Books I Read In 2022.
2022 was a year of working for self and working in stealth. It’s been a year of immense professional growth. It’s been a year of belief and survival. It’s been a year of proving again and again that family will always have your back. It has been the riskiest year in a professional sense. 2022 has been a great confidence builder. So much to say but I’ll save it for a bigger moment that’s to occur soon.
2023 has already begun and I am a tad bit late in writing the “Books I read in the bygone year” article which I’ve been doing for quite some time now. I primarily do this to keep a tab of the books I’ve read and use to revisit them when needed.
With a goal of one book every month; Here’s the list of Books I read in 2022.
No Rules Rules ~ Reed Hastings & Erin Mayer —
The New York Times best seller shortlisted for the 2020 Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings reveals for the first time the unorthodox culture behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies. There has never before been a company like Netflix. It has led to nothing short of a revolution in the entertainment industry, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue while capturing the imaginations of hundreds of millions of people in over 190 countries.
But to reach these great heights, Netflix, which launched in 1998 as an online DVD rental service, has had to reinvent itself over and over again. This type of unprecedented flexibility would have been impossible without the counterintuitive and radical management principles that cofounder Reed Hastings established from the very beginning.
Hastings rejected the conventional wisdom under which other companies operate and defied tradition to instead build a culture focused on freedom and responsibility, one that has allowed Netflix to adapt and innovate as the needs of its members and the world have simultaneously transformed. Hastings set new standards, valuing people over process, emphasizing innovation over efficiency, and giving employees context, not controls. At Netflix, there are no vacation or expense policies. At Netflix, adequate performance gets a generous severance, and hard work is irrelevant. At Netflix, you don’t try to please your boss, you give candid feedback instead.
At Netflix, employees don’t need approval, and the company pays top of the market. When Hastings and his team first devised these unorthodox principles, the implications were unknown and untested. But in just a short period, their methods led to unparalleled speed and boldness, as Netflix quickly became one of the most loved brands in the world. Here for the first time, Hastings and Erin Meyer, bestselling author of The Culture Map and one of the world’s most influential business thinkers, dive deep into the controversial ideologies at the heart of the Netflix psyche, which have generated results that are the envy of the business world. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees from around the globe and never-before-told stories of trial and error from Hastings’s own career, No Rules Rules is the fascinating and untold account of the philosophy behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies.
The Ride Of a Lifetime ~ Robert Iger —
In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger ( who is back as the CEO of Disney) shares the lessons he’s learned while running Disney and leading its 200,000 employees, and he explores the principles that are necessary for true leadership, including Optimism. Even in the face of difficulty, an optimistic leader will find the path toward the best possible outcome and focus on that, rather than give in to pessimism and blaming. Courage. Leaders have to be willing to take risks and place big bets. Fear of failure destroys creativity. Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can be made on a timely basis. Indecisiveness is both wasteful and destructive to morale. Fairness. Treat people decently, with empathy, and be accessible to them.
This book is about the relentless curiosity that has driven Iger for forty-five years, since the day he started as the lowliest studio grunt at ABC. It’s also about thoughtfulness and respect, and a decency-over-dollars approach that has become the bedrock of every project and partnership Iger pursues, from a deep friendship with Steve Jobs in his final years to an abiding love of the Star Wars mythology.“The ideas in this book strike me as universal” Iger writes. “Not just to the aspiring CEOs of the world, but to anyone wanting to feel less fearful, more confidently themselves, as they navigate their professional and even personal lives.”
48 Power Of Laws ~ Robert Greene —
Drawn from 3,000 years of the history of power, this is the definitive guide to help readers achieve for themselves what Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, Louis XIV and Machiavelli learnt the hard way. Law 1: Never outshine the master Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies Law 3: Conceal your intentions Law 4: Always say less than necessary. The text is bold and elegant, laid out in black and red throughout and replete with fables and unique word sculptures. The 48 laws are illustrated through the tactics, triumphs and failures of great figures from the past who have wielded — or been victimised by — power.
On Shortness Of Life — Seneca —
To be honest, this book was a little tough to read and grasp and hence needs a second sitting. The book is about the timeless advice on the art of living well, from the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca offers powerful insights into stoicism, morality and the importance of reason, and continues to provide profound guidance to many through their eloquence, lucidity and wisdom. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves — and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives — and destroyed them. The Penguin Great Ideas series brings you the works of great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.
The Hard Things About Hard Things ~ Ben Horowitz —
Ben Horowitz, the cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup — practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog. While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favourite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in. Filled with his trademark humour and straight talk, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz’s personal and often humbling experiences.
Idea Se Parde Tak ~ Ramkumar Singh & Satyanshu Singh —
This book is written in simple Hindi lucid language and is an underrated Indian bible to learn screenwriting and the nuances of storytelling with exercises. A must-read for all the filmmakers. Must be read once every year.
Think Straight ~ Darius Foroux —
THINK STRAIGHT reveals the recipe for taking control of your mind so you can improve your life, career, relationships, and business. The mind is the most powerful tool on earth. Change the way you think. And you’ll change your life. A quick medium-sized fast-paced book.
Unscripted ~ Vidhu Vinodh Chopra, Abhijat Joshi —
Starting in Wazir Bagh, a small mohalla in Kashmir, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s life has been well and truly unscripted. Over the last thirty years, he has blazed a trail in Hindi cinema, even going on to direct a film in Hollywood. From someone who once released his student film though it was incomplete because he ran out of money and film stock, he now has the distinction of heading one of the key production houses in India, VVC Films. The company has made some of the biggest blockbusters in recent times. Not only is he a filmmaker par excellence, but he has also nurtured some of the brightest talents in the Hindi film industry, including directors Rajkumar Hirani, Pradeep Sarkar, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In Unscripted, Vidhu Vinod Chopra speaks to his long-time collaborator and scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi about his exceptional journey. Engaging and illuminating, the book provides a glimpse into the mind, method, and madness of one of contemporary Hindi cinema’s best filmmakers.
Almanack Of Naval Ravikant ~ Eric Jorgenson —
Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor who has captivated the world with his principles for building wealth and creating long-term happiness. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a collection of Naval’s wisdom and experience from the last ten years, shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews and poignant reflections. This isn’t a how-to book or a step-by-step gimmick. Instead, through Naval’s own words, you will learn how to walk your own unique path toward a happier, healthier and wealthier life. TRULY A MUST-READ FOR EVERYONE.
Four Thousand Weeks ~ Oliver Burkeman —
The title draws from the premise that “the average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.
Assuming you live to be eighty, you’ll have had about four thousand weeks. Four Thousand Weeks is a philosophical exploration of the modern relationship with time, along with how humans can make the most of finite existence. This book offers a really unique perspective on contemporary time management and makes us wonder if there is much more to it than simply crossing things off your to-do list. It aids in accepting one’s mortality and the finite amount of time we have on earth, which highlights how crucial it is to make conscious decisions about how you spend your time and which activities you engage in and which you don’t.
Doglapan ~ Ashneer Grover —
How could I not read this book by the controversial founder and the brutally honest Shark from Shark Tank India, Ashneer Grover? This year has been both good and bad for the man. So it kinda balances it out. He is happy in whatever space he is in right now.
I must admit he has tactically used all the negative press and PR to build his public image and fan following across social media and the book “Doglapan” (the title derived from one of his viral memes from Shark Tank Season One) is an attempt to present his side of the story totally unfiltered. And the way he has written down things; looks like the man is saying nothing but the truth. Sharing his life journey in a fast-paced manner, he describes how he turned into an entrepreneur emphasising on his learnings and warning us to be extremely cautious from the first red flag itself.
Should definitely be read by all entrepreneurs and the aspiring ones.
So — the count is 11/12. Not bad… eh?
Parting thoughts! Well, what else than wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2023.
On the personal front, there’s a lot to be done this year. A mammoth task and responsibility await. Clearly, 2023 is going to be a year out of my comfort zone.
Looking forward to it. :-)
See, you all next year.
Cheers!
P: S. Not all but yes the details about the book have been copied from the Internet. Yeah — I can act lazy at times too.:P
