Books that I read in 2014

 I decided to restart publishing my reading list again. I read e-books on my Kindle (both through Amazon.com as well as borrowed from the public library) and physical books, mainly borrowed from the public library, so the list is not there in one place.  I tried different ways (including safari books and goodreads.com) of keeping track of my reading, but nothing is better than keeping the list up on my blog. It is especially useful to answer questions like, "What was this book I read 5 years ago?".

Here is the 2014 list, I need to dig a bit more to retroactively post the 2009-20013 list. I have given a 1-2 line review for some of them. When I have more time, I will post a longer review.

The Little Book of Valuation: Aswath Damodaran: 

Investment Valuation: Aswath Damodaran: 

I call them the 'Little Book' and the 'Big Book'. Good, rigorous lessons on how to value investments.

Think Like a Freak: Steven Levitt/Stephen Dubner: 

I don't miss any of their books since the Freakonmics first came out. They inspire me to think differently, in unconventional ways. 

Physics of the Future: Michio Kaku:

This book was recommended to me by my friend Surojit. A fascinating book that tries to predict the next hundred years of technology and product developed, based on the science that is in the labs today. 

The News: A Users Manual (Alain De Botton) :

I downloaded this after an NPR show on this. A very good analysis and recommendations on what is a big problem for me: "How do I analyze the news?". 

Rocks Breaks Scissors (William Poundstone):

Another book that inspires me to think differently and unconventionally. 

The Intelligent Investor (Ben Graham):

I have been re-reading this every year. I don't know if it helps, though. 

The Misbehavior of Markets (Benoit Mandelbrot): 

This is probably the best book I read in 2014, but I must admit that I probably understood less than half of it. This book also challenges the conventional ways of thinking about the markets, where and how the "Random Walk Theory", and the "Efficient Market Hypothesis" breaks down and what it means for an investor. This goes to my required re-reading list.

Stress Test (Tim Geithner): 

A fascinating book that challenged some of the reservations I had about the Government response during the Financial Crisis of 2008-2009. Very well written, easy to read and gives a good, honest, account of why Mr. Geithner (as head of the New York Fed and later as Secretary of the Treasury) did what he did. 

Why Stock Markets Crash (Didier Sornette): 

This was continuation of my search for a mathematical understanding of complex system, applied to financial markets. This goes to my re-reading list too. 

Physics of Wall Street (James Weatherall): 

I first borrowed the book from the library and then bought it for my collection. A very fascinating account of the role of maths and algorithms in the financial market. 

Two States (Chetan Bhagat): The only fiction of the year. This is a pretty funny book and a good one to read before (or even after) watching the movie.

The Triple Package (Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld):

I bought this after listening to her book tour lecture on NPR. It wasn't as exciting as her previous books (Day of Empire, World on Fire), but a very bold analysis of a very senstive topic: why do some racial groups do better than others.

Being Wrong (Kathryn Schulz):

This is a fascinating way to understand how our brain works, especially how we make mistakes and why we make them. 

Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes ... (Gary Belsky/Tom Gilovich).

A similar book as "Being Wrong", but with a focus on investing mistakes. The dos and don'ts at the end of every chapter should be printed, framed, and stuck on the wall.

Average is Over (Tyler Cowen): 

This was pretty educational, it was interesting to read predictions and recommendations on what the US economy and the society of the future would look like. 

The Goal (Eliyahu Goldratt): I read this before a team off-site. This is written as fiction, and is probably the worst fiction I ever read. But it is among the best management books I ever read too. 

A History of the English Speaking Peoples (Sir Winston Churchill): 

This is the concise version, and I loved reading especially the early years: Danes, Normans, Plantagenets, Tudors to get an understanding of how we ended up with the world we have now. 

The Pity of Partition: Manto’s Life, Themes,... (Ayesha Jalal):

I follow Ayesha Jalal closely, especially her insight on South Asian History. I love how she is gradually moving from official sources to literary sources for her historical narrative. This is a depressing book too, for me, in many ways.

Stocks for the Long Run (Jeremy Siegel): 

This was on my wish-list for sometime, another book that is helping me guide my philosophy around investing.

Flash boys : a Wall Street revolt / Michael Lewis:

An eye-opening book about High Frequency Trading and its impact. Written in the delightful, narrative style that Michael Lewis is famous for.

The investor's manifesto : (William Bernstein):

Continuation of the 'investor education' series for me. Helped me think deeper on how deal with finances and how to protect my own money from myself!