I have always been an avid reader. There is little in life that I enjoy more than a good book.
The books I’m reading right now are –
- The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu
- 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed
- Water: A Biography
My favorite fiction genre has always been science fiction. These days I mostly read non-fiction, but I try to sprinkle in a good sci-fi book every once in a while. The Three Body Problem was recently recommended to me by a friend. It is a sci-fi story that takes place in a real-world setting (mid-20th-century Cultural Revolution China), so it incorporates both fiction and history – a winning combination with me.
I’m reading 1177 BC to, believe it or not, further inform my campaign for mayor and my planning for running the office once I’m elected. If you’re curious how it applies, well, read it yourself and see. Or, if you have a Bloomberg News subscription, you can read this article that gives a good overview of the general topic.
I’m reading Water because one of my kids gave it to me, knowing as they do that while I like to read heavy, thick, well written histories and biographies, I also very much enjoy “history-lite” books that center on something prosaic in every day life (e.g. Salt – A World History – one of my all-time favorite non-fiction reads).
Next on my list is a biography of Henry Kissinger by Niall Ferguson. I’m a big fan of Ferguson’s writing, but if I try to read any more than three books at one time none of them ever get finished. So this one will have wait.
Anyway – moving on – obviously I didn’t just wake up the other day and decide that I would run for mayor of San Francisco.
At least I hope that’s obvious.
I have of course known for some time that this moment would come. And so, to prepare myself, I have been doing some reading on topics and issues that I believe will help me succeed in the role of mayor and leader.
Below is a list of some of the books I have read with this (preparation) in mind:
The Meritocracy Trap, by Daniel Markovits (should be required reading for every adult citizen, IMO)
Walkable City, by Jeff Speck
Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt
Factfulness, by Hans Rosling
Season Of The Witch, by David Talbot
Stamped From The Beginning, by Ibram Kendi
How To Be An Anti-Racist, by Ibram Kendi
Building Social Business, by Muhammad Yunus
The Secret Life of Groceries, by Benjamin Lorr
Empire, by Niall Ferguson
The Internal Enemy, by Alan Taylor
The Chickenshit Club, by Jesse Eisinger
Woodrow Wilson, by H. W. Brands
The Best And The Brightest, by David Halberstam
Grant, by Ron Chernow
American Lion, by Jon Meacham
The Accidental President, by A. J. Baime
Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow
John Adams, by David McCullough
Valiant Ambition, by Nathaniel Philbrick
Team Of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Traitor To His Class, by H. W. Brands
The Path To Power, Means Of Ascent, Master Of The Senate, and The Passage Of Power – all four by Robert Caro
The Power Broker, by Robert Caro
Less about preparing to be a mayor, but still a good read about leadership or human behavior/insanity and stuff like that:
Astoria, by Peter Stark
Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut (I read this in high school, but recently wanted to re-visit it)
The Bomb, by Fred Kaplan
The Perfect Weapon, by David Sanger
The Premonition, by Michael Lewis
The Guns Of August, by Barbara Tuchman