Books of 2010

As 2010 comes to a close, it feels prudent to give a short account of my extra-curricular reading from the year past. I read a lot. I’d even call myself “avid” if it wasn’t for the fact people around me are known to sometimes put away a book a week. My book-a-month average falls far short of such achievements, but it’s still a major factor in how I look upon the world. And that’s why this summary belongs on Building to Think.

The idea behind this blog, if you didn’t already know, is to track my thoughts around particular topics. I might start by writing a “primer” about, say, systems theory, as a way to familiarize myself with the concept. I’d then apply that learning in subsequent post of related topics, such as emergence. My focus thus far has revolved around my professional life, but the truth is that’s only half the story. The other half has thus far remained hidden.

That other half is what I referred to above as “extra-curricular” reading. You see, I rarely read business books (you’ll only find one such book on this list) and yet I’m sure what I read influences my work immensely. Below, you’ll find books on economics, biology, philosophy, history, geopolitics, and religion. And although the connection between these books and, say, web strategy might not always be obvious, I assure you it’s there.

So, without further ado and with only a cursory respect to the order in which I read them, here are my Books of 2010:

A demon-haunted world (Carl Sagan) is perhaps the best introduction to critical thinking and scientific skepticism available today. Sagen was known for his ability to simplify and explain the complex, and so also in this case. Highly recommended.

Freefall (Joseph Stieglitz) is a hard-hitting analysis of the run-up and aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown. I’ve read most of Stieglitz books, but this is most scathing one to date. Even Obama gets an earful! There’s a WAAbstract available (see below).

Three cups of tea (Greg Mortensson) is the true yet amazing story of one man’s quest to build schools in the most inaccessible parts of Afghanistan. If you’ve ever had doubts as to the virtues of human kind, I’d gladly recommend reading this book.

The selfish gene (Richard Dawkins) is nothing short of a masterpiece. In it, Dawkins’ lays out his thinking around replicators, genes, and “survival machines”. You may not know it, but it also marks the first use of the term “meme”.

The origin of species (Charles Darwin) should probably have been read come before The selfish gene, but be that as it may. It was interesting to get a first-hand account from the man himself. Nothing like going straight to the source.

What the dog saw (Malcolm Gladwell) is a collection of essays originally published in the New Yorker. Gladwell is a master storyteller that can turn the most mundane topic into an interesting piece of non-fiction.

Glut (Alex Wright) reads like a history lesson for information architects. It’s really quite fascinating, albeit not an easy read. Interestingly, I seem to remember more tidbits of information from this book that any other (Idols of the mind, anyone?).

The god delusion (Richard Dawkins) is very much an inescapable consequence of Dawkins’ career. A vocal proponent of evolution by natural selection, he’s often attacked by creationists. This is his attempt to swipe the matt from under their feet.

The greatest show on earth (Richard Dawkins) is a step-by-step account of the evidence for evolution by natural selection. It lays the foundation for all of Dawkins’ books, past and present.

Rework (Jason Fried) is the one token business book I read this year. I’m a fan and long-time customer of Fried’s 37Signals, but Rework offers the same kind of facile short list of do’s and don’t as most books of this kind. Still, I agree with most of what he says.

The next 100 years (George Friedman) is Friedman’s attempt to predict the geopolitical climate of 2100. I’m not qualified to judge the validity of his arguments, but it does make for an interesting read. There’s a WWAbstract available (see below).

God is not great (Christopher Hitchens) is really quite similar to Dawkins’ The god delusion. This was, however, the first time I ever read Hitchens and his language alone makes the read worthwhile.

How the mind works (Steven Pinker) is an opus of science writing that covers everything from evolutionary psychology to neuroscience. Very informational, but I struggled at times. Friends tell me Pinker’s Blank slate is more accessible.

A very short introduction to philosophy of science (Samir Okasha) is, as the title says, very short. It’s really not more than a cursory overview, but I found it worthwhile and, at times, mind-boggling nonetheless.

The blind watchmaker (Richard Dawkins) is a work-in-progress, but I’ll be done before the new year. The book is a continuation of The selfish gene but is actually quite different (it’s more of an argument for than explanation of the gene-centric view of evolution).

In reviewing this list, it’s strikes me how much my interests has shifted during 2010. Had I produces a similar list for 2009, you’d had found more books on politics than on the natural sciences. Also interesting is how little my surrounding seems to have influenced me. I moved from Seattle to Bangkok in late 2008, but I’m having a hard time seeing a connection between that move and my new-found interest in the natural sciences.

This shift becomes even more marked if you factor in other forms of media. Podcasts, for example, has long been a favorite information source of mine. And in addition to master pieces like WNYC’s Radiolab, I now rarely miss an episode of the Skeptic’s guide to the universe, Point of inquiry, For good reason, or Dan Carlin’s Hardcore history etc. Science, I’ve discovered, has an uncanny ability to capture my imagination.

One year and fifteen books later and it’s only natural to ask which one I liked best. It’s not an easy pick by any means, but my choice has to fall to Dawkins’ The selfish gene. Written in 1976 when Dawkins was only 35 years old (how’s that for a humbling fact?), this book has forever changed my outlook on life. It’s really quite striking. The only real grief I have with it is that I wish I would have read it sooner.

So much to read, so little time.