The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World - Niall Ferguson

6.5/10

An interesting enough read and Ferguson writes very well. But I felt that there wasn't anything really that new here. It also fails in its attempt to be a comprehensive history of money (which the book notes is probably an over-ambitious goal to begin with).

When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management - Roger Lowenstein

8/10

An very interesting and easy to read book. Goes into the personalities and background of LTCM to a good degree.

Animal Spirits - George Akerlof and Robert Shiller

Rating: 7.5/10

Interesting ideas explaining economic phenomena such as booms and busts. Takes on the assumption of human rationality which underlies much economic modelling.

Lud-in-the-Mist - Hope Mirrlees

Rating: 6.5/10

A decent fantasy novel but why the cult status. It's just a good but not great work. It may be a slightly lower rating because I was expecting more.

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

Rating: 10/10

A great and haunting novel. Sometimes harrowing so it might not be everyone's cup of tea. The simplicity of the language and the simplicity of survival strips this back to reveal something essential.

Heliopolis - James Scudamore

Rating: 7.5/10

Starts amazingly well but begins to drift slightly with a weaker second half. Still an entertaining read overall.