Reads of 2016
I find reading to be kind of tedious.
The Masochist's Teapot
I'm distracted very easily and it's hard to get home from work and "sit down, relax, and read a book" when what I really want to do is "drink a beer and play Super Mario".
Nevertheless, the large advantages our species has over other animals of the kingdom are communication and intelligence. Other animals can learn and reason (Pavlov's dog), and other animals can communicate, but what really sets us apart is the large spectrum of our communication abilities and the ability to parse that input.
When we develop ideas ("thoughts"), we formulate those into a context (composed of "symbols"). The ability to transmit that data to another human allows us to first determine a baseline of symbol representation ("language"), and then to share and extrapolate our thoughts from entity to entity ("knowledge transfer").
So, as Anthony Bourdain says:
"There’s a guy inside me who wants to lay in bed, and smoke weed all day, and watch cartoons, and old movies. I could easily do that. My whole life is a series of stratagems to avoid, and outwit, that guy."
As much as I'd like to do just that, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to our evolutionary advantage by not learning. Learning is our gift. We should use what is special to us.
One more preface: Specialization (aka "being an expert in something") is key, but creativity comes from being able to draw from disjointed and orthogonal subject matter and integrate those thoughts into a new phenomenon. Take for example: Elon Musk. Why has Tesla taken off so fast? Why couldn't GM or Ford design a "cool hip car that takes the nation by storm"?
Well, aside from special interests, it's partly due to the fact that they have always been vehicle manufacturers. They iterate linearly. Their version of "new idea" is "cupholder in the backseat".
The ability for someone (like Elon) to come in from a tech background (e-payments and aeronautical engineering), allows for exponential innovation, and ideas that are truly creative.
Enough rambling. Here are my reads of 2016:
Complete Idiot's Guide to Massage
I honestly don't recommend this book. I've always been good at massages, so when I saw this book I picked it up thinking it would better my touch, but it's a bunch of hippy bullshit that explains basically how to enjoy a massage. Even so, still not great.
The Martian
I picked up this book because everyone was talking about it, and then I found out a movie was coming out (thus, why everyone was talking about it). So I got the book a few days before the movie. I saw the movie and then I read the book. Couldn't have been better. It was nice having a visual guide to an even deeper read.
Siddhartha
This is a tremendous book that I've started buying for people. It's similar to The Alchemist in the "life journey" sense, except it's more direct about "hey, chill out and don't be a douchebag". Herman Hesse is a phenomenal writer.
The Psychedelic Experience
With authors Ralph Metzner, Ram Dass, and Timothy Leary, you know you're in for a ride. In a straightforward sense, this book is about how to do psychedelic drugs. In a not so straightforward sense, this book is about thought management and identifying what's truly necessary.
High Output Management
This is an incredible book written by the former CEO of intel, Andrew Grove. He scientifically breaks down hierarchies and strategies for increasing organizational production while balancing human emotions and inevitable obstacles. Great for anyone with upward momentum, but gets a little tedious in parts
Steppenwolf
Do not read this book if you're depressed. I picked up this book because Siddhartha was so amazing and I thought I knew Herman Hesse. I did not. The man is the epitome of a cynic and takes you down the rabbit hole of nihilism. A terrific read, but I would suggest reading The Psychedelic Experience as a preface.
Bringing it to the Table
Recommendation by Mr. Singley.
In short, this book started with "you should be conscious about what you eat", followed by "what you eat is influenced by your farming", followed by "we should all quit our jobs and be Amish". Seriously. It's a great book but somewhat impractical. If you ever want to sound cool in Boulder, CO, just bring up the name Wendell Berry. Also seriously, I appreciate his efforts and I think he purposefully over exaggerates his suggestions in order to highlight the large margin of which our food industry is awry.
Hillbilly Elegy
This is a hot book right now. Written by a rust-belt child raised by true hillbillies, turned Yale-lawyer, it's a great insight into political empathy. There's currently a sad trend of *some extremist liberals unable to understand why their candidate lost and not willing to tolerate the effort to empathize, and this book is a great way to bridge that gap. If you're the type of person who gets mad at their barista because your coffee wasn't perfect, this is a book for you.
Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart
This is a (long) short story by the New York Times which gives an anecdotal timeline of the Middle East, and how it came to un-be. Reading this is enlightening. You will feel more human, you will empathize, and you will be frustrated upon realizing that no amount of political or armed power from any country will lead to a clear solution. This is a story about many stubborn humans across the world all in tough positions.
The Design of Everyday Things
I'm very technically oriented, and thus insecure about my ability to be visually artistic. I wanted to read a scientific approach on user interfaces and material usability. Originally titled "The Psychology of Everyday Things", this book is awesome. If you're in tech, or woodworking, or construction, or any other industry that creates human interfaces, read this book! Why do we scroll down on our computers but up on our phones? What knobs correspond to surfaces on an oven? How can you signify which way a door opens before it's opened? Beware: this book will make you more cynical about things you interact with on a daily basis.
So, there it is. There were more pieces read, but these really stood out. I love to take suggestions and then discuss them with the suggester afterwards. Give me a title!
Best wishes and Happy 2017