Halfway through the year, I stopped tracking which books I’d finished, discarding a practice I’d followed for five years or so. 

Alas, I’ve likely forgotten some of the best books that I read this year. 

Those named below left a durable imprint and are worth your time.

For selections from years past please click here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut

This book grabbed me from the opening pages and would not let go. A deeply thought-provoking read about eminent scientists, and the madness and destruction that their discoveries wrought.

IndieBound | Amazon | Library

The MANIAC by Benjamín Labatut

Labatut’s brilliant treatment of John von Neumann and AI (among other bits and bobs). Marvelous.

IndieBound | Amazon | Library

The Material World by Ed Conway

Ed Conway's magnificent book is an immersing read about the roles that sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium have played in history, and continue to play in the global economy. 

We're transitioning to a cycle that elevates atoms over bits, in my view, and this book is a marvelous guide for those keen to learn more about the critical inputs that make the world run.

IndieBound | Amazon | Library

Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara

A searing investigative report of “artisanal” cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The DRC is the world’s largest supplier of cobalt (>70% share), which is a critical ingredient for electronic devices and electric vehicles (e.g., lithium-ion batteries).

Kara reports that up to 70% of cobalt supplied by the DRC “has some touch with child labor” implying, therefore, that “half of the cobalt in the world was touched by child labor in the Congo.”

Reading this book, one reaches the firm conclusion that it is *impossible* for large tech and EV companies to claim that they have clean supply chains. 

Kara convincingly demonstrates how the work product of artisanal miners is fed into Chinese mining companies’ processing facilities, thereby eliminating any prospect of traceability. (Chinese companies operate most cobalt mines in the DRC). 

While Kara testifies that we are all culpable for the human costs in this trade, one wonders what good public opinion will do to sway Chinese companies’ behavior. 

IndieBound | Amazon | Library

Going Infinite by Michael Lewis

A proper send-up of Sam Bankman-Fried, as well as the credulous VCs and grifters who lent their reputations to a fraudster.

IndieBound | Amazon | Library

Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot by Mark Vanhoenacker

Mesmerizing book about flying. Beautifully written.

IndieBound | Amazon | Library