Books I Read in 2013

A look at the books I read and enjoyed last year

I was never much of a reader as a child or young adult, but I’m now doing my best to make up for lost time. 2012 was the first year I made an effort to read books regularly. That habit seems to have taken hold and as far as books are concerned, 2013 will be remembered by me as the year in which I stopped being intimidated by big books. 12 of the books I read last year were over 500 pages, and 4 were over 1,000. Those thousand page tomes also happened to be some of the best books I have ever read.

In choosing my favorites, I’m going to cheat a bit and choose 2 books which each represent a series.

Master of the Senate (The Years of Lyndon Johnson #3) by Robert A. Caro

At almost 3,500 pages — with at least one more volume on the way — this collection is certainly imposing, but I think that you would consider these books a wonderful gift if you consider yourself a student of history, or are interested in how national politics works in the United States.

I’ve seen a few interviews where Mr. Caro says that even though these books tell the story of LBJ, they are really about national political power: how people get it, what they do with it, and what it does to them. LBJ was chosen because he was — in Mr. Caro’s opinion — the absolute master, and there is no better way to learn about something than by studying the greatest practioners of their craft.

Volume 3 is about LBJ’s time in the Senate, and the first section of the book is actually a wonderful history of the US Senate from the founding up to the time LBJ was first elected in 1948. That section alone has forever changed the way I look at politics. We think the issue of the moment is the most important thing in the history of the Republic, but we’ve seen it all before and the Senate acted the same then as they do now. It’s the exceptions to this rule — some are discussed in the book, some have happened more recently — which are really interesting.

What I think makes these books so interesting is to learn how deeply flawed of a man LBJ was. Caro frequently uses a metaphor of two threads: a bright one which truly wants to help those who are oppressed and have no voice, and another dark thread which craves power and money to satisfy his insatiable ego. Whenever there was a conflict, the dark thread always won.

I cannot recommend these books highly enough. They have changed my view of the world, and I think they will do the same for you. I’m not alone in thinking this.

The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins

Purchased by my wife, this book sat on the bookshelf, unread, for almost ten years. Now that I’ve read it, I’m mad at myself for letting it sit there for so long.

One of the most interesting aspects of the tale is how Dawkins considers what the physical world was like at each point traveling back in time over a billion years.

It’s also fun to try and comprehend the massive time scales covered in the book. Five, ten, and hundred million-year spans get thrown around like nothing; in the context of four billion years, they are nothing.

Written in 2004, there are a lot of things the author isn’t sure about, and at times acknowledges that he is making educated guesses. I’m curious to see how much that’s changed in 9 years.

The Ancestor’s Tale has kindled in me a new appreciation for the physical sciences, especially biology. One of my goals for the next few years will be to read a lot more science-oriented books like this one. I’m also considering a seperate goal to read everything Dawkins has ever written.

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R.R. Martin

I had the luxury of being completely in the dark about Game of Thrones and the Song of Ice and Fire series until this year. I consider that a luxury because I was able to read all five published books one right after the other. People who read these earlier had to wait years in between each one. Sadly, I’m now a member of those ranks, eagerly awaiting the next volume.

I struggled to find anything I could read for a couple weeks after finishing the last one; nothing else would do. After talking to a few other fans of the series, I learned that this is a pretty common problem. I hear that they are just as good, and in some ways better on the second reading. Perhaps when number six comes out, I’ll do the whole thing again.

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish

I learned about this one from a programming blog I read. It’s another one that sat on the shelf for a bit (6 months this time instead of 10 years), but I was still mad at myself for letting it sit. It changed the way I look at my children, as well as how I interact with them. My wife could tell when I was trying out some of the techniques and commented that she could see them working. Some of the simple ieas seemed so obvious and they have stuck with me, but unfortunaltly, the kids have great power to wear to you down, and I think this book will require re-reading at least once a year to refocus. As others have commented, this is helpful for talking to anyone, not just kids. Everyone should read this book.