Category: 2023
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2023 Power Rankings
5 Stars-I would recommend these to anyone. Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon Wright Thompson masterfully tells the story of bourbon and deep family connection. Thompson weaves the legacy of Julian Van Winkle and Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with the story of his own family and father. The Van Winkles lost their generational family…
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Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes
Morgan Housel is one of my favorite authors. I loved his first book, Psychology of Money, and I bought Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes as soon as it was released. Housel writes an awesome blog, and he also has a podcast with short episodes that I listen to regularly. I enjoy…
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Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader
In Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader, Mark Bowden tells the story of Baltimore’s gang violence through the lens of failed public policy. He shows the impact of urban planning at the individual level by looking at the massive disparity between gentrified areas designed, developed, and patronized by white…
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Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
In Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor tells his life story including the founding of Texas Roadhouse. He ran cross country at the University of North Carolina, operated night clubs, managed Bennigan’s and a handful of other restaurants before finding funding to start Texas Roadhouse. I appreciated Kent’s story,…
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Dreams of El Dorado
“Dreams of El Dorado” by H.L. Brands is a captivating and comprehensive account of the American West. The book digs into numerous primary sources to tell the stories of the first settlers and founding narratives for a few cities west of the Mississippi. Brands tackles a broad swath of the American West and does it…
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The Deepest South of All
The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant is a thoughtful, hilarious, and well-told story of Natchez, Mississippi. Grant is a British author who immerses himself in Natchez for half a year. He lives with an influential author with generations of history in the town,…
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Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
At the end of the year, I like to re-read a book that will set the tone for the upcoming year. For 2023, I dove back into Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy. Ego is the Enemy is a reminder to do the work. I made a major career change in 2022, and I feel…
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