Reading Reflections: January Catch-Up

 I'd like to have my Sunday posts be a reflection on whichever book I've read the previous week - but seeing as I'm starting this practice with a massive backlog of books I'd like to talk about I figure I'll reflect on the books I've read this year month by month until I'm caught up. 

 

Once I'm caught up I'll put a bit more depth into these reflections; but until then it's the lightning round.

 

Starting with January.

 

The Goal - Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Wow. What a way to start the year. If I remember correctly - towards the end of last year I was giving some sober consideration to pursuing an MBA. The Goal is at the top of pretty much every MBA reading list - and there's really no doubt as to why.

My dad was an operations manager for most of my formative years - so a lot of the lessons this book teaches weren't entirely new to me but this was my first time being exposed to a more academic examination of the theory of constraints

This book has absolutely changed the way I see and approach process challenges at work AND in my personal life. 

This one is a must read. 

10/10 

A Call To Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power - Jimmy Carter 

I had this book on my shelf for some time and was inspired to read it after President Carter's passing at the end of 2024.

Carter's compassion for women worldwide is important and relevant - but there are times in the book where it feels he prioritizes a defense for religion over a defense of humans. This weakens his message.

His premise that violence against women is often predicated on false interpretations of religious texts is one that I want to believe is true - but I did not feel that his evidence is strong enough to definitively make that assessment.

Despite this frustrating hollowness - the book is worth reading.

7/10 

A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking

Picking up this book - I expected I'd get through 5 or 10 pages and be so overwhelmed by it I would have to abandon it.

I have never been so wrong. 

Hawking breaks down the complex mysteries of the universe with a seemingly unending supply of wit and charisma that take what could have been a college textbook and turn it into a narrative nonfiction. I found that once I had made it through the first few pages I couldn't put the damn thing down.

It is unlikely that I'll be getting any calls from Cambridge to lecture on cosmology -  but I finished this book knowing significantly more about the universe than I had before.

If you're a nerd (like me) - this is a must read.
If you're not - you might still enjoy this one.

9/10 

Neuromancer - William Gibson 

This one had been on my list for a long time - I had started it probably 5 or 6 times and never made it past the first chapter.

This book is dense. 

The story burns slow and Gibson deliberately leaves gaps that had me re-reading the page trying to understand what I'd missed.

All that considered - this was a fantastic read. The impact that this story has had on science fiction (and science fact) is obvious. 

I don't know if I'd call this one a must read - there is undoubtedly a very particular audience that is likely to enjoy it.

If you like dense sci-fi you've probably already read this one, if you don't there's an adaptation coming to Apple TV in the near future.

8/10