(Very) honest book reviews

I read around 100 books a year. Recommendations appreciated.

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The ones that stayed with me after I closed the book

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These changed how I see the world

Material World, Ed Conway Sand, salt, lithium, copper, iron, oil. The six elements that make the world go round, and one one that kept the Allies and Axis trading during WW2. Mindblowing.
Lost Connections, Johann Hari The way we diagnose and treat depression and anxiety is missing the most important thing, connections to others in society. Compelling and hopeful ideas.
Mating in Captivity: How to keep desire and passion alive in long-term relationships, Ester Perel The fundamental human paradox is that we want both stability and excitement. How can we do that? Let’s dive in.
Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell. Shows how the systems globally set up certain people to succeed. All athletes born in the first 3 months of the season? Bill Gates at one of the only schools with a computer in his generation? I found this compelling if a little bit forced in looking for patterns
Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life, Helen Czerski Digestible and helpful facts of life for the non-physicist, including the ever-frustrating ketchup bottle. Thank you, Dr Czerski
Zucked, Roger McNamee An early Facebook investor now on a mission to reverse their unchecked power. If I still had Facebook, I would BAR / burn after reading
Donut Economics, Kate Raworth Good premise about how to transition from linear to circular economies to balance what human needs within the Earth’s capabilities to provide. This needs to catch on.
The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlebem Trees have an unbelievable ability to communicate with each other via networks of roots and nerves, you’ll start to look at forests in a totally different way. I learned later that much of this was taken from Susan Simmard’s Finding the Mother Tree which was disappointing.
Shakespeare in a Divided America, James Shapiro What happens when you show 7 moments in US history both clashing with and reinforcing themselves through adaptations of Shakespearean plays? Intriguing concept, I wanted more once I reached the end.
The Land Where Lemons Grow, Helena Attlee Who knew lemons were so critical to geopolitics? Both as the origins of the mafia and the reason why today Nice now belongs to France not Italy. A quick read and excellent advert for more blood oranges in your diet.
Killers of the Flower Moon: Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann An incredible true story of how the Louisiana Purchase catalysed an unforeseen series of events that changed the trajectory of the oil industry.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race Anymore, Reni Eddo-Lodge I heard Eddo-Lodge say on a podcast she wished she’d written under a pseudonym, given the tidal wave she unleashed with this book. Read and learn.

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Lives lived

Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull Someone literally walks into Pixar and says “let’s make a story about how toys come to life when we leave the room”. Joyful AF.
Pencils of Promise, Adam Braun Not many people would turn the simple request for a pencil into a new global network of schools. This book made me hopeful about humanity
My Thoughts Exactly, Lily Allen My favourite autobiography to date. Raw, provocative, eloquent, and written by theme not chronology which is refreshing.
Life Undercover: My Life As a CIA Spy, Amaryllis Fox This is one brave woman. Recruited straight out of university and undercover into the USA War on Terror. Some moments of pretty grim reading and of course some things which aren’t explicitly revealed, but a good insight into this most opaque way of life
All In, Billie Jean King Fighting battles on all fronts. Inspiring.
Am I Being Too Subtle? Sam Zell An unapologetic property magnate says it like it is.
American Prometheus, Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin I’d skip the first two sections about Oppenheimer’s early life, but the second half is fascinating
Duveen, S.N. Behrman This little-known character who had an outsized impact on how the art world operates. A great tale of 20th century hussle.
Dying of Politeness, Geena Davis Her mother wrote her name ‘Geena’ instead of ‘Gina’ so that people didn’t think it was short for ‘Vagina’. And it all went from there. Hilarious musings from Thelma.
Eleven Rings, Phil Jackson I loved Netflix’s The Last Dance and their deepdive into Phil’s alternative coaching. Now hear those ideas from the man himself.
Face It, Debbie Harry Still the coolest artist out there, despite being in her eighties.
Hillbilly Elegy, J. D. Vance Not my politics, but a pretty incredible story of resilience none the less.
If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair, Anya Hindmarch Never has a truer line been said. More tips for life inside
The Gambler, William C. Rempel The untold story of Kirk Kerkorian aka the son of Armenian immigrants who came from nothing to help build Las Vegas
My Mess is a Bit of a Life, Georgia Prichett Even more respect for this writer on Veep, for her frank, yet heart-warming, summary of life and all its twists and turns. Recommended
Inside Out, Demi Moore Beautiful and complicated, just like the author. Read in one sitting in a layover in L.A.
Madly, Deeply, Alan Rickman Diary snippings from his decades in the industry and working with every big name. I imagined him reading out these diary entries in Snape’s deep, dry humour.
Swan Dive, Georgina Pazcoguin Musings from a professional ballerina. Her world is as catty and competitive as you would imagine
Coco Chanel: The Legend And The Life, Justine Picardie From hideous beginnings to becoming a global phenomenon, the writing can be overly lyrical but the story is incredible.
The House of Gucci, Sara Gay Forden The film was dramatic, so is the book
House of Glass, Hadley Freeman It started with opening a shoebox of memories 10 years ago, it finished with a remarkable true story of 4 siblings escaping the Pogroms and Hitler.
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, Jia Tolentino. The angst of growing up as a teenage girl in the US in the 90’s. Witty, relatable observations.
Bossypants, Tiny Fey. If your dad has a name like Don Fey, you start with some great material. This book made me take up improv classes which is basically like adult playtime
Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow Bringing down of Harvey Weinstein, but I didn’t love the dozens of chapters it was broken into. Think it would have worked better in chunkier sections
The Outrun, Amy Liptrot A woman in a self-destructive alcoholic battle in London returns to her roots on a remote Scottish island to save herself from herself. The writing gets a bit lyrical for my taste but the story and settings is pretty memorable.
Will, Will Smith Read this before that slap. I thought the first half especially was great; a whistle-stop tour through his life in Philadelphia, hip-hop, and global stardom. Listened to a lot of Jazzy Jeff in the days after this
The World As It Is: Inside the Obama Whitehouse, Ben Rhodes An engrossing recollection of being on the up and up with Obama on his campaign, and then across so many critical moments during the 8 years of his presidency. The guiding lesson? “Don’t do stupid shit.”
My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem An enjoyable literal road trip through her life and learning about the women and organisations she partners with. No-one can move mountains alone.

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Gifts I like to give

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When you need to unwind

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Things that help me run Ops

Radical Candor, Kim Scott The single best book I’ve read on how to navigate the workplace.
Wilful Blindness, Margaret Heffernan We’re all guilty of it when the outcome is inconvenient. Where everyone could be responsible, nobody is
Think Like a Rocket Scientist, Ozan Varol How to apply concepts from rocket science and Google X to a startup. Loved
Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense, Rory Sutherland The advertising guru lays out the secret to the industry, that ‘not everything that makes sense works, and not everything that works makes sense’
Upstream, Dan Heath Taken from social care planning, this concept helps me think about how we fail and how to avoid it
The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande A former doctor on his rules for work and play. So simple, so true
No Rules Rules, Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer Some good ideas before they became commonplace, including “Netflix is probably the only company where they encourage you to speak to and even interview with the competition.”
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz. “A tip to aspiring entrepreneurs: If you don’t like choosing between horrible and cataclysmic, don’t become CEO.”
Dare to Lead, Brené Brown Vulnerability is both the hardest thing to show and the thing that most connects us to other humans. The tension in this book is real.
No Rules Rules, Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer How Netflix became the powerhouse it is. Not many places encourage you to interview with competition, but they know that they will win out.
The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters How to control the monkey mind. Good tips for an impatient person like me.
Drive, Daniel H. Pink How to keep your team members engaged? Get them in a flow
Dare to Lead, Brené Brown Some practical advice on building trust of your team. My favourite is, “it turns out that trust is in fact earned in the smallest of moments”. Harder said than done but I would agree
The Checklist, Atul Gawande A simple premise about adding a checklist to every activity, but actually a very good idea. Not as good as his other works but constructive
Thinking in Systems, Donella Meadows A good 101 guide to breaking down the systems around us and identifying the triggers inside them, and therefore the elements which can be affected
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, Tony Fadell Of iPod and Google Nest fame. I read this at a very helpful moment when building a new product at my job. A lot of fundamental things to keep in mind, very helpful

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“Someone is staring at you in personal growth”

Range, David Epstein. The antithesis of the 10,000 hours rule, if you want to be good at one thing, try many things first. Given this is me and I’ve never been the person to have the blinders solely focused on one thing, I’m willing to believe.
Breath, James Nesbitt Everything you know about breathing is wrong. Here’s how to train your nose like the muscle it is. Blew my mind
You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich, Emily Bellet A real champion for female investments and some good basic exercises to get your finances in order
Ageless, Andrew Steele Got to look after those telomeres!
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, Philippa Perry Does what it says on the tin. Very, very helpful.
Period Power, Maisie Hill I wish I’d received as a teenager. So much better than any school sex ed I had to endure. This should be mandatory reading for teenagers and everyone older, both boys and girls
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it. Chris Voss Some good tips for life from a former hostage negotiator.
Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed Before she became the ‘Wild’ author and instead ran a lifestyle advice column. Thoughtful, actionable, astute advice
Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker. You know it’s important, it will be emphasized again in this book. Might have lost a bit more sleep worrying about not sleeping enough
Burnout: Solve Your Stress Cycle, Emily and Amelia Nagoski. Supposedly a guide for women to take control of the many pressures we put on ourselves, unfortunately I didn’t find this particularly helpful and the examples to not be that relevant
The Intelligent Investor, Rev. Ed: The Definitive Book on Value Investing, Benjamin Graham, Revised by Jason Zweig Known as the definitive guide to investing, this mammoth book still feels very relevant and accessible, given the world has changed so much since its initial publication in 1949. Happy to share my notes so you don’t have to go through all 700 pages
Gut, Guilia Enders and David Shaw Arguably the most important part of the body, and 7km in length! If you’re interested, this is a good intro read
Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely ‘Although irrationality is commonplace, it does not necessarily mean that we are helpless.’ Good to know, Daniel.
Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism is Wrong, Herman Pontzer Everything you knew about metabolism is wrong. A lifetime of studying both primates and humans helps set the record straight here. Plus helpful to know that a pregnant female puts her heart under more stress than someone doing the Tour de France. Make sure to tell that to your friend next time she’s feeling tired whilst growing a tiny human.
Maybe you should talk to someone, Lori Gottlieb A therapist weaves together stories from people she counsels, whilst seeking answers with her own therapist. Compelling stories in a unique writing style. Recommended.
Modern Love, Edited by Daniel Jones First came the column, then the podcast, and now the Amazon show. All are wonderful
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, Jon Ronson Exploring the power of this very complex emotion with some very memorable moments. Remember that lady who tweeted about getting aids as she boarded a flight to South Africa and was fired by the time she landed? Yeh, that’s what shame feels like
Buddha in Blue Jeans: An Extremely Short Zen Guide to Sitting Quietly and Being Buddha, Tai Sheridan I’m not good at meditating but I like to dip into this now and again, and picture my thoughts as clouds when they are all getting a bit much

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Too many novels, not enough time

A Burning, Megha Majumdar Three ordinary individuals in India are caught up in the aftermath of a suicide bombing. You end up rooting for the characters until the very end. Short but powerful.
A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara A story of friendship and survival like nothing else, both the best and worst book they have ever read. When I see people reading it on the train, I have to stop myself going over to them to tell them to persevere. Read it when you have capacity to process it.
A Town like Alice, Nevil Shute Norway A tale of WW2 heroism in so many ways. There’s a reason this book is still read six decades after being published.
American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins Pacy story of a mother and son fleeing a gang in Mexico. Who knew that the name La Lechuza, or The Owl, could be so gut-wrenchingly scary? Not always plausible but still a good read and brutal insight into how drug choices in the USA have real impacts on populations in Central and South America.
Blue Sisters, Coco Mellors A tale of sisterhood in all its glorious messiness.
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh A tale of hedonistic young Oxford students before and as they get drawn into WWII. Loved the descriptions of the British countryside and grand tumbling down old houses. It’s always the bloody roof…
Cannery Row, John Steinbeck No-one paints the forlorn American towns like Steinbeck. Bleak, empty, intriguing as always.
Chronicles of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez I love magical realism, and this short story of a doomed marriage, whilst not in the realm of One Hundred Years of Solitude, is still very entertaining and funny in parts
Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons A fairly amusing story from the 1930s of a well-to-do girl sent to stay with unusual relatives on a farm. It had been a bit too hyped for me to really enjoy it but I still felt Gibbons was ahead of her time for her writings
Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid A book told as many interviews, reimagining what it was like to be in the most famous band in the world in the 70s. An open secret that this is based on Fleetwood Mac. Format takes a short while to get into, but well worth it
Dangerous Liaisons, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos The book which inspired Cruel Intentions. Written as a series of letters so takes some time to adjust, but an excellent crescendo as the characters get what is coming to them.
Dark Days, James Baldwin Lyrical but painful, a good introduction to Baldwin’s writings
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K Dick Hoped this would help me get more into sci-fi, it didn’t. But I’m not writing off the genre
Exhalation, Ted Chiang 9 short stories about the future between humans and AI. Couldn’t work out if they were grotesque or genius, probably both
Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes A neuro-diverse man who is picked on in life, experiences immense knowledge gain whilst taking part in an experiment, alongside the mouse who is his equivalent in the lab. Hard, heart-warming, infuriating. There’s an awful lot to process in this short book. Highly recommended
Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell I had high hopes for this book as it won so many prizes. In practice I found it slow and the language unnecessarily poetic, to the point of obnoxious and slow. Don’t bother
House of Cards, Michael Dobbs A book before it was a Netflix series, although the adaptation is better. Backstabbing and lies in Westminster in the 1970s. Reading this in 2021 felt awfully familiar
How Much of These Hills is Gold? C Pam Zhang Told from the point of the Chinese immigrants who came to build the railways for the Gold Rush in the 1850s, and the relentless racism they endured. Not easy, but a story that needs to be told
Kim Jiyong, Born 1982, Cho Nam-Joo The harsh realities of being born a woman in a society that favours men, starting from birth. Very good
Machines Like Us, Ian McEwan We’ve probably all thought about this question, what if we could programme robots to provide emotional support, buy us everything we need, and make even more money? Where is the line? Thought-provoking if unsatisfactory conclusion
Matrix, Lauren Groff Written in response to Trump’s election first time round, she imagines a world led in a female-led monastery in Medieval times. Unique
Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia A girl goes to rescue her cousin from the family who has lured her and the house which has trapped her. Weird but good
Midnight in the Garden of Good And Evil Read whilst living in Atlanta over the summer. A fictionalised version of a true story of old Savannah high-society life. Murders, affairs, illicit homosexuality, witchcraft. Paints a real picture
Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides Didn’t expect to embark on such an epic when I started it — the downsides of reading on Kindle. A bit of a slog, but pretty ahead of its time regarding major social issues
Mrs Everything, Jennifer Weiner Two girls growing up in 1970s America. Having recently watched Mrs. America, I totally understood the circumstances they were battling with. Slightly long but very good
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong Don’t judge a book by its cover, but this book title can’t help but be intriguing. Young, gay, inter-racial love in the American South. A slow start but the characters stayed with me long after
Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates An old but resonant tale of a stale relationship in a stale American town. Better than the film. Sorry, Leo
Rodham, Curtis Sittenfield I haven’t liked her previous work, but the premise of this, told from Clinton’s view if things had gone differently up until 2016, is actually very well done. The first thing to go is Bill, what a difference that would have made
Seating Arrangements, Maggie Shipstead An unexpectedly interesting tale told from the father of the bride’s perspective, told over a three day period in Connecticut. Expect descriptions of painfully realistic dynamics between bridesmaids, family members, and the snooty members club next door. Very amusing
Silver Sparrow, Tayari Jones A girl in Atlanta who has always had to accept that her father belongs to another family, now decides she won’t. Not as good as An American Marriage but still worth a read for the unusual storyline
Sovereign Territory, Andy Bell A gritty Westminster thriller in the immediate aftermath of Brexit. Would make an excellent tv series, and I’m not just saying that because the author is my dad.
Strangers on a Train, Patricia Highsmith A great premise of two people who concoct a plan to terminate the other’s problem. Makes the usual train journey seem very dry.
The Ardent Swarm, Yamen Manai On the surface it’s about a beekeeper lovingly tending his hives in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, but radicalism is becoming more and more prevalent in his hometown
The Bastard of Istanbul, Elif Shafak Not as good as her other works, feels like this one was Shafak learning to write about her home city
The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler The old style detectives who drink and smoke on the job. Very atmospheric if a little nuts
The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe Loved this old school tale from New York, he’s a real talker
The Dutch House, Ann Patchett Interesting family story set in a nouveau riche home in the US, shipped over from the Netherlands. Gripping, read in one sitting
The Glorious Heresies, Lisa McInerney An examination of the lives connected to a drugs gang in County Cork, Ireland. Tricky characters made sympathetic, not an easy task
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan Still relevant 30 years after it was written, a tale of family expectation and assimilation in San Francisco. Enjoyable
The Mermaid of Black Conch, Monique Roffey A story between magical realism and reality, a man releases the mermaid caught for show on his island, only to fall in love. A modern day parable of love
The Other Americans, Laila Lalami When an old immigrant man is killed in a hit and run, a whole community of characters get drawn in. Very good
The Rabbit Hutch, Tess Gunty Observations from people living on top of each other, great writing
The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett An intriguing concept of two twins in the same city where one can, and does, pass for a white woman. And her twin, who cannot. Recommended
Three Women, Lisa Taddeo A raw, uninhibited look into the complexities of sexual relationships based on the real lives of three women whom Taddeo interviewed for 7 years before writing. Unlike anything I’ve read before
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy This epic was written over decades as Tolstoy himself shifted his views of the world towards pacifism, and you can tell. A slow beginning but the really interesting parts of this are the evolution of the questioning of what makes a good leader in war, and how fickle the concept of leadership is. Also I cheated and rewatched an adaptation before embarking on this journey, would also recommend doing that to make sense of all the different families
West With Giraffes, Lynda Rutledge A true story of how two giraffes were put on a truck from New York to California across dustbowl-ravaged states. A spectacle of wonder after the trauma of the 1930s. Rather enjoyable, although maybe not for the giraffes.
Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens (A haunting tale of a girl left to fend for herself in the marshlands of the American South in the 1950s. Reminds us how easy it is to ostracise those who are different. Kicked off my reading marathon at the beginning of the pandemic. Uncomfortable and unexpected, recommended)
White Teeth, Zadie Smith My first Zadie Smith and a portrait of my home city. An observant and humanising approach to London and the many lives intersecting, in an often uncomfortable way
Yellowface, Rebecca F. Kuang A pacy, cautionary tale about greed and competion. Easy read and so popular that you might want to read it so you can contribute the next time someone brings up recent reads…

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Essays