Books read per year
In no particular order, these are the books that captured my imagination and contribute to my personal and professional growth.
The coming wave by Mustafa Suleyman: I think this was the first book of AI I read this year and it was a great way to kick off my AI reads. Mustafa Suleyman is a heavyweight in the world of AI and his vision and impressions are ever lasting and thoughtful. This book is the results of decades of active AI work, which has the author now serving as Microsoft AI’s CEO, an impressive track and an impressive book that helped me kick off the year.
Influence Empire: The Story of Tencent and China's Tech Ambition by Lulu Yilun Chen: This book is one of the ones that got me the most, the depth of this story is captivating, the speed, the thrill, the anecdotes and the details make it a gripping reading for any business book fans out there. The magnificent and unstoppable rise of China Tech’s giants is a story to be told from multiple angles.
Quién es Chile by Esteban Abarzúa: “Como no te voy a querer”, my Colo Colo turned 100 years in 2025 and this book was a fantastic way to learn more about the origin of the fútbol club, its evolution and influence on the popular culture of Chile. In my country, Colo Colo represents a tradition that goes from family to family (like in my case) and it has only grown through time. After reading multiple books about this subject, I can confidently say this is one of the best books on the subject, it covers every single detail about the team and taught me several new things. Absolutely a must, to understand the genesis of Chile's most popular and successful fútbol team.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World by Parmy Olson: As usual, I’m reading the FT and McKinsey business book of the year; in 2024, the AI phenomena won the category with a fantastic book about the build up of OpenAI and Google DeepMind (before it was even acquired by Google) from the very beginning- narrating the societal impact both companies had had in our society in a very short span of time and the implication of this changes. The books explore greed, control, ethics, technology and talent in a very well narrated manner.
Babel by R.F. Kuang: Curiously, R.F. Kuang made my top 5 list for the second year. After devouring Yellowface, it was my turn to read Babel, which got me from the first chapter. The story of Robin, Ramy, Victoire and Letty, gave me Harry Potter vibes from the very beginning. The book is ambitious, well written and overall fantastic; the story is so good it got me thinking about it even when I was commuting or eating, that hasn't happened in ages and I loved the feeling. Great if you are looking at escaping your day to day grind.
My list of books for this year and early 2026 include Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround, When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures and Don't Be Afraid of the Bullets: An Accidental War Correspondent in Yemen
As you can see, I have kept reading non fiction - with focus on business books and some historical books, a genre that I plan to explore even further next year.
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