HM's Reading List


It is important to keep something on the bedside table, be it fiction, non-fiction, detective novel, spy thriller or autobiography.  Some firefighters keep a book at home and one at the firehouse to avoid being stuck at home without one.  Here's a list of HM's recent reads and favorite books for you to get inspired from.

Current Read:




Phishing for Phools by George Akerlof & Robert Shiller
A dive into how markets are manipulated by those who caution us not to manipulate markets.  Yes, another behavioral economics read, I find the explanations for why so many people act against their best interests fascinating and this should be a fun read!








Highly Recommended:

Steven King's Dark Tower Series
Book 1 - The Gunslinger follows Roland Deschain as he navigates the barren Mid-World in search of the Man in Black.  Part sci-fi, part western and not at all what most people expect of Steven King, this 7 book series became King's magnum opus, eventually linking to many of his better known works.  HM's #1 recommendation.






Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs
This book is a must have for Paramedic students and anyone in healthcare wanting to learn more about the interpretation of electrical impulses in the heart.  Instead of a dry text book, Dr Dale Dubin MD creates fill in the blank, finish the sentence, match the pairs and other interactive exercises that help to explain a very complicated subject.  I still have my 6th edition from 20 years ago.






Dan Pink Drive
If you've ever wondered why we make the decisions we do, how we process experience and why some of the smartest people seem to freeze when making decisions, Dan Pink has your answers.







Dan Kahneman Thinking Fast and Slow
The noted behavioral economist takes you on a journey to understand exactly how our minds process information to allow decision making, why some decisions are quick and easy and other take so much time to process.  A companion to Dan Pink's Drive IMHO, read them back to back.





Steven Levitt & Steven Dubner Freakonomics 
Economist Steven Levitt teams up with author and podcast host Steven Dubner to bring you an explanation about nearly everything.  Why do gas prices end in 9/10ths of a cent and does that really impact the passing motorist?  Why do people vote against their best interests?  How do advertisers know exactly what to show me?  Do sumo wrestlers cheat? When is the best time to rob a bank? This is the first of their many works and I highly recommend their podcast as well!





Michael Morse Rescuing Providence
Rescuing Providence tells many stories I've lived from the front seat of a Fire Department medic unit in an urban area.  Michael is an amazing story teller and writer, able to transport anyone into the front seat of Providence, RI Rescue 5 as they deal with modern EMS in an extremely busy system.







Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451
What happens in a future where fiction is outlawed and books are banned? Small groups of people hide books and are considered criminals.  When books are found it isn't he Police who respond, but instead the Firemen, a team of men who douse the books and the homes of the owners of the books in kerosene and burn them live on TV.  This story follows Fireman Guy Montag as he comes to terms with what he does and is led into the underground community of book owners only to find that nothing is as it seems.


Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Arthur Dent is about to lose his home in a small English town and is having a bad day.  Little does he know there is a Vogon construction fleet about to destroy his entire planet.  Saved by his friend Ford, who just happens to be an alien, Arthur is suddenly thrust into a wide, funny and exciting adventure hitchhiking from ship to ship with his trusty towel.  As the 5 book set continues we see just how wide and hilarious the universe is!





Richard Bach Illusions
This is one of the first books the wife had me read after we started dating.  One of her favorite quotes, and now mine, "Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they're yours."  This book teaches us that what you see isn't always what you get and even random people in random fields can do extraordinary things, if they know how to try.





Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child The Cabinet of Curiosities
After Relic and Reliquary these authors continue the tales of New York's most interesting FBI Agent, Aloysius Pendergast.  A strange tunnel deep beneath New York is found with bodies mutilated in curious ways just as similar murders begin to happen in the city.  The authors have a style that keeps the story moving in multiple locations with multiple characters all while using crime investigation, city knowledge and a love for the occult to help Agent Pendergast try to discover what is happening.  There are a dozen or more Pendergast stories each unique and stand alone or fun in series.


Ernest Cline Ready Player One
The OASIS, an online virtual reality world where you can be what you want to be (provided you can afford it), has been tirelessly looking for the 3 keys left behind by its founder when he died. The prize for finding the keys first?  Ownership of the OASIS and more money than you can imagine.  What do you need to know to play the game and win the prize?  Everything we remember from growing up in the 80's especially early video games.  This book is overflowing with classic games, timeless movie references and experiences and a clever story line that makes you feel like you're right there with Wade (Parzival in the OASIS) and his friends as they fight against the evil IOI Corporation and their agents who want to win the game to take over and ruin the OASIS.  Lots and lots of fun to read!


*as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links above are affiliate links.

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