Randy's Recs: Top 10 Books of 2021
By Randy Kaufman, with research assistance from Dustin Lowman
I started reading when I was young, being schooled at the knee of a remarkable father — a physician, a WWII veteran, and the man who taught me the transcendent value of having enough, not more. Dad read all history books, all the time, and often several at once.
While I don’t have a favorite book (it would be like trying to pick a favorite dog), Dad did: The Fall and Decline of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon, which is coincidentally also my father-in-law’s favorite book. Given our tenuous political situation, Gibson’s words resonate now more than ever.
I grew up reading and loving fiction. Memories fill me of sitting under a tree somewhere, a thick paperback book in my hands, determined to finish yet dreading the end at the same time. Through novels, I visited lands and people in other places, in other times. The longer the better: I inhaled Gone with the Wind, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and numerous French novels as I doggedly struggled to learn French.
Over decades, and sadly after my father’s passing, history drew me in — tales from the past fascinated. By bearing witness to the accumulated wisdom of the past, I realized, we can mine it for guidance on how to act today.
It’s part of why I chose the ancient Egyptian God Aker to represent my wealth advisory firm. As I wrote earlier this year, Aker examines the past and anticipates the future, but stays rooted in the present (see books 1, 2, 6, and 9 below). It’s a privilege to be able to think about what came before and what’s to come. But ultimately, the only thing we have is this moment (see books 3 and 10).
Add to these principles a continued quest for my favorite quality, Grit, which inspired me to start my blog and launch my podcast (see books 7 and 8). And, of course, for reminders to stay graceful, grateful, and growth-oriented, I still go to my first love: novels. The one I loved the most this year was Giovanni’s Room by American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist, James Baldwin. (It doesn’t hurt that it’s set in Paris, one of my favorite cities.)
These lessons guided the reading choices I made in 2021, and helped me with the difficult task of picking out favorites. Here are the 10 grittiest, most graceful books I read this year. For all my fellow literature lovers out there, happy reading!
Top 10 Books of 2021
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty | Anderson Cooper
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love and the Hidden Order of Life | Lulu Miller
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness | Eric Jorgenson
Giovanni’s Room | James Baldwin
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story | Michael Lewis
When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father’s First War and What Remains | Ariana Neumann
Stitches | David Small
Just Kids | Patti Smith
The Fish that Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King | Rich Cohen
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know | Adam M. Grant
