What I Read in February 2022
More starts than finishes
Another month, another set of books. This month, I definitely started more books than I finished. Some were challenging, some were insightful, all were interesting. Here’s a quick list of what I read:
The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows and Diana Wright
Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
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More details about the books
1. The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
The Book in 3 Bullets
20 no-nonsense chapters about our behavior towards money and why we are the way we are with it.
One chapter talks about how luck and risk are essentially the same thing but we perceive it differently; another is about how the hardest financial skill, according to Housel, is to understand at what point “enough” is for us.
It’s less technical than a financial textbook and less psychological than a medical textbook.
The core idea is that no one is crazy. Everything we do makes sense mostly to us and us only. And we should consider that when taking other people’s financial advice (even the author’s).
My Impressions
It talks about something I don’t often see touched upon by other financial content I’ve consumed which is how emotional we, as humans, tend to be. For example, no matter how clearly beneficial financial decision might be, with a spreadsheet literally telling us it’s good, if it just doesn’t feel right to us, we might not go through it.
One of my favorite ideas from the book was that if you wanted something expensive, say a new phone (even if your phone is working perfectly fine), you could either: earn more, spend less, or raise your humility. I had never thought of it that way until reading the book.
Should You Read It?
I think this book would be a great companion piece for anything technical you’re learning about money.
2. (DNF) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Since I didn’t finish this book, this part will be condensed.
The Book in 2 Bullets
The book is essentially a history and deep dive into the cadaver industry (which I didn’t even know was a thing).
While the topic might be morbid to some, Roach writes with the whimsy and fun of someone too curious for their own sake that they end up gagging at having seen a little too much — like me reading the book.
My Impressions & Why I Didn’t Finish It
Given the topic, what shocked me the most while reading it wasn’t the gruesome imagery of fresh human heads used as practice dummies for cosmetic professionals, nor was it the descriptions of how bodies decay post-mortem. It was that I found myself laughing — quite a lot.
It’s the author’s sense of humor that made the read much easier. I never thought I’d be so interested in dead bodies until I read just a little bit of this book.
The reason I stopped was that I couldn’t figure out where I would really use all this information besides grossing out my friends. I do plan on finishing this book eventually though; I haven’t buried it just yet.
Should You Read It?
If you’re a medical student or someone in the medical profession, this book might be a fun time for you.
If you’re looking for non-fiction but don’t know where to start, try this. If it isn’t for you, at least then you’ll know where not to start.
3. Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows
The Book in 3 Bullets
The author carefully guides you into the world of systems theory.
Systems are made of three important things: elements, interconnections, and a purpose. They can be found everywhere, from the plants to your dog to entire nations.
Once you have a grasp of what is a system and what isn’t, then you’d know how to influence it.
My Impressions
Reading this book really challenged my mind but in a good way. It made me realize that systems aren’t just some abstract things we talk about in classrooms and lectures — they’re all around us. We’re living in a system right now! I know this all sounds profoundly obvious, but having it explained in the careful and considerate way Meadows does helped me understand the implications of that extra-ordinary/extraordinary fact.
Should You Read It?
If you’re interested in learning more about systems and how they work, then this is an essential read.
If you’re looking for something hot, steamy, and romantic, let me tell you — this isn’t for you.
4. (DNF) Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott
Since I haven’t finished this book, this part will be condensed.
The Book in a Bullet
The book acts as an introduction to how blockchain works and its potential impact on our financial systems.
My Impressions & Why I Didn’t Finish It
It felt like it was moving at a pace that didn’t match my own tastes. They dump a good amount of info on you in the first few pages. While, yes, I understand that’s how books tend to work, it felt like it was a little too much; it was easy to get lost within a few pages.
The authors explain in much detail how the whole blockchain works, which was nice. Maybe I’ll finish this book one day... or maybe I’ll just binge a couple of YouTube videos and read a bunch of articles about the topic. I’ll see.
Should You Read It?
If you’re interested in learning more about blockchain technology, I’d say this is a nice primer and short history of blockchains.
5. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Still Reading
Since I haven’t finished this book, this part will be condensed.
The Book in 2 Bullets
There are moments in history where an unpredictable event had massive effects, such as September 11. Those moments are what Taleb calls “Black Swans”
He considers this more like an essay and I could see why; there’s no overarching narrative. He piles info after info, example after example, fallacy after fallacy on his idea of the Black Swan. It made the book very single-minded and focused.
My Impressions
This is the second Taleb book that I’ve tried get through (the first was Antifragile). His writing does tend to go in many directions and at times I’ve found myself bewildered and lost — which I suppose meant I’m not yet smart enough to fully grasp the book. But it’s still an interesting read.
Should You Read It?
If you’re interested in learning more about probability and seeing the world differently, then I recommend you hop along this journey with me.
6. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
The Book in 3 Bullets
The book is split into two parts: a defense of doing deep work, then how to implement it into your life.
“Deep Work” is a term Newport coined that essentially means doing meaningful and mentally challenging things while you aren’t distracted.
It could be writing, learning something new, or researching, to name a few examples.
The main argument he shares is that living a life where you’re often very focused on doing something — almost regardless of what exactly you’re doing — is one that’s meaningful and good.
“A deep life is a good life.”
My Impressions
This was a motivating book about how to get more work done without burning yourself out or working into the night.
I thought this was a really relevant book because of how distracting just about everything is. Newport talks about how we’re so boredom-averse now that it’s eroding our ability to concentrate on difficult but meaningful things, such as learning something new.
Newport does mention, however, that the strategies he describes to gain more deep work might not apply to everyone.
For example, he suggested deleting social media, which might not be possible for my friends who are social media managers or rely on such platforms.
Should You Read It?
If you have difficulty focusing, then I’d definitely recommend this book to you.
If your work relies on you to learn and understand things fast, I’m sure you’ll find some benefit reading this book.
Let me know which books you’re interested in reading! And if you have a book recommendation, let me know! I’m always looking for something new to read.
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