BOOKS I READ IN 2017

Debt: The First 5,000 Years - A summary of the history of debt, and how it has helped form a modern society. I loved their hypothesis that debt predated money, and how it is a social construct.

Glock - History of the manufacture of the popular gun. It was a really compelling story that I appreciated listening to in an attempt to learn more about the passionate fan base.

Kludge - Examination of some weird parts of the human mind, and why these weird things are in place. Very much a case for evolutionary psychology. It encouraged me to keep my mind open to common mistakes I make, like not understanding large numbers, not being good at estimating, and with the idea that being a hypocrite isn\‘t the worst thing in the world. I also try to pay closer attention to my opinions and figure out if they are part of a larger bias.

Antifragile - This book is about the idea of building things that are the more sustainable long term. The core is that most things in life are fragile, they break, they don\‘t go as plan, and eventually are no longer valuable. Most of the time the path of least resistance isn\‘t the best. For someone who is trying to save for Financial Independence, there was a compelling section on investing. It kinda rocked my world, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that reducing your spending and living off less is an anti-fragile pattern. Having extra money is just a byproduct of living less than average. It also encouraged me to spend more time/money/energy on improving my self and skills, then just putting more money into my taxable investing account.

Why Buddhism is true - Several of my friends read this book before me, and more or less forced me to read it ;p ... I also listened to several interviews with Robert Wright the author in advance. This is another evolutionary psychology book that makes a very compelling case for meditation, and mindfulness. The title is a bit salacious in my opinion, but I guess that is what we do with books these days. The book was more about the assumptions Buddhism makes about the human condition.

The Opposite of Woe - The autobiography of the Gov of Colorado was a fun book Randi and I read while traveling. It was interesting to listen to someone\‘s humble Journey from losing his Father, and Father figure during childhood, to becoming the Governor of Colorado

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a FCK - Learn what is important to you, focus on that. Try your best to not get tied up in stuff that doesn\‘t make you happy, there is plenty of stuff to worry about, and you will... Try to make sure it is something that matters to you.