2019 in Books

A Personally Curated Review of 85 Books

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My goal for this year was to read/listen to 100 books. Spoiler…I fell short of that goal. But it was a successful year of reading nonetheless. Studies show that tracking our progress and metrics helps to accomplish our goals. Tracking my own reading helps me in many ways that I discuss below. By sharing these books, I hope to provide some useful recommendations to others as well as gain more insights into my own reading plan to guide my 2020 reading goals. Without further adieu, here is my 2019 in books–a Reading List that includes a Top 10 list for your stocking or a nice gift for someone you love.

Last year’s list showed me that I was significantly deficient in reading biographies and fiction. Posting my list also serves as a form of personal accountability. #Miltwitter did not shy away from pointing out their own perceived deficiencies. All of this feedback helped to guide my reading in 2019. For example, I set out on a multi-year journey to read a biography or autobiography of every U.S. President. I also set the goal to read more science fiction, and for professional purposes I prioritized books on cyberspace (policy, operations, war, security, etc.).

Caveat: This is a list of books I chose to read. This is not a purposefully crafted list of the books you “should be reading.” This is not as much a reading list as it is me sharing with you what I read over the last year. I welcome disagreement in the ranking and questioning of what I read. I only ask that you don’t take this list as an end-all collection. My reasons for reading any given book on this list varies. Many were intentional, some were recommended to me, some were gifted to me, and others…I just liked the cover art.

The Top 10

How Everything Became War, and the Military Became Everything; by Rosa Brooks

An absolutely fantastic read, and hard hitting serving of reality from Rosa Brooks. Rosa is a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, a columnist for Foreign Policy, and a law professor at Georgetown University. From her years of experience with the interagency and defense bureaucracy, Rosa reviews how war went from a temporary state of affairs to a constant of American government and policy. As a leader in the profession of arms, these are the hard realities and cultural shifts that we need to understand from a policy perspective as well as its practical implications.

The Long Road Home; by Martha Raddatz

The Long Road Home is an absolute must read and soon to replace another book on The Company Leader Reading List. Martha Raddatz, ABC News’ Chief of Global Affairs, tells the story of Bloody Sunday–the events of April 4, 2004 when 1st Cavalry Division was attacked in Sadr City. What I appreciated most about Raddatz’s account of the events was her masterful ability to tell the whole story. From private to general, and all the way back to the families back at home–Martha covers the whole gamut of this harrowing experience. For many of our current leaders, combat experience is scarce. Instead, like in generations from before 9/11, they will have to turn to the experiences of the past to prepare for the toll the next war will take; this is a great place to start.

Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War; by Fred Kaplan

Over the past year and a half I have read a lot of books on cyberspace for my current position. There are a lot of great ones out there, but Fred Kaplan’s history of operations in cyberspace is perhaps the most focused and comprehensive from a U.S. defense and foreign policy perspective. Kaplan takes the reader from the nascent beginnings of  “cyber,” through its growth to the forefront of national policy.

Quiet; by Susan Cain

As a capital “E” Extrovert, I was excited to pick up Susan Cain’s piece on the power of introverts. Whether you are an introvert or not, this piece has profound implications on your work and leadership. Susan outlines why introversion is a critical trait in our current world and how to maximize your strengths. But she also communicates the importance of stewarding and tapping into the introverts on your team. Her writing is superb, her research is fascinating, and her anecdotes are engaging!

Men Against Fire; by S.L.A. Marshall

“SLAM,” as he is often called, was a U.S. Army Historian during World War II and the Korean War. Following WWII, Marshall dove into his study of soldiers in combat to define the battle experience. Out of this search came this brilliant analysis of how the military could train, prepare, and communicate its way to success in future combat. A reading of his work in 2019 left me amazed at how much still rings true today and will likely prove relevant moving forward.

The Obstacle is the Way; by Ryan Holiday

Choose your cliché or maxim, the truth that prevails is that trials and hardships make you stronger when you apply the right mindset. Ryan Holiday (author of Ego is the Enemy and Stillness is the Key) applies the teachings of stoicism to case studies of leaders such as Rockefeller, Jobs, Grant, and more to demonstrate how the obstacles in our path aren’t impediments to our journey…they are the journey itself.

Talking to Strangers; by Malcolm Gladwell

Who doesn’t love a great Malcolm Gladwell book? He just keeps coming out with great reads. This one was made not just for reading, but–applying the lessons he has learned from his very successful Podcast, Revisionist History–Gladwell produced this work specifically with an audiobook format in mind. In the audio version you get to listen to some of the interviews he conducted and hear the voices of the people with whom he talked. This book examines how our interactions with people we don’t know result in our perceptions and actions. Gladwell reviews how Fidel Castro fooled the CIA for an entire generation, why Chamberlain trusted Hitler, why campus sexual assaults are rising, and what we can learn about human interactions from tv sitcoms.

Inside the Five-Sided Box; by Ash Carter

This was probably not the most talked about Memoir from a former Secretary of Defense that came out in 2019. Secretary Mattis’ Call Sign Chaos  and the hopes for a “tell-all” likely drew more attention and coverage. And while I loved Secretary Mattis’ book (see lower on the list), I was more engaged and impressed by Secretary Carter’s memoir. This book reviews the experiences, lessons learned, mistakes, and successes from Secretary Carter’s 36 years of leadership within the DoD serving in countless billets.

Masters of Command; by Barry Strauss

Barry Strauss, professor of history and the classics at Cornell University, reviews the commands of Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar. He compares and contrasts their styles, operations, tactics, strategies, successes, and failures to reveal some timeless truths about war and command. From start to finish, this book had me wanting more. It was equally well researched and well written–engaging and accurately informing. Strauss is a must read for any student of war.

The Soul of America; by Jon Meacham

It is crazy out there! Let’s be honest–from impeachment hearings to Alabama Roll Tide not being in the College Football Playoff, what is happening? In the craziest of times, those who can look at events in the context of the larger picture and simultaneously maintain their cool will prevail. Jon Meacham’s #1 New York Times Bestseller takes the reader on a trip through critical times in our nation’s history to demonstrate that we have come through many hardships and prevailed. As I read this book I kept coming back to Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If.” We have a lot of Ifs in front of us, but by the soul of our country we will prevail.

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The remainder of the books on this year’s reading list are broken down by category with the most notable mention (completely subjective) featured at the top. The categories are Cyberspace, Biographies & Autobiographies, Histories & Military Professional Development, Fiction & Science Fiction, Parenting and Children, and Miscellaneous.

Cyberspace

Neuromancer; by William Gibson

This book technically should go under Science Fiction. But, considering this Gibson and this book are credited with assigning the name to what we now know as “cyberspace,” it only seems right to include it here.

Histories, Biographies, & Autobiographies

Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations; by Bill McRaven

Fiction/Science Fiction

Old Man’s War; by John Scalzi

Histories & Military Professional Development

The Dictator’s Handbook; by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Alastair Smith

Parenting & Children’s

No-Drama Discipline; by Daniel Siegel & Tina Bryson

*I highly recommend Lemony Snickett’s A Series of Unfortunate Events as books to read with your children.

Miscellaneous

Invisible Women; by Caroline Criado-Perez

Looking for some good Short Stories? Here are a few:

  1. “All You Zombies” Heinlen
  2. “Patrolling the Infosphere” (Mad Sci-Fi Blog) Hall
  3. “Among the Apple Trees” (Mad Sci-Fi Blog) Skarstedt
  4. “Boudica” (Mad Sci-Fi Blog) Wilson
  5. “Superiority” Clarke
  6. “Run Around” Asimov
  7. “The Last Evolution” Campbell
  8. “There Will Come Soft Rains” Bradbury
  9. “The Cold Equations” Godwin
  10. “Movement” Fula
  11. “AN41” Jeffers
  12. “Johnathan Roper, Traveling Consultant” Wilson
  13. “Virtual Command” Series, Grounded Curiosity Williams

Did you like this list? Check out more great books at The Company Leader Reading List. Click HERE to see our overall Top 10 books.

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Categories: Book Review, Leadership, Self-Development