In 2018 I decided to start keeping track of all the books I read (or, in some cases, listened to) over the course of the year. While I’m never able to get through nearly as many books as I want to, it’s still satisfying to look back at the year in reading. I figured I’d share my list, in case anyone’s looking for book recommendations.

Most of the books I start reading, I don’t ever finish. This list is only of books I actually finished in 2018, which is to say, they’re the one’s that really grabbed me. (Books I only made it through half of are not included.)

The order is purely based on when I finished them. (First to last.)

Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford

This fascinating book covers fifty different inventions you probably don’t think much about, like passports and shipping containers, that actually had revolutionary effects on our economy and how we live. Reminded me a little of A History of Knowledge by Charles Van Doren (in terms of structure), but way more readable. Harford has an accessible, easy to read writing style and a sense of humor which makes this one both fun and interesting.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashley Vance

Like a lot of young entrepreneurs, I’ve been very inspired by Elon Musk’s visionary work towards creating a better future for humanity. It was fascinating, therefore, to read more about the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, and the incredible hurdles those companies overcame to become what they are today.

The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

This book was the basis for David Fincher’s Oscar winning film The Social Network. With Mark Zuckerberg and FaceBook in the news a lot this year due to the ongoing fallout of the 2016 US presidential election, I was curious to revisit the early days of the groundbreaking (and rule breaking) company.

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

I’m a big fan of Robet Louis Stevenson’s other most famous book Treasure Island, but I’d never read this one. It’s another great adventure novel, this time set in Scotland.

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

It’s hard to think of another US president more colorful and interesting than Teddy Roosevelt, and I’ve read several other books on him and the other great members of the Roosevelt family. This one, however, focuses specifically on TR’s daring (and a little reckless) exploration of The River of Doubt, a previously unexplored tributary of the Amazon. Part adventure novel, part historical character study, this book is a great read for anyone who’s into US history.

Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder and head of Virgin Group, is known both for his tremendous success in business, and his colorful personal life, including daring adventures in hot air balloons. In this autobiography, Branson details his early life, his first efforts as an entrepreneur, his early success in business (including the founding of Virgin Music and Virgin Atlantic) and some of his extracurricular exploits. This book is at once inspiring and also just a lot of fun.

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

In this book, Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths attempt to apply computer science style approaches to solving everyday problems like finding a parking place, organizing your book shelf and deciding when to marry. In some cases, this approach requires problems be oversimplified to the point of irrelevancy, but none the less this book makes some excellent points and gives you a lot to think about in a variety of different areas.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

One of the famous modern classics by master storyteller Neil Gaiman. It follows Shadow, a man recently released from prison, as he becomes involved with a growing conflict between two generations of gods, the old and the new.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A landmark work of the magical realist movement, this story follows several generations of the Buendia family. Wonderfully imaginative and captivating.

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Like a lot of people, I read this one as a kid, but I wanted to go back and re-read it as an adult, and I’m glad I did. Anne Frank was such a wonderfully articular young lady, and the first person perspective on one of the greatest tragedies in modern history is truly haunting.

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

As someone who’s been accused of being a chronic work-a-holic, I was curious to hear Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s case for rest, and indeed he made a lot of good points. I was pleased to hear his endorsement for some of my existing habits like long walks and physically vigorous activity, and since reading this book I’ve been experimenting some with his other suggestions, like taking naps. An excellent read for anyone who likes to work hard, but wants to do so in a sustainable way.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier’s gothic/Romantic classic. The writing is beautiful and almost poetic, the story is at once elegant and eery.

Usable Usability: Simple Steps for Making Stuff Better by Eric Reiss

A book about usability design, both for websites and physical products (as well as services). Very readable with lots of pictures. I was amazed by how many usability problems I saw everywhere, even with major companies, after reading this book.

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard

I continued my Candice Millard kick with this book on the early life of Winston Churchill and his exploits during The Boer War. As with The River of Doubt, this is part history book, part adventure novel. In addition to Churchill, I also very much enjoyed learning more about the history of South Africa.

Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

In the latest work by the great presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, four presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson) are profiled. Their lives, as well as their styles of leadership, are compared and contrasted. A good read for anyone interested in history or leadership.

The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson is one of my favorite non-fiction writers. His famous Steve Jobs biography made a huge impression on me when I first read it in college. In this book, Isaacson chronicles the rise of the digital age, from the work of Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage in the 1800s to the founding of Google. The men and women in this book made tremendous contributions to our modern world, even though I’d never heard of most of them. Learning about the creation of the technology we now use everyday was fascinating.

Screw It, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson

I read two of Richard Branson’s books in 2018. This one felt, in some ways, like an abridged re-hash of Losing My Virginity (which I would recommend starting with if you haven’t read either yet). Despite the redundancy, however, I quite enjoyed it. Branson is entertaining as always, and this book does get more into his political views, especially on climate change, and his work with activists like Nelson Mandela and Al Gore.

NOTE: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click a link to Amazon and buy something, I get a small cut. Obviously this in no way affected what books I read last year and therefore which books were mentioned in this post. As much as anything, using Amazon Associates was just an easy way to quickly generate book cover thumbnails with convenient links back to Amazon, in case anybody wants to read one of the books mentioned.