Taking advantage of a snowy January day to summarize 2025’s reading, a year of corruption, development, depravity, perseverance, and adventure. Not that different from earlier years, now that I think about it.

I enjoyed Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower by Michela Wrong. I “met” John Githongo virtually a couple of times, when he participated in a panel discussion we organized for International Anticorruption Day 2021, and again when he kindly agreed to speak for a video that my colleagues and I were putting together on the “costs of corruption.”  I had an idea of who he was at the time, but the full backstory, engagingly narrated by Wrong, was new to me. What a story!

How the World Became Rich by Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin is one among many similarly titled books, but this one was refreshing in that the authors didn’t feel the need to present a single over-arching thesis as many others do. The authors argue convincingly to accept the fact that there are many factors that helped the world become rich.

Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China by Ezra F. Vogel tells the amazing story of the leader that eased China away from damaging dogma, leaving a legacy of remarkable economic transformation and some early acceptance of criticism and protest, but also one including the invasion of Viet Nam and the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas by Frederick Douglas tells the story of an amazing man (I hear he is doing good work), a book not only about determination in overcoming adversity, but also a psychological study of what the system of slavery did to people. For another story of perseverance, I enjoyed Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley. I’d seen the pathbreaking miniseries in the 1970s, so I knew the basic storyline. The book spent relatively more time in Africa, building Kunta Kinte’s character. I caught this on Audible and especially enjoyed the authors’ afterword about the years-long genealogical quest that allowed him to identify the part of Africa his ancestor was from and even the ship on which he was taken to Annapolis.

I do enjoy stories of the high seas, and there were two this year. The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin is a travelogue for the ages. The discoveries and detailed record-keeping of the flora and fauna were expected, but I was not expecting as much on geology and sociology. Ever the observant scientist, Darwin reflected on the pernicious effect of slavery and power imbalances on both the enslaved and the enslavers. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing was aptly titled, both for the name of Ernest Shackleton’s ship and for the qualities of the crew. A wrenching story of the will to survive, made real by the detailed journals of the crew. I’ll never complain about the cold again.

Troubled by Rob Henderson is his story of how he got where he is now, a PhD psychologist and best-selling author. His story of a childhood marked by heartbreaking stints as a foster kid, with troubles along the way, was inspiring (in some ways) and illuminating. He interspersed his own story with some facts on how childhood environment affects outcomes. Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Garne felt more like a novel than a memoir. Who can remember every sentence and gesture from long-ago interactions?

I enjoy well-researched books on business shenanigans, and Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar fit the bill. Hayek’s Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right by Quinn Slobodian outlines the successive mutations that brought about some far-right ideas. It is not an indictment of Hayek, per se, but rather of those who found a convenient set of beliefs to match the outcome they wanted.

Classics this year included Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, a raucous account of the absurd and hilarious adventures of Thompson and his attorney, and The Trial by Franz Kafka, an exploration of absurd and not-so-hilarious bureaucratic and judicial experience of Josef K.

I still work in Viet Nam quite a bit (this year’s study on institutions here) and still enjoy reading about it. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen was a novel with a bit about Viet Nam, a lot about America, some about Hollywood’s depictions of Viet Nam, and a lot about duplicity, loyalty, and relationships. The author does not use quotes when characters are speaking, an approach which worked well for this book. I loved Falling for Saigon by Connla Stokes, his love letter to Ho Chi Minh City, essays on the vibes and alleys, the food and fun, and the lifestyle that makes the city special.

Not exactly a book section: The Madman’s Hotel by Niall Breslin brings together the challenges of access to information and privacy laws in a compelling real story of grief. The Audible cover photo makes it look like a horror story, but it is actually more of a story of perseverance. Bluebeard by Jim Clemente and Peter McDonnell, however, is a horror story of sorts, telling the story of an early 20th century serial killer.

I’m looking forward to another year of (hopefully less infrequently) putting the phone down and reading.