Books I've Read...
Project Hail mary
Andy Weir
Ryland Grace, a junior high science teacher turned accidental astronaut, wakes up with amnesia on a desperate mission to save Earth from a sun-eating parasite. To succeed, he must rely on his scientific wits and an unexpected, heartwarming interstellar alliance to solve a mystery millions of miles from home.
Midnight Library
Matt Haig
Between life and death exists a library where Nora Seed gets the chance to undo her regrets and try out all the other lives she could have lived. As she navigates an infinite number of possible futures, she must ultimately decide what makes life truly worth living.
When Breath Becomes Air
Gabrielle Zevine
At the peak of his career as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, forcing him to confront his own mortality from the perspective of both a doctor and a patient. This profoundly moving memoir grapples with the question of what makes a life worth living in the face of death.
Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevine
Not only is it my second ever fiction read, it also is easily one of the best books I have ever read. It sits at a perfect intersection between being a love story combined with a really interesting deep dive into design and development of video games
Red Notice
Bill Browder
Made for perfect reading during the Covid pandemic lockdown. This true story starts as a high-finance success story through investment opportunities in Russia and quickly turns into a thriller exposing the Kremlin's corruption
Normal People
Sally Rooney
My first ever fiction read! I just had to read this book after watching the TV show. This is an amazing love story born out of rural Ireland which explores the changing lives going into University of the 2 main characters. We also dive into some darker themes around loneliness and mental health.
Lying
Sam Harris
A lie is defined as the act of intentionally misleading someone when they expect an honest communication. There are 2 types of lies ; lies of commission i.e. lies we intentionally tell and lies of ommission i.e. lies we don't correct the truth. This book focuses on lies of ommission. Specifically white lies where we hide truths to spare people's feelings and how that is not always the best long term solution.
Confessions of a sociopath
M.E.Thomas
Funny how much easier it is to convince someone you are a pyscopath, than it is to convince someone you are not. Statistically speaking 1 in 25 people are sociopaths, and this book makes it just that much easier to understand who you know that might be one.
What If
Randall Munroe
Answers all the questions we've asked ourselves to stretch the limits of what should and should not be possible! A couple of my favourites questions are "Is it possible to make a jetpack by firing a machine gun vertically down" and "How hard would you need to slap a chicken (once) to cook it"
Who Moved My Cheese
Spencer Johnson
This simple book tells the story of four characters who react differently when their source of "Cheese"—a metaphor for what we want in life, like a job or relationship—disappears. It's a simple and quick read that reveals how our attitude towards change can determine our success and happiness.
12 Rules for Life
Jordan Peterson
An interesting self-help book from an otherwise contrversial author. On a personal note I see myself striving towards rules 4 and 8 for a more meaningful and interesting approach towards life.
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
What import truth do very few people agree with you upon? This is a difficult question as it forces you to verbalise something you think is unpopular. The author proposes that the best answer is in the form "Most people think x, but truth is the opposite of x". Personally my view on the question is :
most people believe the future of the world will be defined by globalization, but truth is technology matters more
That is to say with the current resouce availability in the world, it is a negative idea to get the entire population to the same standard of living as a developed nation (e.g. America)
Have a Suggestion?
Are you reading an interesting book, please let me know using the box below...
