Day: November 21, 2009

Resolution No.1 2009 Complete

by

I recently completed my first resolution for the year 2009: Read 10,000 pages of science, economics, health, history, or policy books.

Check the Reading page for the master list.

Titles in bold are the ones I recommend. (They also are probably the ones I quote the most.)

  1. Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection – John T. Cacioppo, William Patrick – 11-JAN-2009 – 124 pp (started before Jan 1st, so count after) – Related book web site and blog, book Twitter
  2. The Long Tail, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More – Chris Anderson – 26-JAN-2009 – 254pp (378 total) – Related book web site, TED talk
  3. Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less – Barry Schwartz – 31-JAN-2009 – est 236pp (614 total) – Related TED “Paradox of choice” talk, TED “The real crisis? We stopped being wise” talk
  4. The World Without Us – Alan Weisman – 19-FEB-2009 – est 369pp (983 total) – Related book web site
  5. Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy and the New Science of Desire – Martin Lindstrom – 01-MAR-2009 – 297pp (1280 total) – Related book web site
  6. The Trojan War: A New History – Barry Strauss – 02-MAR-2009 – est 288pp (1568 total) – Related author site, blog
  7. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America – Thomas L. Friedman – 09-MAR-2009 – est 421pp (1989 total) – Relatedauthor site, author’s New York Time articles feed, first chapter
  8. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet – Neil deGrasse Tyson– 09-MAR-2009 – 216pp (2205 total) – Related podcast with Dr. Moira Gunn
  9. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness–Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein – Done – 271pp (2476 total) – Related book web site, blog,
  10. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries – Neil deGrasse Tyson – Done – 306 pp (2882 total) – Related video about book
  11. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 – Steve Coll – Done – 721 pp (3603 total) – Related NPR: All Things Considered, New Yorker Update
  12. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School – John Medina – Done – 312pp (3915 total) – Related the Rules, author speaking engagements, blog
  13. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates –Cordingly, David – 2009-MAY-10 – 244pp (4159 total) – Related review, review
  14. FDR – Jean Edward Smith – 2009-MAY-30 – est 636pp (4795 total)
  15. Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body – Shubin, Neil – 2009-MAY-30 – 205 pp (5000 total) – Related Quirks and Quarks interview, Tiktaalik music video, Colbert Report 2008-Jan-14 interview,
  16. The Logic of Life – Tim Harford – 2009-MAY-30 – 217 pp (5217 total)
  17. Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions –Lisa Randall – 2009-JUN-11 – 471 pp (5688 total)
  18. The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan – 2009-JUL-08 – 415 pp (6103 total) – Related web site,
  19. Germs, Guns, and Steel – Jared Diamond – 2009-JUL-08 – 427 pp (6530 total) – Related video,
  20. Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 – Jeff Sypeck– 2009-JUL-29 – 228 pp (6758 total) – Related web site,
  21. The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America – Walter R. Borneman – 2009-AUG-24 – 308 pp (7,066 total) – Related web site (really impressed I found it on the 5th page of results),
  22. Skin: A Natural History – Nina G. Jablonski – 2009-AUG-29 – 179 pp (7,245 total) – Related TED: on breaking the illusion of skin color,
  23. Einstein: His Life and Universe – Walter Isaacson – 2009-SEP-09 – 600 pp (8,045 total) – Related Einstein’s God video,
  24. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey – Jill Bolte Taylor – 2009-SEP-18 – 203 pp (8,248 total) – Related my blog post,
  25. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins – 2009-SEP-24 – 356 pp (8,604 total) –
  26. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006 – Brian Greene and Tim Folger – 2009-OCT-09 – 310 pp (8,914 total) –
  27. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2007 – Richard Preston and Tim Folger – IN PROGRESS – 310 est pp (9,224 total) –
  28. The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet – Matthieu Ricard – DONE – 306 est pp (9,530 total) – Related TED: On the habits of happiness,
  29. Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell – DONE – 299 pp (9,829 total)
  30. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008 – Jerome Groopman and Tim Folger – DONE – 310 pp (10,139 total)

GOAL MET