When I decided to get back into reading, one of the first books I picked up was the Daemon/Freedom book series by Daniel Suarez. I really liked it. Suarez did a great job of mixing near-term technology into an action-packed story that kept me on the edge of my seat. In fact, there were many evenings where I found myself staying up later than normal because I couldn’t put the book down. Because of how much I liked those books, I figured I should add Suarez’s next book, Kill Decision, onto my reading list for this year. I was pretty excited when it finally popped to the top of my list recently.

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What if the promise of technology, to make our lives better, simpler, and more fulfilling, was a sham? What if the proliferation of technology destroyed the fabric of our society instead of improving it? In the book Who Owns the Future, Jaron Lanier examines the evolution of technology and how the current path of development is concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a few select companies and individuals. His  contrarian viewpoint is eye opening, and the solution he proposes to move us to an alternate, more equitable path for society, makes for an interesting read.

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When we think of the companies that we adore and are most loyal to, it’s those that treat us, the customer, with empathy, compassion, and respect. They strive to provide us with the best possible experience anytime we come in contact with them. Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine’s book, Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business, examines leaders in customer experience across industries and points out the common traits that they exhibit both externally and internally. I felt it would be worth reading to see if I could pick up any insights and practices that I could implement in my small business.

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As I continue on my quest to read 25 books this year, I received another recommendation that was a diversion from my list of twenty. My wife, Lisa, asked me if I wanted to read the book His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage by William F. Harley, Jr. When I refused, she responded with “I read it, and I’d really like you to read it.” Being the wise man that I am, I decided to pick it up.

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I’ve been making progress on my 2014 reading list, already having completed the first five titles. I was hoping to stay disciplined and stick to the list, but a recommendation I got from William Hertling dashed those hopes.  Hertling is the author of The Singularity Series, which is one of my favorite book series (see my reviews here and here). Needless to say, when one of your favorite writers recommends a book, it gets priority and jumps the queue. He suggested I read Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat.

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