top of page

Greg Barlin
1 day ago2 min read
The Best Books of 2025…So Far: Live!
A running tally of the books that I have reviewed this year, updated and reranked after each book that I finish.


Greg Barlin
Feb 84 min read
Dirtbag Queen
★★★★★ Sparked by a viral obituary, this unlikeliest of memoirs introduces us to the crazy Corren family and their larger-than-life mother.


Greg Barlin
Feb 13 min read
Among the Bros
★★★★☆ An exposé on a fraternity-led Xanax trafficking ring, focused on Greek life and the pervasiveness of benzodiazepine use at colleges.

Greg Barlin
Dec 22, 20245 min read
60 Songs That Explain the '90s
★★★★★ A nostalgia-inducing romp through the most impactful songs of the '90s, focusing on their meaning to the decade and to music overall.


Greg Barlin
Dec 16, 20243 min read
Revenge of the Tipping Point
★★★★☆ Gladwell revisits how social epidemics take off with a new set of stories to illustrate variations of concepts from The Tipping Point.


Greg Barlin
Dec 16, 20244 min read
The Small and the Mighty
★★★★☆ An entertaining look at a few lesser-known influential people throughout U.S. history, presented in a conversational and engaging way.


Greg Barlin
Dec 15, 20244 min read
All the Worst Humans
★★★★☆ A memoir that exposes the role of PR firms in our news cycle and the ways they manipulate information to support their wealthy clients


Greg Barlin
Nov 30, 20244 min read
The Boys of Riverside
★★★★☆ The account of the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, and their football team's pursuit of a championship across two seasons.


Greg Barlin
Oct 16, 20248 min read
The Top 50 Books of the Last 5 Years
Inspired by an underwhelming list from Goodreads, this counts down a far superior list of the Top 50 books of the last 5 years (2020-2024).


Greg Barlin
Aug 23, 20244 min read
The Boys in the Boat
★★★★☆ A thoroughly-researched and compelling account of the University of Washington rowing team's quest to win gold at the 1936 Olympics.


Greg Barlin
Jul 7, 20244 min read
The Six Pack
★★★★☆ An in-depth look at six of the wrestlers (and the rise of wrestling in the 80s) based around the Iron Sheik becoming champion in 1983.


Greg Barlin
May 13, 20243 min read
The Formula
★★★★☆ Focused not just on the recent rise of F1 but its entire 75-year history, this is an entertaining look at the evolution of the sport.


Greg Barlin
Dec 23, 202314 min read
The Best Books of 2023
A running tally of my "Best Books of 2023", updated each time I finish a book throughout the year.

Greg Barlin
Dec 13, 20233 min read
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (#10 of 2023)
★★★★★ Both entertaining and helpful, Duckworth systematically lays out a plethora of evidence for why passion + perseverance = success.


Greg Barlin
Dec 9, 20233 min read
Fear Is Just A Word
★★★★★ When a young woman goes missing, kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, her mother makes it her life's mission to bring them to justice.


Greg Barlin
Dec 7, 20233 min read
The Art Thief
★★★★★ A thoroughly researched examination of the exploits of Stéphane Breitwieser, the most prolific art thief the world has ever known.


Greg Barlin
Nov 18, 20234 min read
Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond
★★★★★ An honest autobiographical account of a showbiz life, infused with humor, self-deprecation and a joie de vivre oozing from every page.


Greg Barlin
Nov 3, 20234 min read
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
★★★★☆ The author of Killers of the Flower Moon returns with an account of a shipwreck in the 1740s and the tale of survival that follows.


Greg Barlin
Feb 19, 20233 min read
The Escape Artist
★★★★☆ A difficult (but important) read about one of the first Jews to escape from Auschwitz and alert the world to the atrocities there.

Greg Barlin
Jan 1, 20234 min read
The Best Books of 2022 (#20-#11), plus the "Naughty List" of books to avoid
Happy New Year! It’s time once again for what has become an annual tradition, my Books of the Year list. 2022 was a busy year of reading,...
Subscribe
bottom of page