I regularly describe a book that I’ve been reading. Occasionally I’ll look back and reflect on how that effort has gone and what I’ve retained. For those who see the What Am I Reading section in my newsletter and think, “I’ll look at that,” or “I’ll get to that,” but haven’t yet, this newsletter is for you. I’ve compiled and categorized the most recent several dozen books. I can’t possibly include a comprehensive review of each, but I’ve tried to pull out the highest point to pique your interest or to dissuade you from reading it. I welcome your feedback!

Leadership & Strategy

1. Unreasonable Hospitality — Will GuidaraA brilliant account of how one of New York’s youngest restaurateurs redefined service and culture at Eleven Madison Park. Guidara shows that leadership, care, and clarity of standards matter more than perfection — and that small acts of generosity can transform entire teams.
2. The Crux — Richard RumeltRumelt offers a disciplined framework for strategy rooted in focus and iteration. A perfect companion to Sentient Strategy® principles.
3. Strong Ground — Brené BrownReadable, timely, and deeply researched, Strong Ground challenges leaders to invest continuously in their own growth. Brown redefines the roles of manager and leader in an age of AI and rapid change, showing how clarity, curiosity, and empathy create fulfillment and resilience in modern organizations.
4. Quit — Annie DukeDuke reframes quitting as a strategic strength. Her behavioral insights challenge emotional attachment to failing paths and encourage rational decision-making.
5. Thinking Fast and Slow — Daniel KahnemanA masterpiece on cognitive bias and decision psychology. It teaches leaders how to slow instinctive errors and lead with awareness.
6. The Next Conversation — Jefferson FisherFisher brings courtroom discipline to daily dialogue. His framework for listening and reframing arguments makes communication both efficient and humane.
7. Superagency — Reid HoffmanA visionary’s guide to how AI can extend human potential. Hoffman grounds technology’s promise in thoughtful, ethical foresight.
8. Team of Rivals — Doris Kearns GoodwinA timeless study in political leadership and coalition-building. Lincoln’s humility and resilience remain deeply relevant.
9. The Ultimate Sales Machine — Chet Holmes & Amanda HolmesA classic refreshed for today’s sellers. Its focus on disciplined habits and measurable improvement makes it timeless.
10. The Algebra of Wealth — Scott GallowayGalloway distills pragmatic lessons on earning, saving, and freedom. A giftable primer for financial literacy in any generation.

Politics, Power & Society

11. Twilight of Democracy — Anne ApplebaumApplebaum maps the drift of democracies toward authoritarianism with chilling precision. Essential reading for anyone who cares about civic stability.
12. Beyond the Big Lie — Bill AdairFrom Politifact’s founder, an even-handed look at how misinformation flows across our electorate. Balanced, thoughtful, and necessary.
13. Lucky Loser — Russ Buettner & Susanne CraigA meticulous journalistic study of Trump’s business history and tax practices. Controversial but grounded in extensive documentation.
14. Over Work — Brigid SchulteSchulte explores how the pandemic reshaped work, revealing deep generational divides around flexibility and caregiving. She makes a compelling case that reimagining work-life balance is vital for both productivity and public health.
15. The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order — Gary GerstleA sweeping analysis of American politics across the 20th century. Gerstle explains how policy orthodoxy shaped — and fractured — our current landscape.
16. The Everything War — Dana MattioliInvestigates Amazon’s dominance and moral tradeoffs. Raises essential questions about power, innovation, and accountability.
17. Fat Leonard — Craig WhitlockAn exposé of corruption within the U.S. Navy. Painful, necessary reading on ethics and institutional failure.
18. Careless People — Sarah Wynn-WilliamsFrom inside Facebook’s policy team, Wynn-Williams exposes how digital campaigning and privacy manipulation took root. A sobering look at hubris, data control, and corporate blindness.
19. The Wolves of K Street — Brody Mullins & Luke MullinsA sensationalized take on lobbying that misses its historical nuance. Entertaining title, uneven substance.
20. The Undertow — Jeff SharletA disturbing journey through America’s radical fringes. Tough reading but a valuable push beyond comfort zones.
21. A Different Kind of Power — Jacinda ArdernArdern’s story reveals how empathy and authenticity can transform national leadership. A humanizing account of modern governance.

Business & Innovation

22. Gambling Man — Lionel BarberA fascinating portrait of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son — a gambler on a global scale. Barber captures Son’s audacity, cultural complexity, and unrelenting drive, reminding us that great risk often accompanies great vision.
23. Who Knew? — Barry DillerDiller reflects on six decades across entertainment, technology, and media. A sharp memoir about boldness, reinvention, and seizing opportunity.
24. Apple in China — Patrick McGeeMcGee examines Apple’s entanglement in China’s industrial rise. A must-read for understanding global supply chains and geopolitical vulnerability.
25. Main Street Millionaire — Codie SanchezSanchez shows how to acquire and scale overlooked small businesses. A practical blueprint for generational wealth built on process, not hype.
26. How Countries Go Broke — Ray DalioDalio dissects the mechanics of economic collapse with graphs and clarity. A complex but rewarding dive into debt cycles and fiscal discipline. Confession – I simply could not finish this book. It should be approached as a textbook and not consumed via audio.
27. Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television — Todd PurdumA lively history of risk, invention, and reinvention in the early entertainment industry. Arnaz’s vision parallels today’s digital disruptors.
28. Odyssey Moscow — Michael CalveyA gripping memoir of wrongful imprisonment in Russia. Calvey’s firsthand view of corruption and endurance is unforgettable.
29. Supercommunicators — Charles DuhiggAn exploration of why some connect effortlessly while others don’t. Useful but familiar — good reinforcement more than revelation.
30. Number Go Up — Zeke FauxA riveting expose of crypto mania and collapse. Faux shows how speculation without substance inevitably implodes.

History & Global Affairs

31. Four Weeks in May — David Hart DykesThe inside account of HMS Coventry during the Falklands War. A raw, instructive portrait of leadership under pressure.
32. The Hidden History of the White House — Corey MeadAn engaging history of life and politics inside America’s most symbolic building. Witty, reflective, and rich with anecdotes.
33. The Future Is History — Masha GessenThrough personal stories, Gessen recounts Russia’s post-Soviet regression. Dense but illuminating on information control and societal inertia.
34. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — Yuval Noah HarariHarari’s panoramic account of humanity’s evolution contextualizes our technological moment. A must-read for understanding scale and acceleration of change.
35. The Haves and the Have-Yachts — Evan OsnosOsnos charts the culture of extreme wealth through the lens of luxury yachts. A witty, unsettling look at inequality, aspiration, and excess.

Fiction & Reflection

36. Telex From Cuba — Rachel Kushner
    The Flamethrowers — Rachel KushnerA young woman’s restless search for meaning collides with 1970s art and politics. Vivid, kinetic storytelling.
37. The Housemaid is Watching — Freida McFaddenA psychological thriller exploring ambition and deceit in suburban privilege. Twisty, fast-paced, and darkly entertaining.
38. The Housemaid & The Housemaid’s Secret — Freida McFaddenDomestic suspense with a sharp social edge. Proof that escape reading can still hold a mirror to ambition and class.
39. Clean — Alia Trabucco ZeránA Chilean housekeeper’s introspective story on class and agency. Subtle and deeply human.
40. Creation Lake — Rachel KushnerA taut espionage novel that blends politics, agriculture, and intrigue. Kushner’s command of tone makes it unforgettable.
41. The Surrender Experiment — Michael SingerSinger’s spiritual memoir shows how surrender and persistence can coexist. His story of success, loss, and renewed faith offers lessons in control and acceptance.
42. The Daily Stoic — Ryan HolidayA daily source of perspective drawn from ancient philosophy. Practical wisdom for focus, gratitude, and discipline.
43. Self Made — Tara Isabella BurtonAn exploration of identity construction from the Renaissance to social media. Provocative, occasionally pretentious, but worth the reflection.
44. The Genius Myth — Helen LewisLewis dismantles our obsession with brilliance by showing how “genius” narratives distort leadership and accountability. A timely reminder that quiet competence outperforms charisma.
45. The Rooster Bar — John GrishamA sharp take on the student-loan crisis and predatory education industry, this novel follows three law students who discover their school is part of a for-profit scam. Grisham mixes financial thriller and moral fable, reminding readers how desperation can blur lines between justice and fraud.
46. The Broker — John Grisham
    Set against a backdrop of global espionage and political intrigue, The Broker follows a disgraced Washington power broker granted an unexpected pardon and hidden in Italy under a new identity. It’s a brisk, atmospheric story about redemption, surveillance, and the limits of influence.
47. The Judge’s List — John Grisham
    In this darker legal thriller, Grisham pairs investigator Lacy Stoltz with a chilling antagonist — a sitting judge who may be a serial killer. The tension lies in the clash between intellect and evil within the justice system, making it one of Grisham’s most psychologically gripping stories.

What are you reading? Send me your favorites and I’ll include a compiled (anonymous) list in a future newsletter.

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