The books I read in 2019

Over the past five years (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) I’ve been writing about the books I read (I really read them, audiobooks don’t work for me) and inspired me the most that year. It’s a great way to look back at the year, through the books I read and see how they influenced my personal and professional life.

I started 2019 with a more ambitious goal than I usually have. Even though I only read 12 books in 2018 (shame on me), my goal for 2019 was 30 books. While I didn’t get there, I manage to read 28 books which makes me very happy.

Looking at the books I read, there is a clear underline theme. Because of my experience as a Marshall Memorial Fellow and the 4 weeks I spent in the USA, I ended up reading several books on American Foreign Policy.

Another interesting fact, is the reduce number of books I read on entrepreneurship and technology. For many years, those were the books I was reading the most, but I now find them less interesting.

For those wondering how I select the books, I mainly read books that are recommended to me by friends or via twitter. For more recommendations, check Ryan Holiday’s Reading list, GatesNotes, Farnam Street by Shane Parrish and Brain Pickings by Maria Popova.

So, here is the list of the 28 books I read in 2019:

1. Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall In Love With the Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf
2. Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer
3. Stillness is the Key: An Ancient Strategy for Modern Life by Ryan Holiday
4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
5. How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer by Adrian Newey (Top 5)
6. The Future of Capitalism: Facing the New Anxieties by Paul Collier (Top 5)
7. The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir by Samantha Power (Top 5)
8. The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks
9. Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
10. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth (Top 5)
11. 24 / 7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep by Jonathan Crary
12. The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World by Robert Kagan
13. Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness
14. Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna
15. The People Vs Tech: How the Internet Is Killing Democracy (and How We Save It) by Jamie Bartlett
16. Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order by Robert Kagan
17. Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn
18. Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us by Dan Lyons
19. Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
20. Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins
21. Binómio Tecnologia & Sustentabilidade by Diogo Almeida Alves, Pedro Matias
22. The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned from Patagonia’s First 40 Years by Yvon Chouinard, Vincent Stanley (Top 5)
23. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
24. It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
25. Footprints on the Moon by Seth Godin
26. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
27. Machines Will Make Better Choices Than Humans by Douglas Coupland
28. Immortal Millionaire — body, mind & money hacks for people who like setting unreasonable goals by Mentor Palokaj

For 2020, I’m keeping my goal at 30 books. I’ll try to read more about Future of Work, Economics, Sustainability and Feminism. Let’s do it!

To see what I’ve read in the past and what I’m reading now, follow me on GoodReads. I’ve also created a channel on Telegram where I share the content I consume. Feel free to join.