Article
2009: The year in books
In 2009 I took advantage of a busy travel schedule to read 22 books throughout the course of the year. I gave up on the Chicago Public Library in June and bought an Amazon Kindle — this gave me the flexibility to travel with more books, buy books on the road, and ultimately read more.
(The Kindle is far from perfect, but it is the best e-book reader available and offers a great user experience. I look forward to improved screen technology, less restrictive content licensing, and more sophisticated tools for sharing and managing content in future devices.)
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
Value Averaging by Michael Edleson
This smart, math-heavy book proposes an formula-based investing technique that enables you to buy low and sell high without having to guess about market timing.Farm City by Novella Carpenter
Wonderful memoir about the author’s backyard farm in Oakland.Up in the Air by Walter Kirn
Enjoyable, fast-reading novel about corporate America, airlines, and relationships. Also a very good movie!The Four Pillars of Investing by William J Bernstein
Clear, well-written summary of sound investing technique by one of the most well reasoning authors in the business.The Economic Naturalist by Robert H Frank
Professor Frank applies basic economic priciples to common scenarios. I wish I had this book (or class!) in college.Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina
Better than it sounds. The author describes a unified theory of personal development built around love, truth and power.Rapt by Winifred Gallagher
Fascinating summary of research on human attention, including a look at how what we choose to focus on affects our development as people.Around the World in 79 Days by Cam Lewis and Michael Levitt
Great account of the Commodore Explorer’s non-stop round-the-world sailing expedition that set the world record in 199X.Easy Money by Liz Pulliam Weston
How-to guide for automating and simplifying your personal finances.Basket Case and Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
Hiaasen’s novels are formulaic but really entertaining. Great vacation reading.Your Credit Score by Liz Pulliam Weston
Detailed summary of how your credit score is calculated and used. Easy to follow and readily applicable; Pulliam combines a lot of difficult-to-find information and makes it clear.The Frugal Millionaires by Jeff Lehman
This is a really cool book: Lehman interviewed hundreds of “frugal millionaires” and summarized the best advice on saving, investing, housing, insurance, cars, and more.The Cruise of the Snark by Jack London
I had high hopes for this book after reading an excerpt in Before the Wind, but it was rambling and too scattered for my taste.Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Classic adventure book. A bit slow by modern standards but still great reading.Before the Wind by David Gowdey (editor)
Wonderful collection of short stories about sailing.How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Sound advice on increasing your professional and personal influence. Carnegie promotes techniques based on genuine and shared interest between people; not tricks or swindling. This book is old but it has aged well.Free by Chris Anderson
Anderson’s books and articles can appear gimmicky, but are often filled with thought-provoking arguments and great examples.Sailboat Electrics Simplified by Don Casey
Dry but clear description of sailboat electrics. A good reference.The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
These books changed the way I eat, buy and cook food. Highly recommended.