My 2019 book list

This is the list of books I read in 2019:

The Making of the Atomic Bomb, by Richard Rhodes. I started the new year with this book, because my boss recommended it as part of discussing "how a nuclear reaction goes critical". Don't ask how the discussion started. This book turned out to be much more than just that, it is also a brief summary of how the western scientific system, as we know it today, was built brick by brick, idea by idea. I highly recommend it.

The French Revolution and What Went Wrong, by Stephen Clarke. This is a humorous and well-researched take on what triggered the French revolution, and how it all spiraled into senseless violence. It is a grim reminder of how something that starts with legitimate grievances can eventually lead to mob rule, even if it is inspired by idealism. 

The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America, by Marc Levinson. Before reading this book, I had not even heard of the Great A&P, or the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. It was the largest US retail company between 1915 and 1965. But by the time I came to the US, there was almost nothing left of it. The company had very modest beginnings in the 1850s, but through a series of innovations that took advantage of new technology, it pioneered chain stores, and later, super-markets. A&P's success caused backlash against it from the 1920s, that grew strong in the 1930s. A&P was pursued by state governments and also the federal government under Franklin Roosevelt with a combination of taxation, legislation, an anti-trust lawsuit, which A&P eventually lost. But what killed the company was its inability to innovate further, and becoming insular with ideas and leadership. 

Fear: Trump in the White House, by Bob Woodward. This was good primer to understand how the Trump White House functions. I kept reading the book expecting a subtle insight, but didn't get any. 

When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management, by Roger Lowenstein. LTCM is the example I jokingly give to friends that Nobel winners of Economics end up bringing the world economy to its knees when they try to apply their theories in the real world. The reality, like always, is more nuanced, but this is an entertaining read.

Meditations: A New Translation, Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius is regarded as one of the most ablest Roman Emperor, a philosopher king, who ruled from CE 161-180. Meditations is a set of private notes to himself, based on his interpretation and ideas of Stoic philosophy. Yes, it does feel like his stream of consciousness, and they have nuggets of insight on personal behavior of rulers and leaders. But for someone who has been exposed to Vedantic philosophy that starts with a framework and then builds on that framework, I found it to be a bit scattered. I would still recommend it as a primer on self-control and duty.

1000 Years of Annoying the French, by Stephen Clarke. I liked Stephen Clarke's earlier book so much that I decided to read his other book as well. I was not disappointed. This one too, is a hilarious account of the 1000 year history of the Anglo-French relations. 

Winners take all: the elite charade of changing the world, Anand Giridharadas. One of my principles of expanding the breadth of what I read is to read books (or articles) by people whose public pronouncements irritate or annoy me, and Anand Giridharadas is one such person. However, I was really surprised at how I ended up agreeing with many of the problem statements of the book, even if I disagree with him on the approach, and the solution. Critiquing the book point by point is probably a blog post of its own. But I would honestly recommend the book. He is definitely on to something, that if left unaddressed, can lead to a collapse of our current system. Mr. Giridharadas may actually be advocating for that, in a way.

The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, by William Dalrymple. This turned out to be a year of reading about large corporations, and about revolutions. I wonder why. This well-researched book details the rise of the second publicly traded corporation of the world (The Dutch East India Company was the first) and how it gradually turned into a state itself. It does detail the injustices and atrocities of the company, but also serves as a warning to states and nations on how not to relinquish their power. I highly recommend the book. 

Principles: Life and Work, by Ray Dalio. This book was popping up in almost all my social media feeds as a sponsored post, along with Bill Gates' recommendation. This is a good read, and one that can be used as a reference by leaders on how to build and run an organization. He has based it on his life and work, and his experience in running Bridgewater. Many of his principles align with my own management philosophy and ended up strengthening my own ideas. The most valuable part of the book, in my opinion, is Part III (Work Principles), but it is fascinating how he built up the framework to present the principles. I like the way he stresses on the importance of getting the culture right. Some of his work principles are right-on: "Don't worry about looking good - worry about achieving your goals", or "Be loyal to the common mission",  or "When you have alignment, cherish it", or "Build the organization around goals rather than tasks". The hardest part of his principles to apply right is the part about people. I highly recommend the book.

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a daring escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill, by Candice Millard. This was my ritualistic reading of one book about Winston Churchill a year. 

This was a short list (but longer books), compared to the previous years. I realized that I started a few books that I didn't end up finishing, so they will show up the next year's list.