Books of 2018

The only resolution I made for 2018 was to write down every book I read.

That’s it.

I had heard some clever phrase, something like “If it’s important, record it,” (albeit better worded than that) and it made me reflect on my habits and what’s important to me. While I considered reading an important part of my life, I felt the insidious creep of time-sucking alternatives taking over what used to be reading time and I wanted to do something about it. However, I didn’t want to take away from the pleasure of reading by imposing a number of books or a schedule or some such- I didn’t want to make it a chore- so I decided to simply record the books I read over the course of the year, and see if I learned anything from it.

In total I read 32 books (and two more which I finished shortly into 2019, which will be on next year’s list), which is approximately one book per 11 days. Hardly in keeping with my self-image as a voracious reader, but I’m ok with that. The goal was to learn, not to hit any sort of milestone.

So, what did I learn? What did I read this year? What moved me? What influenced my life the most?

I learned that I tend to fluctuate between a few types of books: fiction (including sci-fi and fantasy), true life adventures, pop-psy, business or productivity books, and books on writing.

Some books I read slowly. Some books I read fast and wished I could have read slower or wish they would have lasted longer. Some books were just long: what I thought would be a quick escape turned into indulgent series of sagas and sequels, months of fantasy that made me long for something real again. A lot of books (especially in the ‘self-help’ category) that feel like they would have made good articles with solid messages felt bloated and redundant at 200 pages. That said, many of these books often require action of the reader, and I find it more likely one will take the steps necessary and implement the habits the book suggests if they are constantly reminded of it over the course of a few weeks, rather than for just the time it takes to read an article. (An exception: I started The 1% Rule by Tommy Baker and couldn’t finish it, the only book I started but didn’t finish this year).

A good book diet is a balanced one. I tend to prefer fiction before bed and something more robust during the day. It’s interesting to think of the books I chose to read as a reflection of my life at the time. Much of this year involved making our first show with Barcode (and recovering from making it), a rewarding yet highly stressful experience, so accordingly I read a lot of escapism fantasy, pop-psy books on happiness and making small businesses work. I see a trend of wanting to improve myself, often in a brute force sort of way (Unhappy? Read a book about happiness!), as opposed to more roundabout ways such as, say, reading an inspirational autobiography of an artist.

To be fair, you can’t really know what a book will be like until you’ve read it; a new book is a gamble.

What influenced or moved me the most? Let My People Go Surfing was the standout winner. Maybe because it combined a lot of my interests- climbing, the environment, starting a company- and was written in a mature, frank, enjoyable voice, this book more than any other spoke to me the loudest, the type of book that makes you lean in while reading, eyes wide. As far as fiction went I loved the style of writing for The Mars Room, but I had also loved The Flamethrowers, so that was a pretty safe bet. In terms of true-life adventures The Push was a really fun ride. In the Pop-Psy category The Three Marriages stood out for feeling the least didactic and the most poetic of all the books I read; more like having a conversation with someone you look up to that’s been through a lot and is happy to share. For Business The E-myth Revisited hit close to home, outlining the growing pains that Barcode is going through as we try to form our own company; although it couldn’t hold a candle to the inspirational power of LMPGS.

So, here it is: my 2018 book list. It is more or less unedited: When I finished each book I put a short summary/ review next to the title, including a star or two if I thought it would be worth recommending. Favorites for the year are in bold (but if you can’t wait, here are my top three: Let My People Go Surfing, Tribe, and Silence in the Age of Noise).

I would love to hear your suggestions for 2019.

A last note: I was going to put affiliate links to Amazon on all the titles, but I decided not to. While I do read E-books when traveling and am thankful they exist, I also always try to buy from local bookstores first because I love them and believe they are important. I encourage you to do the same.

2018 Book List (in order read)

1. Light the Dark (edited by Joe Fassler)- Writers on Creativity, Inspiration and the Creative Process Authors on writing and what inspires them (or initially inspired them), short sections. Motivating, good subway read. Also, found this in Shakespeare & Company in Paris which is one of my favorite spots in the city.

2. Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward)- Fiction with ghosts, unfinished stories, the South. A good read, didn’t relate to it much but well written. A NYT top fiction of 2017.

3. *Getting Things Done (David Allen)- Book on efficiency, very helpful advice if somewhat self-evident, but a great reminder. Actually started it in 2017, put it down, picked it back up again. You could probably look up a summary and be fine, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything you’re trying to juggle, a simple, comprehensive strategy can be helpful. 

4. The War of Art (Steven Pressfield)- Meh. A weird combination of “get to work, fucker” and “I believe in God”. A little hard nosed while short on useful advice. 

5. Oathbringer (Brandon Sanderson)- Jesus, 1200+ pages. But wow, so many stories woven together. Epic fantasy, good. By the end you want to read something real, but it’s a good, long escape while you’re in it. I had been listening to Brandon Sanderson’s podcast, Writing Excuses, great 20 minute shorts on the craft of writing, so I was happy to finally see what he does. Solid fantasy, although I felt not as much philosophical content/ questions as Orson Scott Card, a little lighter.

6. Letters to a Young Writer (Colum McCann)- Quick, nice. General advice, maybe too general/ heard it before. I’d take Draft No. 4 or Stephan King’s On Writing before this, since the good writing in both of those is inspiration enough.

7. *The Stranger in the Woods (Michael Finkel)- Very good. The extraordinary story of the last true Hermit. A light, engaging and well told true story, plus a little food for thought on modern society, the value of life and how you live it. 

8. Positivity (Barbara Fredrickson)- A good thing to focus on, the message is basically having a 3-1 ratio of positive experiences to negative experiences is a tipping point, so have that much or more (anything below that ratio won’t give the same feelings of positivity). Lots of different types of positivity- awe, inspiration, serenity, interest, amusement, etc; that can contribute to your overall happiness if you look for the opportunities, and not focus on just one type. Based in science. Not very well written, redundant, but science-based and a good message. 

9. Papillon (Henri Charrière)- Great story of a guy trying to escape from French prison. Writing isn’t amazing (maybe since it’s translated?), but still uplifting and thrilling. On a lot of lists as one of the best true adventure stories. 

10. ***The Mars Room– (Rachel Kushner), author of The Flame Throwers, which I loved. The fictional story of a women’s prison and how the women there got there, great weaving together of stories. So many specific details that reveal places and moments in lives. Excellent fiction. 

11. *Going Solo– (Roald Dahl)’s second half of his autobiography. A quick two day read if you don’t dawdle. Enjoyable, light, positive in the face of what can’t have been a uniquely positive experience (flying in WWII). 

12. Earth Unaware– (Orson Scott Card), fun, of course. Read it in three days. Prelude to Ender’s Game, the first formic war (or before the war starts). I have the nagging feeling I read it years ago, like I could predict what could happen but couldn’t quite remember it. Unsettling, but didn’t remember anything well enough to ruin it, a very fun ride. Want to read the second one. 

13. Earth Afire– (Orson Scott Card) book 2 of first formic wars. Powering right into the third. Great vacation reads. 

14. Earth Awakens– (Orson Scott Card) Book 3 of the first formic wars. Very good again, but now time for something real.

15. The How of Happiness (Sonja Lyubomirsky)- Better written than “Positivity” (although I liked Positivity’s focus on the different available types of positivity), and has some useful strategies to increase happiness. Was useful to me in that it reminded me to focus on the things that make me happy and prioritize them, to set goals to include those sorts of things in my life and to evaluate what ways would be useful from a happiness standpoint to pursue them. As well as other strategies that come less naturally to me that I want to try. 

16. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing)- Shackelton’s great trip. Crazy story, writing isn’t as inspiring as in Jupiter’s Travels, for example; but the courage and attitude of those guys during the most trying adventure tale I’ve ever read was exemplary. 

17. ****Silence in the Age of Noise (Erling Kagge)- Amazing. A small, reflective book on the benefits of silence by a guy who  knows what’s up. Philosophy, poetry, sailing, Mt Everest… what else do you need?

18. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (Mark Manson)- Flippant, especially in the beginning which is annoying, but by the middle and end gets into some good advice that makes it worth it, and a quick read.

“Despite dreaming about making a living through his art, the real potential of becoming AN ARTIST NOBODY LIKES was far, far scarier than remaining AN ARTIST NOBODY’S HEARD OF.”

Mark Manson

“It’s growth that generates happiness, not a long list of arbitrary achievements.”

19. Lone Rider– (Elspeth Beard)- She went around the world on a motorcycle and nobody cared. Not a particularly enjoyable read, I think because she never found what she was hoping for on the trip- it felt like the whole ride was just one long series of hard times for her, which made me sad. Wish she had found some happiness out there in the big world on a big adventure. I think of motorcycle trips as Beautiful Problems, this book just felt like Problems. Maybe a self-fulfilling prophecy of hers, or maybe she just got unlucky that the world wasn’t ready for women to be heroes. Pick up Jupiter’s Travels instead.

20. **Stories I Tell Myself (Juan Thompson)- Son of Hunter Thomas writing about growing up with Hunter Thomas, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A great portrait of an iconic writer, as well as a great look at a man’s struggle to win his father’s approbation and love. A vulnerable look at what I imagine many boys and men go through with their fathers, albeit in his case a more extreme story than hopefully many must deal with, but the themes and questions still hit home for me. Recommended and sent by mail by Jack from Alaska.

21. Crushing It (Gary Vaynerchuk)- Fun book about social media, busting your hump to make a name for yourself no matter what it is you’re trying to do. Could be taken poorly, but I like that he encouraged people to focus on providing value to others first; making money or getting something in return second. Definitely motivating. Not sure how to incorporate social media into my ideal lifestyle, but it’s something to consider if you’re making a business, might as well know how to do it “right”. Gary V is basically a motivation guru, can’t say I enjoy his ‘rant videos’, but it’s working for him.

22. ***The E-Myth Revisited (Michael E Gerber)- Why most small businesses don’t work and what to do about it. Definitely saw Barcode in this book, made me feel less alone, that our struggles with growth are not unique to our group, they are just struggles that all small business go through when people try to turn their passions into their business. So that’s reassuring. I’m not sure how easy a time we will have implementing the suggestions, but I think the idea of “the prototype” put some good things in motion for us in terms of thinking about how Barcode does business. A lot will depend on how much we follow through with and implement. Simple (simplistic?) writing, nurturing the small business dreamer along, but also outlining very universal struggles that I imagine (and he says) most small businesses must go through. A good read if you’re thinking about building something bigger than doing what you’re doing now.

23. **The Art of Travel– (Alain de Botton)- When thinking of travel, we are often given recommendations of where to travel, what to see, but rarely discuss why to travel. The pleasures of anticipation, the allure of the exotic… a philosophical inquiry into travel through the author’s own experiences and other artists’ related works. Good writing, if straying into the fanciful. This happens to be the cover picture because I got my new camera at the same time I was reading it; it’s the only picture of a book I have from this list.

24. ****The Three Marriages- (David Whyte)- Reimagining work, self and relationship. Very good. A poetic, refreshingly non-didactic look at the “work-life” balance. Pulls from examples of authors and his experience in the Himalayas, some buddhism in there.

“Put down the weight of aloneness and ease into the conversation.”

David Whyte

“What courageous conversation am I not having?” Very recommended when trying to balance everything. 

25. **5 Love Languages (Gary Chapman)- The 5 languages listed are: Words, Quality time, Gift Giving, Acts of Service, Touch. This book proposes that everyone has a primary love language, and suggests strategies for how to communicate yours to others and learn others’ ‘languages’ so you can show them love in ways that they understand and appreciate. Quick read, I hope useful. Interesting to think of in terms of your parents and how you were raised, what you learned to do to show appreciation and love based on how they reacted. A good, simple read.

26. *****Let My People Go Surfing- (Yvon Chouinard), founder of Patagonia. Best book this year. Climbers become businessmen, try to save the world while still doing business. Motivates me to try to make Barcode better. Also, I want to get out there into the environmental world, not just talking about it but getting my hands into something. All the books about happiness I was reading earlier, I think reading about a guy with a dream trying to constantly make that dream better… this is where deep satisfaction comes from for real.  I would like to make Barcode a company like this one day. 

27. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?– (Philip K. Dick). Bounty hunter in a post-apocalyptic world has to retire (aka kill) androids posing as humans. Questions of empathy and intelligent life and human morals. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I prefer Orson Scott Card for Sci-fi.

28. Thinking in Bets- (Annie Duke). Improve your decision making process, don’t judge your decision making process solely based on results- you could have a good process with an 80% chance of success and fail, it doesn’t mean you should have picked the 20% option. A little repetitive but interesting. Also, surrounding yourself with people and strategies to get better at improving your decision making process, reward questioning the process rather than just celebrating or bemoaning the results.

29. ****The Push- Tommy Caldwell’s biography, first guy to climb the Dawn Wall (watch Dawnwall if you haven’t already, great documentary). Great story, real insight into getting the work done and trying to balance a consuming passion with the rest of life- relationships, etc. 

30. ****Tribe- (Sebastian Junger), Author of The Perfect Storm. Fantastic, two-day read. On Homecoming and Belonging. “We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding, “Tribes.” This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, butt regaining it maybe the key to our psychological survival.” Explores Native American tribe culture, how people bond together during natural disasters and social classes are temporarily eliminated, veterans’ experience at war vs when they return home, and how our cultures’ values do not necessarily bring happiness compared to what these small Tribes’ values are, and how we were raised to value the things those tribes instinctually value. Fantastic read by a journalist who knows how to write; combining research and story into a fluid, fascinating quick trip.

31. The Responsible Company (Vincent Sanley and Yvon Chouinard)- Also from Patagonia. Though they said they wanted it to stand alone as its own book it feels redundant if you read Let My People Go Surfing. Also reads more like a highlight reel of Patagonia’s achievements, where Let My People Go Surfing– while sharing a lot of the same history- somehow didn’t…

32. The ONE Thing (Gary W Keller and Jay Papasan)- Meh. Nice in that reading any productivity book will make you feel like being more productive, but after that… I had started this a few times and never finished it, pushed to finish it at the end of the year just to add it to the list and stop lugging it around. Basically: “Focus on one thing at a time, the most important thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary.” Boom. Just saved you 200 pages of reading. That said, I had stopped reading halfway since it was redundant and started it up again right at the end of the year just to add it to the list and it gave me a kick in the butt to get more organized with my time backstage and in the mornings, think about what I wanted to focus on and to work on those things. So, not a complete waste.

And that’s the list. Again, please share any recommendations of books that you absolutely loved, I’m always open to suggestions. Happy reading.