As 2023 comes to a close, I'm happy with how things turned out. Balancing work, a newborn, and personal development made things a bit trickier, but I put in as much effort as I could. I'm proud of completing 5,017km (465h) run, 2,680km (98h) on the bike, and dedicating an average of 2 hours per day to training. It was slightly less than 2022, but that was to be expected. Although racing took a back seat in the first half of the year, apart from the Frankfurt Half Marathon in March, the fall season was quite enjoyable with the Chicago, Frankfurt, and Valencia marathons completed in less than 3 months. My performance wasn't as good as in 2022, and it took some time to accept that my previous lifestyle (especially sleep, which is so underrated!) is now a thing of the past, and a new chapter has begun this year. 2024 will be different again as we get to know our little one and establish new routines around him. My training will also evolve (more and more bike!), and racing will make a bigger comeback. In the meantime, I wish you all a Happy New Year and leave you with the best of what I read this year. Remember, reading is the real superpower.
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Be Useful: Seven tools for life, Arnold Schwarzenegger - The book takes readers on an inspirational tour through Arnold's toolkit for a meaningful life.
What They Don't Teach You About Money, Claer Barrett - Get to the bottom of the most common money issues via unpicking the psychology behind them.
Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, William Bridges - A guide to understanding the process and meaning behind changes in life.
Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger - A collection of speeches and wisdom from Charlie Munger, investing expert and business partner of Warren Buffett.
The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale - A motivational book that discusses the importance of goal-setting and the law of attraction.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams - A satirical sci-fi adventure that follows the intergalactic travels of an unwitting human and his alien friend.
Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson - A rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter.
Same as Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life, Morgan Housel - Knowledge of the things that never change is more useful, and more important, than an uncertain prediction of an unknowable future.
Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors, Edward Niedermeyer - A critical examination of Tesla Motors and the challenges it faces in the auto industry.
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness, Morgan Housel - Insights into how personal behavior and psychology affect financial decisions and outcomes.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, Mike Isaac - The story of Uber's rapid growth and the controversial tactics it used under CEO Travis Kalanick.
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, Michael Lewis - Sam Bankman-Fried wasn't just rich. Before he turned thirty he'd become the world's youngest billionaire, making a record fortune in the crypto frenzy. Then it all fell apart.
Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the secrets of the fastest people on earth, Adharanand Finn - The author's journey to Kenya to uncover the secrets of some of the world's fastest runners.
Pyramid of Lies: The Prime Minister, the Banker and the Billion Pound Scandal, Duncan Mavin - The incredible story of how a former sugar-cane farmer became one of the worldβs richest men before falling back to earth.
Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth, Dan McCrum - The astonishing true story of Wirecard's multi-billion-dollar fraud, Europe's biggest new tech darling revealed as a house of cards.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, John Carreyrou - The rise and fall of the biotech startup Theranos, known for its fraudulent practices.
Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson - A comprehensive biography of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.
The Cult of We: WeWork and the Great Start-Up Delusion, Eliot Brown - The inside story of WeWork's rise and tumultuous fall.
Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Fall of WeWork, Reeves Wiedeman - Another detailed account of the ambitions and missteps of WeWork and its founder.
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, Brad Stone - A detailed look at the rise of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos.
Amazon Unbound, Brad Stone - Chronicles the growth of Amazon and Jeff Bezos, focusing on the company's expansion and influence.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, Colin Bryar - Former Amazon executives share insights into the company's unique culture and management practices.
What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, Ben Horowitz - A look at how leaders can create and sustain a company culture.
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, Reed Hastings - The CEO of Netflix shares his insights on leadership and company culture.
That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea, Marc Randolph - The co-founder of Netflix recounts the early days and challenges of the company.
The Founders: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and the Company that Made the Modern Internet, Jimmy Soni - How a once-in-a-generation collaboration turned a scrappy start-up into one of the most successful businesses of all time.
Surviving to Drive, Guenther Steiner - The Haas team principal takes readers inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes.
In the Spell of the Barkley: Unravelling the Mystery of the World's Toughest Ultramarathon, Michiel Panhuysen - A story of sporting obsession, exploring what drives individuals to challenge themselves at the limits of what is possible β and what it takes to succeed.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, Mark Manson - A self-help guide that uses humor and blunt truths to convey its message on living a content life.
Liar's Poker, Michael Lewis - A revealing look at the excess and recklessness of Wall Street in the 1980s.
The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, Daniel H. Pink - A book that argues the benefits of reflective contemplation and the positive aspects of regret.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, Phil Knight - The memoir of Nike's founder, detailing the company's early days and rise to a global brand.
A Life in Parts, Bryan Cranston - The personal memoir of actor Bryan Cranston, detailing his life and career.
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Michael Lewis - A look at the financial crisis of 2007β2008 and the individuals who bet against the US mortgage market.
$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No, Alex Hormozi - A guide to creating compelling offers in business to drive sales and success.
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, Alex Hutchinson - Explores the science of endurance and the factors that limit and enhance physical performance.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek - The importance of understanding the 'why' behind actions to inspire and lead effectively.
Be Careful What You Wish For, Simon Jordan - Simon Jordan grew up a stone's throw from Crystal Palace Football Club. By the age of thirty-two, he bought his childhood club. By the age of forty-two Palace was in administration and Jordan had lost almost everything.
How to Talk to Anyone: Communicate with Confidence and Charisma, Using Charm, Banter and Better Small Talk, Lucas Bailey - Actionable and applicable verbal maneuvers for just about every phase of conversation - good and bad.
Becoming bullet proof, Evy Poumpouras - Former Secret Service Special Agent Evy Poumpouras shares the insights and skills from one of the oldest elite security forces in the world.
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Discusses the impact of rare and unpredictable outlier events and the human tendency to find simplistic explanations for them.
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World, William H. McRaven - A Navy SEAL's advice on the little things that can change your life and maybe the world.
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life, Bill Perkins - A guide to maximizing life experiences and achieving a fulfilling life and legacy.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz - Advice on building and running a startup from a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed, Ash Ali - Explores how to identify and leverage one's unique traits for success.
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love, Cal Newport - Argues that cultivating rare and valuable skills is the key to professional success, not merely following passion.
Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies for Giant Leaps in Work and Life, Ozan Varol - Applying the problem-solving and critical thinking skills of rocket scientists to everyday life and work challenges.
Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, Brad Stulberg - Techniques and insights to achieve peak performance in various aspects of life.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness, Eric Jorgenson - A collection of Naval Ravikantβs wisdom and experience on building wealth and achieving happiness.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo - A guide to decluttering and organizing your living space, which can lead to clarity and improved quality of life.
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear - Strategies for forming good habits, breaking bad ones, and mastering the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness, Steve Magness - How experiencing discomfort, leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action can be the true indications of cultivating inner strength.