It is so nice to read a book with a lot of good news. Especially now. The news these days is filled with bad news about the environment, politics, geopolitics, war and conflict, etc. So therefore, it was really nice to read about the world and humanity and how it improved over the years and that the state of the world is actually better than we think. I loved all the data that is used in this book, and it shows again to really check certain claims or news with real and objective data. Rosling keeps comparing the scores of all the questions about the state of the world given by all kinds of different people (scientist, journalist, government, etc.) to his control group, namely chimpanzees. The chimps’ scores are random, but most of the so-called experts usually score worse than that. It shows that we have such a strong bias and don’t know or believe the data.
Being an auditor it is sort of my job to look for things that are going wrong, and therefore it is so important to keep your mind open for things that are going well. I think we sometimes forget to mention the good things in an audit report. This book showed me that we need to be more open minded and share more of the things that are going well and celebrate them!
At the beginning of every year, I always need to come up with a plan how to get my 40 hours of permanent education for my different audit certifications. Since I have been doing this for some time, I sometimes wonder what I can still learn and what else is out there. I am a big believer of lifelong learning, but feel that this is not always as easy as it sounds.
Recently I watched an interview by Rick Beato with Paul Gilbert. Paul Gilbert is guitar legend and I think most people who were there during the nineties will know him from the band Mr. Big and hits such as “To be with you”.
My biggest take away from the interview is first of all you will never stop learning. Paul Gilbert didn’t let the status of guitar hero stop him from learning and practicing every day. His curiosity into all things musical really gave me the idea that indeed you can still develop into your field of expertise even after being in that field for many years. And don’t think too big, chop it into small pieces that are easy to master and build from there. Start with an awesome lick and before you know it, you know the whole song.
Secondly, Paul doesn’t really take himself too seriously. I love his sense of humor and how he makes everything sound and look so easy. And he is not afraid to look outside his comfort zone.
So, for me plenty of inspiration to keep learning! Not just as an internal auditor, but of course also as a guitarist.
BTW, Mr. Big is coming to de Melkweg on 30th of July this year! Get some tickets before they are gone. See you there!
I always like to reflect on the previous year on New Year’s Day. Usually, I have a whole list of books that I read, but last year was a bit different. At the beginning of 2023, my wife, Anastasia, referred a podcast to me by Andrew Huberman on the effects of alcohol. This podcast had such a great effect on me that I decided to stop drinking alcohol. And this led to more fantastic podcast on for instance improving your sleep. Needless to say, a lot of things changed for me for the better during 2023.
In my new search to improve my health even further (we are making our own kombucha nowadays and I take cold showers/icebaths :-)), I stumbled upon the new book by Peter Attia called Outlive. This book is almost a bible on how to improve your health, how it all happens and very specific instructions on how to do it. Especially that last part I always miss in most self-help books. To get through all of this took me some time, so a lot of the books that I wanted to read in 2023 are being rescheduled. Also, Peter Attia has a great podcast that will give you insights in improving your health and how to do it. Mind you, this stuff is pretty addictive!
PS Of course I will have another list for books to read in 2024 soon.
2023 has started and new plans have been made, new projects defined. And of course a new bunch of books I want to read!
What are you reading or planning on reading? Any recommendations?
The Future of Professions by Susskind
This book was referred to me during a lecture during the ISACA Risk Event I attended recently. Really curious if I will have a job in the future :-).
Post-War: A History of Europe since 1945 by Tony Judt
All recent events made me more curious about how some things came about. This book seemed like a good starting point to understand better how Europe got defined after WWII.
Every by Dave Eggers
I really enjoyed the Circle by Dave Eggers. This one seemed interesting as well. Since I am trying to read more fiction, this seemed like a good choice.
The Complete Robot Series by Asimov
I love science fiction, and I read some parts of the Robot series. The stories are quite old, but still so relevant and interesting. How to deal with robots (also think AI), and what are the consequence for humans or mankind. So now I got them all! I can’t wait to read them.
The Foundation by Asimov
I really liked The Foundations series on Apple TV+. Not sure when the second season is coming, I hope to get a head start with reading the books of the series.
Ice Cream Social by Brad Edmondson
I hope to learn more from this book on ESG and how to run a company with a more social and inclusive vision. I really liked “let my people go surfing” by Chouinard, and hope this adds to that.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late by Hafner and Lyon
Who doesn’t like the internet? Let’s see how it all started.
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
I started working in the industry thanks to the Sarbanes Oxley legislation, since then I am interested in the failures of companies like Enron and World.com. Or how things could fall apart with Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. Or huge fraud like with Bearings. Plenty of examples… And now this one on my book shelve, the story of the Sackler family.
As I reflect on 2022, I again was able to read some amazing books. I try to read as many different kind of books, but as you can see lacking a bit in the fiction department.
Armada by Ernest Cline
After reading Ready Player One, which I found very entertaining, I picked up this one by Ernest Cline. Again, a very entertaining story with lotsa eighties, movies and gaming references. A real fun read.
Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
A great biography about free climber Alex Honnold. It showed me to fully go for your dreams and have no fear about it. Fear is something that you can reduce by approaching it head on step by step.
Medium Raw by Antony Bourdain
I loved Kitchen Rules and how it showed all the inside working of the restaurant business. Medium Raw continues on that road, but it is more a collection of different stories or articles, and although written in Antony Bourdain’s unique style, it lacked a storyline for me.
Moneyland by Oliver Bullough
What an amazing book, basically describing in great detail how the underground illegal money flows. And of course, tax havens have its place in this, the problem is global and more countries have a part in it. Can’t wait to read his next book (Butler of the World).
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates
Bill Gates really did a great job of explaining a huge issue like climate change to me. He breaks it down in different sections and shows how big they are compared to the total and how we can reduce it. All of this really helped me to judge certain solutions and where we should focus on.
The 10 Rules of Successful Nations by Ruchir Sharma
What does it need to become a successful nation? Long time ago I read Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel” and ever since these kinds of books always have interested me. Sharma’s book looks more into the economical rules for a nation to be successful. For instance, the number of millionaires is an indicator, but more importantly what kind of millionaires are they? Inherited, tech or commodities? Also, good to combine with “Why Nations Fail” by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson.
Numbers don’t Lie by Vaclav Smil
Smil is one of Bill Gates favorite author and I can see why. Already often referenced in his book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” and also this book has many connections to climate change. It doesn’t always have the positive message that all will be well. But it shows again what impact certain things have and what it takes to change it. A great book to get some more knowledge on how the world works.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
“Shoe Dog” has become my favorite business book of all time. It shows that setting up a business takes time and lotsa effort. The road to success is not always covered with unicorns and rainbows. This is also a perfect book for all accountants, since Phil Knight started out as a CPA and loved the profession. He hired a lot of CPA’s in the beginning since they know how a business works and where the money comes from and goes to.
De Zeven Vinkjes by Joris Luyendijk
This Dutch book really helped me in understanding how society works. I don’t have all 7 tick marks (vinkjes in Dutch), but a lot. And this was also a nice counterbalance to “De meeste mensen deugen” by Rutger Bregman. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, and we need to be more openminded to different cultures and backgrounds.
Originals by Adam Grant
A combination of different ways to become more original. I got a bit lost while reading this (maybe because of my lack of originality??:-)), but there were some nice ideas and concepts. I like the ways to encourage the creativity for your kids. A good book for some inspiration on being more original.
Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper
A great story about the first generation that build an empire, the second to expand it, the third to completely waste it and the fourth one has to become a CNN reporter.
Deep Purpose by Ranjay Gulati
I think a lot of companies struggle with their identity and why they are here on earth. A lot of new laws and regulations (like ESG) all require a good business strategy on who to serve with what and how. “Deep Purpose” proposes some nice frameworks with what kind of company you want to be and what kind of strategy that needs. What is your purpose!
Strange Beautiful Music by Joe Satriani
I have been a huge fan of Joe Satriani ever since I was exposed to his music at the age of 16 and seeing him live for the first time not too long after. Besides being a great musician and guitarist, he is also very knowledgeable on the way the music business works. A great read if you are fan and want to know more why and how he recorded his albums.
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
I think this one is the most interesting read of 2022 for me. I never really was into Nirvana back in the nineties. I was more into guitar rock during that time (see above). But reading his story and the huge change it meant for Dave Grohl, basically from punk to rockgod overnight, it surprised me how down to earth he kept himself. “I have always been a (rock) t-shirt and jeans kind of guy” seems to sum it all up for Dave Grohl.
I was 15 years old when I showed up at the front door of my guitar teacher with a brand new (copy) red Stratocaster in one hand and a new pack of strings in the other, since I had no clue how to put new strings on my guitar. Soon this was a regular thing and I was addicted to playing guitar. My guitar teacher also had an awesome record collection and really quickly turned me onto Joe Satriani.
Not that long after I joined him to go see him live in (the old) Vredenburg in Utrecht. Of course we stood right in front of Joe to be able to see every note he played and check out his gear. It was the “Flying in a blue dream” tour and of course I listened to that album almost non-stop before the concert. Still to this day it is my favorite album of all time. Joe played the, for me so incredibly complex sounding, songs with his eyes closed. So amazing to have such control over your instrument!
After that first concert I have seen Joe play for many, many times and I keep on going to see him whenever I can. Needless to say I also still listen to all of his albums, but somehow ” “Flying in a blue dream” is still my favourite.
I am such a big fan but when Joe released his book “Strange beautiful music”, I was a bit wary of reading it. Because I like listening to his music so much I didn’t want to lose any of this magic by knowing too much about it, or learn something about it that would make the magic go away. Something about not meeting your heroes. So it took me a couple of years before I decided to order the book.
But I read it in one go and love it! There are a lot of biographical stories of how he started playing, started with teaching and how he started recording all these amazing solo albums. But also there are a lot of technical stories about how he recorded his different albums and with what gear and stuff, which producer, which studio, etc. This can be a tough read for somebody not into guitar playing or recording.
To read about how he came to record an album and what his intentions were and how he tried to translate that into songs and sounds really re-ignited my love of his music and made me even appreciate his other albums more.
Another lesson for me, was that you really should follow your heart and do what you want to do and do it well. This is of course not an easy thing to do and it will take many years of practicing, and learning. But this focus will help get there. Also Joe developed a really good business sense of how the music business works, how to make money in that business and what consumers want. This part of being a musician is still underexposed in a lot of books from, by or about musicians.
So go check out his music, go see his concerts and if you are into guitars and stuff, go read his book.
After the time I spent with a tech company who claimed they are still a startup, or at least want to be culturally, I found out about this book by Dan Lyons about the time he spent at HubSpot.
As stated on the cover, the book is about Silicon Valley and is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. Dan describes how it is to work at HubSpot as an older man, and trying to fit in with a general younger work force, but also working in a startup.
It is really funny how he describes the culture at HubSpot with the mandatory beanbags, full kitchens and all the candy you want. Coming from journalism he was in for quite a shock. The structure of the company is really confusing, there are no processes, no hierarchy and lotsa political decision making not based on data, but on who knows who, or who likes who.
But it is not all laughs, he analyses the startup culture really well and explains the drive for the IPO and the whole “fake it till you make it”. For the extreme recent example of this, I can recommend “Bad Blood” from John Carreyrou about the rise and fall of Theranos. The analysis by Dan Lyons gave me more insight why startups behave like this. But it also showed me that after an IPO you really need to change this into a more structured and data-focused culture. I think that Reed Hasting of Netflix explained this well in his book (see my earlier post). Some industries or even departments don’t need a lot of control and structure, but will need to have lots of creativity that will flourish under a freer culture just like in a startup culture when you are basically developing your product or service. But you don’t want that in every company or even department. Logistics or Finance should be structured and efficient, you want your product in a day on your doorstep or you payments handled correctly, right? And producing medicine or cars should be highly controlled and with high safety procedures, I would think.
I read this book in almost one go, it is funny and I even recognised certain things from my short stint at a tech company. But most of all, I liked the analysis of the culture of a startup and how it relates to the business model of a startup.
When I was 16 I took up playing guitar and really got into it. Not just playing the guitar, but I also started working as a roadie for a local band from Arnhem. My career in the music industry eventually didn’t take off, and being an internal audit consultant nowadays, I guess I took a different turn somewhere. But nevertheless I never lost my interest in music and everything related to music.
Therefore I recently picked up the book ” The Birth of Loud” by Ian S. Port about the guitar pioneering rivalry that shaped rock and roll. Being familiar with brandnames like Fender and Gibson, I took up this book to get to know more about the history of the guitar.
The book focuses on the early days of the life of Leo Fender who founded the Fender guitar company known for its Fender Stratocaster and the life of Les Paul who was the inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul guitar.
All these stories about how it all got started are really well documented and researched , but the book doesn’t feel like a history book. The stories are very well written and it is fun to read.
Besides the story of how the electric guitar was developed, the book also dives into music history and how the electric guitar played his or her role in it. With great stories about the Beatles, Eric Clapton and Carol Kaye.
Especially the story of Carol Kaye is an interesting one, if you want to know more about it, start with this clip from Top 2000 a gogo.
This book got me so excited again about music and especially playing music, that I bought me a really nice Fender Precision bass. Rock on!
Larry Fink states that companies need to: “disclose a plan for how their business model will be compatible with a net-zero economy.”
This was published just after I finished reading Yvon Chouinard’s book “Let my people go surfing”. On how he got his company Patagonia towards a more sustainable business model and the challenges he faced while doing this. Including a self imposed 1% Earth Tax on all sales by Patagonia. As stated in the book: without Earth, no business.
A very interesting read with great insights from a “reluctant” businessman.
Just finished reading “No Rules Rules” by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer. A great read with great concepts. I think we need to focus more on the company culture and “lead with context, not control”.
Reminded me a lot of the great work by Tony Hsieh “Delivering Happiness” and the great work on company culture at Zappos.
