Across the board, the team at Avenue Living is a curious bunch. Whether we’re catching up on industry insights, going deeper into a contemporary news story or historical event, or delving into the human condition through classic or modern literature, we’re always learning. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our team’s favourite books and podcasts from 2022.
Marius Botha, VP Fund Operations
“The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason. It’s about a man in the third century who rises from poverty to become the richest man in Babylon. It’s all about finance and wealth planning, and there’s something for everyone to take away.”
Alexandra Larsen, Marketing Director
“I’m reading Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky, which was recommended by several professional women I admire. Fair Play is about balancing the distribution of work, both paid and unpaid, for couples. Having just come back from maternity leave, I was interested to see what tips and tricks my husband, and I could pick up as working parents. I also recently finished The Storyteller by Dave Grohl, an autobiographical read about his life from scrappy backup drummer to Foo Fighters frontman, I really enjoyed learning about his life on the road, especially the Nirvana years.”
Cameron Hills, VP, Capital Markets – Equity
“Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman an autobiography by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. It explores his life experiences and philosophies that inspired his innovation as an entrepreneur. There’s something for everyone in this book.”
Janelle Donohue, SVP – Strategic Risk Management and Senior Legal Counsel
“This year I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, several stories in the Dragon Masters series by Tracey West, The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak, The Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems; and I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis. In my defense, these aren’t my interests—I read these ones with my three kids! I’m also reading a cookbook called Real Food Kids Will Love by Annabel Karmel.”
Max Graham, Chief Performance Officer
“I recently read the classic Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, and I’m partway through Goldfinger. I also regularly read Pivot, a magazine for CPAs, and each year I read the Urban Land Institute and PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate report.”
Rosa Cameron, SVP People & Culture”
“Atomic Habits by James Clear. I’ve also subscribed to his 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter for the longest time, and I like his approach to continuous improvement and developing good habits on a small, incremental basis each day.”
Steve Smith, SVP Capital Markets – Debt
“I just finished American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton. It’s about Russ Ulbricht, who built a billion-dollar online drug empire. I also really liked The Only Rule is It Has to Work, by Sam Miller and Ben Lindbergh, about what happens when two baseball analytics bloggers were allowed to manage a minor league baseball team. I recently listened to Bad Blood, an audiobook about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.”
Leif Snethun, CEO, Agricultural Land Trust
“Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. It’s a thought-provoking novel about a philosophy that’s still relevant today, even though it was written in the 1950s.”
Gabriel Millard, SVP, Capital Markets – Equity and Research
“I like the podcasts Macro Voices (about markets and macroeconomics), On the Margin (about asset management, macroeconomics, and ideas that were once radical are becoming mainstream); and Hardcore History (which takes a deep dive into historical events).
“I’ve been reading The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan, which makes some dire predictions about how various countries will fare as globalization collapses; and the memoir Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. I recommend you listen to the audiobook for the full experience.”
Tammy Cho, SVP, Marketing
“Educated by Tara Westover is a page-turning memoir that recounts her sheltered life in the deserted mountains of Idaho, and her father’s resistance to normal society, government, and education. Despite all this, she went to college at 17 and completed her Ph.D. at Cambridge University. I’m also listening to the Greenlights audiobook by Matthew McConaughey that documents his life’s trials and tribulations in a raw, unfiltered, and captivating way – it’s an inspirational collection of stories and insights.”
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