished (yet)
The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin — a good book to understand how a former KGB agent became a president of a wannabe democratic country. Quite solid reading for a grade 6 student, I should finish it sometime.
The technical and economical aspects of the energy industry — quite a Niche book about… guess what technical and economical aspects… types of crude oil tankers and pipelines and technical introduction into markets. Not for everybody, but I just downloaded a PDF.
Bonus #2 — biggest trash
Blue Planet in Green Shackles: What is Endangered: Climate Or Freedom? — toilet book. Former president of the Czech Republic, a climate sceptic and not the brightest thinker wrote a piece of sh*t that climate change is a myth, using wrong-proven arguments. Avoid this as much as you can.
