Books to Read – July 2011

With the 4th of July Weekend upon us here in the US, it’s a great time to step away and do some reading.  Here is my list of books for July.  I hope you enjoy them.

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

First, I must say that I am a huge Michael Lewis fan.  I started with The New New Thing and have read everything since.  When The Big Short came out, it was somewhat poo-pooed by masses, though I don’t remember why at the time.  Anyway, for some reason I never read this book.  I finally got around to it a few weeks ago and it is fantastic.  Lewis does (as usual) a great job of storytelling, in this case about the economic meltdown of 2008-2009 and the people that saw it coming.  The Big Short is a profile of four funds who bet against the subprime mortgage market and made a killing when it all went to hell.  I could not put this book down.  The story will make you ill as you realize how those who caused the crisis escaped with millions and left the taxpayers holding the bag.  Great book.  It’s July’s must-read.

Anything You Want by Derek Sivers

I just read this book yesterday after getting a note from The Domino Project people.  Derek Sivers is the founder of CD Baby, and this is a short recap of what he learned while building the company.  It takes less than an hour to read, but has some really cool insights into what made CD Baby successful.  The most famous takeaway from this book is the “Hell Yeah” method of decision-making.  When asking yourself if something is worth doing, unless you say “Hell Yeah”, don’t do it.  I thought it was a nice read, and worth the low sticker price.

To Hate Like This is To Be Happy Forever by Will Blythe

When you live in the cradle of college basketball, some things are required reading.  Will Blythe’s masterful storytelling of the history of the University of North Carolina / Duke University men’s basketball rivalry is the perfect book for a summer vacation.  Blythe is a rabid UNC fan who grew up in Chapel Hill and has hated Duke his entire life, but does a great job of telling both sides of this story.  His interviews with players and coaches, as well as other rabid fans of both schools is great entertainment.  If you enjoy this rivalry, which is one of the best in sports, this book will help you to understand the hatred even better.

Enjoy this month’s list, and please let me know what you liked and didn’t like from the list!  Happy 4th of July!