2020
Why Nations Fail
by Daron Acemoğlu, James A. Robinson
The book presents a hypothesis to answer one of the most crucial yet puzzling economical questions: Why are some nations rich while other struggle? Summary of the theory: Prosperity is strongly linked to the nature of institutions and political system of a country, which we could categorize as inclusive or extractive. It’s hard to change the course of the country due to the self-perpetuating nature of these systems, but it isn’t impossible. The change usually happens during a critical juncture, which interplays with institutions in place.
The book is presented with many examples, but it loses the pace towards the end as it becomes slightly repetitive. I haven’t read many books discussing sources of inequality between the nations, but this one appears to be spot-on. It comes with far-reaching implications for many areas, such as foreign aid, policy planning and the struggle to eliminate suffering of the poor.
A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles
I really enjoyed the literary style, but it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly. It was very pleasant experience.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
by Shoshana Zuboff
A view into the business model of gathering consumer data and using them to sell targeted advertisements. It’s a little long book, but it was interesting read. I didn’t know that this practice was so rampant, with many companies joining in.
The most useful takeaway for me was to see how this model (like all business models) underlies most of the involved companies’ decisions. Which, in retrospect, is quite obvious.
Deep Work
by Cal Newport
Work without distractions, allow yourself to be bored, think about your time. Straight-forward concepts, but I often find it useful to read a book just to force me to think about the idea for longer and internalize it. And it’s not only about productivity - I agree with the author’s claim that deep, focused work (and life) is more fulfilling and enjoyable.
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
The book felt like watching a 10-hours long epic movie which had it all - love, war, heroes, gods. It was quite unique experience. I shivered a little at the descriptions of all the deaths, but what do you expect when reading about Trojan War?