In the second of our annual beginning of the year episodes, Ron and Ed recap their best books of 2023. Many listeners consider this the "most expensive" episode of the year as their anti-libraries tend to grow while listening. All books discussed are listed below in the show notes.
Use these show notes to follow along with the audio:
Segment one
Before we get started on books, here’s a quote from Charlie Munger: “In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the time — none, zero.”
Ed’s number 5 book is Social Justice Fallacies by Thomas Sowell - https://amzn.to/48wZDnN - From the book, “Stupid people can cause problems but it requires a genius to cause a catastrophe.”
Ron’s number 5 book is While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America https://amzn.to/48ybL7W
From Ron’s number 5 book, “There is a reason why the great books of Western civilization are all banned in dictatorships.”
Segment two
Ed’s number 4 book is Goldratt’s Rules of Flow by Efrat Goldratt—Ashlag - https://amzn.to/3TTDrzJ. “This book is going to have a long term impact on my thinking.” —Ed Kless
Ron’s number 4 book is Capitalist Punishment: How Wall Street Is Using Your Money to Create a Country You Didn't Vote For by Vivek Ramaswamy https://amzn.to/3O2rQut
Ed’s number 3 book is Redaction by Titus Katharine and Reginald Dwayne Betts - https://amzn.to/3vrvxDm. It’s an art/poetry book and Reginald Betts has appeared several times on EconTalk
Ron’s number 3 book is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin https://amzn.to/3vA5VV7. Rick Rubin is a music producer (editor’s note: …and the reason the Beastie Boys exist)
Segment three
Ed’s number 2 book AND Ron’s number 1 book is 2. Life After Capitalism by George Gilder: The Meaning of Wealth, the Future of the Economy, and the Time Theory of Money - https://amzn.to/48wwxVp
Speaking of Rick Rubin, check out this interview with Tyler Cowen https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/rick-rubin/
We had George Gilder on the show specifically to talk about Life After Capitalism (show 442). Check it out at this link https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/442
Honorable mention: Simple Complexity by William Donaldson https://www.amazon.com/Simple_Complexity-Management-Guide-Systems-Thinking/dp/1683500741 (a guest on show number 457 https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/457)
Segment four
Honorable book mention: Saving Grace by David D. Alfery MD https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Grace-Patients-Doctors-Balance/dp/1666737941 (show number 426 as a guest https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/426)
Honorable book mention: Tornado of Life by Jay Baruch https://www.amazon.com/Tornado-Life-Doctors-Constraints-Creativity/dp/0262046970 (show number 424 as a guest https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/424)
Honorable book mention: Muppets in Moscow by Natasha Lance Rogoff https://www.amazon.com/Muppets-Moscow-Unexpected-Making-Sesame/dp/1538161281 (show number 428 as a guest https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/428)
Honorable book mention: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince
And FINALLY, Ed’s number 1 book is Confronting Our Freedom by Peter Block - https://amzn.to/3TWHtXU “Anxiety is the price you pay for freedom. This is not a great value proposition.” —Peter Block
When Peter Block was a guest on the show he said, “The nice thing is that you are at risk no matter what you do. The wish for safety is an illusion and so why not choose an illusion that better suits you.” https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/445
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