In 2024 I read 36 books, 53 Longform Articles (LFAs) and watched 53 Films.

TL;DR – Here are my top recommendations, if you just want the winners, no reasons or details needed:

Best Film I saw in 2024 : Dune (Part 2)

Best Book I read in 2024 : Den of Thieves by James Stewart

Best Longform Article I read in 2024 : Book Review of “Two Arms and a Head”, by Amanda, on the blog of Scott Alexander

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The 10 Best Films I saw in 2024, in ranked order :

Dune: Part 2
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Remains of the Day
Amadeus
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
The Birdcage
The Death of Stalin
Dune: Part 1
Fallen
Zone of Interest

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The 3 Best Books I read in 2024, in ranked order :

Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart
A Distant Mirror by Barbara W. Tuchman
The French Revolution by Christopher Hibbert

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The 10 Best Longforms I read in 2024, in ranked order :

BOOK REVIEW of “Two Arms and a Head”, by Amanda, on the blog of Scott Alexander
Speech Transcipt : ‘How to Fight Back Against the Censors’, by Matt Taibbi
BOOK REVIEW of “Flying Blind”, by JOHN P SMITH
BOOK REVIEW of “Scaling People”, by JOHN P SMITH
Blog : ‘Surely you can be serious’, by ADAM MASTROIANNI
Blog : ‘Declining trust in Zeus is a technology’, by ADAM MASTROIANNI
Memo in August 2024 ‘Mr. Market Miscalculates’, by investor Howard Marks
BOOK REVIEW of ‘The Real North Korea’, by JOHN PSMITH
BOOK REVIEW of ‘South Africa’s Brave New World’, by JOHN PSMITH
BOOK REVIEW of ‘Reentry’, by JOHN PSMITH

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If you stop now, you have read the essence of this blog post. If you want details, read on.

Here are my reasons for of why some of these films, books, longforms should be seen/read :

Dune (Part 2) : If the original aim of films is to take the viewer into an alternative universe and totally immerse him in that universe, rooting for the protagonist, Dune 2 does it spectacularly. So many scenes literally take your breath away after making you hold it for what seems like eternity. And watching it on the big screen, preferable an IMAX, is the way to cement it in your memory as one of the best cinema experiences of your life. yes. OF YOUR LIFE.

Den of Thieves (Book) : I am and will always remain a sucker for a well written book on corporate and business scandals. And Den of Thieves was the OG that started the genre.The book narrates how, in the 1980s, a few well educated well connected crooks, created one of the largest insider trading schemes in financial history. They leveraged inside information about upcoming mergers and acquisitions to make profits in the stock market, leading to massive illegal gains. the author, James Stewart, superbly details the investigative efforts of law enforcement and regulatory bodies like the SEC, which eventually led to the arrests and convictions of these Wall Street ‘titans’. The book contrasts the lavish lifestyles and the overconfidence of the perpetrators with the diligent, often under-resourced efforts of the investigators who brought them to justice. It’s not just a recounting of financial crimes but also a study in human greed, the culture of Wall Street during the 1980s, and the ethical compromises made in pursuit of wealth. It explores themes like the corruptibility of financial systems (still ongoing), the moral decay in high finance (also still ongoing), and the consequences of unchecked ambition(also …). The book’s impact was significant, contributing to a broader public understanding of and skepticism towards financial markets, especially in light of subsequent financial scandals and crises like Enron. (And if you want a fantastic “TRILOGY” to read in 2025 start with Den of Thieves, then ‘The Smartest Guys in the Room’ and finish with ‘BAD BLOOD’. You will NOT regret it.

Longform – A winning book review of the book “Two Arms and a Head”, by Amanda on Scott Alexander’s blog : There was, till recently, a raging debate about assisted suicide here in the UK. Assisted dying bill would allow some terminally ill adults to end their own lives. I found myself, coming into it uninformed but now I see myself supporting the legislation and this well written (but depressing) LFA is the reason why. The book, and by extension the review by Amanda, serves as a poignant reflection on autonomy, the right to die, and the profound existential questions that arise when one’s physical capabilities are drastically altered. It’s portrayed as both a personal tragedy and a broader commentary on human condition, choice, and the nature of suffering. This was one of those articles I found myself thinking about long after I finished reading the LFA. Do not attempt this LFA or the book unless you are in a good space mentally.

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“Shiva, now quickly give me the reason to read/view your other top recommendations, but just in one sentence!” [OK. Challenge Accepted!]

Superb Films

The Talented Mr. Ripley – a superb psychological thriller about Tom Ripley, a young man who becomes obsessed with the luxurious lifestyle of a wealthy acquaintance, Dickie Greenleaf.

The Remains of the Day – an unbelievably great film focusing on the story of Stevens, a dedicated butler played TO PERFECTION by Anthony Hopkins, who revisits his past service at Darlington Hall and his unspoken love for the housekeeper, Miss Kenton, portrayed by Emma Thompson, set against the political and social changes of the 1930s and 1950s England.

Amadeus – A 1984 biographical drama film that explores the tumultuous relationship between the brilliant yet troubled composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the envious court composer Antonio Salieri, with the narrative framed as Salieri’s confession of his culpability in Mozart’s decline and death.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead – a 2007 crime drama directed by Sidney Lumet, which follows two brothers, played by the too good for words Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, who orchestrate a botched robbery of their parents’ jewelry store, leading to a cascade of tragic and unintended consequences that unravel their lives and family bonds.

Great Books

A Distant Mirror – A historical narrative that examines the tumultuous late Middle Ages, focusing on the life of French nobleman Enguerrand VII de Coucy to illustrate the social, political, and economic upheavals, including the Hundred Years’ War, the Black Death, and the papal schism, that characterized the period.

The French Revolution – A comprehensive and engaging history that narrates the dramatic events from the fall of the Bastille in 1789 to Napoleon’s coup in 1799, detailing the political upheavals, social changes, and the key figures involved in this transformative period of French and European history.

An Excellent Longform

Speech Transcript : ‘How to Fight Back Against the Censors’, by Matt Taibbi – If you hold Free Speech as a key part of a vibrant democracy, this here is the speech for you.

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And lastly here below is the full list of everything I read and saw in 2024, rank ordered, from amazing to decent to OK to not good :

Movies :

The Remains of the Day
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Amadeus
Dune: Part Two
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
The Birdcage
The Death of Stalin
Dune: Part One
Fallen
The Zone of Interest
The Pledge
Past Lives
The Whale
American Gangster
Band of Brothers
Grave of the Fireflies
About Time
Black Hawk Down
A Few Good Men
Lone Survivor
Fracture
Bicycle Thieves
Oppenheimer
Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story
Laapataa Ladies
12th Fail
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The World’s End
Casino Royale
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Forrest Gump
Sam Morril: You’ve Changed
Society of the Snow
Army of Darkness
Colin Quinn: The New York Story
Tim’s Vermeer
Dave Made a Maze
Taxi
From Russia with Love
The Ninth Gate
Goldfinger
A History of Violence
Lawrence of Arabia
The Devil Wears Prada
Belfast
Federer: Twelve Final Days
Ballerina
Plane
Solaris
Final Destination 5
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Final Destination
Stand by Me
Bullet Train

Books :

Book : – Den of Thieves – Finished – Really enjoyed it
Book : – the 1300s – A Distant Mirror – Finished – Really enjoyed it
Book : – The French Revolution (1788-1799) – Finished – Really enjoyed it
Book : – Poor Charlies Almanack – Finished – Liked it
Book : – BLINDSIGHT (SciFi) – Finished – Liked it
Book : – Man’s Search for Meaning – Finished – Liked it
Book : – Merchant Kings – Finished – Liked it
Book : – POB = Clarissa Oakes – Finished – Liked it
Book : – POB = Nutmeg of Consolation – Finished – Liked it
Book : – POB = Wine Red Sea – Finished – Liked it
Book : – Dark Matter (SciFi) – Finished – Liked it
Book : – The EXPANSE BOOK #1 (SciFi) – Abandoned
Book : – PostWar (AfterWW2) – Abandoned
Book : – the Dictators Handbook – Abandoned
Book : – The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish”
Book : – And then there were none – – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish
Book : – Dead In The Water – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish – Unsure
Book : – The Siege – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish – Unsure
Book : – ReEng the corporation – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – Da Vinci’s Bio – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – Guns of August (WW1 August 1914) – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – How America went to the Moon – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – March of Folly (All Wars) – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – How Big Things Get Done – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – The Bezos Blueprint – Unfinished on 31.12; intend to finish –
Book : – the bomb – Abandoned – will reattempt
Book : – Upgrade (SciFi) – Abandoned – will reattempt
Book : – When reason goes on holiday – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – May buy/attempt this
Book : – the road to character – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – May buy/attempt this
Book : – Age of Revolutions – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – May buy/attempt this
Book : – A hitch in time – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – May buy/attempt this
Book : – How the world really works – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – May buy/attempt this
Book : – The Shipping News – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – Unsure
Book : – Lem. Solaris. – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – will not buy/attempt
Book : – Stalin the court of the red czar – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – will not buy/attempt
Book : – Mote in God’s eye – Kindle Trials/Samples I read – will not buy/attempt

Longforms

LFA : BOOK REVIEW of “Two Arms and a Head”,by ‘AmandaFromBethlehem’ ( Website Address : https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-two-arms-and-a-head )
LFA : Matt Taibbi: How to Fight Back Against the Censors | Speech by Matt Taibbi ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/matt-taibbi-censorship-free-speech-rescue-the-republic )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Flying Blind, by Peter Robison – By JOHN PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-flying-blind-by-peter-robison )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Scaling People, by Claire Hughes Johnson ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-scaling-people-by-claire-hughes )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: South Africa’s Brave New World, by R.W. Johnson – By JOHN PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-south-africas-brave-new-world )
LFA : Surely you can be serious | ADAM MASTROIANNI ( Website Address : https://www.experimental-history.com/p/surely-you-can-be-serious )
LFA : Declining trust in Zeus is a technology | ADAM MASTROIANNI ( Website Address : https://www.experimental-history.com/p/declining-trust-in-zeus-is-a-technology )
LFA : August 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks : Mr. Market Miscalculates ( Website Address : https://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memo/mr-market-miscalculates )
LFA : REVIEW: The Real North Korea, by Andrei Lankov by JOHN PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-the-real-north-korea-by-andrei )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Reentry, by Eric Berger ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-reentry-by-eric-berger )
LFA : ACX : ACX Endorses Kamala Harris, Oliver, Or Stein ( Website Address : https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/acx-endorses-harris-oliver-or-stein?hide_intro_popup=true )
LFA : ACX Book Review: How the WW2 Was Won ( Website Address : https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-how-the-war-was )
LFA : Warren Buffet’s annual letter 2024 to BH Shareholders ( Website Address : https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/2023ltr.pdf )
LFA : The Mughal Empire, 1526–1761 ( Website Address : https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Mughal-mystique-in-the-18th-century )
LFA : The Vijayanagar empire, 1336–1646 ( Website Address : https://www.britannica.com/place/India/The-Vijayanagar-empire-1336-1646 )
LFA : Britain on the Brink ( Website Address : https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/britain-on-the-brink )
LFA : On Moods : You can’t be too happy, literally. OR: there’s an air conditioner in your head ( Website Address : https://www.experimental-history.com/p/you-cant-be-too-happy-literally )
LFA : July 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks : The Folly of Certainty ( Website Address : hhttps://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memo/the-folly-of-certainty )
LFA : The Return of Superfly Frank Lucas, ( Website Address : https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/3649/ )
LFA : Master of Make-Believe. A struggling actor struck it rich in Hollywood—then the F.B.I. showed up. ( Website Address : https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/03/master-of-make-believe )
LFA : April 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks : The Indispensability of Risk ( Website Address : https://www.oaktreecapital.com/docs/default-source/memos/the-indispensability-of-risk.pdf?sfvrsn=52b45666_3 )
LFA : DON’T DIE: An Interview with Bryan Johnson ( Website Address : https://www.piratewires.com/p/bryan-johnson-interview )
LFA : A Wife’s Revenge from Beyond the Grave ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/a-wifes-revenge-from-beyond-the-grave )
LFA : Niall Ferguson: We’re All Soviets Now ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/were-all-soviets-now )
LFA : Niall Ferguson: The Treason of the Intellectuals ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/niall-ferguson-treason-intellectuals-third-reich )
LFA : Douglas Murray speaks at the 2024 Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner, hosted by the Manhattan Institute. ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-douglas-murray-alexander-hamilton-award )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Letter to the Soviet Leaders, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn / 7 outta 10 = very decent ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/guest-review-letter-to-the-soviet )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire, by Edward Luttwak by JOHN PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-the-grand-strategy-of-the#footnote-anchor-9-138293964 )
LFA : Book Review: Autobiography Of Yukichi Fukuzawa / 6 outta 10 = decent ( Website Address : https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-autobiography-of )
LFA : Why Everything is Becoming a Game | All the easier to control you – LFA by Gurwinder B ( Website Address : https://www.gurwinder.blog/p/why-everything-is-becoming-a-game )
LFA : Hezbollah’s shadow bank and Lebanon’s disaster capitalism / 6 outta 10 = decent ( Website Address : https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-312-hezbollahs-shadow-bank )
LFA : The Modern Curse of Overoptimization – FREDDIE DEBOER ( Website Address : https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/the-modern-curse-of-overoptimization )
LFA : Benji on Gemini and Google’s Culture ( Website Address : https://stratechery.com/2024/gemini-and-googles-culture/ )
LFA : What Have Fourteen Years of Conservative Rule Done to Britain? ( Website Address : https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/04/01/what-have-fourteen-years-of-conservative-rule-done-to-britain )
LFA : May 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks : The Impact of Debt ( Website Address : https://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memo/the-impact-of-debt )
LFA : Jan 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks ( Website Address : https://www.oaktreecapital.com/docs/default-source/memos/easy-money.pdf )
LFA : Total Victory : it’s a clown world landslide – Mike Solana ( Website Address : https://www.piratewires.com/p/total-victory )
LFA : Niall Ferguson: The Vibe Shift Goes Global ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/niall-ferguson-the-vibe-shift-goes-global-assad-putin-trump )
LFA : Bari Weiss: What It Means to Choose Freedom ( Website Address : https://www.thefp.com/p/bari-weiss-what-it-means-to-choose )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: The Education of Cyrus, by Xenophone ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-the-education-of-cyrus-by )
LFA : GUEST REVIEW: …And Ladies of the Club, by Helen Hooven Santmyer ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/guest-review-and-ladies-of-the-club )
LFA : REVIEW: The French Albigensian Crusade, by Jonathan Sumption / 6 outta 10 = enjoyed it ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-the-albigensian-crusade-by )
LFA : REVIEW: Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art by Rebecca Smith / 6 outta 10 = decent ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-kindred-by-rebecca-wragg-sykes )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: How To Be a Tudor, by Ruth Goodman by JANE PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-how-to-be-a-tudor-by-ruth )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: The Knowledge, by Lewis Dartnell by JANE PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-the-knowledge-by-lewis-dartnell )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Medieval Chinese Warfare, 300-900, by David A. Graff ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-medieval-chinese-warfare-300 )
LFA : Elon Dreams and Bitter Lessons / 5 outta 10 = almost enjoyed it ( Website Address : https://stratechery.com/2024/elon-dreams-and-bitter-lessons/ )
LFA : Oct 2024 Memo from investor Howard Marks : Ruminating on Asset Allocation ( Website Address : https://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memo/ruminating-on-asset-allocation )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Boom, by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-boom-by-byrne-hobart-and-tobias )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Energy and Civilization, by Vaclav Smil ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-energy-and-civilization-by )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott by JANE PSMITH ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-against-the-grain-by-james )
LFA : BOOK REVIEW: Baby Meets World, by Nicholas Day ( Website Address : https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-baby-meets-world-by-nicholas )
LFA : Algeria: The Enduring Failure of Politics ( Website Address : https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/algeria-enduring-failure-politics )