Books to read – October 2014

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these lists, but I’ve been on such a roll lately with great books that I had to start sharing them with you again.  Here’s my list for October 2014 and I’ve got another killer list already set for November.

With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge

I’m not a World War II buff or anything like that, but this book is simply unforgettable.  E.B. Sledge’s first-hand account of the battles in the Pacific on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa will leave you struck with awe at what was endured and sacrificed to defeat the Japanese.  This book served as the basis for much of the Pacific miniseries by Tom Hanks, which I now have to watch.  Sledge takes you from boot camp all the way through the end of the battle for Okinawa with riveting detail.  By the time you’re done reading this book, you’ll feel like you know Doc Arrogant, Ack Ack, Haney, Snafu as if you were there.  As an aside, I would highly recommend the Audible version of this book.  The reader is one of the best I have ever listened to.  Get this book as soon as you can.  You will be forever changed.  It’s my must-read for this month.

The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance by Steven Kotler

I read this book over the summer and found it to be thoroughly entertaining in addition to having some really interesting insights.  Kotler tells the stories of extreme athletes as diverse as Laird Hamilton, Danny Way, and others as they use Flow to achieve remarkable feats of strength, endurance and courage.  While the idea of Flow is not new, nor is the idea of how it drives ultimate performance, I really enjoyed Kotler’s exploration of the topic with real-life examples and detailed stories.

Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River by Peter Heller

This was the first book I’d read by Peter Heller, but after reading it I quickly read a number of others (more on those in the coming months).  Hell or High Water is the harrowing account of the first-ever kayak expedition down the Tsangpo Gorge.  At the time it was undertaken, a number of teams had tried and not survived the attempt.  Heller’s account of the preparation, arrival and eventual trip down the river is thoroughly entertaining and makes for a great read as a leisure book.

Zero To One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

By now you’ve probably either read this book or talked with someone who’s read this book, particularly if you live in the startup ecosystem at all.  I found the first seven chapters of this book to be really meaty and thought provoking.  The last few chapters on hiring and other minutia felt like a waste of time and candidly out of place.  However, this book will challenge your point of view on how to identify business opportunities, and what is actually worth pursuing.  Thiel’s caught a bunch of flack for being pro-monopoly as this book has come out, but once you read it I think you’ll understand for yourself that his definition monopoly is worthy of consideration as a model.  He also explores the idea of definite and indefinite optimism and pessimism as lenses for viewing life.  It’s a really solid first six-seven chapters, and a very easy read.