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I set a 2020 goal to read 24 books. Hardly an insane benchmark but it’s something to build on. Just finished book one and it didn’t hurt that it was an eye-opening page-turner by @RonanFarrow.
Book #2 for 2020 was Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Learned new things I didn’t know about Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR & LBJ. Fascinating look at how their leadership skills developed over their lifetimes.
Book #3 finished while home battling illness. Fascinating look at late 1800s serial killer case that went unsolved. Also, paints a picture of Texas at an incredibly interesting time in the state’s history.
2020 Book #4: Educated by @tarawestover. I can’t put into words how powerful this book is...just wow. Must read.
2020 Book #5: The Outpost by @jaketapper. A vivid portrait of what soldiers endured in Afghanistan and the heroism they exhibited in downright awful situations. It gave me a new perspective on the war.
2020 Book #6: 1776 by David McCullough. Fantastic book examining Washington’s shortcomings but also how his leadership qualities bridged the gap in leading him to success.
2020 Book #7: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I took a break from my non-fiction kick to read this and it was well worth it. Read so much like a literary classic.
Book #8: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. After reading Larson’s book “Isaac’s Storm” last year I had a feeling I would learn a lot from this and I did. I’ve spent so much time learning about the war yet I know relatively little about the rise to power.
Book #9: Still trying to read. It serves as an escape now more than ever, although I haven’t been as successful getting away at times. Just wrapped up The Plot Against America. It seems slow at first until you unravel the themes it’s developing.
Book #10: Flu by @ginakolata. There’s such a comfort in understanding a world you know so little about. The book does a great job of exploring the search for the 1918 virus and public health quandaries along the way.
Book #11: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. One if the best books I’ve ever read. Breathtaking, beautiful writing and fascinating characters.
Book #12: Just wrapped up A Whole New Mind by @DanielPink. Although it’s not specifically about journalism, it’s full of applications for how we communicate information internally, and externally in newsrooms. Good read for people in any career or education.
Book #13: The Price of Tomorrow. I’d encourage anyone interested in the economy to give it a read but it also offers some great insights on how are bias, and bubbles, influence our perspective.
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Book #14: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. This was a slog. Dense. It required a lot of brainpower to process but I’m glad I worked through it because I learned a lot about battling bias in processing information and making decisions. Decision theory is fascinating.
