December 2018 Must-Haves

Hi there. It’s been a while now, hasn’t it?

2018 has been a pretty tough year. Regular blog posts and podcasts were a casualty of war. Thanks to all of you who asked about me during the second half of the year.

Time to end the year on the upswing!

Reading

  • The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt – Exploration of why college campuses are no longer a bastion of competing ideas but rather a community of homogenous, groupthink. This book shook me to my core as the parent of a college-age daughter and likely a part of the problems identified by the authors. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
  • Dark Matter by Blake Couch – I go back and forth on whether I like sci-fi novels. It is really hit and miss for me. Dark Matter is a direct hit. If you’ve ever wondered what you might do if you got to live your life over again, or if you’re actually living your life in a parallel universe making different choices, you’ll love this book. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in the last few months.
  • Nomadland by Jessica Bruder – Provocative book on the erosion of the middle class in the United States, and in particular the nomad subculture it has created. The first half of this book was tremendous and hard-hitting. I felt like the author started to get on her soap box a bit in the second half, which was less interesting. However, I can tell you that you will begin to think more deeply about ordering from Amazon and, more generally, supporting companies who are clearly exploiting the labor force they’ve helped to displace.

My book of the year is Bad Blood by John Carreyou. I recommended this book in July, but who can remember back that far?

Watching

  • Bodyguard – Netflix Original about a bodyguard protecting a member of British government. The star is Rob Stark (yes, I know that’s not his real name) and the show is riveting. You will not be able to stop watching after the first couple episodes. The last three I think I watched back to back.
  • The Great British Baking Show – I know what you’re thinking. A baking show? I challenge you to watch any of the last 3 or 4 seasons and not love this show. The British know how to do this kind of show so much better than us Americans. When you need something light and fun, this will be the answer.
  • The Marvelous Mrs Maisel – Amazon Original about a a Jewish housewife in the 1950s who decides to become a stand-up comedian. Huh? Yep. It’s really good.
  • Springsteen on Broadway – Again, only on Netflix. Bruce Springsteen with a guitar, a piano and a mic. Unbelievably well done, and I’m not a huge Springsteen fan. But the man has serious, serious talent as you’ll see.

My show / movie of the year is Bodyguard.

Listening

I’ve really only been listening to Invest Like the Best as far as podcasts go, which I’ve mentioned here on several occasions. It is the best podcast of the last three years when it comes to deep, rich content and a host that is simply excellent at interviewing. It’s my Listening recommendation of the year.

There you have it. Here’s to 2019. See you there / then.