i’m very picky about the books i read, probably because each book requires so much time and mental investment. i like the books i read to be connected with my current interests or life. reading books is not entertainment or distraction for me, it is a substitute for experience. as a result i want to come away from a book knowing my life is changed forever. i am not a voracious reader.

i’ve often said that telling me “you should read this book” is the quickest way for me to put it on my list of books to never read. that’s probably just cause i don’t like people telling me what i should do.

i do have some favorite books. this is not a list of books i think you should read. these are books that seemed absolutely perfect to me at the time of my life that i happened to be reading them.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

The Razor’s Edge by M. Somerset Maugham