As I do every year, here are the books I read and enjoyed this year.
non-fiction,
- How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Reading Wisely by mortimer adlerIt’s probably not the most ‘fun’ book I’ve read this year, but it’s the one that’s likely to have the biggest impact on me in the long term, I read this book because this book was highly recommended and I thought ‘How can a book about how to read a book be good?’ it was! Highly recommended for those who want to learn to read to gain knowledge,
- We’ve got you covered: Restarting American health care By Liran Einav and Amy FinkelsteinHealth economists often criticize aspects of the current health care system and are known for saying ‘aside’, What would health economists actually recommend for reforming the US healthcare system? Einav and Finkelstein give their perspective,
- Risky Business: Why Insurance Markets Fail and What to Do About It By Liran Inav, Amy Finkelstein, Ray FismanOne of the best books I have read on adverse selection, However, I think it could have been made much shorter as the examples are repetitive, I would recommend most readers to read ‘We’ve Got You Covered’ instead of this book,
- Building optimism: Why our world looks the way it does, and how to make it better By Kobi LefkowitzInteresting book on an important topic, The first 100 pages just talk about what’s wrong currently, It could have been much smaller, We know what’s wrong, what are the solutions? The rest of the book is very interesting, The end of the book gives too many examples for me but will be interesting for architecture/city planning experts, However, it offers an interesting approach to redesigning our cities,
- Conspiracies: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue, by Ryan HolidayA book about revenge, the media, the courts and, of course, how a specific conspiracy unfolded,
- The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, by John VaillantA tiger killed a man, Why? A book about tigers, eastern Russia, rural communities, and animal conservation, very interesting, The most ‘fun’ non-fiction book I read this year,
Imagination,
- The City and Its Precarious Walls by Haruki MurakamiMy favorite fiction book I read this year, I love Murakami, his ability to create mysterious worlds and ponder big philosophical questions, Not my favorite Murakami but still very good!
- Borges and the eternal orangutan By Luis Fernando VerissimoStrange but fun book, Read briefly, Definitely recommended for fans of Jorge Luis Borges,
- James by Percival EverettA reimagining of the adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, It got a little more attention in the media but it’s still very good,
- La tia julia y el escribidor By Mario Vargas LlosaCreative but not my favorite book,
- The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick RothfussThis novel is part of the Kingskiller series, I love the series, but this novella teases a bit for the upcoming (hopefully!) next novel in the series,
Running/exercise books.
PS Check out Peter Newman’s list of the best books of 2025. Always high quality!
