Best Books I Read in 2023
Fiction
Lessons: A novel by Ian McEwan
From the best-selling author of Atonement and Saturday comes the epic and intimate story of one man’s life across generations and historical upheavals. From the Suez Crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall to the current pandemic, Roland Baines sometimes rides with the tide of history, but more often struggles against it.
The Armor of Light: A Novel by Ken Follett
An epic continuation of the series that began with The Pillars of the Earth, The Armor of Light heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond
Sports
LeBron by Jeff Benedict
An excellent biography of a great athlete and a uniquely successful business story.
Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian
Excellent biography that would have benefited from Woods’ participation or approval.
Business & Investments
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre
A re-read (and not for the first time). This is the fictionalized account of Jesse Livermore’s life. Livermore was perhaps the greatest trader of all-time until he went bust one too many times and killed himself.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
The Theranos story, with the book being so much better and informative than the HBO doc.
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins
Earlier this year I shared this review.
The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend by Rob Copeland
A tough look at the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund.
Non-Fiction
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meachem
Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln, charting how—and why—he confronted secession, threats to democracy, and the tragedy of slavery to expand the possibilities of America.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
They were the richest people in the world until they started getting killed off and the FBI became what it is now to help catch the killers.
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverley Gage
A detailed, well-written, and even-handed look at one of the last centuries most influential figures.
Suggested Further Reading
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