Ricky's Picks
The Savant Seeker
(In no particular order)
Reading Style
I'm drawn to books that allow me to learn something new, see the world from a different angle, tell the story of an inspiring individual, or further my knowledge in a particular realm. I really only enjoy fiction that is based in a realistic & believable setting.
Literary Likes
01
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Genres: Memoir, Autobiography, Sociology, Philosophy
Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live.
02
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Travel Literature
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, a young man from a well-to-do family roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, he simply threw away the maps. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.How he came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
03
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch & Jeffrey Zaslow
Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography/Biography, Philosophy
A lot of professors give talks titled 'The Last Lecture'. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last – he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave, 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams', wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment. It was about living. This book combines the humor, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form.
thought provoking, suspenseful, well-written
Literary Dislikes
overly descriptive writing when not necessary, things that are outlandish/not believable, boring stories
What's on my bookshelf
Books on deck to read next
Give Work by Leila Janah
Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo
Competing in the Age of AI by Marco Iansiti & Karim R. Lakhani
04
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Genres: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Love Story
A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.
05
Charm School by Nelson Demille
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Spy Fiction
Something very strange -- and sinister -- is going on in the Russian woods at Borodino. In a place called Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School, young KGB agents are being taught by American POW's how to be model citizens of the USA. The Soviet goal -- to infiltrate the United States undetected. When an unsuspecting American tourist stumbles upon this secret, he sets in motion a CIA investigation that will reveal horrifying police state savagery and superpower treachery.
06
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Genres: Fiction, Children's Literature
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
07
The Winner by David Baldacci
Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense
The Dream: She is twenty, beautiful, dirt-poor, and hoping for a better life for her infant daughter when LuAnn Tyler is offered the gift of a lifetime, a $100 million lottery jackpot. All she has to do is change her identity and leave the U.S. forever. The Killer: It's an offer she dares to refuse...until violence forces her hand and thrusts her into a harrowing game of high-stakes, big-money subterfuge. It's a price she won't fully pay...until she does the unthinkable and breaks the promise that made her rich. The Winner: For if LuAnn Tyler comes home, she will be pitted against the deadliest contestant of all: the chameleon-like financial mastermind who changed her life. And who can take it away at will...
08
Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat
Genres: Science Fiction
In as little as a decade, artificial intelligence could match, then surpass human intelligence. Corporations & government agencies around the world are pouring billions into achieving AI’s Holy Grail—human-level intelligence. Once AI has attained it, scientists argue, it will have survival drives much like our own. We may be forced to compete with a rival more cunning, more powerful & more alien than we can imagine. Thru profiles of tech visionaries, industry watchdogs & groundbreaking AI systems, Our Final Invention explores the perils of the heedless pursuit of advanced AI. Until now, human intelligence has had no rival. Can we coexist with beings whose intelligence dwarfs our own? Will they allow us to?
09
Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Art, Science, Historical
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects Da Vinci's art to his science. He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history's most creative genius.
10
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard
Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Business, Leadership
In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard – legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc. – shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.