03 Dec On My Nightstand – November 2020 Book List
November was a fun reading month for me with a nice variety of philosophy, history, and politics.
Definitely the most fun book I read this month was Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son. This is a fictional work written in the form of periodic letters from father to son, relaying stories, anecdotes, and other bits of wisdom aimed toward a successful life in business. The book is HILARIOUS, and some passages just beckon to be read out-loud for the greatest impact (see my underlines here.) Written in 1903, the main character’s voice and choice of words read like an animated, witty ‘old-timer’ who always knows the right thing to say. A copy of the book can be purchased for less than $5 (or free for eReaders), and I promise you will find it entertaining. (My one disclaimer: written in 1903, the book does contain a few instances of ‘outdated’ and inappropriate racial figures of speech that I do not condone. I do not believe the author bore negative racial sentiments, yet it represents the inherent racism that exists in our history.)
The 48 Laws of Power was my first interaction with Robert Greene’s work and one that I really benefited from. The format uses hundreds of colorful stories from history to demonstrate various ‘virtues’ of power, many of which are very memorable. I walked away from this book with not only a better understanding of leadership but a better grasp of history.
Cicero’s The Republic and The Laws and the Tao Te Ching / Lao Tzu were both very enlightening and exciting to read, with tons of pithy, memorable quotes. The Lao Tzu was surprisingly accessible and I would recommend it to anyone. Not including the introduction, the entire text is less than 75 pages, and a nice Penguin Classic version is only about $7.
From Cicero’s combined work, The Republic was my favorite. The piece is acutely relevant to our present political landscape and seems to correlate to many of the conversations I see people having about the benefits and shortfalls of democracy and various other forms of government. I believe Cicero would be very pleased with our present form of government in the United States, though I’m sure he would take some issue with lack of meaningful dialectic in the legislative houses and the undercurrent of back-door wheeling and dealing.
Below is my full reading list for November–let me know what you think!
Books I read during the month of November 2020:
- The Republic and The Laws, Marcus Tullius Cicero | Read my notes
- The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene
- Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son, George Horace Lorimer | Read my notes
- Tao Te Ching / Lao Tzu | Read my notes
- The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington, Brad Meltzer
- Rising Strong, Brené Brown
Audiobooks I listened to:
- The Practice, by Seth Godin
Read any of these recently? Let me know in the comments! Would love to hear what you thought?
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