Another quarter, another few books. All very different, but all authors that I have come to admire. They are vulnerable to share the stories, the good and the bad, for the rest of us to learn from. I hope to do the same with SFO.

• Outlive by Peter Attia (April ’23 | Score: 4/5): On the surface, this book may scare someone away. It is written by a Doctor, the topic is personal longevity, and it is the size of the text book. However, the book could not be more approachable. A well-published expert in the field, Peter uses Outlive to deconstruct the objective to live longer through tangible strategies and actionable tactics. While chapters can be scientific, he layers his perspective on top of leading research without getting bogged down in the detail. My suggestion; treat the book like a buffet. Skip around, but don’t miss the final chapter.

• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont (April ’23 | Score: 4/5): If we are handing out awards, this wins most surprisingly good book this year. The topic is academic; how to write well. Anne’s path to get there is a page turning journey of humor, vulnerability, and self-depreciation. She uses the book to arrive at a fundamental takeaway… to create a great story, you must focus on the characters, invest in their relationships, and the plot will take care of itself. The same goes for a great life.

• Kitchen Confidential by Tony Bourdain (Audiobook) (May ’23 | Score: 5/5): Adventurous. Informative. Hilarious. A few adjectives that summarize one of my favorite books written by one of my favorite people. I read Kitchen Confidential years ago. The book jump started my admiration of Tony. He showed me a view into the kitchen, food, (and later the world, through his TV shows) that I had never been exposed to. Tony highlighted the power of food and the stories that it can tell. My recommendation? Listen to the audiobook, narrated by Tony, on your next road trip. Bon appetit.

• Awareness by Anthony De Mello (May ’23 | Score: 2/5): I was intrigued by the premise – a practical journey to realign with our spiritual self. The book felt like a splash of ice water; chilling and awakening. However, it quickly became lukewarm 100 pages in. The message got lost among “enlightenment” rabbit holes and the redundancy wore me out.

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (June ’23 | Score: 5/5): I believe everyone should read this book… The world has been flooded with information among the current social media age. I, myself, have struggled with my relationship to social media. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube… I know they steal my time and attention. Yet, I am often powerless against the urge to check them. They are embedded in “modern” life and recently, ingrained in my habits. Realizing this, I read this book as a necessary reset. The author, Johann’s, personal journey and struggles are threaded through countless insights about the attack on people’s attention (and the massive corporations behind it). This book left me feeling informed and empowered to recapture my attention. I hope others can feel the same way.

Cheers. NH.

P.S. A friend of mine sent me a book recently. It was unprovoked by him, and very appreciated by me. Consider doing the same for someone else.