Brooklyn, NY, December 2024 (subscribers only)
I made a commitment to myself and you in 2024: to help people with as many good ideas as possible about work and data.
That meant ramping up my own reading. Here’s a lesson I learned: if you want to read more, find good books to read. And its corollary: when you find a good book, take it with you everywhere you go. Now, I’ll share some ideas for which books to take with you!
You’ve heard me quote the from the first five books on this list in my weekly articles. I read books not just for quotes, but to help ask better questions. When you listen to the stories other people tell, it opens windows to gaps in your own thinking.
The first five books on my list give you practical, thought-provoking ideas for work, covering economics, sociology, and business. That’s how many data people think: pragmatic and entirely abstract, all at the same time. Have fun with these.
The final two recommendations (Tolstoy and Zinsser) are more personal. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, “Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with all your heart.” These two books hit that spot right on target for me this past year. They developed my craft (writing) but convinced me to not hold on to it as a means to an end.
Enjoy these - and please, share your own recommendations for me in 2025!
Zane
Turn the Ship Around (David Marquet, 2013) | Genre: Economics | Reading level: Easy | 272 pages
David Marquet uses his experience managing a nuclear submarine to explain how companies become better decision makers through empowerment. Don't think too deeply about this one, just enjoy the read.
Storytelling with Data (Cole Knaflic, 2015) | Genre: Business Mathematics | Reading level: Easy | 288 pages
A straightforward but thoughtful take on presenting ideas visually, with data. You might not realize all the mistakes you make every day in your presentations until you read this.
The Business Case for AI (Kavita Ganesan, 2022) | Genre: Information Technology | Reading level: Easy | 318 pages
How many books about AI are written by AI? It’s a legitimate question. If you read a lot of technology books (like me), it’s easy to spot jargon. You’ll find the opposite with (my LinkedIn friend) Kavita Ganesan’s book. It delivers exactly what the title promises: you need to use AI for solving real business problems. Avoid “shiny new toy syndrome” and listen to her words of wisdom.
The Uncontrollability of The World (Hartmut Rosa, 2020) | Genre: Sociology | Reading level: Advanced | 140 pages
Rosa's mind-bending book challenges your every assumption about the world. It's terrifying and relaxing at the same time. If you need help living in the moment, you'll love this read. But don't attempt explaining it to your friends.
The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt, 2024) | Genre: Sociology | Reading level: Intermediate | 400 pages
Haidt explains how smartphones fully rewired the minds, bodies, and emotions of today's children. It's a terrifying but necessary read, and it's already started a movement in the other direction. This isn’t just a sociology book; it’s also a great parenting reference as well.
The Death of Ivan Illych (Leo Tolstoy, 1886) | Genre: Fiction | Reading level: Intermediate | 114 pages
This is a book for everyone in the middle of their career, wondering what it all amounts to. Tolstoy isn't easy, but he is profound, and this is his shortest book. Please read it!
On Writing Well - 30th Anniversary Edition (William Zinsser, 2012) | Genre: authorship | Reading level: Intermediate | 336 pages
If you asked what book made the most difference for my daily habits in 2024, it's probably this one. I can't read anything now without thinking about the quality of the writing. That doesn't only help me write, it also helps me avoid boring books.
