The books I did not finish in 2024
I like to finish books that I start, but it’s not always possible. In this post, I share a few books I started reading but didn’t finish last year.
Some of them just weren’t good, others did not match my expectations. A good tell that the book is not good for me is that I stop reading in the evenings and instead do something else like watch TV or play games. When that goes on for too long, the book ends up on this list.
An Elegant Puzzle - Will Larson
☠️ April 2024
This book was published by Stripe Press. Those were all the credentials I needed to pick it up. But it is not as useful or insightful for me as many other Stripe Press books. The content is aimed at managers and it’s mostly based on anecdotal evidence.
Start small, stay small - Rob Walling
☠️ August 2024
I enjoyed Walling’s guide on how to create a small, sustainable company. However, the book is 15 years old so about half of the practical advice no longer applies. Also, I realised mid-way through the book that I’m not going to start a business on top of having a day job and a toddler. So I stopped reading.
Mike Robbins - Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken
☠️ November 2024
Robbins’ self-help book is an enjoyable read but the timing was not right.
When I picked it up, I was already learning how to practice Stoicism.
I also started doing Jordan Peterson’s Self-Authoring course in October and there was significant overlap between the exercises in Robbin’s book and Peterson’s course.
I made it through half of this book before deciding that it didn’t bring enough value compared to all the other self-help/philosophy materials I was working with.
Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom
☠️ November 2024
Mandela’s autobiography gives you an insight into the racial struggle in South Africa throughout the last 100 years and more. I tried both reading and listening to this book but stopped after the first third- as one review on Goodreads says: “It’s a long, long, long, long, long walk to Freedom”.
The issue is that Mandela goes to extreme detail about every political meeting and campaign and I just couldn’t find time to listen to 30 hours of audio.
I think he deserves the praise for freedom fighting, but not for brevity.
sigh
Sharing this post lifted a boulder off my shoulders. I prefer finishing books but even when I don’t, I think a brief mention is OK. Maybe it will even help you avoid/read them.