2024 book list
#200 - Dec.2024
As in previous years, it’s time to share my Year in Books for 2024.
This year, I explored many topics — from books recommended by close friends to titles I found through pure serendipity.
I spent time on classics (like Animal Farm and Madame Bovary), explored hotly debated topics of our time (like Privacy is Power), and revisited books I’ve loved in the past (like Creative Confidence and Fear and Trembling).
There’s always something valuable to learn from a book. Years of knowledge and experience are often condensed into a few pages, or you’re taken on a journey through history or imaginary worlds.
I hope we can all read even more in 2025.
Here’s a quick summary of each book I read this year (you can check other recommendations on my bookshelf):
- Les gratitudes (Delphine de Vigan): This was a short and emotional book to kick off the year. It is a story about life and the power of being thankful. About love and gratitude through the lens of an old woman living in a retirement home.
- The Practice (Seth Godin): A love Seth Godin’s books. You can find inspirational quotes almost on any page! In The Practice, Seth talks about building towards success. A perspective on consistency, creativity, and creating things that matter.
- Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products (Marty Cagan): This has become a classic in product management. While many people debate how practical are Marty Cagan’s tips on building product cultures the fact is: that great product teams need empowered people. People with the freedom to be creative, managers who are willing to coach, and teams with the right structure and focus. This book gives a great glance at all this through examples and actionable tips.
- No more Mr. Nice Guy (Robert A. Glover): This was recommended by a coach. I can tell you: is not for everyone. You can agree or disagree on many points that Robert argues but there are interesting perspectives on self-awareness and practical exercises for becoming more direct. A go-to book if you are willing to make your needs a priority instead of only fulfilling other’s needs.
- Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport): The hyperconnectivity and dopamine culture of today’s world is one of our biggest problems as a society. Cal’s makes a great point on how to develop a better relationship with our devices and digital channels (email, social media, chats, etc). This is a much-needed skill for our future.
- Animal Farm (George Orwell): Yes, this was a classic that was pending on my list. Now I can understand why it became so popular. The narrative is light and engaging. It is impossible not to think of all the analogies with our real world that sometimes, indeed, seems like an animal farm.
- Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert): Following the classic mood, I continued with this masterpiece of Flaubert. Maybe the best book in 2024. Every sentence seems to be crafted with so much care and art. This explains why this book had so much impact at the time, changing the way novels were written.
- Slow Productivity (Cal Newport): Based on my experience reading Digital Minimalism, I wanted to continue reading Cal’s work. The title of the book resonated with me, especially at this particular time of my life when I’m exploring how to invest my time in things that are worth it. The book shares a perspective on how productivity and slow work are not antagonists. You can achieve much more when you focus, pace your work to your natural rhythm, and obsess over quality. Less is more.
- Creative Selection (Ken Kocienda): In this book, Ken shares technical backstage stories about the design and development of some of Apple’s greatest innovations, like the iPad and the iPhone. He uses these stories to share what he believes is the core of Apple’s innovation: inspiration, collaboration, craft, diligence, decisiveness, taste, and empathy.
- Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas (Machado de Assis) [PT]: This is a classic in Portuguese. Machado de Assis is considered one of the greatest writers of Brazilian literature. He sets what is arguably the first book using magical realism, using a narrative that is not only engaging but full of social criticism.
- How To Be Everything (Emilie Wapnick): You have probably seen Emilie's TED Talk. She introduces the term Multipotentialites: people who don't have one true calling but are driven by exploring several domains. I consider myself one of them! In this book, Emilie explores more what being a multipotentialite is and tries to debunk the common misconceptions around this type of professional style.
- Fear and Trembling (Soren Kierkegaard): I read this book again this year. I wanted to revisit this book due to the profound perspectives of Kierkegaard on how ethics, morals, and faith fit into our human nature.
- 1984 (George Orwell): Another classic that was pending on my list. Why do I spend so much time without reading this book? This is the type of book that reading becomes like watching a movie in your mind. So many details in such an engaging story that, unfortunately, it is becoming a reality nowadays in a world where privacy is so hard to guarantee.
- Creative Confidence (Tom & David Kelley): A classic on creativity and innovation. The Kelley brothers, famous for their work at IDEO, packed this book with a lot of insights into creative cultures. They share principles and strategies to unlock our creative potential.
- The Business of Expertise (David C. Baker): Interesting insights into turning your expertise into an entrepreneurial journey. This is a great book for professionals looking to leverage their knowledge by providing consulting or advisory services. Baker uses practical tips on positioning, differentiation, and confidence.
- Privacidad Es Poder (Carissa Véliz) [ES]: This book tackles one of the biggest problems of our times: our lack of privacy. While I found many debatable points in the narrative, mostly due to subjective arguments, I think that the overall case is really important and relevant. Worth reading. Carissa makes a great summary of how we got here, our challenges for ensuring our privacy in a digital world, and tips on how to be more conscious of handling our personal information.
- Gestão de Plataformas e APIs (Sheila Chang) [PT]: Kudos to Sheila for putting together this book. Product Management for platform products is becoming a trend, with very little specialized content on the challenges and techniques to thrive in this domain. Sheila tackles really well this topic in her book. I can speak based on my experience (I design and manage precisely this type of product) and she covers many of the problems PMs face with practical tips on how to solve them. I hope we can have an EN version of this book soon!
Happy reading!
