The year 2020 has not been a great year for the world. With the coronavirus outbreak, things are in the standstill. Many people are fed up with the lockdown & finding it tough to deal with constraints. However, reading can be a wonderful gateway to some different planes. I read often & in the first 6 months of 2020, I have read following books. All these books have something good to offer & can shape your future. So, here is the list of books I read till date in the year 2020.
1. Hard Thing About Hard Things:
Hard Thing About Hard Things is a book by Ben Horowitz. He started his company during dot com boom & manages to stay afloat when the market crashed. How he manages to do stay alive during the bloodbath? This is the core of the book; he explains all the tips & tricks that he used to survive & thrive. Although everyone has his/her way of solving a thing; he has his. This book will teach you about the different aspects of management & how you can behave in each situation. This should not be treated as a playbook but as a guide book that will help you maneuver through rough terrains. This book has a special mention of legends like Andy Grove & Ben Campbell, both of which have books on their style of management.
2. The Magic of Thinking Big:
How often one has heard the phrase believing is becoming. This book is one such book that doubles down on the concept. A self-help book will pour positivity inside you & will plead you to think big. A book which will help you to cover all the aspects of life & how to deal with each situation. There are so many magical lessons to be learned from this book, not only learn but also to implement it. If one can read this book with concentration, they will surely be able to differentiate between the person who achieves his/her goals & a person who doesn’t.
3. Blockchain Revolution:
Blockchain revolution talks about blockchain technology which is shaping many other industries. Some predict that it is the most important innovation after the internet & everyone knows how the internet has flared up the world. Till few decades back, communicating with a person living on the other end of the world was impossible. But, the internet vanished that boundary. Blockchain’s primary example is Bitcoin, a peer to peer currency that allows you to transact without any third party overlooking it. A trustless system that is pretty much required at this time when top people don’t behave the way they meant to. Read this book to learn about fascinating things this technology can do.
4. Bitcoin Billionaires:
Bitcoin billionaires is a book on Winkelvoss twins, who sued Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Everyone knows how Facebook started, there were some controversial points & one of those controversial points is, the role of twins on Facebook. After settling with Mark, they moved ahead. Bitcoin was still in its earlier phases when twins dived deep down in the topic. After a bold prediction that it will change the financial sector for good, they went all in. So, read in this book about how they become first-ever Bitcoin Billionaires.
5. Anything You Want:
Anything you want is a book about a journey of a start-up, without any heavy words. By heavy words, I mean ROI, IRR, valuation, etc. The book is written in simple words & with this simple language tries to explain the process of a startup. What all thoughts occur during a different time of the journey. How the decisions should be made & what all parameters govern. It is a very short book with lots of valuable lessons. This book doesn’t showcase any tips & tricks to start a company, but an overview of different conditions & what pushes one to pursue this difficult journey.
6. The Future Is Faster Than You Think:
The flying drones, AI, nanorobots, the stuff which seemed to be of future are about to enter our’s world. The technology is growing faster than anyone can anticipate & in the next decade the geography is going to change drastically. This book about the window to the future & how every industry that you can possibly think of will change for the good. Anyone who is looking to learn about something that science has to offer. So fasten your seatbelt while technologies take you to the next decade.
7. The Checklist Manifesto:
There is one thing that is common across all the industries & that is improving efficiency. But, how to improve it is the most concerning question & with this book, the author wants to provide an answer to that constant question. As per the author, there is a way to improve the efficiency of any industry & that is through making a checklist. A checklist will help you to complete the work & also help you how to solve the unexpected problem in case it arises. The steps you can take to mitigate the problems. A book will teach you how the checklist should be & why is it required.
8. The Fountainhead:
Fountainhead is the story of an architect who is too bored to design regular buildings. He wants to build something which has soul, attitude, the impression of its owner. But, this world is too cruel for his imaginations. Many people are jealous of his guts, thinking & lack of facade. Yet, few of the lot help him in bits to give wind to his wings & he somehow manages to fly. Read about the story of a boy who broke every rule & still flew high. How some people want him to fail & quit. Yet, a small warrior inside him gives him the strength to fight it out. Many philosophical lessons to be learned from this book & one of the classics to read.
9. The E Myth Revisited:
The E Myth is a book about small businesses that vanishes within 5 years after the start of the operation & this figure is more than 80% which is astonishing. A person starts a company being a technician(a person who is good at building things) but this is not enough. To start a successful business, the person should be an entrepreneur (vision for the company) & manager (how to interconnect different stages of the business efficiently). Once a person can figure out the difference & work on it. He or she can move to the next step which is setting up of different processes that can help you to operate it without flaws & also replicate it anywhere. I think most of the lessons will be available online. However, if you want to get to specific examples can read this book.
10. Currency Wars:
Wars are fought on many fronts & with everyone capable of one nuclear bomb, bombing & vanishing in the thin air of hydrogen is not a solution. However, another front is an economic one. The battle of economies & taking steps to win over other powerful nations. Whomsoever is having healthy currency will rule the world’s economy. US dollar is in the front since world war II. However, countries like China, Russia are planning something big. US dollar condition is on a ventilator & the world is thinking to go back to Gold standards. It is interesting to read about the current scenario of various currencies. A very interesting book that will teach about the world’s financial system & how it is being manipulated.
11. Elon Musk:
Elon Musk is nerd’s superstar & with mass innovations behind him, he has become someone who is changing the world each day. The story of a man behind PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, hyperloop, SolarCity & whatnot. He is a real-life iron man in true sense. Nobody has covered his journey in the true sense. Elon Musk finally agreed to tell his side of the story after rejecting it several times. This book will drive you through his struggles, his highs, his lows & his vision. It is not normal for a human being to earn millions of dollars & spend all in some new company whose success rate is pretty low. But, he is that man, he is on a mission to change the world with his innovations & visions. Some say he is not human & the way he works add up to this fact. The book will inspire you to do something big & monumental. Don’t miss it at any cost.
So, this was the list of books I read in 2020 to date. I have planned to read 24 books, the challenge I gave to myself each year & completing it as well. You can check all the books I read here. Read, learn & implement.
