Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2020

Over the past 10 years, Chief and I have made reading/listening to books a lifestyle. We have different tastes but love sharing our learnings from fascinating reads every now and then. When my husband starts talking about a book he’s reading, I usually know I’m in for a long listen and so I usually ask him for a 5 minute summary:-) Today, he shares his 5 favourite books in 2020 (something he has become accustomed to doing at the beginning of every year whenever he takes over my blog). If you missed his previous posts, you can find them here:
– Chief’s 1o Favourite Books in 2015
– Chief’s 7 Favourite Books in 2016 – 2018
– Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2019

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I [only] got through 17 books in 2020. My target was 24+ books but less travel/commuting is my main excuse So, here’s my favourite 5 plus the usual bonus book.

1.Black Man’s Burden: Africa and the curse of the nation-state, by Basil Davidson
This is a fairly old book (1992) which I picked up at Cape Coast, Ghana, that has some illuminating and thought-provoking views on Africa’s colonial history and its role in creating the dysfunctional African states we see today. Takeaways:

• Slavery, the scramble for Africa and colonialism were more devastating to Africa than I’d imagined.
• Africa had thriving empires and civilizations that paralleled those in medieval Europe.
• Colonization, which was presented as a modernizing process, induced in practice one form after another of moral and political disintegration. Decolonization repeated this downward slide.
• Africa’s liberators, reluctant to embrace Africa’s own history, chose to form nation-states based on fundamentally flawed European models. Colonial legacy deformed (almost from the start) the project of African liberation.
• The nation-state system was poorly suited to Africa’s cultural context and much less so after the imposition of baseless political borders.
• The biggest discord of the nation-state was clientelism (rather than tribalism). “Tribe” was an invention.
• Nationalism need not imply nation-statism.
• Africa’s history is very similar to that of Europe between Germany and Russia (CEE).
• Way forward: development hinged on mass participation. This was at the heart of all African societies that proved stable and progressive (pre-slavery/colonialism).

2.Prisoners of Geography: 10 maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics, by Tim Marshall
This was my favorite read in 2020. I picked it up at Heathrow and couldn’t put it down once I got going. It’s a brilliant book on geopolitics and answers questions such as:

• Why Russia, despite having no shortage of land thought it worth the trouble to annex Crimea from Ukraine and Abkhazia from Georgia. And why Europe/NATO looked on helplessly.
• Why the USA was destined to become a global superpower.
• Why China’s power base continues to expand ever outwards, their actions in Tibet, their naval investments, and the BRI (China’s Belt and Road Initiative).
• Why Africa has been unsuccessful despite having a head-start.

This is a good book to read alongside ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ by Jared Diamond.

3.The Millionaire Next Door: The surprising secrets of America’s wealthy, by Thomas J Stanley & William D Danko
This is a great book on accumulating wealth and achieving financial independence. Takeaways:

• 80% of [America’s] wealthy did not inherit their wealth (are self-made).
• There’s a difference between income and wealth. You’re doing well if your wealth = your age ¸ 10 x your annual income.
• Wealth is built through frugality i.e. living below your means.
• Financial independence comes from spending less than the equivalent 6.7% of your wealth a year.
• The book also had good lessons on how to raise your children to be accumulators of wealth.

The book is biased towards successful entrepreneurs who accumulate most of their wealth through their businesses/practices. But the lesson is: great offence (income) with poor defence (frugality) leads to under accumulation of wealth.

4.Your Brain at Work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long, by David Rock
This is a brilliant book on thriving in today’s overwhelming work environment, by understanding the biological limits of our brains and maximizing our effectiveness by staying at our brain’s sweet spot. Takeaways:

• We need to actively manage distractions. Good focus is about inhibiting the wrong things from coming into focus.
• Why multi-tasking and task switching are counterproductive.
• Our best-quality thinking lasts for a limited time. The answer is not always to “try harder.”
• Our ability to make good decisions and control impulses is a limited resource.
• Sleep over big decisions or take time to clear your head. Insights occur more frequently the more relaxed and happier you are.
• Prioritize prioritizing.
• How to keep a cool head and regulate your emotions rather than being at their mercy.

5.The Outsiders: Eight unconventional CEOs and their radically rational blueprint for success, by William N. Thorndike, Brian Troxell, et al.
This book examines 8 American CEOs that generated superior shareholder returns over time when compared to their peers. No, Jack Welch didn’t make the list, but Warren Buffet did. Though the book focuses on corporate CEOs, I found it insightful for managing personal investments (as your own CEO). Takeaways:

• CEO’s main role is resource allocation (capital and staff) not operations. Empower your GMs and decentralize.
• The best capital allocators are practical, opportunistic and flexible; not bound by ideology or strategy. Practiced radical rationality having the perspective of the long term shareholder or owner not the high paid employee.
• Temperament more important than intellect. Like a crocodile, mix patience (waiting long time for right opportunity) with bold action (act with blinding speed when it comes).
• Be ruthless in closing or selling businesses with low future growth prospects and focus on businesses that meet your return targets.
• Rather pay interest than taxes.
• Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.
• A lumpy 15% return is better than a smooth 12%.
• Exceptional returns come from concentrated portfolios.

Bonus book [not for everyone]:
The Righteous Mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion, by Jonathan Haidt
You’re smart. You’re liberal. You’re well informed. You think conservatives are narrow-minded. You can’t understand why people follow [certain] religions or working-class people vote conservative parties like the ANC or Republican Party. You figure they’re being duped. You’re wrong.

Humans are deeply intuitive creatures whose feelings drive our strategic reasoning. We are both selfish and groupish and our minds are designed for groupish righteousness. It is our groupishness that leads to our greatest joys, our religious divisions, and our political affiliations.

My biggest takeaway is the importance of culture and religion in creating effective moral societies. If you destroy those and you destroy societies.

Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Chief

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How many books are you targeting to read this year? Remember, leaders are readers! Are you one?

For more book recommendations, feel free to check out my previous blogposts on some of the great books I have read over the last couple of years:
– Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021
– A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021
– My 4 Favourite Books in 2017
– 22 Great Books I Read in 2016
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments For Your Time – Series 1
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments for Your Health – Series 1
– Are you Investing in Your Marriage?
– 19 Invaluable Nourishment(s) For Your Marriage

You may also like:
– Reflection of My 2020 Goals
– How I Lost Inches In 6 Weeks – Part 1
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
–  Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– What Do You Do in The 1st 30 Minutes After Waking Up?
– Are You Counting Your Blessings?
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Is Failing to Plan in Detail, Planning to Fail?
– Climbing Kilimanjaro (Part 2 of 2: The Tips)
– Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro – (Part 1 of 2: The Experience)
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– An Invaluable Habit I Have Acquired That Takes Only a Few Minutes A Day – Series 1
– 3 Reasons Why Saving a Large Chunk of Cash in Your Bank Account is Not a Great Idea
– Really? Must We Give and Tithe? – Series 1
– Why I am training myself to eat my frog everyday!!!
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

Or my following posts on marriage:
–  Are You Letting Your Guard Down in Your Marriage? – Series 1 (Boundaries)
– When Was The Last Time You Sent Your Loved One a Silly/Loving Audio/Video of Yourself?
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 9 (Financial Leadership & Inclusivity)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 8 (Support & Listening Ear)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 7 (Caring & Praying)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 6 (Cuddles & Massages)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 5 (Sorting All Things Cars/Manly & Pocket Money)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 4 (Calls, Texts & Quality Time)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 3 (Special Days & Gifts)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 2 (Praises & Affection)
– Are You Spoiling Your Wife Rotten? – Series 1 (Dates & Getaways)
– Am I Spoiling My Husband Rotten?
– 7 Steps to Restoring Broken Relationships
– Are You Struggling to Forgive Him or Her?
– Are You Choosing To Be Happy As Opposed To Be Right All The Time In Your Marriage?
– The Important Daily 10 Second Kiss in Marriage
– Invaluable Benefits of Knowing, Understanding & Communicating Your Spouse’s Love Language
– Recreational Companionship – The 2nd Most Important Need For a Man
– Take Time to Touch (If Only for a Minute) Once a Day
– 19 Invaluable Nourishment(s) For Your Marriage

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do  pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

You can also pop into the “DeeLicious Gourmet by Dee” section for a glimpse of some of the yummy but healthy dishes I have prepared while “cooking up a storm” in my kitchen (together with the recipes):
– Breakfasts
– Starters
– Main Courses
– Salads
– Eggless, Wheat-Free Desserts
– Snacks

Photo credits: Shizphotography

Thank you!
Dee