And the winners are . . .

A reader suggested that I do what practically every bookseller or newspaper book review section does: highlight the best of 2010. I thought about this suggestion, I even tried compiling a list. And I threw up my hands. There’s no need to follow my tortuous mental processes.

Instead, I decided to redefine this task. Challenging my Internet-compromised memory, I set out to recall a few books that I’ve reviewed since I launched this blog that have made a difference to the way I think. They are also books that I’ve returned to over time. Without further ado, here they are in alphabetical order.


John B. Abbink, Alternative Assets & Strategic Allocation. Another Yale philosophy Ph.D. gone astray, but intriguingly so.

Steven Drobny, Inside the House of Money. The interview with Jim Leitner is one that I keep going back to.

Scott E. Page. The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. A brilliant book, with lots of ramifications for the markets.

Andrew Redleaf and Richard Vigilante. Panic. Among other things, distinguishing between the scientific scruples of academicians and the savvy of investors.

Josh Waitzkin. The Art of Learning. A book everyone should read.

This list reflects my intellectual predilections, with a bit of a tilt toward hedge fund thinking. But as I review the list these are all books I feel comfortable recommending.