A full list of the books I completed in 2016 is to the right. "Brain Maker" has changed my life more than any other book: my whole family now takes daily probiotic supplements, and I now avoid gluten and sugar like the plague. "Concussion" was a close second: I stopped watching American football to prevent my son from being drawn to play the game when he is older.
My favorite books I completed in 2016 were "Made in America," "Shoe Dogs," "When I Stop Talking You Know I am Dead," "The Hiltons" and "Titan." Apple’s late Steve Jobs may be the most famous CEO in modern America, but the founding stories of Wal-Mart and Nike are equally entrepreneurial and highly entertaining. Jerry Weintraub’s book shared the life of a businessman who built not a company but careers and legendary performances; unfortunately, the late Weintraub stopped talking in 2016, but we are lucky to have his biography as an account of his adventures with Elvis, Sinatra, Clooney, and Pitt. "The Hiltons" was another incredible book about how Conrad Hilton influenced the travel and hospitality industries like Steve Jobs revolutionized the telephone industry. "Titan" regaled the life of John D. Rockefeller whose mastery of self-control enabled him to become the greatest business leader of all.
The epic biographies of great American leaders provided context which helped me better understand the 2016 election and other modern events. Twitter rants seem less important when you consider the turmoil Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Einstein, and Truman faced. "Unbroken" was an inspirational story of a heroic life.
"Sapiens" and "The Story of the Human Body" illustrated my role on Earth beyond our society and the precipitous impact humans have had on the world. The perspective attained from these books motivate me to avoid afflictions from the discrepancies between contemporary life and the lives humans evolved to live over millions of years and thousands of generations.
Thanks to other books listed to the right I better understand contemporary leaders from Musk to Putin to the founders of 3G Capital. I have had a look into the fascinating lives of Willy Nelson, Amy Poehler, John Stewart, and David Spade. Should I purposely withhold praise from my children? It seems Michael Jordan’s determination derives from his father’s tendency to exult Michael’s brother and overlook Michael's accomplishments.
"Getting to Yes with Yourself" may have been the most useful book on the list because it helped refocus my energy on my effort and what I can control. Moreover, it framed my mindset and complemented many parenting books that I completed. Yes, "Getting to Yes with Yourself" is listed twice, but it was as useful in November as it was in March. Plus I read "A Dance with Dragons" and "Game of Thrones" for a third and fourth time, respectfully, and those made the list, too.
Each of these titles deserves a unique blog post, but I promise to be a more diligent blogger in summarizing the books completed in 2017. You are resigned to settle for my recommendations (the books highlighted with a yellow background).