Recommended Books
Here are some books I deeply recommend. During my Ph.D. studies, I went from reading barely one book per year, to around 12 books over the last 12 months. You will find books from literary fiction, economics and even futuristic fiction!
These are my personal picks. Feel free to recommend me a book throughout my personal email (juan.zuluaga@eu4m.eu)
History, Social Philosophy and Debate
My favorites are from Yuval Noah Harari. They are a must-read for the XXI Century.
- Thinking, Fast and Slow Link. Rate (5.0 - 5.0). My favorite one so far!
- Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Link. Rate (4.7 - 5.0)
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Link. Rate (4.4 - 5.0)
Science, Psychology
Here, are my favorites:
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Link. Rate (4.7 - 5.0)
- LIFE ASCENDING: THE TEN GREAT INVENTIONS OF EVOLUTION Link. Currently Reading it!
- THE VITAL QUESTION. WHY IS LIFE THE WAY IT IS? Link. Currently Reading it!
Economics
Very insightful book about economics, by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo (Winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics - 2019!!)
- Good Economics for Hard Times Link. Rate (4.8 - 5.0)
Another author I have been recently reading books from is Joseph E. Stiglitz
- The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future Link. Rate (4.5 - 5.0)
- People, Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent Link. Currently Reading it!
Mariana Mazzucato’s books are just great. Easy to read and insightfuls. Her website
- The Value of Everything Making and taking in the global economy Link. Rate (4.9 - 5.0). I really loved this read.
Futuristic fiction
Michio Kaku is my favorite author about physics and futuristic fiction! His books about starships, time travel, black holes, wormholes, alien civilizations, hyperspace, anti-matter drive and, parallel universes are just great!
- The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth Link. Rate (4.9 - 5.0)
- The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind Link. Rate (4.5 - 5.0)
- Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 Link. Rate (4.8 - 5.0)
Magic Realism
You might be wondering what is magic realism, well: also known as magical realism or marvelous realism, it is a 20th-century style of fiction and literary genre. The term was influenced by a German painting style of the 1920s given the same name. As a literary fiction style, magic realism paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often dealing with the blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality. Magical realism, perhaps the most common term, often refers to literature in particular, with magical or supernatural phenomena presented in an otherwise real-world or mundane setting, commonly found in novels and dramatic performances. More information.
By far, my favorite writer is Gabriel García Márquez (also Colombian!). One Hundred Years of Solitude, was widely popular book and led to García Márquez’s Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Cien años de soledad (Engish: One Hundred Years of Solitude) Link. Rate (5.1 - 5.0). By far, the best book I’ve ever read
- El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (English: No One Writes to the Colonel) link. Rate (4.5 - 5.0).
Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, and Suspense
I really enjoyed the Chris Kuzneski Payne & Jones series.
- The Plantation Link. Rate (4.9 - 5.0). (My favorite!)
- Sign of the Cross Link. Rate (4.4 - 5.0)
- Sword of God Link. Rate (4.3 - 5.0)
- The Lost Throne Link. Rate (4.8 - 5.0)
- The Prophecy Link. Rate (4.4 - 5.0)
- The Death Relic Link. Rate (4.2 - 5.0)
Currently reading! The expanse series by James S.A. Corey. I have finished the first two books.