EST. 02 · 14 BOOKS

The books I give most often

The books I have given away most often and most enjoy recommending.

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Cover of Shooting Stars: Ten Historical MiniaturesExcellent

Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures

Stefan ZweigOne of my favorite books in the universe. Probably the book I've read the most with The Count of Monte Cristo. Zweig brings together specific moments that ended up changing the course of history. I love it because it shows that history also depends on accidents, mistakes, obsessions and people who arrive a few minutes late.
Cover of The Count of Monte CristoExcellent

The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre DumasIt's one of the most entertaining novels I've ever read, a spectacular story, but for a long time it has been hard to find a Spanish edition that I would like to give away. Some are cut, some have old translations and many full editions are quite unattractive. One day I will find the definitive one and Amazon will probably warn me again that I've already bought it ten times.
Cover of Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible VoyageExcellent

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred LansingProbably the best book I've read in years. The true story of Shackleton and his team's attempt to cross Antarctica, everything they went through, is incredible. And told by many of their survivors.
Cover of Saving for retirementVery good

Saving for retirement

Ben CarlsonA very simple and very clear book about personal finance and how to save for retirement. It's a book that everyone should read between the ages of 20 and 40 at least, to get ready (the sooner the better).
Cover of You Are Not So SmartExcellent

You Are Not So Smart

David McRaney46 ways our brains deceive us and how we're biased about everything.
Cover of Oblivion: A MemoirExcellent

Oblivion: A Memoir

Héctor Abad FaciolinceHector Abad Faciolince reconstructs the life of his father and family during the most violent years of the Colombian conflict in Medellín.
Cover of RunningVery good

Running

Jean EchenozThe life of Emil Zatopek, a Czech runner from the 1940s who without any style (they laughed at the faces he wore when running) or sports training, broke all the records in athletics at his time, even at the Olympics. And living within the communist regime, which also posed him several problems.
Cover of In Praise of ShadowsExcellent

In Praise of Shadows

Junichirō TanizakiA short essay on Japanese beauty, architecture and aesthetics. It's very easy to read, it's simple and very visual. Tanizaki writes about darkness, materials, silence and everything else that loses some of its beauty when we light it up too much. Every time I read it I end up looking differently at a room, a restaurant or an everyday object.
Cover of El maestro Juan Martínez que estaba allíExcellent

El maestro Juan Martínez que estaba allí

Manuel Chaves NogalesThe story of a flamenco dancer and his wife, Sole, who, after working in Europe, end up in Russia and Ukraine caught up in the 1917 Revolution and communism. What a great account of that time, and what a funnier and harder book for the situations so many people went through.
Cover of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckGood

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Mark MansonIt's a good book, it helps to organize ideas, but at the same time it's very basic in concepts. I liked reinforcing the idea of how important it is that many things matter little to you to be happy. And knowing where to focus your efforts.
Cover of Cows, Pigs, Wars, and WitchesExcellent

Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches

Marvin HarrisAn anthropology book about customs and beliefs that, viewed from the outside, may seem completely illogical. Harris attempts to explain how many arose as rational responses to material conditions of his time. It's one of those books that makes you look at any human habit and wonder what problem it was trying to solve in the first place.
Cover of The shadow of the sunExcellent

The shadow of the sun

Ryszard KapuścińskiKapuściński worked for years as a correspondent in Africa and this book brings together stories of the countries, people and conflicts he met. It's a great portrait of the continent and its history, written from their real experiences and far from the simplified vision we usually get from outside. One of those books you can re-read every now and then and find something different. I've read it several times.
Cover of Portraits of a MarriageVery good

Portraits of a Marriage

Sándor MáraiIt starts in a coffee shop in downtown Budapest in the first third of the 20th century with a woman telling her story with her ex-husband.
Cover of Prisoners of GeographyExcellent

Prisoners of Geography

Tim MarshallA journey through how mountains, rivers, seas, deserts and borders have shaped world politics, helps us understand why some countries act as they do, why certain conflicts reappear, and why geography continues to weigh even though we have satellites, planes and the Internet.