2024 - Year in Books

Harry Potter Series

I have been a Harry Potter fan since childhood, and to some degree, I credit the series for getting me into reading. 17 years after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment in the series, I decided to reread all of it after a friend gifted me the collection.

I don't usually reread books, but this one was definitely worth it. All nostalgia aside, I think I was able to better appreciate the writing, world-building, and complexity of characters this time compared to when I first read the books.

Another great aspect of rereading a series like this is that you can spot connections that were missed previously. For example, Albus Dumbledore uses the Deluminator in the first scene of the first book, which only reappears in the seventh book when he leaves it for Ron Weasley. The first book came out in 1997, and the seventh one in 2007—this minor detail is just one of many threads that connect the two books.

Reading the series also helped me build some momentum around reading early in the year.

Three Body Problem - Part 1

Continuing with the rereading trend, I picked up the first book (of 3) in the Three-Body series as a refresher before it began streaming on Netflix this year. This turned out to be a great decision again, as I observed details and connections that I had missed previously when reading part 2 (The Dark Forest) and part 3 (Death's End).

The Three-Body Problem books are among the most exhaustive, detailed, and imaginative books I have read, and I don't doubt that if I were to read all of them again, they would be as engaging as they were the first time.

The Last Mughal

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124429.The_Last_Mughal

This book by William Dalrymple is a history of the last days of the Mughal Empire in India, but more than that, it's the history of Delhi and its people in the 19th century.

There's a different feeling you experience when you read the history of places you've been to many times, of culture you have experienced firsthand. The Last Mughal does a great job of transporting you to the narrow lanes of 19th-century Delhi. It paints a vivid picture of the different people that lived there, the music they listened to, the food they ate (and that we still get in Delhi), their fights, annoyances, and luxuries.

For me, one of the most fascinating part of the book was reading about different areas (which were not considered part of Delhi then) and mapping them to the mega city and urban center that it has become now.

If you are in Delhi, or have ever lived there, I would definitely recommend reading this.

Tuesday’s with Morrie

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6900.Tuesdays_with_Morrie?ref=nav_sb_noss_l_14

As I have called out here, Tuesday’s with Morrie was not a book I would typically pick up but it was a gift and a quick read, this was probably one of the best books I have read.

It’s a memoir written by Mitch Albom, documenting his many conversations with his terminally ill professor, Morrie Schwartz. The book has conversations on all topics that we think about at some point in our lives — money, love, relationships, meaning, death and emotions etc.

Another book I can see myself revisiting in the coming years.

The Psychopath Test

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12391521-the-psychopath-test?ref=nav_sb_noss_l_8

Another experimental read, The Psychopath Test follows the authors journey into understanding different kinds of madness.

The book has many interesting stories — like one of a man who scammed his way into the Mental Hospital hoping for nicer amenities and found himself unable to convince the doctors of his sanity for another 20 years.

He talks of the Hare Checklist to identify psychopaths, and its shortcomings and through that, advocates for a more balanced approach in diagnosing/labeling mental illness.

Despite the vague (to me) topic of the book, it was an interesting read and very well written.

The Hard Things about Hard Things

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18176747-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things

Written by Ben Horowitz, this is one of the most raw accounts of what it takes to build and run companies. I have been an early employee at 2 early stage startups, and I was able to relate to many problems/circumstances described in the book, founders will probably relate even more.

There are plenty of great reviews and discussions about this book out there, but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is planning to startup and build their own company.

Are your lights on?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1044831.Are_Your_Lights_On_?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19

A book recommendation from Reddit, this is a fun read that tries to help you get better at understanding and identifying real problems.

The author describes a problem as — a difference between things as desired and things as percieved;
Which can be solved by either by reducing desires or increasing perception.

The book talks about challenges faced in identifying problems, things to be aware of when designing solutions, and other questions you can ask to make sure that we solve the right problems for the right people.

The Golden Road

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201608148-the-golden-road

The Golden Road is the latest book by William Dalrymple, it talks about ancient India (the sub-continent) and its role as an economic and cultural powerhouse.

It talks about the eastward spread of Buddhism and Hinduism from India to China and South East Asia, the trade of spices and metals between India and the west (Roman Empire and Egypt) and the rise and fall of different kingdoms and cultures in India and its neighbours.

My only complaint with this one was it felt too wordy at times, but a good read none the less.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077875-essentialism

Essentialism is a book that promotes the lifestyle of an Essentialist—designing your life by actively making choices (sometimes hard ones) rather than living in default mode. It advocates actively cutting out things that don't truly align with your goals and the way you want to live your life.

The one idea that drives everything in this book is that if you don't actively make choices for yourself, the world or someone else will make them for you. This is true in both your work and personal life.

The book provides a framework and many tools to design an essentialist life.

This is one of the better books I have read in the self-help/productivity genre.