Tag Archive for: Book Reviews

Craig Pickering’s top reads of 2025

2025 was an interesting year for me from a reading perspective – I shifted to consuming more fiction books than ever before (more on this later). Overall, I started 34 books in 2025; this is less than my target of 52, but I think it reflects the stage of life I am at – with two young kids, it’s becoming increasingly common for me to fall asleep having read just a few pages. I’ve also got much better at stopping books that I’m not enjoying or don’t find relevant; when this happens, I can ask ChatGPT for a summary of the main topics, and get some podcasts from the author to understand the key arguments, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Below are my best reads from 2025 – hopefully you find some inspiration from them!

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Craig Pickering’s top reads of 2024

As I wrote last year, I’m now the dad to two young girls, so finding time (and energy!) to read widely is becoming a challenge! Alongside this, I had the dual stressors of preparing a relay team to compete at the Olympic Games, and of being the Team Leader at the World Under-20 Championships. To provide some escapism from life, in 2024 I focused more on narrative non-fiction books, where I could get lost in the story as opposed of trying to focus on learning something specific. Fortunately, I did still manage to work my way through some more typical “learning” books, which provided some useful snippets for me to take into my professional life. Below, then, are my best picks from this year.

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Vern Gambetta’s top 10 reads of 2023

I am a confirmed bibliophile. I cannot walk by a bookstore without going in and browsing and frequently buying a book. My reading does not follow fixed patterns. It is driven by my curiosity, and the desire to learn new things. My reading is not focused on sports, coaching or training. You can see from my top ten list that it is quite eclectic.

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Craig Pickering’s top reads of 2023

2023 was exhausting! Already a dad to a toddler (who went through a stage of waking up overnight and refusing to go back to sleep), my wife and I added a second child to our brood back in October. Suffice to say, I haven’t had the time or energy to read as much this year as previous years, but I still managed to sink my teeth into some books that have had a big impact on me. Here are my best picks from this year:

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A regular and reliable resource: The Universal Traveler

The Universal Traveler is a resource I refer to periodically. In preparation for GAIN 2023 I reviewed it again because of its application to the theme: “Investing in the Process.” There is no better guide to the process.

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GAINcast Episode 259: Top books of 2022

Vern is a notorious reader on a wide range of topics. On this week’s GAIN cast he looks back at his top books of 2022, breaking down more than 20 titles for listeners.

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2022 year in books

2022 was a good year for reading. Below are my top ten books for the year. It is an eclectic collection that reflects my varied interests and curiosity.

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Craig Pickering’s top reads of 2022

At the end of every year, I do a quick look back on the books I read over the preceding 12 months. This year is no different and my favorite books of 2022 are listed below. However one thing has changed over time: the older I get, the less time (or less energy) I dedicate to reading, Therefore I’ve become much more likely to give up on a book that isn’t holding my attention or interest. Author Ryan Holiday has a simple rule of thumb; if a book hasn’t drawn you in by the page number of 100 minus your age (in my case, page 74), then you should stop. Great readers, he adds, learn to quit books that aren’t very good. Taking this rule to heart, this year, I read 44 books. This is less than in other years, but a couple were month-long reads that took up a lot of time.

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GAINcast Episode 233: Top books of 2021

Vern is a notorious reader and he’s only gaining steam with age. This year he had 151 books on this week’s podcast he shares some key takeaways from his 17 favorite books of the year.

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Craig Pickering’s top reads of 2021

On a personal level, 2021 was a big year for me, as I became a father. Anyone who has had a baby will know there isn’t much time (or energy) for doing much else aside from working, looking after them, and recovering. For me, this was a double-edged sword; it meant I didn’t have the time or energy to read quite as much as before, but, from a positive side, I became much, much better at giving up on a book, or skipping sections that weren’t interesting to me. Whereas before I might have preserved, now I discard.

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