Books I'm currently reading

For the month of September

Hey friends -

I’m building a bookshelf app—it’s basically a simpler version of Good Reads. A place where you can share and discover new books from people you trust. I draw inspiration from Stripe founder Patrick Collison’s bookshelf.

I love discovering books from people I follow and I’ve been wanting an easier, nicely-designed way to do that.

I need your help: If you have any advice, feedback, and/or thoughts on the idea, please let me know in the comments or respond to this email.

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Here’s what I’m reading in September 2023

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan

Raised in California and Hawaii, Finnegan started surfing as a child. He has chased waves all over the world, wandering for years through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa. A bookish boy, and then an excessively adventurous young man, he went on to become a distinguished writer and war reporter. Barbarian Days takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses—off the coasts of New York and San Francisco. It immerses the reader in the edgy camaraderie of close male friendships forged in challenging waves.

Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be by Steven Pressfield

Can you shift your artistic identity—your "ass"—from the shallow, fearful, superficial Ego to the wise, loving fearless Self? Can you commit to your dream for the long haul and for keeps? In this book, bestselling author Steven Pressfield delivers the tough-love inspiration to help you make this life-altering transformation.

Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly

Kelly’s timeless advice covers an astonishing range, from right living to setting ambitious goals, optimizing generosity, and cultivating compassion. He has wisdom for career, relationships, parenting, and finances, and gives guidance for practical matters ranging from travel to troubleshooting.

A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World by Gregory Clark

Why are some parts of the world so rich and others so poor? Why did the Industrial Revolution--and the unprecedented economic growth that came with it--occur in eighteenth-century England, and not at some other time, or in some other place? Why didn't industrialization make the whole world rich--and why did it make large parts of the world even poorer? In A Farewell to Alms, Gregory Clark tackles these profound questions and suggests a new and provocative way in which culture--not exploitation, geography, or resources--explains the wealth, and the poverty, of nations.

What are you reading? Share in the comments.