What’s Oaktree Reading? 2024 Year-End Book Recommendations

Summary

• In 2024, Oaktree team members selected ten books to help navigate global cultural, technological, geopolitical, & economic shifts.
• "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford explores the rapid expansion & subsequent unsustainability of Genghis Khan's empire, offering lessons on controlled business growth.
• "Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World" by Ginni Rometty details her journey from a difficult childhood to becoming IBM's first female CEO, emphasizing respect, conviction, & progress over perfection.
• "Trust" by Hernan Diaz is a novel set in 1920s New York that examines wealth, mental health, & patriarchal norms through four perspectives, contrasting external perceptions with internal realities.
• "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology" by Chris Miller provides an in-depth look at the semiconductor industry's influence on supply chains, global business, & world power dynamics amidst the rise of artificial intelligence.
• "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class" by Rob Henderson recounts his upbringing across ten foster homes & contrasts his achievements with the tragic fates of friends to highlight the roles of class, stability, & privilege.
• "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard" by Chip Heath & Dan Heath presents a framework for positive change that addresses the rational & emotional sides of the brain & the need for a conducive external environment.
• "Night Walks" by Charles Dickens is a collection of essays describing his insomnia-induced walks through Victorian London to observe societal disparities & the city's misery.
• "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown advises on identifying unproductive elements in professional lives & determining which capabilities are under-resourced or over-resourced.
• "Beating France to Botany Bay: The Race to Found Australia" by Margaret Cameron-Ash details the 1788 race between Britain & France to claim Australia, illustrating how speculation & misunderstanding influenced historical decisions.
• "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know" by Adam Grant explores the value of re-evaluating assumptions, unlearning, & embracing the joy of being wrong for personal & professional growth.
• The document states that the information is for educational purposes only, does not constitute an offer to sell securities, & is subject to change without notice.
• Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. asserts that past investment performance is not an indication of future results & that profit potential includes the possibility of loss.
• Information regarding economic trends is derived from independent third-party sources that Oaktree believes are reliable but does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness.