Great Books and More | Top Reads of 2021

So far in 2021, I’ve read a bunch of terrific books! I’ve mentioned a few of these before, I guess because they are so interesting. Here are my favorites so far:

1. Peak – Anders Ericsson

I have referenced many ideas from this book, including the idea that high IQ can be a disadvantage.
The main idea is that you don’t need talent, you need to be smarter about how you practice.

To read my favorite ideas and quotes check out my Peak book highlights.

2. The Elephant in the Brain — Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson

This book offers insights for people curious about how our minds work and the social pressures we may be reluctant to admit.

My summary and a few key takeaways – Elephant in the Brain book highlights.

3. Open – Andre Agassi

This book was terrific and made me envy his work ethic, although his training sounded like a lot of suffering. Full of amusing stories and well-written, this book got a lot of help from JR Moehringer.

As a bonus, I also really liked JR Moehringer’s memoir The Tender Bar, with tales of growing up hanging out in a bar in Long Island.

4. Make Time — Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

This book offers ideas and techniques to feel less busy and fill your days with satisfying activities.

I wrote up a few of the exercises and studies in my Make Time book highlights.

5. The Glass Hotel – Emily St. John Mandel (Fiction)

This book is about a lot of things but mainly covers a Ponzi scheme and how it affects all the other people involved. Written in beautiful language, I devoured this book. I thought of it again when I re-watched The Big Short this week.

6. Story of Your Life – Ted Chiang (Sci-fi Story)

This short story was turned into the movie The Arrival, and I enjoyed reading it so much, I ended up watching the movie again afterward. You can find the PDF through an online search (DuckDuckGo) – it’s a quick, fun read!