Currently reading Blue Ocean Strategy. I have a relatively short collection of business strategy books I’d like to get through this year. So far this book is infinitely better than Competing Against Luck (fucking terrible). I’ve been mixing in some fiction to stay sane. Here are the last few with some quick commentary.

Radical Candor – extremely practical management book. Key takeaway: be direct + care personally.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters – Things to remember when raising daughters.

The Second Machine Age (McAffe/Brynjolfsson) – Hmmmm… not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Not terrible. It’s a position. Don’t be afraid of automation. Tempered message overall.  Recommend.

The Last Samurai (Helen DeWitt) – Easily made my list of top 10 books, shy of Infinite Jest, but still ground-breaking. So much complexity and nuance to consider. Highly recommend. I’ve found myself watching the Kurosawa segments on Every Frame a Painting after reading this book.

Ready Player One – quite the juxtaposition after the above book. Maybe an 8th grade reading level? Hard to get past the prose, but I did and enjoyed the world he created (while trying not to think too much about the dystopian setting).

On deck (since I might not be back for a while):

• Inspired – Marty Cagan (might wait for the v2 in January)
• The Hard Thing about Hard Things
• Team of Rivals
• The Captain Class
• Blockchain Revolution