High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove. Detailed guide on how to manage and what the responsibilities of managers are. Quite good, but assumes a specific type of organization and a rather low number of reports.
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia. A book about how to age with good health. My takeaway is that exercise is the best medicine. You should train both aerobic capacity and strength. The book goes quite into detail about relevant research and the mechanisms that lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and so on. These diseases are more likely as people age and are the main causes of death. I think the book was quite good, except for the part about mental health. Attia writes that his editor pushed for a more personal account, but I did not read anything that I could relate to in this part.
Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers by Robert Jackall. A description of the relationships and loyalty bonds between managers in big corporations. It shows that the rules in those organizations do not follow the same morality rules that are expected elsewhere. Not surprising, if you have been in the workforce for some time, but very well written. The book is based on the author's investigations of two specific companies. The book could have been shorter.
My Years With General Motors by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. A book about how General Motors came to be, from the 1920s to some years after World War II. The author played a leading role during that period. The book goes into quite detailed accounts about the problems GM faced and how they were tackled. There was a constant tension in the organization between centralization and autonomy, and Sloan explains how it was managed, which structures were put in place and by whom. It is interesting to see that some things that nowadays are standard in managing any company were slowly implemented at GM over time. The book has many good details and explanations. I liked, for example, a discussion on the financial effects of faster drying paint. Traditional paint would take about two weeks to dry. This meant high inventory costs, as cars sat parked and could not be sold. Paint that dried in two days allowed GM to reduce inventory and thus financing costs. The book is long, but I am glad I read it.
The Killing Zone. How and Why Pilots Die by Paul A. Craig. An analysis of general aviation accidents. Craig shows that most accidents happen with pilots who have between 100 and 300 hours of flight time. This range is what he calls "the killing zone". He speculates that pilots with this amount of experience may be overconfident. He goes on to describe the most common types of accidents. Informative and easy to read.
Best Things First by Bjørn Lomborg. Good list of cost effective ways to make the world a better place. I wrote a longer review.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. A short book about how to approach a creative effort professionally. It basically tells us that inspiration happens while you work.
How Asia Works by Joe Studwell. This book explains the typical process by which Asian countries have developed. It compares Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China, with other Asian countries that have failed to develop. The book makes a convincing argument that successful countries follow a similar path, which includes land reform, industrial policy, and financial repression.
Models of My Life by Herbert Simon. An autobiography centered on Simon's research. I noticed that his education and research were much more interdisciplinary than what is common nowadays. He had two main research periods: one centered on organizations and a second focused on computer intelligence. One of his earlier works was a study of decision-making processes in organizations, which led to the book Administrative Behavior, which I plan to read. I skipped over some parts as the book became boring.
Last updated: 2025-02-25