Here’s what I’ve been reading for the past three months:
- To Engineer is Human – Engineering innovations are a byproduct of failed designs that create opportunities for improvement and success, while success can bring overconfidence, added risk-taking, and disaster. Henry Petroski’s book goes through the history of engineering failures and lessons learned that led to progress in the design of buildings, bridges, and more. (Notes)
- The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time – This book is a compilation of Will Durant’s essays and lectures. His personal lists of the greatest thinkers, poets, books, peaks of human progress, and dates offer a journey through world history. (Notes)
- The First Million is the Hardest: An Autobiography – Arthur Farquhar built a global agricultural manufacturer. He also faced hardship in that process — a factory that burned down twice, multiple depressions, and the Civil War. His autobiography offers a mix of U.S. history, business common sense, and name-dropping. He discusses presidents, politicians, and business leaders he met throughout his life. (Notes)
- Maxims for Thinking Analytically – Richard Zeckhauser is an economist and Harvard professor. The book uses practical examples to explain 22 of Zeckhauser’s maxims around analytical thinking and better decision-making. Notes to come.
- The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie – The latest read is inspired by Farquhar, who viewed Carnegie as the best businessman ever. Carnegie immigrated with his parents to the U.S. at a young age. Carnegie started as a bobbin boy at a cotton factory at age 13. A job as a telegraph messenger boy a year later changed his life. Or so I expect from the man who built a steel empire, became the richest person in the U.S., and proceeded to give almost all of it away. Notes to come after I finish the book.
Need some other summer reading ideas? Try these book lists:
- Stupidity: A Reading List – a reading list that will make you smarter by studying human stupidity throughout history.
- The Ultimate Summer 2024 Reading List – The most recommended books based in all the summer reading lists.
Related Reading:
Quarterly Reading – Spring 2024
Quarterly Reading – Winter 2024