The ultimate 2016 books review
It’s almost become a ritual for me, sitting down in my parents’ living room, looking at our gifts-heavy (probably some books in there) Christmas tree blinking, and writing about what I read in the past year.
Now I must confess: I did not read a lot during the first half of 2016. Then I moved to Tokyo, and I started making the most of the commute time to jump back into books. Without further ado and no particular order, here is my 2016 book year in review!
Business first
Work Rules!, by Laszlo Bock
What it talks about: Google’s approach to Human Resources.
If you want a deep dive into how Google recruits, manages performance, decides salary reviews (hint: the chapter is named “pay unfairly”), or envisions training, this is your book.
I can talk a lot about the details, but there are common points about how they tackle each item:
- Nothing is taken for granted. They experiment every day.
- Despite HR being seen as a “people” field, they work with data. A lot of it. Interestingly, I really don’t think it reduces people to bits and numbers, quite the opposite.
- They acknowledge that we have a lot to learn from behavorial economics.
- They believe people are good.
Grab a copy and reinvent how you deal with Human Ressources!
My rating: 4.5/5
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
What it talks about: Your fast, intuitive self and your slow, analytical self.
I started this book in January this year. In December I finally checked the “finished” box, which should tell you something about the density.
Forget all the books you read about behavioral economics, they are nothing compared to this encyclopedia about the topic. It may feel repetitive but I believe it’s very subtle and would require a second reading to truly absorb everything in it.
One part I particularly enjoyed, and about which I had never read anything before, is the experiencing self vs. memorizing self, which explains a thing or two about how we understand happiness.
Don’t get scared by its 450 pages and tiny characters, it’s a major book to read, even if it takes you a full year.
My rating: 4.5/5
My cultural dive into Japan
Tokyo Vice, by Jake Adelstein
What it talks about: The dark side of Tokyo.
Or the dive of a courageous journalist into the world of prostitution, mafia and Kabukicho. Written as a thriller, it actually happens to be a non-fiction, and it would take several lives to experience what Adelestein went through. It definitely brought another perspective on the very organized society I had experienced so far.
After you’re done, you’ll wish half of the stories in the book were just tales.
My rating: 4.5/5
You Gotta Have Wa, by Robert Whiting
What it talks about: US / Japan cultural differences through the baseball lens.
If you’re looking for a book about Japan, I would definitely recommend Whiting’s latest “Bending Adversity”, much more varied and recent. That one felt a bit repetitive at the end, and would probably benefit from a 100-page cut. That said, it’s still a pleasant read, especially if you’re a fan of baseball and…Japan (obviously).
Similarly to Tokyo Vice, what I appreciate about these books is that they do not try to tell you “Japan is like this” or “Japanese people are like that”. They show you real-life examples, introduce some cultural concepts (like the idea of doryoku / 努力 for this book) , and let you understand the rest.
My rating: 4/5
What you should not waste your time reading
The Zero Marginal Cost Society, by Jeremy Rifkin
What it talks about: Buzzwords. Lots of them.
I still can’t believe I got myself into buying this one. Looking at the pseudo-prophetic cover, I should have been more careful.
Rifkin’s effort wants to look like a deep research, using complex words to explain simple concepts that other writers explained much better before him. I had to read some parts several times before I could begin to understand what the underlying idea was, and I feel Rifkin was more trying to mystify me with his mastery of buzzwords rather than actually helping me grasp his thoughts.
It’s full of technical lingo to make it sound smart, it’s mixing up Internet of Things and the idea of connecting people, and last but not least, it’s praising its own consulting firm (seriously?).
In short, it’s the first of Rifkin’s books that I read, and probably the last. It’s hyped, cryptic and not presenting any breakthrough concepts.
If you’re looking to understand how the connection economy works, I suggest “Here Comes Everybody”, much better read on the topic.
My rating: 0.5/5 (for the effort)
Special Prize
Reinventing Organizations: The illustrated version, by Frédéric Laloux
What it talks about: The “easier to understand” version of the book.
If you’re seriously interested in the topic, I would recommend reading the original, full-length version (and you can read about my review here). That said, this illustrated version does add a nice touch to the whole vision, even though we lost some interesting examples and applications along the way.
One version or the other, in any case, it remains a must read!
My rating: 4.5/5
