What I Read in 2015

After writing this post, it felt way too long. So, I’ve decided to release my list in two parts. Here’s Part 1.

In my previous post highlighting my 2016 Resolutions, I promised to share thelist of books that I read last year. After thoroughly diving into my Kindle and thestack of physical books (remember those?), I realized I incorrectly quantified thenumber of books I finished in 2015. Instead of the 11 books, in which I pattedmyself on the back for, I actually completed 15. Not bad, except now I’ll have toupdate my 2016 goal to something greater (maybe 20?).

Anyhow, here’s a quick look (in no particular order) at the books that I completedin 2015 with a quick blurb on each. For the most part, I can say that I enjoyed nearly all of them.

Work Rules by Laszlo Bock

I wasn’t entirely sure what this book was about, but previous experiences readingabout life in the Googleplex were pretty worthwhile. In Work Rules, Bock talksabout how the culture at Google has been created, optimized, and refined. Thoughit skews a little towards the human resources side of things, it’s still a great resource for people looking to make a mark at their current companies.

Subscription Marketing by Anne H. Janzer

One of the products I support at work is sold on a subscription model, so why notread a little more about how to sell and market subscription products. The bookwas okay, but I felt it lacked a lot of substance and kept the conversation pretty high-level. Not the best book I’ve ever read, but certainly not the worst. I’drecommend this to people who are pretty green to this topic and are looking fora quick read.

Once Upon A Time In Russia by Ben Mezrich

I guess I’m a fan of Ben Mezrich. I’ve read every one of his books. I’m at the pointwhere I pretty much know what to expect, which is good. I grabbed this book solely because Ben wrote it. It’s a nice easy read about the emergence of theRussian Oligarchs, the rise of Putin, and the wild west environment they operatein. While not as good as some of his other books (Accidental Billionaires, Ugly Americans), it’s still an entertaining read.

The Retargeting Playbook by Adam Berke (et al)

Again, one of the products I support at LinkedIn is a retargeting solution. So, why not learn a little more about retargeting? This book is written by one of theco-founders of AdRoll, one of the first retargeting solutions out there. The bookwas okay. It was a little high-level, but that’s fine since it was probably written formarketers who were not very familiar with retargeting. Thus, if you’re a marketer looking to learn a little more about retargeting, read this book. If not, pass.

Becoming Steve Jobs by Bret Schlender

This is the “other” big Steve Jobs biography; the one that paints him in a better light. Unlike Walter Isaacson’s tome that portrays Jobs as a maniacal tyrant, Schlender takes the time to show Steve’s growth, not only as a business leader, but as a person. I’ve read the Isaacson book, which I enjoyed, and would say thatthis version is just as good. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyoneinterested in tech or Steve Jobs, specifically.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

One of my favorite books of the year. An awesome story based on an infamous figure during a landmark time, this book combined several themes that arefavorites of mine — true crime, architecture, and american history. I don’t want toreally spoil the plot, so I’ll just say that you should read this book.

The Real-Life MBA by Jack & Suzy Welch

I love business books. Professionally, I hope to one day run a company or at leasta big part of one. The idea of going to business school is one that I tackle nearlyevery day, but with a baby on the way and possibly a new house on the horizon, it’s probably not a good time. That being said, I still try to learn as much as I can about business and this book was quite good.

I have to admit that I did have the good fortune of seeing Jack and Suzy speak atmy company about this book and the many lessons contained therein. That wasprobably to biggest nudge towards reading this book, but I’m glad I did. This isanother book that I’d highly recommend.

The Martian by Andy Weir

This was easily my favorite book of the year. I actually bought this book a while ago before I knew that there was a movie in production, but it sat in my “to beread” collection in my Kindle. I had purchased this book because of a single tweetI saw on Twitter that said that it was a good story about resourcefulness andhuman ingenuity (I don’t think it mentioned space or Mars at all).

I’m a big physics and space fan, so by the time I finally got around to reading The Martian I couldn’t put it down. It basically checked off all the boxes for me. Itwas rooted in real science and was one helluva nerve-wracking journey. Having finished the book, I couldn’t wait to see the movie.

I thought the movie was good. My wife thought the movie was great. As happensso often, there was just too much in the book that didn’t make it into the movie. Ifyou love science, adventure, and a great hero read this book…even if you’ve seenthe movie. It’s that good.

Stay tuned for Part 2.