Billy Crafton back here to showcase some of my favorite books for Fall of 2024.
This collection of three reads essentially isn’t a brand new one, as the books range from 2017 to 2021 in their publishing dates, but it’s what I’ve personally read most recently.
I’ve definitely been on a run here where I’m reading some slightly older books that I’ve either stumbled upon myself, or that come recommended from friends and clients.
As usual though, I expect you’ll definitely enjoy reading these, as nothing is irrelevant time-wise in these subjects from the slightly older publishing dates.
But please let me know what you think of these books, feel free to share your thoughts. And if you’d like some more choices, please give my other site a look too. Here’s my most recent book list over there: https://billycraftonauthor.com/billy-crafton-favorite-reads-summer-2024/.
Thanks!
— Billy Crafton
Before I speak to how much I enjoyed this book, I do want to offer one caveat: it’s LONG… as in 1,000 pages long. That may turn some people off, and I’ve read some criticism that the book is a bit bloated.
Having said that, however, I respectfully disagree. As long as you meet the prerequisite of being a fan of HBO, whether that means knowing them from the beginning, or starting later in the game (they’ve been around since 1980!), I think you’ll truly enjoy the read. Here’s why…
You can tell from the start that Tinderbox was a labor of love for James Andrew Miller. He dives deep into the true stories behind Home Box Office, aka HBO, letting us in on the secrets that helped revolutionize TV at a time when there wasn’t 100s of channels, streaming, or even the internet. If you grew up in the early 80s, you likely felt there were about 5 channels, and then HBO.
But the folks behind the company thought big, and in creating Home Box Office they actually stepped, gleefully, OUTSIDE of the box. Truly, it feels as if HBO has been groundbreaking from day one, and Miller tips his cap to that all along the journey here.
He also shines the light on a treasure trove of secrets, hitting us with many surprising revelations and insights.
Indeed, Miller continues to flaunt his track record of somehow gaining inside access to incredible people, including top producers, directors, actors, and in this case, even every president, past and present, of HBO (those still with us, that is). Think 750+ interviews all told, and it culminates in what’s essentially a grand oral history of one legendary, and truly revolutionary, entertainment company.
For as long as the book is, part of the reason I didn’t find it an issue is that there were times I just couldn’t put the book down. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next, which is quite rare in this genre.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to go back and dig into some of their previous epics, like Chernobyl, Band of Brothers, and Deadwood.
Learning about the people behind the scenes, in what truly was the good, the bad, and the ugly, only amplified this. It’s so interesting learning about all these folks from their own words, very insightful.
The bottom line for Tinder Box is this — if you love HBO, then I can’t possibly see this book disappointing you. It’s one of my favorite reads for 2024, and that’s saying a lot.
Shifting gears in a big way, the second book on this list dives into a much different realm, but does so in an award-winning fashion. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more acclaimed book in my life, and I’ve read a ton of books over the years.
Thomas Piketty’s masterpiece here was a #1 bestselling juggernaut, achieving said status on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Amazon. Beyond the best seller status, however, it achieved much more, including Winner of the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, Winner of the British Academy Medal, and even a Guardian Best Book of the 21st Century.
The critical acclaim runs on for miles, but to give you just a taste, Timothy Shenkat at The Nation raved that Piketty’s book, “Stands a fair chance of becoming the most influential work of economics yet published in our young century. It is the most important study of inequality in over fifty years.”
All the awards in the world matter little, of course, if you’re not interested in the subject matter, so let’s dive into the details.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century certainly isn’t for everyone. The book explores the evolution of income distribution over the past two hundred years, leading to one incredibly important, scientifically achieved conclusion — capitalism cannot solve inequality, a problem growing worse and worse this century.
Yes, scientifically. Piketty looks at empirical data throughout his analysis (via some serious statistical research), helping his conclusion land an incredibly powerful impact. As I read this masterpiece, one thought kept crossing my mind — he clearly must have written this book in hopes of influencing policymaking, focusing much more on evidence versus ideology.
And he’s done so by meticulously diving into the history of income distribution in every capitalist nation, which, from what I’ve read since finishing the book, is actually changing the way economists even think, fundamentally, about inequality.
Bottom line, if you’re not sure whether Piketty’s magnum opus here is for you, I’ll leave you with this comment from Matthew Yglesias at Slate —
“Anyone remotely interested in economics needs to read Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century.”
The final book on this list, a National Bestseller, delivers a very different reading experience versus the other two, no doubt. First, the subject matter itself is quite unique, as it’s an in-depth biography on Kirk Kerkorian, a famous yet not-so-famous billionaire best known for his impact on Las Vegas and Hollywood.
Second, for being an in-depth biography, it’s an incredibly fast-moving and compelling read, which really makes it an enjoyable change of pace for this list.
To be honest, I can’t recommend this biography enough, particularly if you’re seeking some inspiration. It traces Kirk from his very early life, when at four years old his family ( Armenian immigrants) lost their farm to foreclosure. Trying to recover, they moved to Los Angeles, penniless.
Kirk learned to speak English on the streets of L.A., worked for next to nothing as a newspaper boy, and eventually dropped out of school just after eighth grade.
But from those astonighly humble beginnings, Kirk went on to become one of the richest men in America. That’s an oversimplifiation of Kirk’s story, however, as the road (and sky) he took to reach that pinnacle was borderline unbelievable.
As the book’s summary notes:
“Kerkorian combined the courage of a World War II pilot, the fortitude of a scrappy boxer, the cunning of an inscrutable poker player and an unmatched genius for making deals. He never put his name on a building, but when he died he owned almost every major hotel and casino in Las Vegas.”
What that leaves out is that he also bought and sold MGM Studious not once, not twice, but three times. Plus, his influence on Hollywood may have been just as impactful as his influence on Vegas.
Kirk also checks a very unusual box for someone who lived the life he led — he rarely made any public appearances, instead preferring to avoid publicity at nearly every turn. Perhaps keeping himself out of the spotlight, as well as being known as incredibly generous to others, both contributed to his longevity. Kerkorian lived until 2015, to a ripe 98 years of age.
Since the book is 100% worth a read, I don’t want to reveal anything more, because it’s filled with some great surprises. So I’ll leave you with this quote from KNPR instead:
“With The Gambler, Rempel has done for Las Vegas and a generation of business entrepreneurs a great service, adding rich detail to the business titan’s deals and controversies. Kerkorian’s life is a reminder of how far Americans can go.”
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