While the following list isn’t comprehensive, it is a good indication of the books that I have read in 2019. Most of them I have borrowed from the library, some I have on my bookshelves. Not all are documented here so I have read about 2-3 books per month which is way up on last year.
January 2019:
Buckminster Fuller / Martin Pawley. ISBN: 9780800811167
A short biography of Bucky Fuller. Nothing particularly new or interesting about RBF, just a book written to fit in a series of books about designers. Some nice pictures that are probably available now on the internet.
How to get rich: the secret of business success from the star of The Apprentice / Donald J. Trump with Meredith McIver. ISBN: 9781785942563 (pbk)
A ghost-written fluff about how great DJT is, with some tips and advice. Very fast reading. Lots of “I knew a guy who…and lemme tell ya” anecdotes.
Mörön to Mörön : two men, two bikes, one Mongolian misadventure / Tom Doig. ISBN: 9781743311264
Travel book, easy reading, sweaty ill planned travel documentary. Very little adventure but some good descriptions of Mongolia, however unflattering. (Dec 2018)
Exactly Simon Winchester, ISBN 9780008241773
Narration of the refinement of precision in engineering and technology told through anecdotes of the people who made discoveries and developments, from the boring of a cannon to the printing of silicone microchips. Also, a discussion of measurement units and time units and their measurement. (Nov 18 – Feb 19)
February 2019:
Brian Friel: essays, diaries, interviews, 1964-1999 / edited, introduced and with a bibliography by Christopher Murray. ISBN: 9780571200696
I read the interviews, some interesting ones, brief however, of Friel when he was much younger.
Revolutionary road / Richard Yates. ISBN: 9780099518624
Novel recommended by Living A FI. Not a particularly nice tale, better than the movie.
The 80/20 principle: the secret of achieving more with less / Richard Koch. ISBN: 9781857886849
Good analysis of productivity, especially at work. Basically, suggests that for everything 20% of the effort yields 80% of the results. Worth reading.
Buy-to-let bible / Ajay Ahuja. ISBN: 9781905261703
Not worth reading, dated, way out of date. Basically a sales pitch for the company of solicitors (?) that wrote the book.
Lab rats: why modern work makes people miserable / Dan Lyons. ISBN: 9781786493927
Compelling read, perfectly illustrates why I dislike work. Difficult truths.
March 2019:
Maker spaces: creative interiors from the homes and studios of inspiring makers and designers / Emily Quinton. ISBN: 9781849756198.
A book of nice pictures of homes and workshops and offices of crafty people.
Furniture with soul : master woodworkers and their craft, David Savage. ISBN: 9784770031211
Nice pictures of interesting modern wooden furniture. Interesting articles/interviews showcasing the background of the makers.
The multi-hyphen method: work less, create more, and design a career that works for you / Emma Gannon. ISBN: 9781473680104
Fluff, written like a blog about having many strings to a bow. Didn’t read it all.
Never split the difference: negotiating as if your life depended on it / Chris Voss with Tahl Raz. ISBN: 9781847941497
Good read, self help book, real world examples and methods interspersed with anecdotes from a police negotiator.
Playing with fire: the art of chopping and burning wood / Paul Heiney. ISBN: 9780750979948
Easy read, nice pictures, no real new ideas, but relaxing perhaps.
What color is your parachute?: a practical manual for job-hunters and career-changers / Richard N. Bolles. ISBN: 9780399581687
Didn’t finish this one, a bit dated, a bit like an out of date course instructor from America. May work if you follow all of methods.
Our man in Havana, Graham Green
A great novel about the secret service, almost like a hap hazard James Bond, easy to read, questions reality and spying. I like this one, probably the third time that I have read it.
April 2019:
Milkman, Anna Burns, ISBN: 9780571338757.
Hard to follow, very minute descriptions. Some interesting illustrations of the troubles. Lots of loose ends.
Twelve years a slave, Northup, Solomon,
Better than the movie, far more detail, particularly about how slaves were treated, both benevolently and malevolently.
Examined lives: twelve great thinkers and the search for wisdom, from Socrates to Nietzsche, Miller, Jim,
I can’t say that I’ll remember much of this, but I’ll feel smarter for having read it.
Things fall apart, Achebe, Chinua
Excellent read opening my eyes to how other cultures were affected when white settlers came and imposed their ways. I found it relevant to understanding the historic relationship between England and Ireland.
June 2019:
The money doctor 2017: 50 top tax tips, Lowe, John
Fairly comprehensive introduction to personal finances, but specifically geared to Ireland.
I will teach you to be rich: no guilt, no excuses, just a 6-week programme that works, Sethi, Ramit
Awful book detailing the Ramit Sethi method of spending your way to riches.
Money: a love story: untangle your financial woes and create the life you really want, Northrup, Kate
Soft and gentle book (specifically for women), the name says it all, a bit autobiographical from a wealthy lady.
Your money or your life, Hall, Alvin D.
Dated method to save money and manage lifestyle, very dated.
August 2019:
The money-less man, Boyle, Mark (2010)
Non-fiction about a year in the life of a fellow who lived in Bristol in a caravan without using money for a year. I read it before, when it was a new release and I recall it being better!
No fixed abode: a journey through homelessness from Cornwall to London, Carroll, Charlie
I found this to be an interesting read, a social documentary from a journalist who took it upon himself to walk from the south west, living as a homeless person and then joining the rallies in London at St. Pauls.
September 2019:
Catch-22, Heller, Joseph, 1923-1999 (2005)
I borrowed this book because I had just seen the recent George Clooney series. I found the series better than the book.
Johnson’s life of London: the people who made the city that made the world, Johnson, Boris (2011)
I enjoyed this book but didn’t finish all of it, It has anecdotes interpreted by BJ, of various people form London who had some influence, easy to read.
November 2019:
Room : a novel, Donoghue, Emma,
Semi bleak but interesting novel, good to help understand how humans think and work. Simple.
The ministry of ungentlemanly warfare: Churchill’s mavericks: plotting Hitler’s defeat, Milton, Giles (2016)
Engaging book about the secret people behind some horrible weapons and tactics in the second world war. Quite technical in laces and I enjoyed it for this.
Practical and effective performance management how excellent leaders manage their staff and teams for top performance, Walker Steve.
The book that would accompany a course that is run through an employer. Easy to read and lots of simple advice and techniques, however, somewhat disheartening to read when you are aware of less than adequate performance management methods!
December 2019:
The case for working with your hands, or, Why office work is bad for us and fixing things feels good, Crawford, Matthew B. 2011
Describes the purposelessness of made up office jobs and compares to motorcycle maintenance and electrical work. I enjoyed this book, but it left me despondent about my career.
Tools for Conviviality, Illich
An essay from 1970 about how work and society is leading to success for large companies and driving individuals to become inconsequential and irrelevant consumers in society, still relevant 50 years on. Reminded me in some aspects of Packard’s “The Waste Makers”, insofar as it is still relevant and perhaps more relevant.
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