Book & Podcast Reviews

Knowledge worth sharing

In the spirit of curious exploration, these reviews highlight books and podcasts that have helped me expand my knowledge across various disciplines. Some challenge assumptions, expand perspectives and some are deeper explorations on famous figures through biographies.

Ben Leacock Ben Leacock

Runnin’ Down A Dream

Runnin’ Down a Dream by Bill Gurley is one of those books I find myself slightly torn on, although I think that comes down more to my own preferences than any shortcomings of the book itself.

The core message of the book is about finding work you genuinely love and the success that can come from building a career around it.

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Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock

The Infinity Machine

I was already familiar with Demis Hassabis prior to reading The Infinity Machine, largely through documentaries and podcast appearances. It’s clear from any interview with him that he operates at an incredibly high level of intelligence so I was interested to learn more.

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Ben Leacock Ben Leacock

The Book of Elon

I came across The Book of Elon when it was covered on a recent episode of Founders and then again on The Acquirers Podcast where Eric Jorgenson was interviewed. It was the latter of the two that persuaded me to give it a go.

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Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock

The Philosopher In The Valley

After my recent review of The Contrarian, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir and the Rise of the Surveillance State. I went into it wondering whether it would follow a similar vein on political leaning bias in its portrayal or present a more balanced view.

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Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock

Unreasonable Hospitality

Unreasonable Hospitality had been sitting on my Audible wishlist for months, but after hearing Will Guidara interviewed on a recent My First Million episode, I finally decided to give it a listen. I ended up finishing it in less than a day (albeit at my usual 3.5x listening speed)

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Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock Book & Podcast Reviews Ben Leacock

Apple In China

At 13 hours and 32 minutes in audiobook form (or 448 pages in print), Apple in China is a substantial commitment. Is it worth it? That depends on how deep your interest lies not just in Apple, but in the broader dynamics of U.S. companies’ reliance on Chinese manufacturing and global supply chains.

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