Holiday Gifts For Expats And Global Citizens: 10 Great Books From 2024
With the year drawing to a close, we hope everyone enjoys a break over the upcoming year-end holidays. To help, here's our annual list of good books that were published during 2024. As always, some books are more serious, and others are just for fun. All have digital and audio versions available, which makes giving them to friends and loved ones that much easier. We wish all our readers the very best holiday season!
1. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg. Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus….sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries….to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. "This is not just a riveting read about how to understand others better. It's also a revealing look at how to be understood."-Adam Grant, NYT bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking
2. Vagabond: A Hikers Homage to Rural Spain by Mark Eveleigh. Inspired by a nomadic "vagabundo" he met decades ago, Mark eschews the fast pace of modern life and sets off on a solo hike 1,225 km across the Iberian Peninsula - from Gibraltar in the far south to Estaca de Bares, Spain's most northerly tip - carrying just a backpack and a hammock….Vagabond… reminds us of the value of slowing down and finding connection with others, and the beauty that can be found in taking life one step at a time. "Vagabond is classic travel writing at its finest." - Sir Ranulph Fiennes, British explorer, writer and poet.
3. The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security by Scott Galloway.
The notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our lifespans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed is no longer enough. It's time for a new playbook. "The Algebra of Wealth is a book that is about far more than investing and wealth. It's about how your life choices play out in your financial standing and wealth, and Scott delivers his lessons with humor and panache. I cannot recommend it strongly enough!" -Aswath Damodaran, professor of finance, Stern School of Business, NYU
4. Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny, translated by Arch Tait with Stephen Dalziel. Alexei Navalny began writing Patriot shortly after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It is the full story of his life. Written with the passion, wit, candor, and bravery for which he was justly acclaimed, Patriot is Navalny's final letter to the world: a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth; a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply; and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life. "Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter." -Yulia Navalnaya
5. Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing) by Salman Khan. Whether we like it or not, the AI revolution is coming to education. In Brave New Words, Salman Khan explores how artificial intelligence and GPT technology will transform learning, and offers a road map for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting (and sometimes intimidating) new world. Brave New Words is not just about technology-it's about what this technology means for our society, and the practical implications for administrators, guidance counselors, and hiring managers who can harness the power of AI in education and the workplace. "A timely masterclass for anyone interested in the future of learning in the AI era."-Bill Gates
6. At the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning With China by Edward Wong. "One of Foreign Policy's Most Anticipated Books of 2024." When Edward Wong became the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, he investigated his father's mysterious past while assessing for himself the dream of a resurgent China. He met the citizens driving the nation's astounding economic boom and global expansion-and grappling with the vortex of nationalistic rule under Xi Jinping. Following in his father's footsteps, he witnessed ethnic struggles in Xinjiang and Tibet and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. And he had an insider's view of the world's two superpowers meeting at a perilous crossroads. "An absorbing new memoir. . . . Wong explores the country through a triple prism of history, geography and ancestry. . . . The empire of the title is ever-present; so is the catharsis of the book's subtitle: 'A family's reckoning with China.'" -The Economist
7. A History of the World in 47 Borders by Jonn Elledge. People have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been maps to draw on. These lines might often have looked very different if a war or treaty or the decisions of a handful of tired Europeans had gone a different way. By telling the stories of these borders, we can learn a lot about how political identities are shaped, why the world looks the way it does - and about the scale of human folly. From the Roman attempts to define the boundaries of civilisation, to the secret British-French agreement to carve up the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, to the reason why landlocked Bolivia still maintains a navy, this is a fascinating, witty and surprising look at the history of the world told through its borders. 'You'll never look at a map the same way again." - Stephen Bush, Financial Times
8. On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey through Occupied Myanmar by Clare Hammond. In 2016, while working as a journalist in Yangon, Clare Hammond discovered an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country - railways not shown on any other publicly available maps. She was determined to uncover the railways' origins, purpose, and most of all, the silence that surrounded them. Her journey would take her from Myanmar's tropical south to the embattled mountain towns that border India and China. Simultaneously a lush and evocative travelogue, an unsparing account of Myanmar's recent history, and an astonishing, conversation-shifting engagement with Britain's colonial legacy, On the Shadow Tracks is that rare and necessary book that finds and tells the truth. "I thought I knew something about Burma before reading this book. It turns out all I knew was factually incomplete and romanticized bs. This book is an invaluable guide to what's happening in Myanmar now." - A Reader's Review on Amazon
9. The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger. Award-winning Atlantic staff writer Zoë Schlanger delivers a groundbreaking work of popular science that probes the hidden world of the plant kingdom. The Light Eaters…challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence…..Plants, rather than imitate human intelligence, have perhaps formed a parallel system….Examining the latest epiphanies in botanical research, Schlanger spotlights the intellectual struggles among the researchers conceiving a wholly new view of their subject. "To read The Light Eaters is to be astounded by the complex behaviors of these ostensibly lower life-forms.. . . .Fertilize your brain with The Light Eaters and you'll never look at your favorite, or least favorite, plants the same." - Wall Street Journal
10. 20 Minute Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook for Two: 75 Healthy Dinners + 20 Sweet Indulgence Desserts+ 30 Tasty Bites and Savory Snacklets: Sugar-Free and Diabetic-Friendly by Cristina L. Turingray. Whether you're a busy professional, a couple looking to inject some creativity into your meals, or managing dietary needs like diabetes, this cookbook is designed with you in mind. Each recipe in this book is structured to take 20 minutes or less, using your air fryer to its full potential. You'll find dishes that not only tantalize your taste buds but also support your health goals. This book makes quick, healthy eating a straightforward and stress-free experience.
About Creveling & Creveling Private Wealth Advisory
Creveling & Creveling is a private wealth advisory firm specializing in helping expatriates living in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia build and preserve their wealth. The firm is a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. SEC and is licensed and regulated by the Thai SEC. Through a unique, integrated consulting approach, Creveling & Creveling is dedicated to helping clients cut through the financial intricacies of expat life, make better decisions with their money, and take the steps necessary to provide a more secure future.
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